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Defence · Last updated November 2026

ADF Officer Entry (ADFA, RMC Duntroon, Navy and Air Force Officer): free practice test

ADF officers lead sailors, soldiers and aviators or serve as specialists such as engineers, pilots, doctors and lawyers. You apply online, sit aptitude tests (verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning), attend a YOU Session and an Assessment Session with interviews and a medical, then face an Officer Selection Board of a President, a specialist officer and a psychologist who test leadership, teamwork, communication and motivation. Successful candidates train at ADFA (degree plus military training), RMC Duntroon, the Royal Australian Naval College or the RAAF Officers' Training School.

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About the ADF Officer Entry exam

ADF officers lead sailors, soldiers and aviators or serve as specialists such as engineers, pilots, doctors and lawyers. You apply online, sit aptitude tests (verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning), attend a YOU Session and an Assessment Session with interviews and a medical, then face an Officer Selection Board of a President, a specialist officer and a psychologist who test leadership, teamwork, communication and motivation. Successful candidates train at ADFA (degree plus military training), RMC Duntroon, the Royal Australian Naval College or the RAAF Officers' Training School.

What's on the exam

ADF Officer Entry
The Job and Entry Pathways
6 key facts
Verbal Reasoning
5 key facts
Numerical Reasoning
6 key facts
Abstract Reasoning
6 key facts
Fitness, Medical and Security Clearance
6 key facts
The Officer Selection Board
7 key facts
Application Strategy and Timeline
6 key facts
Officer 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 Officer Entry exam

  • The OSB is competitive: suitable candidates go into a national merit pool. Research your role deeply (Corps, mustering or primary qualification, bases, equipment, training length, pay in training and once qualified) and speak to a serving officer if you can.
  • Communication is assessed directly. ADF Careers says the board marks conversational skill, logical argument and correct sentence structure and grammar, so practise speaking and writing clearly under time pressure.
  • In group tasks, show leadership by organising, listening and including quieter members, not by talking the most. Restate the aim, check time, allocate roles and keep the group moving.
  • Prepare evidence of leadership from school, sport, work or community roles, and know current ADF operations and defence news; the OSB guide lists current affairs as an expected area.

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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 Officer Entry prep

Premium ADF Officer 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 Entry Pathways8 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
    The Officer Selection Board7 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
    Officer Training and the First Year7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  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 Officer Entry study notes for “The Job and Entry Pathways”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 12 minutes of reading: What ADF officers do · The entry pathways · Rules every officer candidate must meet · Pay in training and after appointment, 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 best completes the analogy. Captain is to ship as conductor is to:
Answer: orchestra. A captain leads and directs a ship's crew; a conductor leads and directs an orchestra. Music is what the orchestra produces, a baton is the conductor's tool, and a concert is an event. Put the first relationship into words ("leads the people of") and choose the option that fits exactly.
2. Which word is closest in meaning to PRUDENT?
Answer: Cautious. Prudent means acting with care and good judgement about the future, so cautious is closest. Proud looks similar but is unrelated, and hasty is nearly the opposite. Similar-looking distractors are common in vocabulary items; rely on meaning, not spelling.
3. All officers at the course are qualified in first aid. Some officers at the course are pilots. Which statement must be true?
Answer: Some pilots at the course are qualified in first aid. Some officers at the course are pilots, and every officer at the course has first aid, so those pilot officers have first aid: some pilots at the course are qualified in first aid. Nothing says all pilots are officers or that everyone with first aid is a pilot. In logic items, accept only what follows strictly from the statements.
4. A training budget of $48,000 is split between three courses in the ratio 3 : 2 : 1. How much does the largest course receive?
Answer: $24,000. The ratio has 3 + 2 + 1 = 6 parts, so one part is $48,000 ÷ 6 = $8,000. The largest course gets 3 parts: $24,000. $8,000 is one part (the smallest course) and $16,000 is two parts, both traps for a rushed reading.
5. A patrol walks 6 km north and then 8 km east. How far is it in a straight line from its start point?
Answer: 10 km. North and east are at right angles, so use Pythagoras: √(6² + 8²) = √(36 + 64) = √100 = 10 km. 14 km is the distance walked, not the straight-line distance. The 3-4-5 triangle (here doubled to 6-8-10) appears often in aptitude tests.
6. What number comes next in the series 2, 3, 5, 9, 17, ?
Answer: 33. Each term is double the previous term minus 1: 2×2-1 = 3, 3×2-1 = 5, 5×2-1 = 9, 9×2-1 = 17, so 17×2-1 = 33. You can also see the gaps double (1, 2, 4, 8, so next is 16). When gaps grow fast, test doubling or multiplication rules.
7. A ship uses fuel at 1,500 litres per hour at cruising speed. It has 27,000 litres available and must keep 15% in reserve. For how many hours can it cruise?
Answer: 15.3 hours. 15% of 27,000 is 4,050 litres in reserve, leaving 22,950 litres. 22,950 ÷ 1,500 = 15.3 hours. 18 hours ignores the reserve. Multi-step questions reward writing down each step: reserve, usable amount, then rate.
8. In a series of figures, a square contains dots. Figure 1: 1 dot. Figure 2: 3 dots. Figure 3: 6 dots. Figure 4: 10 dots. How many dots are in Figure 5?
Answer: 15. The number of dots added grows by one each time (+2, +3, +4), so Figure 5 adds 5: 10 + 5 = 15. These are triangular numbers (1, 3, 6, 10, 15). Counting elements is one of the standard rules in abstract series alongside rotation, position and shading.
9. Three of these letter groups follow the same rule. Which is the odd one out?
Answer: GJL. BDF, KMO and PRT each skip one letter between letters (B_D_F). GJL skips two letters then one (G_ _J_L), so it breaks the rule. Letter and symbol odd-one-out items work like figure items: find the rule shared by the majority, then test each option.
10. According to ADF Careers, who usually sits on an Officer Selection Board panel?
Answer: A President, a specialist officer and a psychologist. ADF Careers states the OSB panel usually includes a President (military officer), a specialist officer (military officer) and a psychologist, who may be civilian or military depending on the Service. It advises the delegate, who makes the final decision.
11. During an OSB group task the team is arguing about a plan and time is running out. What is the most effective way to show leadership?
Answer: Summarise the two main ideas, check the time left and propose a quick decision the group can agree on. Boards look for the ability to influence and motivate others and to communicate clearly. Summarising, managing time and moving the group to a decision shows leadership without dominating. Taking over ignores others, staying silent gives the board no evidence, and following the loudest voice is not judgement.
12. At the OSB interview you are asked a question about the ADF you cannot answer. What does ADF Careers advise?
Answer: Answer honestly in your own words, and say if you do not know. The Army OSB guide says not to be concerned if you cannot answer every question and to express yourself honestly and in your own words; authentic answers beat scripted ones. Inventing facts breaches the value of Integrity and boards usually notice.
13. Which statement about ADFA entry is correct?
Answer: You apply to the ADF and, separately, to UNSW Canberra through UAC. ADFA students study a UNSW Canberra degree while training as officers. You apply to the ADF through ADF Careers and to UNSW through UAC (applications open in August of the year before entry). Year 12 with passes meeting the role and degree requirements is needed, and ADFA has one intake each year.
14. An Army OSB rates you "has potential but is not yet ready". What does this mean?
Answer: You may reapply after a set period, usually 12 or 24 months. The Army OSB guide lists three outcomes: suitable; potential but not yet ready (for 12 or 24 months); or not suitable. The board only recommends; the Army delegate decides and writes to you, usually about a month after the board. Even "suitable" candidates may wait in a competitive pool.
15. Before which step must Navy Aviation Warfare Officer and pilot applicants complete a selection program at East Sale, Victoria?
Answer: The Officer Selection Board. ADF Careers' OSB information says pilot and Navy Aviation Warfare Officer applicants undertake a selection program at East Sale before attending an OSB, with travel paid by Defence. An OSB recommendation earned after aviation testing can also support an offer in another officer role if no pilot place is available.

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Certification guide

Australian security clearances explained: Many federal careers, including the AFP, Border Force, Defence, ASIO and much of the APS, need an Australian Government security clearance, issued in most cases by the [Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA)](https://www.agsva.gov.au/). A clearance isn't something you can get on your own: the employer sponsors it once you're offered a role that needs it. Here is what each level allows, how long it takes and what vetting looks at.

ADF Officer Entry exam FAQ

How many questions are on the ADF Officer Entry exam?

Online General Ability style aptitude tests (verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning) plus officer-level testing; DFR does not publish the number of questions, with a time limit of timed; dfr does not publish the time limits. the officer selection board itself lasts most of a day. Format: no calculator or dictionary is allowed in any adf psychological test. at the osb you are judged on communication (spoken and written), leadership, motivation and knowledge of your chosen role, training and the adf.

What is the passing score for ADF Officer Entry?

No single pass mark. Aptitude scores decide eligibility for each officer role; the Officer Selection Board rates you suitable, not yet ready (12 or 24 months) or not suitable, and suitable candidates compete in a merit pool.

How much does the ADF Officer Entry exam cost?

No fee. Testing, medicals, fitness assessment and the OSB are free; Defence pays travel to East Sale aviation selection. 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 Officer Entry exam offered in?

English.

Where do I take the ADF Officer Entry exam?

Online aptitude testing after you apply, YOU Session with a Careers Coach, Assessment Session (Defence interview, psychological interview, medical) at an ADF Careers centre, then an Officer Selection Board (online for ADFA and RMC full-time applicants). Pilot and Navy Aviation Warfare Officer applicants first attend a selection program at East Sale, Victoria.

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

What's in the premium ADF Officer Entry prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (The Job and Entry Pathways: 375; Verbal Reasoning: 375; Numerical Reasoning: 375; Abstract Reasoning: 375; Fitness, Medical and Security Clearance: 375; The Officer Selection Board: 375; Application Strategy and Timeline: 375; Officer 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 ADF Careers (13 19 01); final selection by an Officer Selection Board and the Service delegate before you book. AusGovCareer is an independent career-prep service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.

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