By Tom
You’ve decided to look into what it takes to become an Air Force Officer and discovered there’s some test – the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) – you have to pass before a selection board will consider your application. After a brief review of the AFOQT sections (technically referred to as ‘subtests’), the next question becomes: what sort of score do I need to pass this test?
A quick ‘AFOQT Scores’ search via Reddit.com will tell you a few things:
- Prospective Air Force Officers have all sorts of questions about their AFOQT Scores – Are they too low? ‘Good enough’ for a future pilot? What are the average scores for a given career field?
- The AFOQT is important, but only one element of your complete application
- The answer to your original question – What score is needed to pass the AFOQT? – is easier to consume when broken into three digestible portions:
1) What are the Minimum Required AFOQT Scores?
Note: Mobile Users Please Utilize Horizontal Scroll to View Entire Table
| Type of Officer: | Verbal Composite Score: | Quantitative Composite Score: | Pilot Composite Score: | CSO Composite Score: | ABM Composite Score: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Any |
15 |
10 |
No Minimum Required Score |
No Minimum Required Score |
No Minimum Required Score |
|
|
Pilot (to include Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Pilot) |
15 |
10 |
25 |
10 |
No Minimum Required Score |
|
|
Combat Systems Officer (CSO) |
15 |
10 |
10 |
25 |
No Minimum Required Score |
|
|
Air Battle Manager (ABM) |
15 |
10 |
No Minimum Required Score |
No Minimum Required Score |
25 |
|
Having reviewed the AFOQT Subtests, you’ll recall there are more than five of them. So, the composite scores listed in the table above must be some combination of said subtests, right? Right!
Important takeaway: Know which composite scores correspond with your desired Air Force Officer career path & structure your study regimen appropriately.
2) Which Subtests Count Toward a Given Composite Score?
- Verbal Analogies (VA)
- Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
- Word Knowledge (WK)
- Math Knowledge (MK)
- Reading Comprehension (RC)
- Situational Judgment (SJ)
- Self-Description Inventory (personality based – no prep necessary)
- Physical Science (PS)
- Table Reading (TR)
- Instrument Comprehension (IC)
- Block Counting (BC)
- Aviation Information (AI)
*Visit AFOQTGuide.com for more information on all AFOQT Subtests
Pilot Composite (MK + IC + TR + AI): Pilot hopefuls will want to focus their attention on these subtests and those that comprise the Verbal & Quantitative Composites (VA + WK + RC; AR).
Combat Systems Officer (CSO) Composite (WK+ MK + BC + TR): Study regimen should be focused on these subtests plus the subtests included in Verbal/Quantitative Composites.
Air Battle Manager (ABM) Composite (VA + MK + TR + IC + BC + AI). You’ve got the idea – just add Verbal & Quantitative Composites.
Verbal Composite (VA + WK + RC): All prospective Air Force Officers must score a minimum of 15 on this composite.
Quantitative Composite (AR + MK): Minimum required score for all test-takers is 10.
Academic Aptitude Composite (VA + AR + WK + MK + RC): No minimum required score.
Question: Now, why should you – or any prospective Air Force Officer – be concerned with the make-up of these composite scores?
Answer: Understanding which subtests are included in a given composite score will help you tailor your study regimen for your desired Air Force Officer career.
Have your heart set on becoming a pilot? Great. Focus your AFOQT Prep on the subtests that make-up the Verbal, Quantitative, & Pilot Composites. This will also help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and determine whether any of the latter fall within critical aptitudes.
3) Your Composite Scores Compared to Test Cycle Composite Averages.
Now that we’ve addressed the minimum required scores and hashed out the elements of the AFOQT Composite Scores, we can get to the meat of that burning question – What Score Do I Need to Pass the AFOQT? Well, it depends.
After you take the AFOQT, you will receive 6 composite scores: Pilot, CSO, ABM, Academic, Verbal & Quantitative. Each number (from 1-99) indicates how well you scored compared to other Air Force Officer Candidates who tested during the same test cycle as you. Meaning, for example, perhaps you’re not feeling overly confident about your Verbal Composite performance. Maybe you only get 60/75 possible questions (VA + WK + RC) correct. But, if only 15 percent of the other members of your testing cohort score better than you – you can expect to score somewhere in the mid-eighty range on the Verbal Composite because you performed better than roughly 85 percent of your fellow test-takers.
You’re now armed with the AFOQT scoring information you need to succeed. You’re aware of the minimum required scores, you know how the composite scores you will receive upon completion of the test are derived and you understand that your composite score in a given aptitude tells you your percentile ranking (i.e., an 85 indicates you scored higher than 85% of your peers) compared to other test-takers in your testing cycle.
Now it’s up to you to decide how your AFOQT Prep will stack up. Will you take the time to study the test material and condition yourself for test day time constraints? Or will you leave your career as an Air Force Officer up to chance?
AFOQT Prep Resources:
1.Take a free AFOQT practice test (courtesy of AFOQTGuide.com) to get a feel for the subject matter & your strengths and weaknesses.
*Scroll to center of the AFOQT Guide Practice Test Page for your complimentary test.
2. Utilize our online AFOQT Practice Test(free sample test available) to condition yourself for actual test day time constraints.
*All Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) information provided here can be verified via the official Air Force Personnel Center AFOQT Page
How Would You Like to Continue Your AFOQT Prep?
Review Comprehensive Study Guides via AFOQTGuide.com
Have a Look at Some Additional Frequently Asked AFOQT Questions via AFOQTGuide.com
See a Sample Six Week AFOQT Study Regimen via AFOQTGuide.com