ADF aptitude test study guide

Learn how to approach numerical, verbal and abstract questions, then practise the formats and pacing of the Job Opportunities Assessment.

Choose a practice drill

Methods and worked examples

These original introductory examples explain a method before you try the more demanding practice bank. They are separate from scored questions.

Numerical calculations

Resolve brackets first, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction. Keep exact values until the requested rounding step.

Watch for: Working strictly left to right without observing the operation order.

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Example

Calculate 18 − 2.5 × (3.6 + 0.4).

Solution: The bracket is 4. Then 2.5 × 4 = 10, so 18 − 10 = 8. Enter 8.

Ratios and percentages

Identify the quantity that represents one whole or one ratio part. For consecutive percentage changes, multiply the change factors.

Watch for: Subtracting 10 from 15 and treating the result as a 5% overall increase.

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Example

A price of $80 rises by 15%, then falls by 10%. What is the final price in dollars?

Solution: 80 × 1.15 × 0.90 = 82.80. Enter 82.8 or 82.80; the numeric value is the same.

Numerical word problems

Write down what is being asked, match the units, and form the calculation before doing arithmetic. Separate elapsed time from distance or work.

Watch for: Treating 1 hour 12 minutes as 1.12 hours.

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Example

A vehicle travels 84 km in 1 hour 12 minutes. What is its average speed in km/h?

Solution: 1 hour 12 minutes is 1.2 hours. Speed = 84 ÷ 1.2 = 70 km/h. Enter 70.

Number sequences and grids

Check differences, ratios and alternating subsequences. For a grid, test the same relationship across every complete row or column.

Watch for: Accepting a rule that fits only the final pair of numbers.

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Example

Find the next number: 5, 9, 17, 33, 65, …

Solution: Multiply by 2, then subtract 1 each time. The next number is 65 × 2 − 1 = 129.

Word meanings

Read the whole sentence and replace the target word with each candidate. Distinguish the central meaning from an associated idea.

Watch for: Choosing a word with a similar tone rather than the same meaning.

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Example

“The initial findings are tentative.” Does tentative most nearly mean provisional, detailed, negative or unanimous?

Solution: Provisional. The findings are not yet final; the sentence does not say they are negative, detailed or agreed by everyone.

Verbal analogies

State the relationship as a sentence. Keep its direction and specificity when checking the second pair.

Watch for: Picking something found in the same workplace without matching the relationship.

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Example

Editor is to manuscript as curator is to: exhibition, workshop, audience or ticket?

Solution: Exhibition. An editor selects and prepares written material; a curator selects and organises material for an exhibition.

Word relationships

Define the relationship shared by the group, then test every option against that same definition. Pay attention to qualifiers such as all, some and only.

Watch for: Using spelling, word length or an incidental association when the question asks about meaning.

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Example

Which word is different in meaning from the others: concise, succinct, terse, verbose?

Solution: Verbose. The other three describe using few words; verbose describes using many words.

Verbal deductions

Treat the statements as premises. Look for a complete logical connection to the conclusion; do not add everyday assumptions or reverse an implication.

Watch for: Selecting one sufficient-looking statement plus another that does not complete the proof.

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Example

Conclusion: Mira completed induction. Select two premises: A All supervisors completed induction. B Mira is a supervisor. C Some staff completed induction. D Mira works evenings. E All supervisors are staff.

Solution: A and B. B puts Mira in the supervisor group, and A says everyone in that group completed induction. No other pair establishes the conclusion.

Shape sequences

Track one visual feature at a time. Establish the repeating or changing rule across all frames before choosing the next frame.

Watch for: Following a rotation but missing a separate change in position, fill or count.

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Example

An arrow points up, right, down, left. What direction comes next?

Solution: Up. It turns 90° clockwise at each step. More demanding practice combines this with a second changing feature.

Shape matrices

Compare corresponding positions across the complete rows and columns. Check whether the last cell combines, removes, rotates or counts features.

Watch for: Finding a row rule that contradicts the completed columns.

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Example

A 3×3 grid contains 1, 2, 3 dots in its first row; 2, 3, 4 dots in its second; and 3, 4, ? dots in its third.

Solution: 5 dots. Counts increase by one both across a row and down a column.

Odd figures

Find the property shared by the majority, then check all figures. There must be exactly two exceptions to the same rule.

Watch for: Choosing a single unusual figure or giving each selected figure a different reason.

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Example

Five panels contain an outer shape and an inner shape. A: square/square. B: circle/triangle. C: triangle/triangle. D: diamond/circle. E: circle/circle. Which two differ?

Solution: B and D. In A, C and E the inner shape matches the outer shape. In B and D it does not.

Shape rules

Compare an input and output feature by feature. Apply the same transformation to the new input without changing unrelated properties.

Watch for: Applying only one part of a two-part transformation.

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Example

A rule rotates a triangle 90° clockwise and reverses its fill. What happens to a filled triangle pointing left?

Solution: It becomes an outline triangle pointing up. Both the rotation and fill change must be applied.

Know how to enter each answer

Typed numerical answers

Enter a number using the units and decimal precision requested. Equivalent decimals such as 7.5 and 7.50 are accepted. Do not type a currency symbol, fraction or equation into the answer box.

Single-choice questions

Select one answer. In full practice you can change it before the sitting ends. In a drill, checking your answer reveals feedback and locks that question.

Select exactly two

Choose both required answers. Selecting only one is incomplete; selecting a partly correct pair does not earn a point in this practice. A verbal pair must jointly prove the conclusion; two odd figures must break the same rule.

The official guide demonstrates typed numerical answers and two-answer questions. Read the response instructions on each real question; do not assume every item has the same answer format.

Practise working within 20 minutes

The official JOA has 51 questions and a 20-minute limit. That averages about 24 seconds per question, but some will take longer than others. Our full practice uses that overall count and clock.

  1. Learn the format first. Work through short drills until the controls and response types are familiar. Resolve mistakes before chasing speed.
  2. Keep moving when stuck. In full practice, flag a question and move on. Use the question grid to return to flagged or unanswered questions.
  3. Check the remaining time. The clock continues while you navigate, leave the tab or refresh. Answers stop changing when the deadline arrives.
  4. Review after the sitting. Separate reasoning mistakes from entry errors and questions you did not reach. Practise the topics behind those mistakes before another full attempt.
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Practice settings and the official assessment
  • The official guide gives five familiarisation questions with up to 10 minutes before the assessment. Our untimed drills provide a separate way to learn the formats.
  • Our full form balances the three subjects with 17 questions each. That is our practice design; the official guide does not publish a subject-by-subject count.
  • For this practice, work without a calculator; paper is optional. Follow your official invitation for equipment, assistance and accessibility arrangements. We do not infer permission for the real assessment from its public examples.
  • Each fully correct practice answer earns one point, with no deduction for an incorrect answer. These are our scoring rules, not a claim about official item weights or penalties.

Use your results to choose the next drill

Start with the subject breakdown and the questions you missed or did not reach. Read the worked solutions, then practise those topics. Compare later attempts with the same setup to see whether accuracy and completion improve together.

Practice targets deliberately emphasise strong accuracy on demanding questions. They are training goals, not ADF pass marks or job-eligibility predictions. Your official JOA results and the rest of the recruitment process determine your actual options.

Where JOA fits in your application

The Job Opportunities Assessment forms part of applying to the Australian Defence Force. It helps identify potential job options across the Navy, Army and Air Force. Your YOU Session and later recruitment stages consider more than aptitude alone.

Check the exact assessment name

Older preparation material may describe earlier ADF aptitude formats. Use the current JOA guide and your invitation. Additional role-specific testing, officer selection or aircrew assessments are separate from this JOA practice.

Plan around official advice

The aptitude guide permits up to three JOA attempts, six months apart. Confirm the current arrangements with ADF Careers. Do not use a practice score to decide that you qualify for, or should abandon, a particular role.

Official guidance

ADF Careers says studying is not required and does not endorse commercial preparation. This independent product provides original exercises to practise reasoning methods and the response formats. It does not reproduce official questions or guarantee an improvement in official results.