DAA scores and what they mean for your application

One of the most common questions from RAF and Royal Navy applicants is a simple one: what score do I need to pass the DAA? The honest answer is that it does not work like that. The Defence Aptitude Assessment does not have a single overall pass mark. Instead, your results are used to match you to the roles your abilities suit. This guide explains how DAA scoring actually works, why the reasoning sections carry so much weight, and what happens if your scores are not high enough for the role you want.

ForcesReady is an independent practice resource. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the RAF, the Royal Navy or the Ministry of Defence. The services set and control the actual score requirements, and these are not published in full. Be cautious of any source that claims to know exact cut-off numbers.

There is no single pass or fail

The DAA is best understood as a profiling tool rather than a simple test you pass or fail. When you finish, you have a set of results across its six sections — verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, work rate, spatial reasoning, mechanical comprehension and electrical comprehension. Those results are compared against the standards required for the roles you are interested in. If your profile meets the standard for a role, you are eligible for it; if it does not, you may still be eligible for plenty of others.

This is why two people can sit the same DAA, come out with different scores, and both be offered good roles — just different ones. If you are new to the test, our Defence Aptitude Assessment explained guide sets out how the six sections work.

Different roles need different scores

Every trade and branch has its own requirements, tuned to what the job demands. In broad terms:

• Technical and engineering roles tend to place more weight on the mechanical and electrical comprehension sections, alongside solid numerical ability.
• Roles involving fast, accurate processing of information may value your work rate and spatial results.
• Almost every role depends on strong verbal and numerical reasoning, because those abilities underpin training and day-to-day work across the services.

Because the exact standards are set by the services and kept internal, no reputable source can tell you the precise number to aim for. The sensible approach is to aim to perform as strongly as you can across every section, so that as many roles as possible stay open to you.

Why the reasoning sections matter most

If you have limited time to prepare, the verbal and numerical reasoning sections usually deserve the most attention. These two abilities feed into almost everything you will do in training and in role, so they tend to carry weight for a very wide range of jobs — not just a specialist few. Strengthening them keeps your options broad rather than narrowing you toward one or two roles.

The numerical section is especially worth practising because it is sat without a calculator. Confident mental arithmetic with fractions, percentages and ratios can lift your score meaningfully. Our guide on how to prepare for the DAA has practical drills for exactly this.

What your score does — and does not — decide

Your DAA results are an important factor in which roles you can apply for, but they are not the whole story. Interviews, fitness, medical checks and security vetting all form part of selection too. A strong DAA opens doors; it does not by itself guarantee a place. Think of it as widening your range of options, then work hard on the other stages as well. You can see where the DAA fits in the full journey in our guides on how to join the RAF and how to join the Royal Navy.

Can you re-sit the DAA?

If your scores do not qualify you for the role you want, a re-sit is often possible, but usually only after a waiting period. The services impose this gap so that a re-sit reflects genuine improvement rather than simply repeating the test in quick succession. The length of the waiting period can change and depends on current policy, so confirm the rules with your recruiter or the official recruitment site rather than relying on figures you read elsewhere.

Because a re-sit means waiting, it is far better to prepare thoroughly the first time. Work through realistic practice tests under timed conditions, review the questions you get wrong, and keep drilling your weakest sections until your performance is consistent. Preparation cannot rewrite your natural aptitude, but it removes avoidable mistakes and helps you show your true ability on the day.