AFOQT Master Cheat Sheet — All 12 Subtests

Test Overview

All 12 Subtests at a Glance

Know your time budget before test day. Seconds per question is your real pacing target.

99

Max Score

12

Subtests

~3.5h

Test Time

25+

Pilot Min

60+

Competitive Pilot

#	Subtest	Questions	Time	Sec / Q
1	Verbal Analogies	25	8 min	19 s
2	Arithmetic Reasoning	25	29 min	70 s
3	Word Knowledge	25	5 min	12 s
4	Math Knowledge	25	22 min	53 s
5	Reading Comprehension	25	38 min	91 s
6	Situational Judgment	50	35 min	42 s
7	Self-Description Inventory	240	40 min	10 s
8	Physical Science	20	10 min	30 s
9	Table Reading	40	7 min	10 s
10	Instrument Comprehension	25	5 min	12 s
11	Block Counting	30	4.5 min	9 s
12	Aviation Information	20	8 min	24 s

Score Overview

Composite Score Breakdown

Each AFOQT composite is built from specific subtests. Know which ones matter most for your target career field.

Composite	Subtests That Count	Min Score	Competitive
Pilot	Math Knowledge, Table Reading, Instrument Comprehension, Aviation Information	25	60+
CSO (Navigator)	Math Knowledge, Table Reading, Instrument Comprehension, Aviation Information, Physical Science	25	50+
Verbal	Verbal Analogies, Word Knowledge, Reading Comprehension	15	50+
Quantitative	Arithmetic Reasoning, Math Knowledge	10	50+
Academic Aptitude	Verbal + Quantitative combined subtests	15	50+
Situational Judgment	Situational Judgment	No min	N/A
Officer Leadership	Situational Judgment, Self-Description Inventory	No min	N/A

Math Quick Reference

Math Knowledge & Arithmetic Reasoning Formulas

Memorize these cold. They cover roughly 80% of what you need for the quantitative subtests.

Area & Perimeter

Triangle area	A = ½bh
Rectangle area	A = lw
Circle area	A = πr²
Rectangle perimeter	P = 2(l+w)
Circle circumference	C = 2πr
Trapezoid area	A = ½(b₁+b₂)h

Volume

Rectangular prism	V = lwh
Cylinder	V = πr²h
Sphere	V = (4/3)πr³
Cone	V = (1/3)πr²h
Pythagorean theorem	a² + b² = c²
Special triangles	3-4-5, 5-12-13, 8-15-17

Algebra

Quadratic formula	x = (-b ± √(b²-4ac)) / 2a
FOIL	(a+b)(c+d) = ac+ad+bc+bd
Difference of squares	a²-b² = (a+b)(a-b)
Exponent product	xⁿ · xᵐ = xⁿ⁺ᵐ
Exponent power	(xⁿ)ᵐ = xⁿᵐ
Zero exponent	x⁰ = 1

Percent & Ratios

Percent of	P = (part/whole) × 100
Percent change	((new-old)/old) × 100
Slope	m = (y₂-y₁)/(x₂-x₁)
Slope-intercept	y = mx + b
Simple interest	I = Prt
Average	Mean = sum / count

Arithmetic Reasoning Strategies

"of" = multiply	"is" = equals
"what percent" =	x/100
Rate × Time	= Distance
Total	= Rate × Count
Combined rate	1/a + 1/b = 1/t
Mixture	c₁V₁ + c₂V₂ = c₃V₃

Trigonometry

SOH	sinθ = Opp/Hyp
CAH	cosθ = Adj/Hyp
TOA	tanθ = Opp/Adj
sin 30°	1/2
sin 45°	√2/2
sin 60°	√3/2

Verbal Reference

Verbal Analogies — Relationship Types

Build a bridge sentence: "A [verb] B, so C [verb] ___". Identify the relationship type first, then match it.

Part : Whole

chapter : book, petal : flower

Cause : Effect

rain : flood, study : knowledge

Synonym

brave : courageous, fast : swift

Antonym

ascend : descend, praise : criticize

Function / Use

knife : cut, pen : write

Worker : Tool

surgeon : scalpel, painter : brush

Worker : Product

baker : bread, author : novel

Degree / Intensity

warm : scorching, dislike : loathe

Word Knowledge

Top 50 High-Frequency AFOQT Vocabulary Words

These words appear most often across AFOQT Word Knowledge and Verbal Analogies sections. Know them cold.

tenacious

stubbornly persistent; refusing to give up

proximity

nearness in space, time, or relationship

attenuate

to weaken or reduce in force, intensity

stoic

enduring pain without complaint; emotionally restrained

expedite

to speed up or make easier; to facilitate

laconic

using very few words; brief and concise

egregious

outstandingly bad; flagrant; remarkably shocking

perspicacious

having a ready insight; shrewd; perceptive

equivocal

ambiguous; open to more than one interpretation

succinct

briefly and clearly expressed; to the point

ameliorate

to make something bad less severe; to improve

perfidious

deceitful and untrustworthy; treacherous

disparate

essentially different; distinct and unlike

obsequious

excessively servile; fawning; overly compliant

recalcitrant

stubbornly uncooperative; defiant of authority

acrimonious

angry and bitter; harsh in tone or manner

taciturn

reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little

sanguine

optimistic, especially in a difficult situation

intrepid

fearless and adventurous; boldly courageous

austere

severe; strict; without luxury or comfort

diligent

having or showing careful, steady effort; hardworking

sagacious

having good judgment; wise and shrewd

prudent

acting with care and thought for the future

arduous

demanding great effort or difficulty; strenuous

inimical

tending to obstruct or harm; hostile; unfriendly

loquacious

tending to talk a great deal; talkative

languid

weak, tired, lacking energy; slow and relaxed

acumen

the ability to make good judgments quickly; keenness

efficacy

the ability to produce a desired result; effectiveness

proficient

competent or skilled in doing something

adroit

clever or skillful in using hands or mind

steadfast

resolutely firm and unwavering; constant

resolute

admirably purposeful; determined; unwavering

vigilant

keeping careful watch for danger or difficulties

meticulous

showing great attention to detail; very careful

indefatigable

persisting tirelessly; incapable of being fatigued

impetuous

acting quickly without thought; impulsive

circumspect

wary and unwilling to take risks; cautious

magnanimous

generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival

parsimonious

unwilling to spend; extremely frugal; stingy

facetious

treating serious issues with inappropriate humor

gregarious

fond of company; sociable; outgoing

vociferous

expressing opinions loudly and forcefully

volatile

liable to change rapidly; unstable; explosive

astute

having shrewd judgment; clever and perceptive

lucid

clearly expressed; easy to understand; clear-headed

insidious

proceeding gradually in a subtle but harmful way

benevolent

well-meaning and kindly; charitable; generous

venerate

to regard with great respect; to revere

pensive

engaged in deep, often sad, thought; reflective

Physical Science

Physical Science Quick Reference

20 questions in 10 minutes. Focus on Newton's Laws, basic kinematics, electricity, and atomic structure.

Newton's Laws

1st Law (Inertia)	Objects at rest stay at rest; objects in motion stay in motion — unless acted on by a net force
2nd Law	F = ma (force equals mass times acceleration)
3rd Law	Every action has an equal and opposite reaction

Kinematic Equations

Velocity	v = d/t
Force	F = ma
Kinetic energy	KE = ½mv²
Potential energy	PE = mgh
Kinematics	v² = u² + 2as
Displacement	s = ut + ½at²

Constants & Units

Speed of sound	~340 m/s at sea level
Speed of light	~3 × 10⁴ m/s
Force unit	Newton (N) = kg·m/s²
Energy unit	Joule (J) = N·m
Power unit	Watt (W) = J/s
Pressure unit	Pascal (Pa) = N/m²

Atomic Structure

Atomic number	= number of protons
Mass number	= protons + neutrons
Neutral atom	protons = electrons
Ohm's Law	V = IR
Electrical power	P = IV = I²R
Wave speed	v = fλ

Aviation Reference

Aviation Information & Instrument Comprehension

Covers subtests 10 and 12. This is high-value content for the Pilot and CSO composites.

4 Forces of Flight

Lift — acts upward, perpendicular to wing; generated by Bernoulli effect and angle of attack
Weight — acts downward; gravity pulling aircraft toward earth
Thrust — acts forward; produced by engine/propeller
Drag — acts rearward; opposes forward motion
Level flight: Lift = Weight, Thrust = Drag

Control Surfaces

Ailerons — trailing edge of wings; control roll
Elevator — horizontal tail stabilizer; control pitch (nose up/down)
Rudder — vertical tail stabilizer; control yaw (nose left/right)
Flaps — increase lift and drag for takeoff/landing
Spoilers — reduce lift; increase drag

Navigation Lights

Red — left wing (port)
Green — right wing (starboard)
White — tail
VFR — Visual Flight Rules (visual navigation)
IFR — Instrument Flight Rules (instruments only)
NOTAM — Notice to Air Missions

Flight Instruments

Altimeter — altitude above sea level
VSI — Vertical Speed Indicator: + = climbing, − = descending, 0 = level
Airspeed Indicator — aircraft speed through air
Artificial Horizon — pitch and bank attitude
Turn Coordinator — rate of turn and coordination

Instrument Comprehension Guide

Artificial horizon bar tilted right = aircraft in left bank (right wing high)
Bar tilted left = aircraft in right bank (left wing high)
Bar above center = nose pitched down
Bar below center = nose pitched up
Compass: 360/000=N, 090=E, 180=S, 270=W

Compass Headings

N = 0° / 360° · NE = 45°
E = 90° · SE = 135°
S = 180° · SW = 225°
W = 270° · NW = 315°
Runway number = magnetic heading ÷ 10 (rounded)
Runway 18 = 180° South · Runway 27 = 270° West

Block Counting Tips

Count how many blocks share a face with the numbered block
Diagonal contact does NOT count — faces only
Max faces per block = 6 (top, bottom, front, back, left, right)
Work top-to-bottom, front-to-back systematically
Rotate the image mentally — hidden blocks count

Aerodynamics Basics

Bernoulli's Principle: faster airflow = lower pressure
Curved wing (camber) creates faster air over top = lift
Angle of Attack: angle between wing chord and relative wind
Stall: exceeds critical angle of attack; lift collapses
Standard lapse rate: temp drops ~2°C per 1,000 ft gain

Strategy

Subtest-by-Subtest Strategy Tips

Highest-leverage tips for each subtest. Use these in combination with the formula and content sections above.

1. Verbal Analogies

25 Q / 8 min

Verbal, Academic Aptitude

Build a bridge sentence: "A [verb] B, so C [verb] ___"
Identify relationship type first (see relationship types section)
Eliminate options that flip the direction of the relationship
19 seconds per question — commit and move on

Common: tool:function, item:category, word:antonym, cause:effect

2. Arithmetic Reasoning

25 Q / 29 min

Quantitative, Academic Aptitude

Underline the question, not just the numbers
Sketch the scenario (distance, mixture problems)
Watch unit conversions: miles vs. km, hours vs. minutes
Default setups: d = rt, work rate = 1/a + 1/b = 1/t

d = r·t | 1/a + 1/b = 1/t | % change = (new-old)/old · 100

3. Word Knowledge

25 Q / 5 min

Verbal, Academic Aptitude

12 seconds per question — fastest subtest on the test
Use Latin/Greek roots to decode unknown words
Look for "closest meaning" not exact dictionary definition
When guessing: eliminate obvious wrong answers first

bene=good | mal=bad | pre=before | sub=under | super=above

4. Math Knowledge

25 Q / 22 min

Quantitative, Academic Aptitude, Pilot, CSO

Highest ROI subtest for Pilot composite — prioritize this
Know exponent rules, FOIL, factoring, quadratic formula cold
Geometry: area, perimeter, volume, Pythagorean theorem
Basic trig: SOH-CAH-TOA, sin/cos at 30/45/60

x = (-b ± √(b²-4ac)) / 2a | a²+b²=c²

5. Reading Comprehension

25 Q / 38 min

Verbal, Academic Aptitude

Read the questions first — target your scanning
Correct answer is always directly supported by passage text
Avoid "true in real life but not stated here" traps
Main idea = first and last sentence of each paragraph

Order: Questions → Skim → Find evidence → Eliminate wrong answers

6. Situational Judgment

50 Q / 35 min

Officer Leadership Composite

Think: what would a professional, ethical AF officer do?
Chain of command matters — report up before acting alone
Mission first, but never at the expense of safety or ethics
Avoid extremes: neither passive nor rogue; work within authority

Best answer: address professionally, within authority, through proper channels

7. Self-Description Inventory

240 Q / 40 min

Officer Leadership Composite

Personality assessment — there are no trick answers
Answer honestly and consistently — inconsistency is flagged
Genuine leadership tendencies are what is measured
First instinct is usually right — do not overthink

Do not try to "game" this subtest — authentic responses score best

8. Physical Science

20 Q / 10 min

Academic Aptitude, CSO

Newton's 3 Laws: inertia, F=ma, equal and opposite reactions
Ohm's Law: V = IR | Power: P = IV
Know atomic structure: protons, neutrons, electrons
Speed of light: ~3×10⁴ m/s | Speed of sound: ~340 m/s

F=ma | V=IR | KE=½mv² | PE=mgh | v=d/t

9. Table Reading

40 Q / 7 min

Pilot, CSO

10 seconds per question — pure speed drill
Find row (X value) and column (Y value), trace to intersection
Practice with grid paper under 10-second time pressure
First reading is usually right — no time to double-check

Find X on left axis → find Y on top axis → trace to intersection

10. Instrument Comprehension

25 Q / 5 min

Pilot, CSO

Read artificial horizon AND compass simultaneously
Bar tilts toward high wing: bar right = left bank
Compass: 0/360=N, 90=E, 180=S, 270=W
Practice until the mental model is automatic

N=0°/360° | E=90° | S=180° | W=270° | NE=45° | NW=315°

11. Block Counting

30 Q / 4.5 min

Pilot, CSO

Count blocks sharing a face — not edges or corners
Work top-to-bottom, front-to-back systematically
Rotate the 3D image mentally — hidden blocks count
9 seconds per question — don't over-examine each one

Max faces = 6 | Count only shared face contact, not edge/corner

12. Aviation Information

20 Q / 8 min

Pilot, ABM

FAA Pilot's Handbook (free at faa.gov) is the primary source
Four forces: Lift, Weight, Thrust, Drag — know their relationships
Flight controls: ailerons (roll), elevator (pitch), rudder (yaw)
Nav lights: Red=left, Green=right, White=tail

Bernoulli: faster air = lower pressure | Stall = exceeded critical AoA

Study Plan

30-Day AFOQT Study Plan

A structured 30-day sprint to test day. Adjust daily hours to your schedule — the phase order is what matters.

Days 1–7

Verbal + Word Knowledge

3 hours/day

Master the 50 vocab words above. Study Latin/Greek roots. Drill Verbal Analogies using bridge sentence method. Read one editorial per day.

Days 8–14

Math Knowledge + Arithmetic Reasoning

3 hours/day

Memorize all formulas on this sheet. Do 25 timed Math Knowledge drills daily. Translate word problems using the keyword strategy (of = multiply, etc.).

Days 15–21

Physical Science + Aviation + Instruments

2 hours/day

Review Newton's Laws, kinematics, and atomic structure. Study the FAA handbook sections on flight controls and aerodynamics. Practice instrument reading drills.

Days 22–26

Full Practice Tests + Score Analysis

4 hours/day

Take timed full-length practice tests. Log every missed question by subtest. Identify your weakest composite and calculate realistic score projection.

Days 27–30

Target Weaknesses Only

2 hours/day

Drill only your two weakest subtests. Review flagged questions from practice tests. Light review on test-day morning — no new material.

Priority Order by Composite

Pilot Track

1. Math Knowledge (Pilot composite)
2. Table Reading (Pilot composite)
3. Instrument Comprehension (Pilot composite)
4. Aviation Information (Pilot composite)
5. Arithmetic Reasoning (Quantitative)
6. Verbal + Reading (Verbal composite)

Time per Question Reference

Block Counting: 9 s | Table Reading: 10 s
Word Knowledge: 12 s | Instrument: 12 s
Aviation: 24 s | Physical Sci: 30 s
Math Knowledge: 53 s | Arithmetic: 70 s
Reading Comp: 91 s

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