Szabo was sent to the SOE "finishing school" at Beaulieu, Hampshire, where she learnt escape and evasion, uniform recognition, communications and cryptography. She had training in weaponry. The final stage in training was parachute jumping. On her first attempt, Szabo badly sprained her ankle and was sent home to recover (it was this ankle that was to fail her later in France). She was able to take the parachuting course again and passed with a second class in February 1944.