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Sample Airmen/Airwomen Selection Test

This test consists of seven parts:

Test 1: Verbal reasoning
Test 2: Numerical reasoning
Test 3: Work rate
Test 4: Spatial reasoning
Test 5: Electrical comprehension
Test 6: Mechanical comprehension
Test 7: Memory

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 1 of 7

TEST 1: VERBAL REASONING

This is a test of your ability to understand, interpret and use written information.

In the real test you will have 15 minutes to answer 20 questions.

The questions will be divided into four sections.

Practice Question Section 1

The following houses are for sale:
House A is located in a village, is far from work, has three bedrooms, no double-glazing and is a moderate distance to the shops.
House B is located in a city, is near to work, has three bedrooms, double-glazing and is a short distance from the shops.
House C is located in a village, is near to work, has four bedrooms, double-glazing and is a long distance to the shops.
House D is located in a city, is far from work, has four bedrooms, no double-glazing and is a moderate distance to the shops.
House E is located in a village, is near to work, has three bedrooms, double-glazing and is a short distance to the shops.

Which house would be the most suitable for each of the following situations?
(Each house may be suitable for more than one situation)

1. You want a house in a village that is near to work with three bedrooms.

House A House B House C House D House E
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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Practice Question Section 1

The following houses are for sale:
House A is located in a village, is far from work, has three bedrooms, no double-glazing and is a moderate distance to the shops.
House B is located in a city, is near to work, has three bedrooms, double-glazing and is a short distance from the shops.
House C is located in a village, is near to work, has four bedrooms, double-glazing and is a long distance to the shops.
House D is located in a city, is far from work, has four bedrooms, no double-glazing and is a moderate distance to the shops.
House E is located in a village, is near to work, has three bedrooms, double-glazing and is a short distance to the shops.

Which house would be the most suitable for each of the following situations?
(Each house may be suitable for more than one situation)

2. You want a house that is near to the shops and work, and is located in a city.

House A House B House C House D House E
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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Practice Question Section 1

The following houses are for sale:
House A is located in a village, is far from work, has three bedrooms, no double-glazing and is a moderate distance to the shops.
House B is located in a city, is near to work, has three bedrooms, double-glazing and is a short distance from the shops.
House C is located in a village, is near to work, has four bedrooms, double-glazing and is a long distance to the shops.
House D is located in a city, is far from work, has four bedrooms, no double-glazing and is a moderate distance to the shops.
House E is located in a village, is near to work, has three bedrooms, double-glazing and is a short distance to the shops.

Which house would be the most suitable for each of the following situations?
(Each house may be suitable for more than one situation)

3. You want a house with more than three bedrooms. The distance from the shops is not important, but it must have double-glazing and be located in a village.

House A House B House C House D House E
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 1 of 7

TEST 1: VERBAL REASONING

Practice Question Section 2

If any member of staff breaks the company rules in the Post Room there is a set procedure to be followed, depending on which rule has been broken and the number of times it has been broken in the past. Special conditions apply in some cases. The disciplinary rules are outlined below, but the secretary has not yet finished typing the rules for items wrongly packed. company rules

1. Based on the information shown in the table, what will happen to someone who mislabels items wrongly for the third time?

tickA. Extra training in correct procedure
tickB. Written warning from supervisor
tickC. Dismissal
tickD. Observed by supervisor
tickE. Verbal warning from supervisor

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2. Michael was responsible for sending items late twice. The first time it was the
result of a computer failure in the department. What will happen to him the next
time he is caught sending items late?

tickA. Extra training in correct procedure
tickB. Written warning from supervisor
tickC. Dismissal
tickD. Observed by supervisor
tickE. Verbal warning from supervisor

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3. Amy has just been dismissed. Which one of the following is likely to be the reason?

tickA. She sent items late three times (the first time was because of a computer failure in the department)
tickB. She mislabelled items once in August and twice in September
tickC. She packed items wrongly twice in the same week
tickD. She mislabelled items three times in August and once in September
tickE. She packed items wrongly three times

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 1 of 7

TEST 1: VERBAL REASONING

Practice Question Section 3

Three friends are deciding what to do on a night out together. Harry enjoys going to the cinema the most. His second favourite activity is bowling. His next choice would be going for a meal, and then the theatre. George's least favourite activity is bowling. He most enjoys going for a meal and then going to the theatre. His second least favourite activity is the cinema. Eleanor would go to the theatre, but does not like the cinema. Her favourite activity is going bowling and then going for a meal.

1. Which activity would Harry and Eleanor be most likely to do together?

Cinema Theatre Bowling Meal Cannot tell
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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2. If Eleanor was not available and the cinema was closed, which activity would
Harry and George be most likely to do this evening?

Cinema Theatre Bowling Meal Cannot tell
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 1 of 7

Test 1: Verbal reasoning

Practice Question Section 4

Russell and his sister Anna live in the centre of Kelton. Their house is a short walk from Westfield School. They usually walk together because Russell works in the shop next to Westfield School. Anna's friend Jenny goes to Westfield School. Jenny lives in a village on the outskirts of the town where she goes to school. Her brother Nicolas attends Sixth Form College in Bexton. He travels by train from their home in the village of Eastley. Sometimes his friend Andrew travels with him. Andrew gets on the train at his home village of Lintoft. When Andrew does not travel to college by train, his sister Jill gives him a lift on her way to work at the supermarket in Modbury.

1. Where does Russell work?

Bexton Eastley Lintoft Modbury Kelton
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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2. Where does Jill live?

Bexton Eastley Lintoft Modbury Kelton
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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3. Where does Andrew go to college?

Bexton Eastley Lintoft Modbury Kelton
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A B C D E

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4. Which one of these statements is definitely true?

tickA. Bexton is a village
tickB. Eastley is a town
tickC. Lintoft is a town
tickD. Modbury is a town
tickE. Kelton is a town

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 1 of 7

TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING

This is a test of your ability to work with fractions, decimals and formulae, as well as your ability to understand, interpret and use numbers in graphs and tables.

There are two parts to this test.

You are not allowed to use a calculator in this test.

Numerical Reasoning Part 1

Part 1 tests your ability to work with fractions, decimals and formulae. In the real test you will have four minutes to answer 12 questions.

Now work through some examples of the type of questions you will be given in the real test.

1. Calculate 0.64 + 2.51

2.85 3.15 3.95 3.05 2.95
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING, PART 1

2. Calculate5/6 - 2/3

1 / 6 3 / 4 2 / 3 1 / 2 1 / 3
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING, PART 1

3. Convert3/5to a decimal

0.35 0.70 0.60 0.55 0.40
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING, PART 1

4.What is the value of x?

5 6 7 8 9
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A B C D E

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TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING, PART 1

5. Calculate 2.73 - 1.80

1.10 1.17 1.93 0.93 1.03
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 2 of 7

Part 2 tests your ability to understand, interpret and use numerical information in the form of tables and graphs.

In the real test you will have 11 minutes to answer 15 questions.

Dairy Ices Graph

1. In April, which flavour of ice cream made Dairy Ices the most money?

tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING, PART 2

Dairy Ices Graph

2. Which flavour of ice cream had sales figures that increased continuously?

tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING, PART 2

Dairy Ices Graph

1. In which year was the number of buttons produced 75% of what it was in 1998?

1995 1996 1997 1999 2000
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING, PART 2

Button factory graph

2. What was the difference between the number of buttons produced in 1997 and 1998?

3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING, PART 2

Zed ltd. graph

1. What is the total cost of two 'ZAQs'?

£200 £300 £400 £500 £600
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING, PART 2

Zed ltd. graph

2. 'AHBs' are half the price of 'ZAQs'. How much did Company A spend on 'AHBs' in June?

£100 £200 £300 £400 £500
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING, PART 2

Zed ltd. graph

3. On the 12th June the delivery driver arrived at Company A at 11:00 hrs having travelled at an average speed of 100 km/h. What time did he leave Zed Ltd?

07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING, PART 2

Zed ltd. graph

4. On the 21st June the delivery driver left Hull at 16:00 hrs hoping to travel at an average speed of 100 km/h. However he could only travel at half this speed because of traffic. What time did he arrive back at Zed Ltd?

16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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TEST 2: NUMERICAL REASONING, PART 2

Zed ltd. graph

5. A mistake was made somewhere in the Total Cost column. What should have been the correct figure?

£2,700 £500 £1,700 £1,200 £3,000
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 3 of 7

TEST 3: WORK RATE

This is a test to see how quickly and accurately you can work through routine tasks. You will have to complete a coding exercise, like the one below. In each question you will be shown a grid like this:

grid

In each column there is a letter, a number and a symbol. For example, the first column in the grid above contains: the letter R, the number 7 and the symbolcircle

In each question you will be given an original code made up of three letters or three numbers. Each letter or number is taken from a separate column in the grid.

For every item in a code, there are two alternative items in the same column. For example, for the code RDS, using the grid above The alternatives to R are 7 andcircle. The alternatives to D are 6 andinverted triangle And the alternatives to S are 2 andsquare.

In each question you will be given five alternative codes labelled A-E. You have to decide which one of these alternative codes contains items taken from the same columns, and in the same order, as the original code.

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 3 of 7

grid

For example, given the grid above, which of the following could be an alternative code for RDS?

A. B. C. D. E.
7inverted triangle3 inverted triangle62 circle62 73square 7triangle2

The correct answer is C because R is in the same column as the symbol l, D is in the same column as the number 6 and S is in the same column as the number 2.

grid

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 3 of 7

TEST 3: WORK RATE

In the real test you will have four minutes to answer 20 questions.

1. Which could be an alternative code for FSK?

grid

7 4inverted triangle inverted trianglediamond3 9 4inverted triangle 7trianglesquare triangle4 3
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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2. Which could be an alternative code for 795?

grid

diamondC F Ctrianglediamond triangleQsquare circleTsquare CcircleF
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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3. Which could be an alternative code for 483?

grid

Acircleinverted triangle trianglecircleB Binverted triangletriangle inverted triangleB A CcircleH
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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4. Which could be an alternative code for ZJE?

grid

5diamondsquare circletriangle9 diamondsquare7 5diamondcircle squaretriangle7
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 4 of 7

TEST 4: SPATIAL REASONING

This is a test of your ability to work with shapes and objects. There are two parts to this test.

Spatial Reasoning Part 1

Part 1 tests how well you can fit shapes together.

In each question you will be shown either three or four shapes. You have to imagine what they will look like when they are joined together.

All of the shapes have at least one side that is labelled with a letter (either x, y or z). You have to place the sides with the same labels next to each other to form a new shape.

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 4 of 7

For example:

grid

When joined together the above three shapes will look as follows:

grid

In each question you will be given five options (labelled A - E) for what the new shape might look like. You have to decide which one is correct. In the real test you will have four minutes to answer 10 questions.

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 4 of 7

TEST 4: SPATIAL REASONING, PART 1

grid

tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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grid

tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 4 of 7

TEST 4: SPATIAL REASONING

Spatial Reasoning Part 2

Part 2 tests your ability to imagine what three-dimensional objects will look like after they have been rotated.

In each question you will be shown two separate objects, each with a dot placed in one corner. For example:

grid

You will be given five options (labelled A-E) showing the same two objects after each has been rotated in some way.

In the real test you will have three minutes to answer 10 questions.

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 4 of 7

grid

Only one of the five options shows both the dots placed in the same corners as in the original diagram.

You have to decide which option shows both rotated objects with the dot placed in the correct corner.

grid

In this example the correct answer is E

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 4 of 7

TEST 4: SPATIAL REASONING, PART 2

grid

tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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grid

tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 5 of 7

TEST 5: ELECTRICAL COMPREHENSION

This is a test of your ability to work with electrical concepts.

In the real test you will have 11 minutes to answer 21 questions.

Now work through some examples of the type of questions you will be given in the real test.

1. Anode is to positive as ... is to negative

Diode Electrode Terminal Cathode Triode
tick tick tick tick tick
A B C D E

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2. Which of the following substances is the worst electrical conductor?

Tin Copper Rubber Air Water
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A B C D E

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3. Ammeters measure the amount of current in a circuit. In the circuit below all the ammeters are identical. If Ammeter A1 reads 0.8A, what will Ammeter A2 read?

grid

0.8A 0.4A 1.6A 0.2A 0.6A
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A B C D E

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4. In the circuit shown below, what will happen when the switch is open?

grid

tickA. Bulbs A, B and C will be lit
tickB. Bulbs B and C will be lit
tickC. Bulb A will be lit
tickD. Bulbs A and B will be lit
tickE. Bulb C will be lit

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 6 of 7

TEST 6: MECHANICAL COMPREHENSION

This is a test of your ability to work with mechanical concepts.

In the real test you will have 10 minutes to answer 20 questions.

Now work through some examples of the type of questions you will be given in the real test.

1. In the diagram below if A is the drive wheel turning clockwise, what directions will B, C and D travel?

grid

tickA.B clockwise, C clockwise and D clockwise
tickB.B anticlockwise, C anticlockwise and D anticlockwise
tickC.B anticlockwise, C clockwise and D anticlockwise
tickD.B clockwise, C anticlockwise and D clockwise
tickE.B anticlockwise, C clockwise and D clockwise

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2. If an engineering drawing is not drawn to full size the scale of the drawing will be stated on the bottom of the page. What does 'Scale 1:4' indicate?

tickA.1 cm on the drawing represents 4 cm on the component
tickB.4 cm on the drawing represents 1 cm on the component
tickC.4 cm on the drawing represents 1 m on the component
tickD.1 cm on the drawing represents 4 m on the component
tickE.The drawing is 4 times the size of a full-scale drawing

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3. A ..... is usually used to tighten nuts and bolts?

tickA.Screwdriver
tickB.Spanner
tickC.Hammer
tickD.Pair of pliers
tickE.Drill

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 6 of 7

TEST 6: MECHANICAL COMPREHENSION

4. What will be the effect on the pressure in the cylinder when the piston moves from position A to position B?

grid

tickA. The pressure will decrease by a quarter
tickB. The pressure will increase by 4 times its original value
tickC. The pressure will remain constant
tickD. The pressure will double
tickE. The pressure will halve

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 7 of 7

TEST 7: MEMORY

This is a test of your ability to remember information accurately. There are two parts to this test. In the real test, both parts will be presented on film.

Memory Part 1

Part 1 tests your ability to remember a sequence of letters.

On screen you will be shown a sequence of between six and eight letters.

The letters will be shown one at a time. You have to remember the order in which they appear. You will then be shown two letters from the sequence. You have to decide how many letters were shown between them in the original sequence.

Note that you may not be shown the two letters in the same order as they appeared in the original sequence. For example, if the sequence shown is:

grid

The question could be either: "How many letters were shown between Z and Q?" Or: "How many letters were shown between Q and Z?"

You will be given four options (labelled A-D) and you have to decide which is the correct answer. For example:

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

The correct answer is B because there are two letters between Q and Z.

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 7 of 7

TEST 7: MEMORY, PART 1

Part 1 tests your ability to remember a sequence of letters.

Remember, in the real test there are 10 questions, the sequence of letters will appear on film and you will only see one letter at a time.

Practice question 1

Once you click 'Start Test' You will have 1 minute to study a sequence of letters.

next  

If the sequence of letters is:

grid

Question 1: How many letters were shown between Y and G?

  1 2 3 4
  tick tick tick tick
  A B C D

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TEST 7: MEMORY, PART 1

Practice question 2

Once you click 'Start Test' You will have 1 minute to study a sequence of letters.

next  

If the sequence of letters is:

grid

Question 2: How many letters were shown between R and X?

  1 2 3 4
  tick tick tick tick
  A B C D

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 7 of 7

TEST 7: MEMORY, PART 2

Part 2 tests your ability to remember patterns.

You will be shown a sequence of either two or three grids. The grids will be shown one at a time. Each grid will have a number of yellow squares, like the one below.

grid

You have to remember where the yellow squares are in each grid. Then you have to imagine what the grid would look like if all the grids were 'added together'.

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 7 of 7

For example, if the sequence of grids shown was:

grid

Which grid (labelled A-D) represents the 'added' grid?

grid

The correct answer is A.

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 7 of 7

TEST 7: MEMORY, PART 2

Practice question 1

Part 2 tests your ability to remember patterns.

In the real test there are 10 questions. The grids will appear one after the other on film and you will only see one grid at a time.

Once you click 'Start Test' You will have 1 minute to study a sequence of grids.

next  

If the sequence of grids shown was:

grid

Question 1: Which grid (labelled A-D) represents the 'added' grid?

grid

  tick tick tick tick
  A B C D

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection testSample test 7 of 7

TEST 7: MEMORY, PART 2

Practice question 2

Once you click 'Start Test' You will have 1 minute to study a sequence of grids.

next  

If the sequence of grids shown was:

grid

Question 2: Which grid (labelled A-D) represents the 'added' grid?

grid

  tick tick tick
  A B C

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TIME REMAINING:
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Sample Airmen/Airwomen Selection Test Results

Well done, let's see how you got on:

Test 1: Verbal reasoning12 correct out of 12
Test 2: Numerical reasoning2 correct out of 14
Test 3: Work rate2 correct out of 4
Test 4: Spatial reasoning2 correct out of 4
Test 5: Electrical comprehension2 correct out of 4
Test 6: Mechanical comprehension2 correct out of 4
Test 7: Memory2 correct out of 4

your score6 out of 7

Congratulations

That's a great start.

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Sample Airmen/Airwomen selection test

Test Preparation Tips

Preparing for the tests will help you perform to your best abilities. You can prepare
for the real tests in your own time in a number of ways:

  Read articles in newspapers and magazines and test yourself to see what
  you remember.

  Practice simple mathematical problems -- try to do it without a calculator.

  Look at tables and charts of information -- test your understanding
  of the way data is presented.

  Try to imagine how objects look from different perspectives.

  Try to remember sequences of numbers and letters. Ask someone to test you.

  Look in your local library or at school to find books with information on basic
  electrical and mechanical principles.

Remember to have a good night's sleep before the test session and arrive at the
Armed Forces Careers Office (AFCO) in good time. If you're still unsure, ask for
further advice from the staff at your local AFCO.

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