The Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) is a standardized test used by the United States Department of the Air Force to select applicants for officer commissioning programs, including Officer Training School (OTS) and the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC). Department of the Air Force policy describes the AFOQT as a commissioning requirement and as a test used to classify commissioned officers into utilization specialties such as pilot, combat systems officer, air battle manager, or technical specialties. Test sections The AFOQT consists of 516 multiple choice questions across 12 timed subtests, with the exam lasting about five hours including breaks. The Self-Description Inventory is included in the test but is not graded.
+AFOQT Test SectionsSectionAbbreviationTime (minutes)QuestionsVerbal AnalogiesVA825Arithmetic ReasoningAR2925Word KnowledgeWK525Math KnowledgeMK2225Reading ComprehensionRC2425Situational JudgmentSJ3516Self-Description InventorySDI45240Physical SciencePS1020Table ReadingTR740Instrument ComprehensionIC525Block CountingBC530Aviation InformationAI820
Composite scores
AFOQT scores are reported through composite scores in the areas of pilot, combat systems officer (CSO), air battle manager (ABM), academic aptitude, verbal, and quantitative. Composite scores are reported as percentiles from 1 to 99, reflecting an examinee's ranking on that composite against a reference population.
+AFOQT Composite Score ComponentsCompositeTotal ScorePilotMK + TR + IC + AICSOVA + AR + MK + PS + TR + BCABMVA + WK + RC + TR + IC + AIAcademic AptitudeVA + AR + WK + MK + RCVerbalVA + WK + RCQuantitativeAR + MK
Use in officer candidate selection The AFOQT is one of several factors considered by officer selection boards. The AFOQT is also used for selection into rated training programs. For pilot and remotely piloted aircraft applicants, the AFOQT pilot composite is used with the Test of Basic Aviation Skills and logged flying hours to calculate the Pilot Candidate Selection Method score.
The AFOQT was first administered in 1953. The first version, later designated Form A, was developed for selecting officers for advanced Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps training. During the 1950s, use of the test expanded to pilot selection, officer candidate school, the Air Force Reserve, and the Air National Guard. New forms have been introduced periodically to preserve test security, update obsolete content, and improve prediction of officer success.
Minimum scores The Department of the Air Force has established minimum AFOQT standards for commissioning and classification in officer commissioning programs. The general commissioning minimums are a Verbal score of 15 and a Quantitative score of 10. Rated applicants must also meet the minimum for the relevant rated composite.
+AFOQT Minimum Composite Score StandardsOfficer TypeVerbalQuantitativePilotCSOABMAny1510Pilot151025no minno minCombat Systems Officer1510no min25no minAir Battle Manager1510no minno min25
Validity and psychometric research The AFOQT has been the subject of research in military psychology, aviation psychology, and personnel selection. A 1996 factor-analytic study found that the AFOQT was best represented by a hierarchical model with general cognitive ability and five lower-order factors: verbal, math, spatial, aircrew, and perceptual speed.
A RAND Corporation review of AFOQT research concluded that the test predicts important Air Force outcomes and reviewed questions about its validity, fairness, bias, cost, and possible replacement by the SAT. A 2010 study in Military Psychology examined 10,542 officers in 14 non-rated technical training courses and found that 63 of 70 observed correlations between AFOQT composites and average technical training grades were statistically significant. A 2020 meta-analysis examined the predictive validity of AFOQT subtests and the Pilot composite for pilot performance.
See also Air Force Officer Training School Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Test of Basic Aviation Skills
References