The first phase of the SFQC is the Special Forces Orientation Course (SFOC), a one-week introduction to Special Forces which establishes a foundational understanding of Special Forces missions and doctrine, Mission Command, Introduction to Unconventional Warfare, SF History and USASOC Strategy 2035.

During phase II, Special Forces trainees will receive training for their newly assigned Special Forces Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). Training for this phase lasts 13 weeks and covers Special Forces common tasks, Advanced Special Operations Techniques (ASOT) and interagency operations. Soldiers will also take part in Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) exercises.

The tactics phase (Phase III), which lasts 7 weeks, drills candidates in advanced marksmanship, counterinsurgency, urban operations, live fire maneuvers sensitive site exploitation and other Special Forces skills

Robin Sage (Phase IV) is the training phase that serves as the litmus test for Soldiers hoping to earn the Green Beret. Candidates are organized into squads and inserted into a fictional country, known as Pineland, which is made up of several counties spanning North Carolina. Pineland is rife with political turmoil, and candidates must navigate the region and complete a specified mission.

Phase V, known as the Regimental First Formation marks the transition from field work into a classroom environment. More importantly, it emphasizes the singular ceremony where Special Forces trainees will don the coveted Green Beret and Special Forces Tab for the first time.

During this 25-week phase (Phase V), candidates will fine-tune their skills in the language to which they have been assigned. Languages include French, Indonesian-Bahasa, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese-Mandarin, Korean, Persian-Farsi, Russian, Tagalog, Thai, Levantine, and Arabic (Egyptian)

All of the major work and training is completed by phase VI, the graduation phase, which involves a week of out-processing. Candidates will finally don their Green Berets as Special Forces Soldiers