British Army Soldier (Regular Army): free practice test
Regular soldiers train for a trade (infantry, engineering, logistics, medical, signals and more) and are paid from the first day of training. Selection runs online application, a call with your recruiter and medical questionnaire, then a 3-day Assessment Centre with the Army Cognitive Test (which replaced the BARB), a literacy and numeracy test if needed, the Role Fitness Test (Entry), a medical, team tasks and an interview. Your scores and role choice decide your training start: 13 weeks of basic training for most adults, or Army Foundation College Harrogate if you are under 17 and a half.
Premium: 3,000 practice questions, 6 full mock exams, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes, topic by topic. See the study path ·
About the Army Soldier exam
Regular soldiers train for a trade (infantry, engineering, logistics, medical, signals and more) and are paid from the first day of training. Selection runs online application, a call with your recruiter and medical questionnaire, then a 3-day Assessment Centre with the Army Cognitive Test (which replaced the BARB), a literacy and numeracy test if needed, the Role Fitness Test (Entry), a medical, team tasks and an interview. Your scores and role choice decide your training start: 13 weeks of basic training for most adults, or Army Foundation College Harrogate if you are under 17 and a half.
What's on the exam
Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →
How to pass the Army Soldier exam
- The ACT is about speed with accuracy. Practise mental arithmetic (times tables to 12, quick subtraction, fractions of 100) and short logic puzzles under a timer, because each section has its own clock and higher scores open more roles.
- Check the fitness standard on the page of the role you want before you go. The Role Fitness Test (Entry) is role-based, not age- or gender-based: Infantry needs a 76 kg mid-thigh pull, a 3.1 m seated medicine ball throw and a 2 km run in 10 minutes 15 seconds.
- Keep your BMI between 18 and 28 (men up to 32 may be considered with a waist measurement) and stop smoking: basic training units are now tobacco free and a poor BMI is a common reason for deferral.
- Learn the six Army values (Courage, Discipline, Respect for others, Integrity, Loyalty, Selfless commitment) and three standards (Lawful, Acceptable behaviour, Totally professional) with one real example of each from your own life for the interview.
Save your results and get your Readiness Score
Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the complete study notes for the first topic, flashcards and the UK Public-Service Hiring Process Cheat Sheet.
What's in the premium Army Soldier prep
Premium Army Soldier prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.
Your step-by-step study path
- 1The Soldier Job and Eligibility8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Notes free with an account
- 2Army Cognitive Test: Reasoning and Number Fluency8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 3Army Cognitive Test: Attention, Rules and Orientation8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 4Literacy, Numeracy and Technical Selection Tests8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 5Role Fitness Test (Entry), Medical and BMI7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 6Assessment Centre Interview and Army Values7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 7Application Strategy and Timeline7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 8Basic Training and Your First Year7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- Final step: 6 full mock exams50 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.Premium
Read the complete Army Soldier study notes for “The Soldier Job and Eligibility”
Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 12 minutes of reading: What a Regular soldier does · Age and nationality · Qualifications, medical and background · How to check a role before you apply, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.
Study tools included
3,000 practice questions
3,000 exam-style questions per exam, organized topic by topic in sets of 25. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.
6 full mock exams
6 full-length timed mock exams per exam, with real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.
Exam Readiness Score
One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.
800 flashcards + spaced repetition
800 flashcards per exam, in a deck for each topic, that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.
60 comprehensive key notes
60 key notes per exam, split across its topics and each explained in full: the concepts, worked exam examples, the traps examiners use and a quick recap. Your first set is free with an account.
Mind maps
See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.
Sample questions with answers
These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.
1. In a number fluency task you see two expressions one after the other: first 7 x 8 - 9, then 6 x 9 - 5. Which is greater?
2. All the signallers in 3 Troop have passed the radio operator course. Private Jones has not passed the radio operator course. Which statement must be true?
3. Compare the two lines exactly. Line 1: GRID 4729 8316 CALLSIGN 2B. Line 2: GRID 4729 8361 CALLSIGN 2B. What is the difference?
4. You are facing north. You turn 90 degrees to your right, then turn 180 degrees, then turn 45 degrees to your left. Which direction are you now facing?
5. Rule: words that contain a double letter go in Box A; all other words go in Box B. Which word belongs in Box A?
6. A section marches 4.5 km in 54 minutes. What is its average speed?
7. Which sentence is written correctly?
8. Gear A has 20 teeth and turns clockwise at 60 rpm. It drives gear B, which has 40 teeth. How does gear B turn?
9. The 2 km run standard for an Infantry soldier is 10 minutes 15 seconds. What average pace per kilometre does that require?
10. During basic training another recruit shows you the answers to tomorrow's weapon-handling test, which he says he photographed on an instructor's desk. What should you do?
11. In the accommodation, a member of your section keeps making jokes about another recruit's religion. The recruit laughs along but you can see he is upset. What is the best response?
12. Your troop is stood down for the weekend, but your sergeant asks you to stay and help unload vehicles that arrived late. You had plans in town. What is the best response?
13. An applicant will be 17 years and 2 months old when she starts training as a soldier. Where will she do her basic training?
14. What is the upper age rule for joining the Regular Army as a soldier?
15. A Commonwealth citizen living in Ghana, with no Musician application, asks whether he can apply now to join the Regular Army as a soldier. What is the accurate answer?
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- 3,000 practice questions + 6 full mock exams per exam
- 800 flashcards + 60 key notes per exam, by topic, plus mind maps
- Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
- Readiness Score & detailed reports
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- Content updates during your access
- 5 bonuses: hiring process cheat sheet, STAR interview answer builder, vetting and checks guide and more
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- One career of your choice: any Civil Service, police, armed forces, fire, prison, border or intelligence career on this site
- 3,000 practice questions + 6 full mock exams per exam
- 800 flashcards + 60 key notes per exam, by topic, plus mind maps
- Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
- Readiness Score & detailed reports
- Video lessons as they release
- Content updates during your access
- 5 bonuses: hiring process cheat sheet, STAR interview answer builder, vetting and checks guide and more
- Pass Guarantee: complete the prep, pass or 100% back
Renews once a year until you cancel. We email you before each renewal. Cancel any time from your account; you keep access until the end of the year you've paid for.
Certification guide
How to join the British Army, Royal Navy or RAF: All three services start with an online application, then test your aptitude, fitness, health and motivation before you start basic training. The Royal Navy and RAF now use the same [Defence Aptitude Assessment](https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/joining-process/defence-aptitude-assessment); the Army runs its own Assessment Centre. Officers face a separate, longer selection. Here is how each route works and how to prepare.
Army Soldier exam FAQ
How many questions are on the Army Soldier exam?
Army Cognitive Test (ACT): several short, strictly timed computer-based sections; the Army does not publish the number of questions. A literacy and numeracy test is added if you lack GCSE grade 4/C (or equivalent) in English or maths, and some technical roles add further tests, with a time limit of not published; each act section is timed separately. Format: closed book, on screen at the assessment centre. you are assessed throughout the stay, not only in the tests. bring the id your recruiter asks for (photo id, proof of address and proof of nationality).
What is the passing score for Army Soldier?
No single pass mark: your ACT score (with your fitness results and qualifications) decides which roles you can be offered.
How much does the Army Soldier exam cost?
No fee. The Army covers travel to the Assessment Centre. Most UK public-service applications are free. The police promotion and investigators' exams are arranged through your force, and degree routes may have tuition costs, so check the job advert or your force before you start.
Which languages is the Army Soldier exam offered in?
English.
Where do I take the Army Soldier exam?
Online application, then a 3-day / 2-night stay at an Army Assessment Centre with computer-based tests, medical, fitness tests, team tasks and an interview.
Is this Army Soldier practice test free?
Yes. The 15-question practice test on this page is free, with an explanation for every answer and no signup. A free account also unlocks the complete study notes for the first topic. The full Army Soldier prep is Premium at £45 a month for this exam.
What's in the premium Army Soldier prep?
3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (The Soldier Job and Eligibility: 375; Army Cognitive Test: Reasoning and Number Fluency: 375; Army Cognitive Test: Attention, Rules and Orientation: 375; Literacy, Numeracy and Technical Selection Tests: 375; Role Fitness Test (Entry), Medical and BMI: 375; Assessment Centre Interview and Army Values: 375; Application Strategy and Timeline: 375; Basic Training and Your First Year: 375), 6 full-length timed mock exams of 50 questions, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes split across all 8 topics, plus a mistakes bank and the Readiness Score.
Compare Army Soldier with other public-service careers
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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in November 2026. The recruiting organisation changes formats and fees, so confirm with British Army (Army Recruiting, jobs.army.mod.uk) before you book. UKCivilServicePrep is an independent career-prep service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.