Army Soldier Exam Study Guide (2026)
Everything the British Army Soldier (Regular Army) tests, topic by topic: what each section covers, the facts that come up most, and how to study it. Pair it with the free 15-question practice test.
The exam at a glance
| Questions | 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 |
|---|---|
| Time | Not published; each ACT section is timed separately |
| Passing score | No single pass mark: your ACT score (with your fitness results and qualifications) decides which roles you can be offered |
| 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) |
| Certifying body | British Army (Army Recruiting, jobs.army.mod.uk) |
| Test provider | 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 |
Mind map: the whole exam on one screen
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.
1. The Soldier Job and Eligibility
What a Regular Army soldier does, the main role groups, and the published eligibility rules on age, nationality, qualifications, medical, convictions and tattoos.
Key facts
- Soldiers join a specific role (trade) in a corps or regiment: combat (infantry, armour, artillery), engineering, logistics and support, medical, intelligence, communications and IT, HR and finance, and music. You choose roles with your recruiter, and your test scores and fitness decide which are open to you.
- Age: you can start an application at 15 years 7 months, go to the Assessment Centre from 15 years 9 months, and must be enlisted before your 36th birthday. Some roles set their own range on the role page. Under-18s need parental consent.
- Nationality: British citizens and related British statuses (British Overseas Territories citizen, British Overseas citizen, British subject, BN(O), British protected person) and Irish citizens can apply to the Regular Army. Refugees and asylum seekers cannot. The Commonwealth window is currently closed except for Musicians.
- Qualifications: no formal qualifications are needed for many soldier roles. Technical roles set GCSE (or Scottish National 5) grades in maths, English and sometimes science on the role page.
- Medical: you complete an online medical questionnaire early and a full medical at the Assessment Centre. Every applicant is screened for sickle cell trait; it does not bar entry but a blood test may delay your fitness test.
- Criminal convictions do not automatically bar you. The Army reviews them case by case, so declare everything honestly; undeclared convictions found later are far more damaging.
- Pay starts on day one of training. Army role pages show £26,334 a year (the 2025/26 rate); the 2026/27 pay award of 3.6% from 1 April 2026 (AFPRB Fifty-Fifth Report) lifts the new-entrant rate to about £27,280.
- Regular soldiers also get subsidised food and accommodation, free medical and dental care, apprenticeships and an Armed Forces pension; check the Army's Pay & Benefits page for current details.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Before you apply, write down three roles you would be happy with, ranked, and check each role page for its age range, GCSE needs and fitness standard. Recruiters respond well to candidates who have done that homework.
2. Army Cognitive Test: Reasoning and Number Fluency
The Army Cognitive Test (ACT) replaced the British Army Recruit Battery (BARB). The Army says only that your results show which roles suit you; prep providers and candidates describe short, strictly timed on-screen sections. This topic covers the reasoning and number parts.
Key facts
- The ACT is taken on a computer at the Assessment Centre. The Army does not publish the number of questions, the time per section or the score needed for each role.
- Candidates report five short sections: orientation, error detection, number fluency, word rules and deductive reasoning. Treat these labels as a guide, not an official specification.
- Number fluency (as reported): you see one arithmetic expression, then a second, and must say which is greater. It tests mental arithmetic and holding a number in memory, so you cannot look back at the first expression.
- Deductive reasoning: short statements followed by a conclusion. Accept only what must follow from the facts given; 'could be true' is not the same as 'must be true'.
- There is no published negative marking. Each section is timed, so a steady pace with few errors beats rushing.
- A higher score opens more roles, especially technical, intelligence and communications trades. You can usually discuss a retest with your recruiter if your score limits your preferred role.
- Practise times tables to 12 x 12, doubling and halving, subtracting from 100, simple fractions and percentages, all without a calculator.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Do ten minutes of mental arithmetic a day for a month, timed, and track your score. Speed improves quickly with daily practice, and it is the cheapest gain you can make before the Assessment Centre.
3. Army Cognitive Test: Attention, Rules and Orientation
The remaining reported ACT tasks: spotting differences between strings (error detection), applying a stated rule (word rules) and tracking direction and position (orientation). All reward a calm, systematic method.
Key facts
- Error detection: compare two lines of letters, numbers or codes and find the difference, or confirm there is none. Check in chunks of three or four characters rather than reading the whole line.
- Common planted errors are transposed digits (8316 vs 8361), a single changed letter, a missing character and a changed case or symbol.
- Word rules: you are given a rule (for example 'words with a double letter go in Box A') and must sort words quickly. Restate the rule in a few words and look for that one feature only.
- Orientation: track a figure's facing after a series of turns or work out where something is relative to you. Convert each turn into compass points step by step: right turns go N, E, S, W; left turns go N, W, S, E.
- A 180-degree turn reverses your direction; a 45-degree turn lands on an intercardinal point (north-east, south-east, south-west, north-west).
- Map reading and direction-keeping are taught in basic training, so a good orientation score also signals you will pick up field skills quickly.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Practise orientation by standing up and physically turning while you read a sequence of turns. Once the movement feels automatic, do it in your head with a timer.
Test yourself on these topics
Take the free 15-question Army Soldier test, then save your results to unlock your Readiness Score and the mistakes bank.
4. Literacy, Numeracy and Technical Selection Tests
Who sits the Army's literacy and numeracy test, what level it checks, and the extra technical tests some trades use.
Key facts
- If you do not have GCSE grade A to C / 9 to 4 (or an equivalent) in English or maths, you sit a literacy and numeracy test at the Assessment Centre. It checks everyday functional skills, not exam-level knowledge.
- Numeracy covers the four operations, fractions, decimals and percentages, units (metres and kilometres, minutes and hours), speed, distance and time, and reading simple tables.
Flashcards
Exam tip: If you are borderline on maths, revise speed-distance-time and percentages first: they appear in fitness planning, map work and almost every numeracy test.
5. Role Fitness Test (Entry), Medical and BMI
The Role Fitness Test (Entry), or RFT(E), is the soldier entry fitness test: three events with standards set by role, not by age or gender. This topic also covers BMI and the medical.
Key facts
- RFT(E) has three events: a seated 4 kg medicine ball throw (upper-body power), a mid-thigh pull on a machine (lower-body strength) and a best-effort 2 km run after a group warm-up (aerobic fitness).
- Standards are set by role. The Infantry Soldier page lists a 76 kg mid-thigh pull, 3.1 m throw and 2 km in 10 minutes 15 seconds; the Paratrooper page lists 2 km in 8 minutes 25 seconds. Many support roles list a 50 kg pull, 2.7 m throw and 2 km in 11 minutes 30 seconds. Always check your role page.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Train to beat your role's standard by a clear margin, not to scrape it. Cold weather, nerves and a crowded start can easily cost 20 seconds on the run.
6. Assessment Centre Interview and Army Values
The interview and the rest of the 3-day Assessment Centre, how you are observed, and the Army values and standards you are expected to show, with a question bank and answer guidance.
Key facts
- Soldier assessment is a 3-day / 2-night stay: welcome talk and admin, medical checks, computer-based tests, fitness, team tasks and finally an interview. You are assessed throughout, including how you behave in the accommodation and with other candidates.
- You get your result at the end of the stay; you do not wait weeks for an outcome.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Prepare a two-minute answer to 'Why the Army and why this role?' that mentions the training you will do, where it happens and one thing you have already done to get ready. Specific beats enthusiastic.
7. Application Strategy and Timeline
How to move through the application efficiently: what to have ready, what slows people down, and a realistic sequence from online application to a start date.
Key facts
- Step 1: register and complete the online application at apply.army.mod.uk (age, nationality, qualifications, role interests).
- Step 2: a recruiter (Candidate Support Manager) contacts you, discusses roles and sends medical forms. Medical records and the sickle cell screening questionnaire are common sources of delay, so return everything quickly.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Make a one-page tracker: date applied, recruiter name, forms sent, medical status, Assessment Centre date. Following up politely every week or two keeps your application moving.
8. Basic Training and Your First Year
Where and how long you train, what basic training covers, and what happens after it.
Key facts
- Adult recruits do basic training at the Army's Soldier Academy training centres; the Army describes it as a 13-week course that builds fitness, discipline, core soldiering skills and the Army values.
- Recruits under 17 years 6 months train as Junior Soldiers at Army Foundation College Harrogate, which also delivers education in subjects such as maths, English and ICT.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Break in your boots before training, practise ironing and kit admin at home, and arrive with your fitness above the entry standard. Small practical skills save a lot of stress in week one.
How to pass
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I study for the Army Soldier exam?
Most working candidates need 4 to 8 weeks at 45 to 60 minutes a day. Book your exam once your Readiness Score has stayed at 80 or higher for about a week.
Can I take the Army Soldier exam online?
Partly. You apply online, and the Royal Navy and RAF send the Defence Aptitude Assessment to your candidate portal to sit online. Fitness tests, medicals, interviews and assessment or selection centres are in person.
What score do I need to pass the Army Soldier exam?
No single pass mark: your ACT score (with your fitness results and qualifications) decides which roles you can be offered. The exam has 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 and a time limit of not published; each act section is timed separately.
What are the most tested topics?
The outline covers the soldier job and eligibility, army cognitive test: reasoning and number fluency, army cognitive test: attention, rules and orientation, literacy, numeracy and technical selection tests, role fitness test (entry), medical and bmi, assessment centre interview and army values, application strategy and timeline, basic training and your first year. Use the free practice test to see which ones you need most.
The premium Army Soldier study path
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
Get every note, flashcard and question
Premium Monthly
- 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 monthly until you cancel. Cancel in two clicks from your account; you keep access until the end of the month you've paid for. No minimum term.
Premium Yearly
- 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.
Summarized from recruiting organisations' official candidate information and the rules cited, checked November 2026. Confirm current requirements with British Army (Army Recruiting, jobs.army.mod.uk).