The RAF Aptitude Test explained

If you are applying to the Royal Air Force and searching for information on the "RAF aptitude test", it helps to clear up the naming straight away. The RAF's aptitude test is the Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA). There is no separate exam called the "RAF aptitude test" — that is simply how many applicants refer to the DAA when they come to sit it as part of RAF selection. This guide explains what the test is, where it sits in your RAF application, how different roles use your results, and the extra aptitude testing that aircrew and officer candidates face.

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The RAF aptitude test is the DAA (formerly the AST)

For years, RAF applicants sat a test known as the Airman/Airwoman Selection Test (AST). This has since been replaced by the Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA), a single common aptitude test now used across the UK Armed Forces, including both the RAF and the Royal Navy. So if you have read older forum posts or guides mentioning the "AST", they are describing the predecessor to the test you will actually sit today.

The key point for RAF applicants: the DAA is your aptitude test. It is not about passing or failing in the usual sense — it measures where your strengths lie so that recruiters can match you to RAF roles you are likely to succeed in.

What the RAF aptitude test involves

The DAA is a computer-based, multiple-choice test made up of six separately timed sections. No calculator is allowed. In brief, the six sections are:

• Verbal Reasoning — working with written information and logical conclusions.
• Numerical Reasoning — arithmetic, fractions, percentages and ratios without a calculator.
• Work Rate — following patterns and instructions quickly and accurately.
• Spatial Reasoning — visualising shapes, rotations and how objects fit together.
• Mechanical Comprehension — everyday physics such as gears, levers and pulleys.
• Electrical Comprehension — basic circuits, current and resistance.

We keep the detail brief here on purpose. For the full breakdown of each section, how many questions you face and how the test runs on the day, read the full DAA explained guide.

Where the aptitude test sits in RAF selection

For most RAF roles, the DAA comes early in the journey. After your initial online application, you are typically invited to sit the aptitude test, and your results help determine which trades and roles you are eligible for before you progress to later stages such as interviews, medicals and fitness assessment. In other words, the aptitude test is one of the first significant hurdles, and it shapes the options open to you further down the line. For the wider picture, see our step-by-step guide on how to join the RAF.

Different RAF roles need different scores

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

This is why two applicants with similar overall performance can qualify for different RAF roles. Higher-demand roles generally call for stronger results in their key sections. The exact scores required are set by the RAF and are not published in detail, so be cautious of any source claiming to know precise cut-offs. To understand how results are interpreted, read DAA scores and what they mean.

Aircrew and officers: extra testing at OASC

The DAA is not the end of the aptitude story for everyone. If you are applying to be an RAF officer or for an aircrew role — such as pilot, weapon systems officer or weapon systems operator — you will also attend the Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre (OASC), based at RAF Cranwell. There, candidates complete a further, more demanding battery of computer-based aptitude tests alongside leadership exercises and interviews. These specialist tests assess abilities such as spatial reasoning, multi-tasking and hand-eye coordination that are especially relevant to flying and command roles.

If your ambition is to fly, it is worth understanding these requirements early. Our guide on RAF pilot aptitude requirements covers what aircrew candidates can expect from this stage.

How to prepare for the RAF aptitude test

The best way to walk into the DAA prepared is to know exactly what each section feels like and to practise under realistic time limits. Because the sections are individually timed and no calculator is allowed, pacing and confident mental arithmetic matter as much as knowing the material. Work through a full set of DAA practice tests covering all six sections, review the questions you get wrong, and keep drilling your weakest areas until your timing is comfortable.

For a structured plan and practical drills, follow our guide on how to prepare for the DAA. Preparation will not change your natural aptitude overnight, but it removes the surprises — and for a service-wide test that shapes which RAF roles are open to you, that alone can make a real difference.