UK military aptitude tests: which one will you sit?

Search for the "military aptitude test" and you will find advice for several different exams, often without anyone saying which service each belongs to. That is a real problem when you are trying to prepare, because the UK Armed Forces do not all use the same test. This guide sorts out which test goes with which service, so you practise the right one.

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 on the official recruitment website for the service you are applying to.

The quick answer

• RAF — the Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA).
• Royal Navy and Royal Marines — the Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA).
• British Army — the Army Cognitive Test (ACT).

So the DAA is common to the RAF and Royal Navy, while the Army runs its own separate assessment. If someone tells you about "the" military aptitude test without naming a service, ask which one they mean.

The Defence Aptitude Assessment (RAF and Royal Navy)

The DAA replaced the older service-specific tests, including the RAF's Airman/Airwoman Selection Test (AST). It is computer-based, multiple-choice, and made up of six separately timed sections with no calculator:

• Verbal Reasoning — conclusions from written information.
• Numerical Reasoning — arithmetic, fractions, percentages, ratios.
• Work Rate — applying a simple rule at speed.
• Spatial Reasoning — rotations, reflections, folding nets.
• Mechanical Comprehension — levers, gears, pulleys.
• Electrical Comprehension — circuits, current, resistance.

Because it is common to both services, guidance written for Royal Navy candidates generally applies to RAF candidates too. Read the DAA explained, or go straight to free DAA practice tests.

The Army Cognitive Test (British Army)

The Army uses the Army Cognitive Test (ACT), which replaced the British Army Recruit Battery (BARB). It is a shorter, sharply timed assessment, and speed is central to it in a way that catches people out — the ACT is as much a test of working quickly under pressure as of the reasoning itself.

Its sections cover deductive reasoning, error detection, number fluency, word rules and orientation. If you are applying to the Army, read the Army Cognitive Test explained and practise with free ACT questions.

Why the distinction matters

People regularly turn up having prepared for the wrong test. It happens because the tests share a general reputation — "the army test", "the forces test" — and because a lot of older material predates the current arrangements. Someone revising BARB questions for an Army application is preparing for a test that has been replaced; someone revising AST material for the RAF is doing the same.

The skills do overlap. Mental arithmetic, careful reading and working at pace help in any of these tests. But the structures, timings and section names differ, and walking in expecting the wrong format costs you marks for no good reason.

What is common to all of them

Whichever test you sit, three things hold true.

• They are timed tightly, section by section. Pace is part of what is being measured, not an obstacle to it.
• There is no single pass mark. Each role or trade has its own requirement, weighted towards the sections relevant to that job. Be sceptical of anyone quoting exact cut-offs — they are not published in detail.
• You cannot cram them. These assess underlying aptitude. What preparation genuinely removes is unfamiliarity: not recognising a question type, misreading an instruction, or burning a minute on a question worth the same as one that takes ten seconds.

Officers and aircrew: there is more

For most roles the aptitude test comes early and shapes which trades are open to you. If you are applying as an RAF officer or for aircrew, the DAA is not the end — you will also attend the Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre (OASC) for a further, more demanding battery alongside leadership exercises and interviews. See the OASC guide and, if you want to fly, RAF pilot aptitude requirements.

Where to start

Identify your service, then practise that test and nothing else. For the RAF or Royal Navy, work through all six DAA sections against a timer and concentrate on your weakest. For the Army, get used to the ACT's pace before worrying about anything else. Both are on this site, both have free samples, and both are worth a realistic hour before you sit the real thing.