[citation needed] Warrant officer candidates are typically drawn from enlisted members (up to Command Sergeant Major) and inter-service transfers.

[1] In this case, Inter-Service Transfer refers to enlisted members of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, or U.S. Marine Corps transferring to the U.S. Army to attend WOCS,[1] or civilian high school graduates who enlist for guaranteed attendance as aviation (flight) candidates at WOCS after they complete Basic Combat Training (BCT).

[2][3] WOCS is a five-week course designed to train, assess, evaluate, and develop warrant officers for fourteen of the U.S. Army's sixteen basic branches (excluding Infantry and Armor).

The course is designed to provide a base to assist in the development of Army Warrant Officers into self–aware and adaptive technical experts, combat leaders, trainers, mentors, and advisors to both soldiers and commanders.

Graduation from WOCS is held at the United States Army Aviation Museum on Fort Novosel, where a candidate is appointed to WO1 and moves to their respective branch schools to attend the Warrant Officer Basic Course.