The DAA explained: six timed sections, scores and practice

If you are applying to join the Royal Air Force or the Royal Navy, you will almost certainly need to sit the Defence Aptitude Assessment, usually shortened to the DAA. It is a timed, multiple-choice aptitude test that helps recruiters work out which trades and roles suit your strengths. This guide explains what the DAA is, the six sections it contains, how it is structured on the day and how your results feed into role eligibility. It is written to help you understand the test and prepare with confidence.

ForcesReady is an independent practice resource. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the RAF, the Royal Navy, the British Army or the Ministry of Defence. Always confirm the current process and requirements on the official recruitment websites before you apply.

What is the Defence Aptitude Assessment?

The DAA is a computer-based aptitude test used by the RAF and the Royal Navy to assess a range of reasoning and technical abilities under time pressure. The RAF says it was previously called the Airmen Selection Test, and the same test is used whether you are applying to the RAF or the Royal Navy. Your results are not about passing or failing in the traditional sense — instead, they show where your strengths lie so you can be matched to roles you are likely to succeed in.

The whole assessment is multiple choice. You may not use a calculator, but the Royal Navy says paper and pencil are allowed for calculations. Each part is separately timed, so you cannot save spare minutes from an easy section to spend on a harder one. The Royal Navy's familiarisation page describes 128 questions across eight timed parts (numerical and spatial reasoning each come in two parts), which adds up to about 70 minutes of testing. Figures can change, so check the official page before you sit it.

Try the official practice first. The Royal Navy publishes free DAA familiarisation questions showing the real question formats and the time allowed for each part. Our own practice questions are original and use our own formats and timings, which differ from the real test.

The six sections of the DAA

The DAA is built from six distinct sections, each measuring a different type of ability. Because they are individually timed, pacing yourself within each one matters as much as knowing the material.

• Verbal Reasoning — understanding written information, drawing logical conclusions and working with the meaning of words.
• Numerical Reasoning — arithmetic, fractions, percentages, ratios and interpreting figures, all without a calculator.
• Work Rate — quickly and accurately following patterns and instructions to process information at speed.
• Spatial Reasoning — visualising shapes, rotations and how objects fit together in two and three dimensions.
• Mechanical Comprehension — everyday physics such as gears, levers, pulleys and forces.
• Electrical Comprehension — basic circuits, current, resistance and how simple electrical components behave.

Because the sections are so different in style, it pays to practise each one separately rather than assuming strength in one area will carry the others.

How the test runs on the day

According to the Royal Navy, the link to your assessment is sent to your candidate portal and stays valid for 14 days. You can start it whenever suits you in that window, but once you begin you must finish it in one sitting. You can take it at home, or arrange with your careers adviser to sit it at your local Armed Forces Careers Office. The real test must be taken on a screen of at least 10.2 inches (practising on a phone is fine). The Royal Navy also warns that using any AI tool, such as ChatGPT, will be treated as cheating.

Two things catch people out. First, the no-calculator rule means the numerical section rewards confident arithmetic, with only paper and pencil to help. Second, the fastest sections — particularly Work Rate — give you very little time per question, so hesitation is costly. Our guide on how to prepare for the DAA covers practical drills for both of these.

How scores map to role eligibility

There is no single overall pass mark for the DAA. Instead, each role or trade has its own required standard, usually based on how you perform in the sections most relevant to that job. A technical trade may lean heavily on your mechanical and electrical scores, while many roles place strong weight on the verbal and numerical reasoning results because those underpin training across the board.

This is why two applicants with similar overall performance can qualify for different roles. If you score strongly in reasoning but less so in the technical sections, you may still be well matched to a wide range of jobs. The specific scores required for each role are set by the services and are not published in detail, so be cautious of any source claiming to know exact cut-offs. To understand this properly, read our companion guide on DAA scores and what they mean.

Which services use the DAA?

The DAA is used by both the RAF and the Royal Navy as part of their selection process. If you are still deciding which service to apply to, or want to understand where the test sits in the wider journey, see our step-by-step guides on how to join the RAF and how to join the Royal Navy.

Getting ready

The best way to walk into the DAA prepared is to learn the real formats from the Royal Navy's free DAA familiarisation questions, then practise against the clock. Our practice tests cover all six sections with original questions; review the questions you get wrong, and keep drilling your weakest areas until your timing is comfortable. Preparation will not change your natural aptitude overnight, but it removes the surprises — and that alone can make a real difference to your score.