Ultimate Guide to Aptitude Testing for Joining the ADF (with Sample Questions)

The Australian Defence Force YOU Session Aptitude test is the gatekeeper to your dream job - pass this test and a whole range of jobs are available to you… but do badly in this exam and your choices will be limited to the menial low-level jobs (the ones you wanted to get away from), or worse still, no job.

Even worse, if you do badly on the test, you’ll have to wait 6 months to retake it.

And… your really bad first test score will always be kept as a record, smeared against your name.

That is why it is important to do well in this test… the first time you do it.

You need to take this test seriously - and prepare for it.

You may be changing your career, moving into a new career or even redoing the test…

But, you WANT options and the first step to getting opportunities would be to ACE the YOU Session Aptitude Test.

We can help.

Our expert sat the test previously and reported that it was a 50-minute computer-based test split into:

• Maths Section - 20 minutes with 27 questions (average 44 seconds per question)
• General Ability Section - 30 minutes with 75 questions (average 24 seconds per question)

The better you do in the test, the more job options you have to choose from and the more higher-paying jobs will be available to you.

After the sitting the aptitude test, our expert received a lot of jobs – 6 of them were $90,000 or more salaries (including jobs in the special forces) and 2 of them were 6 figure salaries ($100,000+).

These are the jobs that are hard to get.

But if you do well on the aptitude test, they’re opportunities that become available to you.

Here is a selection of the jobs from our expert’s Job Opportunities report including salary after completion of necessary Defence Force training.

With the above jobs, some of them require additional testing and other requirements such as fitness and medical in order to get them.

But, to get these jobs opportunities made available to you in the first place… you need to do well in the aptitude test.

Having sat the exam in 2019 and received a range of job offers, our expert has direct experience in sitting the test and getting the right results.

We want to help you PASS the ADF Aptitude test so that YOU can secure your job.

Defence Aptitude Test Preparation – A Strategy to Beat the Time Limit

Answering 75 questions in 30 minutes (24 seconds per question) and 27 question in 20 minutes (44 seconds per question) is really hard to do.

So… how should you do it to get maximum points?

Here’s the strategy our expert used in order to do the test:

1. Recognise Question & Apply Strategy

When you read through a question, you should be able to recognise the type of question being presented and then know exactly what to do using a set strategy. To do this, you need practice. Learn to recognise types of test questions with detailed explanations on how to answer them – in our courses and teaching test banks.

2. Move quickly – time is everything

If you’ve read through the question and the answer doesn’t come to mind within 10 seconds, move on quickly to the next question. Do not stay on any one question longer than 20 seconds for general ability or 30 seconds for maths as it can quickly take up your spare time to answer other questions.

3. Guessing, skipping and coming back to the question

When you find that you may spend too much time on one question, note down the question number so you can come back to it later. At this point, you can also put down a ‘guess’ or skip it.

It’s okay to skip or guess a few questions in order to keep up the pace as the end goal is to get as many questions correct as possible (our expert skipped around 6 questions of the 102 and still got offered opportunities with salaries of $100,000+ and jobs like pilot and commando).

But remember, the key to doing well is to get as many questions correct as possible.

Now… let’s get onto what’s in the ADF Aptitude Test. Read on.

What’s in the ADF Aptitude Test – Maths Section & General Ability Section? See Test Format Plus Get Sample Questions + Explanations from Our Expert

There are two tests (maths and general ability) that make up the YOU Session ADF Aptitude Test. These two computer-based tests are:

• 20 minutes mathematics – 27 questions (average 44 seconds per question)
• 30 minutes general ability – 75 questions (average 24 seconds per question)

Our expert sat the test previously and here are their tips on what you may find in your test (and how to answer these test questions successfully). Read on.

General Ability Test Section of ADF Aptitude Test (30 Minutes – 75 Questions)

The general ability test that you’ll be doing is made up of three different types of reasoning: abstract reasoning (picture-based questions), numerical reasoning (number-based questions) and verbal reasoning (word-based questions).

These are multiple-choice questions where you’ll be asked to select the correct answer. See how our expert answers each of these sample practice questions in under 24 seconds and then check out the 5-steps or less explanation so you’ll be able to understand how to do it.

Abstract Reasoning Sample Practice Question (Answer in 24 seconds + Worked Solution in 5 Steps of Less)

Numerical Reasoning Sample Practice Question (Answer in 24 seconds + Worked Solution in 5 Steps of Less)

Verbal Reasoning Sample Practice Question (Answer in 24 seconds + Worked Solution in 5 Steps of Less)

Maths Test Section of ADF Aptitude Test (20 Minutes – 27 Questions) + Sample Practice Questions

For the maths test of the ADF Aptitude Test, you’ll need to know a few things (and be able to do them quickly).

Here are basic things you should be able to do:

• Basic addition, subtraction, division, multiplication.
• Calculating change.
• Percentages and fractions.

Here are some math concepts that are a bit harder (and are covered in our ADF Aptitude Test course):

• Trigonometry – maths to do with triangles
• Problem solving – figuring our what maths to use to solve a worded problem (see a very similar ADF Aptitude test question below)
• Geometry – especially formulas to do with circles
• Polynomial equations
• Algebra - that’s using symbols to represent things that are unknown and then working through them
• Rearranging algebraic equations

Here’s an example of a very similar maths question that may appear in your ADF Aptitude Test:

If it takes 200 people 3 days to dig a 120-metre hole, how many people are required to dig the same hole in ½ a day?

Well, there is a quick way and heaps of long ways. Most people will do the long way and they’ll lose time on other questions – so it’s better to do it the short way.

Here’s the short calculation:

• 200 x 3 = 600 people days.
• If ½ a day, then 600 people x 2 (because there are 2 half days in a day) = 1200 people.

Easy!

Here’s how someone worked it out the long way:

• 200 people can complete only 1/3 of 120 metre hole which is 40 metres a day.
• 200 people for a 1/2 day would then only do 20 metres.
• Therefore, in ½ a day, if you wanted to get 120 metres done, you’d have to * increase your number of people by 6 times.
  
• Therefore, 200 x 6 = 1200 people would be needed.

The short calculation (2 steps) can be done easily in under 44 seconds, the longer way (4 steps) will likely steal away time from other questions, lowering your score and eliminating job opportunities.

The Defence Force is VERY Competitive Now – it’s a Nationwide Search

It used to be thought (by some) that the Defence Force was the last resort if you couldn’t get other opportunities.

But that isn’t the case.

Nowadays, the job market is extremely competitive (and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down) where it is usual for people to put in 64 to 129 job applications as standard.

The Defence Force is no exception. It is a very competitive application and you are competing on a nationwide level.

Because of your level of competition, you need to prepare in order to stand out from the crowd.

Make it easier for yourself. Prepare for your test. Read on.

How to Pass the ADF Aptitude Test & What Did Our Expert Do to Prepare & Pass?

Learning HOW to answer QUICKLY – what to do, what steps you need to take to get to the answer are key here. The fewer steps you take, the quicker you can answer the question.

Then… it’s about technique.

That is making sure you go through the questions quickly so that you get as many questions correct as possible.

In terms of preparation BEFORE the test, this is what our expert did:

• Went through strategies for the different types of questions under general ability (verbal, numerical and abstract/non-verbal). You can find these strategies in our courses.
• Practiced questions under timed mode – Ultimate ADF Teaching Test Bank is available to help you, click here to get a free trial.
• Went through a mathematics textbook to get a refresher on more advanced mathematics concepts – you don’t need to revise everything but core concepts are important. If you find going through a text book dry and boring – join our course instead. Our ADF Aptitude Test Course has everything you need to know for the test in simple bite sized concepts that are easy to understand. You can pre-order the course now for a special price.

Here's test preparation designed for your success

See available courses and test banks to help you PASS the ADF Aptitude Test (Defence Force)