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Defence · Last updated November 2026

ADF General Entry (Navy Sailor, Army Soldier, Air Force Aviator): free practice test

General entry is how you join the Navy, Army or Air Force as a sailor, soldier or aviator, in roles from infantry and cooks to technicians and logistics. You apply online, sit the Job Opportunity Assessment (an aptitude test of verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning), talk through role options in a YOU Session, then attend an Assessment Session with a Defence interview, a psychological interview and a medical. After the Pre-entry Fitness Assessment and security vetting you receive a job offer and go to recruit training at Kapooka (Army), HMAS Cerberus (Navy) or RAAF Base Wagga (Air Force).

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About the ADF General Entry exam

General entry is how you join the Navy, Army or Air Force as a sailor, soldier or aviator, in roles from infantry and cooks to technicians and logistics. You apply online, sit the Job Opportunity Assessment (an aptitude test of verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning), talk through role options in a YOU Session, then attend an Assessment Session with a Defence interview, a psychological interview and a medical. After the Pre-entry Fitness Assessment and security vetting you receive a job offer and go to recruit training at Kapooka (Army), HMAS Cerberus (Navy) or RAAF Base Wagga (Air Force).

What's on the exam

ADF General Entry
The Job and Eligibility
7 key facts
Verbal Reasoning
6 key facts
Numerical Reasoning
6 key facts
Abstract Reasoning
6 key facts
Fitness, Medical and Security Clearance
6 key facts
Defence Interview, Psych Interview and ADF Values
6 key facts
Application Strategy and Timeline
7 key facts
Recruit Training and the First Year
6 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 ADF General Entry exam

  • The JOA has no published cut-off, but your scores decide which jobs are open to you. Practise all three item types (verbal, numerical, abstract) without a calculator so a weak area does not close off the role you want.
  • Do mental arithmetic every day before the test: percentages, fractions, speed-distance-time and number series. The ADF does not allow a calculator in any psychological test.
  • Prepare for the Defence interview as a job interview: know the role you applied for, its training pathway and posting locations, and have real examples that show the ADF values of Service, Courage, Respect, Integrity and Excellence.
  • Start fitness training the day you apply. You must pass the PFA within 6 weeks of your enlistment day; use the free ADF Active app to practise push-ups, sit-ups and the beep test to the standard for your Service and role.

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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 Hiring Process Cheat Sheet.

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What's in the premium ADF General Entry prep

Premium ADF General Entry 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 Job and Eligibility8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    Verbal Reasoning8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  3. 3
    Numerical Reasoning8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  4. 4
    Abstract Reasoning8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  5. 5
    Fitness, Medical and Security Clearance7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  6. 6
    Defence Interview, Psych Interview and ADF Values7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  7. 7
    Application Strategy and Timeline7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. 8
    Recruit Training and the First Year7 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.
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Free with an account

Read the complete ADF General Entry study notes for “The Job and Eligibility”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 12 minutes of reading: What general entry means · Age and consent · Citizenship and residency · Education, medical, fitness and security · Pay from day one, 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. Choose the word that completes the analogy. Compass is to direction as thermometer is to:
Answer: temperature. A compass measures (shows) direction; a thermometer measures temperature. Weather and climate are broader things a thermometer helps describe, and mercury is a material some thermometers contain, not what they measure. In analogy items, state the relationship in a sentence first ("A is used to measure B") and test each option against it.
2. Which word does not belong with the others?
Answer: Battalion. Corporal, Sergeant and Lieutenant are ranks held by a person; a battalion is a unit made up of many people. Odd-one-out items reward finding the one category all but one option share. Here the category is "rank", and battalion is an organisation, not a rank.
3. In a code, PATROL is written QBUSPM. Using the same code, how is RADIO written?
Answer: SBEJP. Each letter moves forward one place in the alphabet: P to Q, A to B, T to U and so on. So R becomes S, A becomes B, D becomes E, I becomes J and O becomes P: SBEJP. Work letter by letter and check every position, as wrong options usually differ by only one letter.
4. A convoy travels at a steady 60 km/h. How far does it travel in 1 hour 20 minutes?
Answer: 80 km. 1 hour 20 minutes is 1⅓ hours. 60 km/h × 1⅓ h = 60 + 20 = 80 km. Without a calculator, split the time: 60 km in the first hour, plus 20 minutes (one third of an hour) at 60 km/h, which is 20 km.
5. What number comes next in the series 3, 6, 11, 18, 27, ?
Answer: 38. The gaps are 3, 5, 7, 9, increasing by 2 each time, so the next gap is 11: 27 + 11 = 38. With number series, write the differences under the numbers; if they are not constant, look at the differences of the differences or at multiplication patterns.
6. A ration pack weighs 1.25 kg. What is the total weight of 24 packs?
Answer: 30 kg. 24 × 1.25 = 24 × 1 + 24 × 0.25 = 24 + 6 = 30 kg. Breaking a decimal into a whole number and an easy fraction (0.25 = one quarter) keeps mental arithmetic fast and accurate.
7. A unit of 160 personnel is split so that 25% are on leave and the rest are divided equally into 4 sections. How many people are in each section?
Answer: 30. 25% of 160 is 40 on leave, leaving 120. 120 ÷ 4 = 30 per section. The option 40 is the number on leave, and 120 is the total before dividing, both common traps when a question has two steps.
8. Each group shows three symbols. Group 1: ▲ ● ■. Group 2: ● ■ ▲. Group 3: ■ ▲ ●. Following the same rule, what is Group 4?
Answer: ▲ ● ■. Each group takes the first symbol and moves it to the end (a rotation to the left). Group 3 is ■ ▲ ●, so moving ■ to the end gives ▲ ● ■, which is the same as Group 1: the pattern repeats every three steps. In abstract items, look for one change at a time: position, rotation, number or shading.
9. A series of figures shows an arrow. Figure 1: pointing up, shaded. Figure 2: pointing up-right, unshaded. Figure 3: pointing right, shaded. Figure 4: pointing down-right, unshaded. What is Figure 5?
Answer: Pointing down, shaded. Two rules run at once. The arrow turns 45 degrees clockwise each step (up, up-right, right, down-right, so next is down), and the shading alternates (shaded, unshaded, shaded, unshaded, so next is shaded). Abstract items often combine two or three independent changes; track each one separately and only then pick the option that satisfies all of them.
10. Which statement about age for ADF general entry is correct?
Answer: You can apply from 16 years and 6 months, but must be at least 17 on the day you join. ADF Careers says you may apply from 16 years and 6 months and must be 17 on your enlistment day. Under-18s need written consent from both parents or their legal guardian(s). Maximum ages vary by role, so check the role page.
11. In the general entry process, what happens straight after you submit your online application?
Answer: You receive an email link to the Job Opportunity Assessment (JOA). DFR's process overview lists the order: (1) Job Opportunity Assessment, emailed after you apply; (2) YOU (Your Opportunities Unlimited) Session with a Careers Coach; (3) Assessment Session: Defence interview, psychological interview and medical; (4) Pre-entry Fitness Assessment; (5) Enlistment Day and recruit training. The Officer Selection Board is for officer entry only.
12. According to DFR's PFA brochure, by when must you pass the Pre-entry Fitness Assessment?
Answer: Within 6 weeks of your Enlistment Day. DFR states you must pass the PFA within 6 weeks of your enlistment or appointment day, so your fitness is current when training starts. PFA content differs by Service and role (push-ups, sit-ups, beep test, and for some roles a run, walk or swim). DFR now says most Navy roles no longer need a PFA, except roles such as Diver and Physical Training Instructor.
13. During recruit training, a member of your section quietly tells you he has been taking extra rations from the store to sell to other recruits. What is the best response in line with ADF values?
Answer: Tell him to stop and report it through your chain of command if it continues. Integrity (doing what is right) and Respect are ADF values, and loyalty never covers misconduct. Giving him the chance to stop and then using the chain of command is honest and proportionate. Staying silent protects wrongdoing, sharing in it is theft, and social media posts breach Defence policy and do not fix the problem.
14. You are given a boring, repetitive task cleaning equipment while others do a more interesting exercise. Which response best shows the ADF value of Service?
Answer: Do the job thoroughly and on time, because the team depends on working equipment. Service means putting the mission and your team ahead of yourself. Doing an unglamorous job well shows reliability, which assessors and instructors look for. Cutting corners, offloading the job or refusing all put your preference above the team's needs.
15. On your Medical History Questionnaire you are unsure whether a minor knee injury from three years ago is worth mentioning. What should you do?
Answer: Declare it and provide any records you have. Honesty is central to Integrity and to medical assessment. Non-disclosure can lead to an offer being withdrawn or discharge later, and many past injuries are cleared once records are reviewed. Declare it, attach records, and let the medical team decide.

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ADF General Entry exam FAQ

How many questions are on the ADF General Entry exam?

Online General Ability style aptitude test (verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning items); DFR does not publish the number of questions. Some roles add specialist tests, with a time limit of timed; dfr does not publish the time limit. work quickly and accurately, as every test has a restricted time. Format: no calculator or dictionary is allowed in any adf psychological test, and you must not use any aid. take the online joa when well rested, in a quiet room with no distractions. the dfr guide says you are generally allowed three attempts at aptitude testing, at least 12 months apart.

What is the passing score for ADF General Entry?

No single pass mark. Your scores decide which roles you are eligible for; each job has its own minimum standard.

How much does the ADF General Entry exam cost?

No fee. Applying, testing, medicals and fitness assessment are free. Most government agencies charge no application fee, but some tests and checks cost money (for example Victoria Police's entrance exam, medicals, first aid certificates and police checks). Confirm current costs on the agency's recruiting website before you apply.

Which languages is the ADF General Entry exam offered in?

English.

Where do I take the ADF General Entry exam?

Job Opportunity Assessment (JOA) taken online after you apply; YOU Session with a Careers Coach by phone or video; Assessment Session (Defence interview, psychological interview, medical) and the Pre-entry Fitness Assessment at a Defence Force Recruiting centre.

Is this ADF General Entry 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 ADF General Entry prep is Premium at A$89 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium ADF General Entry prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (The Job and Eligibility: 375; Verbal Reasoning: 375; Numerical Reasoning: 375; Abstract Reasoning: 375; Fitness, Medical and Security Clearance: 375; Defence Interview, Psych Interview and ADF Values: 375; Application Strategy and Timeline: 375; Recruit Training and the 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.

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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in November 2026. The recruiting agency changes formats and fees, so confirm with Australian Defence Force (Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force), recruiting through Defence Force Recruiting (ADF Careers, 13 19 01) before you book. AusGovCareer is an independent career-prep service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.

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