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Armed Forces · Last updated November 2026

RAF Enlisted Aviator (Airman / Airwoman, Regular): free practice test

Enlisted aviators are the RAF's non-commissioned personnel, working in engineering, air and space operations, cyberspace, intelligence, logistics, medical, ground combat and security, hospitality and people roles. You apply for a role, take the six-part Defence Aptitude Assessment, have a selection interview and a medical, pass the 2.4 km treadmill Pre-Joining Fitness Test and gain Security Check clearance. Recruits then complete the 10-week Basic Recruit Training Course at RAF Halton before trade training.

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About the RAF Aviator exam

Enlisted aviators are the RAF's non-commissioned personnel, working in engineering, air and space operations, cyberspace, intelligence, logistics, medical, ground combat and security, hospitality and people roles. You apply for a role, take the six-part Defence Aptitude Assessment, have a selection interview and a medical, pass the 2.4 km treadmill Pre-Joining Fitness Test and gain Security Check clearance. Recruits then complete the 10-week Basic Recruit Training Course at RAF Halton before trade training.

What's on the exam

RAF Aviator
The Aviator Role and Eligibility
7 key facts
DAA: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning
6 key facts
DAA: Work Rate and Spatial Reasoning
6 key facts
DAA: Mechanical and Electrical Comprehension
6 key facts
Fitness Test, Medical and Security Clearance
6 key facts
Selection Interview and RAF Values
6 key facts
Application Strategy and Timeline
6 key facts
Basic Recruit Training at RAF Halton
5 key facts

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 RAF Aviator exam

  • Start with the RAF's own DAA familiarisation questions, then practise each part against the clock. The RAF says roles need different scores, so a stronger result opens more trades, especially in engineering and cyberspace.
  • Revise GCSE-level mechanics and electricity (levers, gears, pulleys, pressure, Ohm's law, series and parallel circuits): two of the six DAA parts are technical.
  • Train for the 2.4 km treadmill run with a margin. The pass time for men aged 17 to 29 is 13:20 and for women 15:48, and the multi-stage fitness test follows in Phase One training.
  • Learn the RAF values (Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence) and prepare examples of each, plus a clear answer on why you chose your role and what its training involves.

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.

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What's in the premium RAF Aviator prep

Premium RAF Aviator 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.

3,000practice questions, every answer explained
6full-length mock exams, 50 questions each, timed
800flashcards with spaced repetition, sorted by topic
60comprehensive key notes across 8 topics

Your step-by-step study path

  1. 1
    The Aviator Role and Eligibility8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    DAA: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  3. 3
    DAA: Work Rate and Spatial Reasoning8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  4. 4
    DAA: Mechanical and Electrical Comprehension8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  5. 5
    Fitness Test, Medical and Security Clearance7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  6. 6
    Selection Interview and RAF Values7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  7. 7
    Application Strategy and Timeline7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. 8
    Basic Recruit Training at RAF Halton7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  9. Final step: 6 full mock exams50 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.
    Premium
Free with an account

Read the complete RAF Aviator study notes for “The Aviator Role and Eligibility”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 11 minutes of reading: What enlisted aviators do · Age and nationality · Qualifications and medical · Pay and terms of service, 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.

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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. Passage: "Ice on a wing changes its shape and can sharply reduce lift. For this reason aircraft may be de-iced before take-off in freezing conditions, and some aircraft also have systems to prevent ice forming in flight." Which statement is supported by the passage?
Answer: Ice on a wing can reduce the lift it produces. The passage says ice changes a wing's shape and can sharply reduce lift. It says only 'some' aircraft have in-flight systems, says nothing about military aircraft only, and implies aircraft do fly in freezing conditions after de-icing. Words like 'all', 'only' and 'cannot' are common traps.
2. An aircraft burns 2,400 kg of fuel per hour. How much does it burn on a flight of 3 hours 15 minutes?
Answer: 7,800 kg. 3 hours 15 minutes is 3.25 hours, and 2,400 x 3.25 = 7,800 kg. A common error is to treat 3 hours 15 minutes as 3.15 hours, which gives 7,560 kg. Convert minutes to a fraction of an hour first (15 minutes = 0.25 h).
3. 64 personnel are split between two shifts in the ratio 3 : 5. How many are on the larger shift?
Answer: 40. The ratio has 3 + 5 = 8 parts, so each part is 64 / 8 = 8 people. The larger shift is 5 x 8 = 40 (the smaller is 24). Always add the ratio parts first to find the size of one part.
4. How many times does the pair '7 4' (a 7 immediately followed by a 4) appear in this sequence: 7 4 1 7 4 4 7 1 7 4?
Answer: 3. Reading left to right, '7 4' appears at the start, in the middle (7 4 4) and at the end: 3 times. The '7 1' pairs do not count. Work rate items reward a steady, systematic scan; pointing at each pair in turn avoids double-counting.
5. A wall clock shows exactly 3 o'clock. What time does it appear to show when seen in a mirror?
Answer: 9:00. A mirror reverses left and right, so a hand pointing to 3 appears to point to 9, while the hand at 12 stays at 12. The clock appears to read 9:00. For any mirrored time, subtract the real time from 12:00 (12:00 - 3:00 = 9:00).
6. On a map with north at the top, a runway runs in a straight line from the bottom-left corner to the top-right corner of a square. In which direction does an aircraft take off if it starts at the bottom-left end?
Answer: North-east. Moving up the page is north and moving right is east, so travelling from bottom-left to top-right is north-east (a heading of about 045 degrees). Runways are numbered by their magnetic heading in tens of degrees, which is why heading questions are common in RAF-style tests.
7. A load of 800 N is lifted with a pulley system in which four rope sections support the load. Ignoring friction, what effort is needed?
Answer: 200 N. The ideal mechanical advantage equals the number of rope sections supporting the load: 4. Effort = 800 / 4 = 200 N. The trade-off is that you must pull four times as much rope as the height the load rises.
8. Three gears are in a row: gear A drives gear B, which drives gear C. Gear A turns clockwise. Which way does gear C turn?
Answer: Clockwise. Each meshing pair reverses direction: A clockwise makes B anticlockwise, which makes C clockwise. Tooth numbers change speed, not direction. With an odd number of gears in a chain, the first and last turn the same way.
9. A 4-ohm and an 8-ohm resistor are connected in series across a 24 V supply. What is the voltage across the 8-ohm resistor?
Answer: 16 V. Total resistance = 4 + 8 = 12 ohms, so the current is 24 / 12 = 2 A. The voltage across the 8-ohm resistor is 2 x 8 = 16 V (and 8 V across the 4-ohm one). In series the supply voltage is shared in proportion to resistance.
10. While driving a service vehicle on base, you clip a bollard and leave a small dent. Nobody saw it. What should you do?
Answer: Report it to your supervisor straight away and complete the paperwork. Integrity, one of the RAF's core values, means being honest and taking responsibility for your actions even when no one is watching. Unreported damage can also hide a safety issue. Reporting promptly is what the RAF expects.
11. A colleague in your flight shares posts on a group chat that make fun of another aviator's disability. Several people react with laughing emojis. What is the best response?
Answer: Challenge it, tell the colleague it is unacceptable and report it through the chain of command if it continues. Respect is an RAF core value, and the RAF's standards on behaviour apply on social media and outside working hours. Leaving quietly or ignoring it lets the behaviour continue. Calmly challenging it and using the chain of command is the expected response.
12. At the end of a long shift, a colleague suggests skipping the final check on some aircraft maintenance paperwork because 'it is always fine'. What should you do?
Answer: Complete the check properly and make sure the paperwork is correct before you sign it off. Excellence and Service mean doing the job to the required standard every time. In aviation, paperwork is part of safety: a skipped check can put aircrew at risk. Finishing on time never outweighs completing a safety check properly.
13. What is the RAF Pre-Joining Fitness Test for enlisted aviator candidates?
Answer: A 2.4 km run on a treadmill set to zero incline, with a pass time based on age and sex. The RAF's fitness page describes the PJFT as a 2.4 km (1.5 mile) run on a treadmill set to zero incline, at a local gym. Pass times depend on age and sex, for example 13:20 for men and 15:48 for women aged 17 to 29. The multi-stage fitness test is taken later, during Phase One training.
14. What level of security clearance does the RAF say all recruits are expected to achieve?
Answer: Security Check (SC). The RAF's application page says there are pre-employment checks and you will be expected to achieve Security Check (SC) clearance; some posts need a higher level later. Nationality and residency, and the nationalities of your partner and parents, are taken into account.
15. Where and for how long do new RAF enlisted aviators complete the Basic Recruit Training Course?
Answer: 10 weeks at RAF Halton. Aviator recruits complete the 10-week (70-day) Basic Recruit Training Course at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. RAF officers train for 24 weeks at RAF College Cranwell; HMS Raleigh is the Royal Navy's training establishment and Catterick trains Army infantry.

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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.

RAF Aviator exam FAQ

How many questions are on the RAF Aviator exam?

Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA, formerly the Airmen Selection Test): six timed multiple-choice parts (verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, work rate, spatial reasoning, mechanical comprehension, electrical comprehension). Question counts are not published, with a time limit of at least 25 minutes (raf familiarisation page); each part is timed separately. Format: closed book, on screen. take it in a quiet place; the royal navy's guidance for the same test requires a screen of at least 10.2 inches.

What is the passing score for RAF Aviator?

No single pass mark: each RAF role requires different DAA scores, so getting some questions wrong does not by itself rule you out.

How much does the RAF Aviator exam cost?

No fee. 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 RAF Aviator exam offered in?

English.

Where do I take the RAF Aviator exam?

Defence Aptitude Assessment online on your own device or at an Armed Forces Careers Office (AFCO); selection interview; medical; Pre-Joining Fitness Test on a treadmill at a local gym.

Is this RAF Aviator 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 RAF Aviator prep is Premium at £45 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium RAF Aviator prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (The Aviator Role and Eligibility: 375; DAA: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning: 375; DAA: Work Rate and Spatial Reasoning: 375; DAA: Mechanical and Electrical Comprehension: 375; Fitness Test, Medical and Security Clearance: 375; Selection Interview and RAF Values: 375; Application Strategy and Timeline: 375; Basic Recruit Training at RAF Halton: 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.

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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 Royal Air Force (RAF Recruitment, recruitment.raf.mod.uk) before you book. UKCivilServicePrep is an independent career-prep service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.

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