Afoqt practice

I was presented recently with the opportunity of trying to join as an officer instead of enlisted, as I originally planned. Are there any officers here who could shed a light on how different life is as an officer vs an enlisted? I read that enlisted are more technically knowledgeable than officers in their respective fields. Would you as an officer still be able to be "technical" about certain aspects of the job? For instance, would you as a cyber officer (sorry i dont know the exact term), still be able to learn AND practice in real life cyber assurance together with your enlisted peers?
Also, any tips about the AFOQT?
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As I have began to study for the afoqt, I have realized how slow I am at specifically long division but also multi digit multiplication. Any tips on good resources (worksheets specifically would be great) to practice and get better?

Figured I would make this post and follow-ons as pertinent as the information may be useful for aspiring applicants. I was selected for RPA from board 20-02. I am currently working on building a package to cross-train for a pilot slot while on active duty. This entails pushing up a package including many items similar to an OTS package. When I was selected, my AFOQT Pilot was an 83 with 6 flights hours giving me PCSM of 50. This was under the old system when flight hours maxed at 200+. Interestingly enough, I rechecked my score and it has gone unchanged even with the new hour system. Based on my scores, I know I didn't do well on the TBAS. My recruiter scheduled me to do it the same day as MEPS which me, not knowing better, thought it sounded like a good idea. Two birds with one stone right? It was not a good idea... Anyhow, I have made it through the pipeline which conveniently gets you flight hours via IFT if you do not have a PPL. I obtained 38 hours while in IFT which combined with my initial 6 gets me into the max bracket of 41-60+. After perusing some other scores here my WAG for my new PCSM with added hours is 65. To prepare, I used the prep software for a little over a month usually doing one practice session each morning. I logged my attempts to track progress and kept all modes on default settings to ensure consistency. I made most of my improvement after about 6 attempts on each section. Averages (excluding initial 6 attempts): UAV (50 round set) 1.25s, Target tracking 20300, Multitasking (7 Minute +/-5s set) Letters 220, Math 268, Gauge 142, Radio 46, Total 677. Felt much better on this attempt both physically and prep wise. Did not miss a single UAV this time and I missed at least three on my first take, and am certain I did better on the other portions as well. I have 65 as my guesstimate new score with hours, I'll update when my new score posts.

For those of y’all who have taken the AFOQT and had the Barons book for practice, was the instrument comprehension similar? (Like the planes were all black). I find those harder than the ones in another books that look more 3D

Hello, I have been in for about 13 years now. I got a 98 on the ASVAB and a 97 on the AFOQT. I am here to teach y'all a little about the ASVAB score, what it means, how it is calculated, and how to best spend time to improve your score.
The armed services vocational aptitude battery is a percentile based score, 1-99, with the MAGE (Mechanical, Administrative, General, and Electronics) also scored as percentile. These percentiles are 'renormalized)' very rarely, the last one happening in 2004 based off of data collected in 1997 during the "PAY97" https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA408911.pdf has more information on how the scores changed from 1980 datasets.
The test is broken into 9 subtests with the following number of questions and durations. You will notice that there is also a VE score, for Verbal Expression. Each of the 4 MAGE scores is calculated off of these subtests. The subtests are not percentile, but Deviation scored. The ASVAB standard deviation is set to 10. Therefore, if you receive a score of 60, you have scored one standard deviation above the mean. If you receive a score of 70, you have scored two standard deviations above the mean, and so on. So your score isn't the number of questions you answered correctly, but how many questions you answered correctly in comparison to others (from high school in 1997) who have taken the test (where it didn't affect their grade at all).

• General Science (GS) – 15 questions in 8 minutes
• Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) – 15 questions in 39 minutes
• Word Knowledge (WK) – 15 questions in 8 minutes
• Paragraph Comprehension (PC) – 10 questions in 22 minutes
• Mathematics Knowledge (MK) – 15 questions in 20 minutes
• Electronics Information (EI) – 15 questions in 8 minutes
• Automotive and Shop Information (AS) – 10 questions in 7 minutes
• Mechanical Comprehension (MC) – 15 questions in 20 minutes
• Assembling Objects (AO) – 15 questions in 40 minutes
• Verbal Expression (VE) Score = (WK)+(PC)

(Table source https://www.airforce.com/asvab )
M Mechanical = VE + AR + MC + AS A Administrative = VE + MK G General = VE + AR E Electrical = AR + MK + EI + GS
Look at this table, do you notice something very (boldly) interesting? VE and AR are in 3 of the MAGE scores each!
VE is a combination of WK and PC. Therefore, the three most important things to study for a good score are Word Knowledge**,** Paragraph Comprehension, and Arithmetic Reasoning.
How do you study for these? https://play.freerice.com/categories/english-vocabulary?level=1 can help you cram for vocabulary. Every time you get a correct answer you earn some food to donate to some hungry people for a little altruism thrown in. When I prepped for the AFOQT I used Chrome, FireFox, Opera, and Edge at the same time so that I could do three in English and one in Spanish at the same time to get word practice in faster. This will massively increase your ability to understand what you are reading and multiple choice (VE).
https://archive.org/details/msdos_Number_Munchers_1990 can help you get faster at math. This 1990's educational game is available on a lot of websites but this one is the least ad-laden. Set the difficulty to 8th grade in options and practice your math speed / accuracy under pressure as the monster tries to eat your green math frog. MK scores are likely to improve just doing this, and that makes the AR parts easier.
http://www.free-clep-prep.com/College-Algebra-CLEP.html This website will be invaluable to you once you are enlisted because it helps you study to test out of college classes and finish your CCAF really quickly. This particular study guide and practice information will really help bolster your AR score.
Of course you can study everything, but focusing on just these three resources to improve your math and reading, you can boost all four of your MAGE scores.

Every few months on here I see trends of questions and feel inclined to offer my 2 cents.
Regarding the AFOQT:
-The best thing you can do for yourself is to buy 2 of the 3rd party study books for like $20 a piece and study them for an hour or two a night. Don’t schedule your AFOQT before you have looked at these books and feel reasonably confident that you’ll do well on test day.
-At the end of the day, the AFOQT is just a standardized test with a couple aviation sections added in. When you are working through the practice material and notice knowledge gaps on specific topics, take to the internet. It’s almost all high school level stuff, and I see very little reason to ever pay a tutor for this kind of thing.
Regarding the TBAS:
-buy some pedals and the stick. Get used to the controls and feel confident about it.
-there may or may not be some really helpful software out there that simulates the test, using the pedals and stick.
-if you get to test day and the joystick is on the opposite side from what you’ve been training on, ask them to move it. I didn’t bring this up on my first test and failed the TBAS. I had them look up the regs and switch sides on my second attempt and scored 90+

05/31
It's been about a month since MEPS and I'm still holding out for a job I want. Aerospace physiology isn't available at any of the NG bases near me, so my current plan is to wait for it to open up while studying for the AFOQT to try my chances at becoming a pilot. I know it's a long shot, but I feel I can afford to be picky because I already have a nice civilian career lined up. I also know a lot of people would do anything to enlist with any job, so I'm grateful for qualifying and getting a great ASVAB score.
My recruiter has tried to push me towards bioenviromental engineering (which is nowhere close to my degree in biomedical engineering - something he found out quickly), aerospace medicine (I know these are hard to come by but it's just not what I want), and sensor operator (I don't want to blow up targets everyday - I know that's not the reality of the job, but it's a different level of offense I don't see for myself).
I may also look into starting my private pilot's license to get hours. That would be an expensive endeavor when I've only just started working 8 months ago, but I need to keep pushing forward somehow.
All of this has affected my motivation to workout consistently which is a bummer. I just ran for the first time in over a month and it was a tough mile. I need to learn to workout for my own health.
Just thought I'd post an update since it's been awhile.
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04/29
Completed MEPS today! No medical disqualifications/waivers needed. If it helps anyone, I have flat feet and a lil bit of a hammer toe on both sides and was told it's fine as long as I don't experience any pain.
I did medical and took the ASVAB for the first time so it was a full day for me. Woke up around 3AM (probably anxious) this morning at the MEPS hotel and rolled around in bed till 3:50. My wakeup call from the front desk came at 4:06 (not sure why I'm adding these details but I am). Honestly enjoyed talking to other recruits and hearing their plan in the military - definitely take advantage of this because it helps pass the time!
Anyway, after breakfast they released self drivers a couple minutes before everyone else (those taking the bus) to go over to the MEPS station. We lined up in pairs of two on the sidewalk outside MEPS to receive initial instructions on passing through the metal detector, storing our belongings in cubbies, and receiving name tags from our branch liaison. We then filed over to get our vision and hearing checked (I felt blind during the vision test and probably pushed the button during the hearing test when there wasn't a tone but I guess it was good enough). We then waited in a room to get a briefing from the Commander (just a short PowerPoint). He told us we'd have our urine test done within the next 30 minutes, but we soon found out that those taking the ASVAB/PiCAT verification would have to wait till after testing. A number of people went to the bathroom once they realized, but my dumb ass thought I could hold it (which I did but it wasn't a fun time). Might be TMI but I didn't pee at all this morning till I had my urine test around noon. It was also super cold in the building so I don't actually know if I was shaking because of the temperature, my nerves, or because I needed to pee. They had us do a quick breathalyzer before testing and then we were on our way.
Next, the ASVAB! I actually don't know my line scores yet but I scored a 98. Didn't know my score till the Air Force liaison congratulated me. Fully prepared to have super low line scores but I'm happy with the 98 to start! I was given 2 pieces of scratch paper and filled up both sides of one mainly during the arithmetic reasoning section. I'm a slow test taker and Air Force also requires you to take a cyber test and the TAPAS (personality test). I had to go to medical after I finished the ASVAB before I got deep into the other two tests because the lab was supposed to close around 11:30.
Medical was fine... minus getting blood drawn. I have super small veins and had two med techs look at my arms. I ended up getting poked twice - once in each arm. Not a fun time having someone wiggle a needle around for a couple of minutes and then do the same to the other arm. Anyway, one of the highs of the day came next. I got to pee (yay!). Yes, someone observes you with the bathroom stall door open, but she wasn't staring at me intently. I then proceeded to wait in room undressed (just a bra and underwear) with two other girls. We eventually got gowns and had our weight and height measured. This room was super cold to the point where we were huddling around a space heater. There was both a male and female doctor for the medical history/duck walk/private part inspection. If you're female and have a male doctor, you're allowed a female chaperone to be there with you (and vice versa) which is nice. I had a female doctor who was sweet and asked me questions about any history of asthma, feelings of depression, self harm, etc. My arms and legs totally cracked while we were doing various movements but she didn't say anything about it. For the duck walk, I was told to take my time and that it's totally fine to briefly touch the ground if I lose balance. Everything went smoothly and I went back to change and finish my tests. Had to check out with my branch liaison and front desk then I was free to go!
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04/13
My MEPS appointment was unfortunately postponed to April 29th. I have started panicking about doing the ASVAB well because I've done 2 practice tests (through an Army recruiter before I settled on AF) and scored well (got an 84 on the first and 99 on the second), yet couldn't meet the time limits of the first practice test in the ASVAB for Dummies book. It's been a hot minute since I've touched on subjects like chemistry and basic biology as a college graduate, so I guess it's good I have more time to study. I've heard of the PiCAT for those worried about time, but my recruiter discouraged me from going down that path. Something to think about.
On another note, I've been updating my fitness log below! I started running before focusing on push-ups and sit-ups so you'll see a lot more on my run time. _____________
03/27
Hey there! 23F here with a bachelor's in biomedical engineering and a full-time job in aerospace looking to join the Air Force Reserves/National Guard around August, if possible.
Currently scheduled to go to MEPS April 15th and amidst my anxiety of getting a high ASVAB score, getting a job slot I enjoy, getting into decent physical shape, and figuring out what I'm going to do about my apartment while I'm in initial training, I thought maybe others on this subreddit share the same feelings. I'd love to hear advice going into training/Air Force in general, feelings from others joining or already in, and plan to keep this post updated throughout this journey!
For reference, I wanted to become a pilot (which is highly unlikely given no prior military experience/flight time) or go into Aerospace Physiology - we shall see what my options are after MEPS! The current plan is to enlist because I was told there are no officer positions available now within the NG in my area (plan to chat with the Reserves as well but I prioritize finding a job I like then enlisting/commissioning based on what it takes to get there).
Happy to answer any questions and feel free to yell at me if I don't update because it probably means I'm not working out like I should...
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Fitness Log
Played soccer for a couple years, been at least 5 years since I've ran. I could count the number of times I've been to a gym on my hands. I'll record my push-ups and other stats once I get the form down, but I'd say my max continuous push-up is around 15, I'm doing 1x3s for pushups and plan to do 30/60s or 60/120s for my runs as the weather gets warmer. Last time I recorded sit-ups (last summer) it was around 45 in 2 min. UPDATE 4/4: At 69 sit-ups in 2 min (I think I could do more if I only sat up to my knees touched my thighs)

Run	Push-ups	Sit-ups (1 minute)
02/23: Ran 1 mile in 12:30 - first mile I've ran since high school!	04/13: 19, then did 1x3s with 6 reps each	04/13: 35
02/24: Ran 1 mile in 10:30	04/16: 30, paused in front leaning position before last couple	04/20: 46
03/13: Ran 1.5 miles at 9:20/mi pace - first 1.5 mile I've ever recorded!
03/20: Ran 1.5 miles at 8:34/mi pace
03/26: Ran 1 mile in 7:30, harder than expected tbh
03/31: Ran 1 mile in 9:30, then another 1 mile in 10:00 after some other strength exercises - running just to run, not for time
04/06: Ran 2 miles at 8:27/mi pace - first 2 miles ever recorded!
04/18: Ran 1.5 miles at 8:00/mi pace
05/30: Ran 1 mile in 7:58, was aiming for 7:30 but had to walk for a couple seconds 3/4 in

I was curious to ask. But for anyone that has taken the AFOQT test within the last year, if the the practice tests or material that you had used had questions from those practice tests or material?

Hello all, long time lurker here!
Found out I was accepted from a rolling CAD board last Friday for Civil Engineer, 32E1F. My recruiter told a me a board was held at the end of February and he likely got results the following week. Just thought I’d leave some things from my package to help those with theirs. Im also a non prior civilian that went for a non-rated slot.
Timeline: Made contact with my recruiter Nov 2023 and took the AFOQT on Dec 4th. My package went really fast and the turn around from being selected from start to finish was only 4ish months.
AFOQT: Average scores IMO, Pilot 84/CSO 81/ABM 85/AA 75/Verbal 72/Quant 72. Ive seen people in the 90’s on this sub so considering that was my competition I considered it to be middle of the pack.
Degree: Mechanical Engineering, with a 3.14 GPA. Likely a strong point.
Experience: Also likely a strong point, I’ve worked as an engineer for a lot of the big aerospace defense companies for a while on a lot of military aircraft in service. I also had publications in college and led research groups so I had good experience for this section.
LOR: Didn’t know any officers so i got a letter from an enlisted marine vet I worked with and an old boss from a place I waited tables at throughout college. My recruiter said I could only submit 2. Likely not a strong point.
Interview: If anything got me in it was this. I did both the hireview and in person. Interview with a Lt. Col was only supposed to go for 30 min but we talked for almost 2 hours. He was also an engineer so yea luck of the draw I guess. I had an answer for everything and I practiced but IMO this was the most important part of the package so I spent the most time prepping for this.
MEPS and all the other stuff went fast, not too remarkable and no prior health issues. Anyway hope this helps y’all. Reading everyone’s posts and stories helped me so I thought I’d give back!

I took the PearsonVue version of the AFOQT on Monday and afterwards I felt more confident than I think I should and it's making me worried my scores are going to not be great. Coming out of the test I thought it was way easier than the practice tests I'd been taking, I didn't feel like I missed any of the word knowledge or analogy questions and only a few of the Arithmetic/Math questions.
My worry is that because it's percentile based even if I only got one or two questions wrong my scores will drop below 50. Is that how others have felt after taking it, or am I worried for nothing?
Edit: I got my scores! P: 99, CSO: 98, ABM: 99, Acad: 89, V: 96, Q: 68 I think I was right to be a bit more nervous about my Quantitative score over everything else.

Most "how competitive is it/am I a good applicant"etc. questions can be answered by the following:
-college GPA over 3.5
-PPL or at least solo'd
-AFOQT scores around 90 or better in the rated sections
-use the online resources to find out how the process works, so that when you get the chance to talk to pilots, you are asking good questions and know how it all works.
-rush units and network
Less common things that not as many people mention:
-Not all units are on bogidope. Most of my interviews came from units that I found via google/facebook/personal connections/ knocking on doors when rushing other squadrons at the same base.
-Don't rely on a recruiter for literally anything unless you have to. The first time I ever reached out to a recruiter was after I got a hiring letter from my unit. If you ask around ROTC offices and local AF bases, you can probably get your AFOQT and TBAS taken care of.
-The AFOQT is a standardized test like any other. I imagine most people getting 90+ in every category set aside a couple hours a day for several weeks to study using the books you can find on amazon. You don't really have to be that smart, just practice the test.
My controversial opinion no one asked for:
-If you're ok with spending 2+ years on the application trail, then maybe it's worth considering an enlistment into the reserve component. Once you're on the inside, you're treated much differently and speak the language. Not to mention you may be better prepared to lead (and will be making more money once you commission).
-Complaining about how difficult or convoluted the process is the wrong mind set. If you don't have the patience for a lengthy and competitive process, there's probably other organizations that will get you flying sooner; but be aware you may reap what you sow.

Hello, all I am planning on taking the AFOQT for the first time in the next two months and am working extremely hard to study every day to prepare for it. I was looking around and have found some great posts explaining what I should do to prepare for it. I have a few books (Momentrix, Trivium, Military Prep Academy, and a few more), but I keep hearing about the Barons AFOQT book. I am wondering if anyone had one they were willing to sell or send to me before I splurge on one myself.
Any tips are greatly appreciated as I tend to overthink everything leading up to an important test such as this one. little worried about this whole thing as it all rests on a test and get a bit nervous around it all. Does anyone have any good tips that I should employ in my studies every day? My practice test scores are looking like this atm (AR 80-90%, AI 70-90%, BC 90-100%, IC 90-100%, MK 70-90%, PC 50-80%, PS 50-60%, TR 80-95%, VA 50-70%, and WK 50-70%) my word sections are not the best, and I am struggling with learning all the components with helicopters as I haven't done much research with them. Note those scores are only within practice tests I have done so they won't reflect the actual test as far as I am aware.
Any and all tips are greatly appreciated as I tend to overthink everything leading up to an important test such as this one.
Thanks to everyone who reads through this whole thing.

I am currently enlisted in the Air Force as a maintainer. I am 1.5 years from graduating with my BS in information technology, my GPA is 4.0 currently and I have a ccaf in avionics as well. 28 years old and was wondering who to talk to about commissioning because I called recruiters and they weren't really any help. I wanna prepare for it in any way I can. I am also studying and doing afoqt practice tests every month. I focus on my work as a maintainer first and use what little time I have to study. If anyone can tell me who I can talk to for OTS would be awesome. I would also like to know my chances of getting in for those that have commissioned. Thank you and have a blessed day

I know the consensus is to always go through the Academy or ROTC for a pilot slot, but is OTS really the “death sentence” people keep saying it is for pilot—specifically fightejet pilot?
Is there any data showing how many pilot spots went to the Academy vs ROTC vs OTS for the most recent cycles? If this can be broken down further between fighter and non-fighter that would be even better.
I’m confident I can beat the AFOQT with flying colors, but with a sub-3.7 GPA and a non-STEM degree, all while commissioning going through OTS, I feel so discouraged when I hear others telling those in the same situation they practically have no chance.
I even heard one person tell another that their AF officer recruiter said they don’t work with anyone with below a 3.7 by default, which I’m not sure is entirely accurate.

Hello. I’ve been browsing this subreddit and reading prior threads on RPA. I think that commissioning is a good move for me within the next 2-8 years (first enlistment is up in two years and if I don’t commission I will reenlist.
I’m in the air guard, aircraft maintenance on KC-135s. Do I love the guard? Yes overall I do. However I don’t want to stay in aircraft maintenance. I have no flying experience, a bachelors, and half of a masters, both in business fields. I am good at preparing for tests and have studied a little for the AFOQT, and scored high 90s on the ASVAB.
While I think reenlisting into another job may give me the opportunity to learn more “practical” skills (CE, vehicle maintenance, maybe others?), I think that by at least the end of my second enlistment I’ll want to start looking for more of a desk-job or inside-a-building job and on my way to command/leadership responsibilities.
RPA pilot stands out because I feel like it can help the Air Force’s mission, provide job security, and provide a clear path to leadership. Does anyone have any insight or advice for me about: when to commission, what jobs sound right for me, or what to avoid/consider?
Finally, I would like to stay Guard or Reserve. Thank you! Feel free to ask me for additional information. I’ll post this to one or two other subs as well.

Been studying for the AFOQT for awhile now and I’m taking the test soon. Is the table reading section more like Barron’s book (one big table of just numbers) or is it more like the Trvium book with a lot of smaller tables with varying information in the table? Studied and took practice tests with both but just want to be ready

Taking the AFOQT for the second time in a month to improve my pilot score (haven't taken it since early 2022) and was wondering how similar the table reading chart on the test is to the one given on the PCSM website. This was the only section I had a lot of difficulty with on the test and I want to make sure I am practicing effectively.

I’m going into my final semester of college and considering joining the Air Force. I’m majoring in History, have a 3.9 GPA, and already confirmed that I don’t have anything medical or in my background which would disqualify me from service. I’ve also got a minor in Classical Studies, which doesn’t have much practical value (unless the Air Force really needs someone who can read Aramaic) but has made me consider DLI/cryptology. I haven’t taken the ASVAB or AFOQT yet but I tend to test pretty well.
I was hoping to work in some sort of analytical/intelligence field after graduating, and my grandfather (AF officer until ~‘91) recommended I look into military intelligence.
I’ve talked to both an LO and enlisted recruiter, and I know the acceptance rate for non-rated officer positions is ~10% right now, whereas the odds of working in intelligence (albeit in a smaller way and for lower pay) would be much higher if I enlisted.
In your opinion, is the extra wait time and smaller chance of acceptance for OTS worth it for someone in my position, or would enlisting and getting an intelligence AFSC be a better use of my time?

I’m going into my final semester of college and considering putting a package together for OTS. I’m majoring in History, have a 3.9 GPA, and already confirmed that I don’t have anything medical or in my background which would disqualify me from service. I’ve also got a minor in Classical Studies, which doesn’t have much practical value (unless the Air Force really needs someone who can read Aramaic) but has made me consider DLI/cryptology. I haven’t taken the AFOQT yet but I tend to test pretty well.
I was hoping to work in some sort of analytical/intelligence field after graduating, and my grandfather (AF officer until ~‘91) recommended I look into military intelligence.
I’ve talked to both an LO and enlisted recruiter, and I know the acceptance rate for non-rated officer positions is ~10% right now.
In your opinion, is the extra wait time and smaller chance of acceptance for OTS worth it for someone in my position, or would enlisting and getting an intelligence AFSC be a better use of my time?

Hey everyone, Im an AS200 who has an AFOQT retake on Jan 12 and will be doing the PearsonVue AFOQT. To put it best, I bombed my first attempt in august, I did not pass either section and have been studying like an animal ever since. I have been doing prep for math and quizlet along with magoosh gre app for verbal. I confidently can say I can not only pass this time, but score pretty high. Every single practice test I do, for each sub test, I get at least an 18/25 as the lowest section, and 21-24/25 for my higher subsections. I have a little over 2 weeks before my retake and have just been doing practice tests.
I have used dang near every practice test out there (barrons, trivium, moonpoint) I have the mometrix book, but the math in there is so dang easy and not like whats on the test. The verbal analogies is too hard on there tho.
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Does anyone have any reliable practice tests they could let me know about? I would really appreciate all the help
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My stats for this PSP board is a 3.667 GPA, 94.2 PFA, we aren't told our commanders ranking, however my midterm feedback with my instructor went well and he noted on my feedback form I have met all expectations and have gone above and beyond at LLAB. I feel like its decent, this is the only thing I need to tackle and Im confided if I get 90s across the board, I should be good. Im going non rated so I dont care what I get on pilot.