AFOQT · Part B · format guide
AFOQT Instrument Comprehension in three steps
Updated Nov 6, 2026 · facts checked Nov 6, 2026
Instrument Comprehension shows two cockpit dials, an attitude indicator and a magnetic compass, and asks which of several aircraft pictures shows the same pitch, bank and heading. There are 25 items at about 12 seconds each, and the subtest counts toward the Pilot and ABM composites. This page explains the format and a method; it has no picture quiz.
What each item puts on the screen
- Left dial, the attitude indicator: a small aircraft symbol fixed in the middle and a horizon line behind it. The line's tilt shows bank; the symbol above or below the line shows nose up or nose down.
- Right dial, the compass: a needle or arrow pointing at the aircraft's heading.
- The answer pictures: aircraft drawn in different attitudes and directions. Exactly one matches both dials.
The pictures are drawn as if you stand on the ground looking north, with east to your right. An aircraft heading south flies toward you, one heading north flies away from you, and one heading east flies to your right. Practice that fixed viewpoint until you no longer have to think about it.
Reading an item in three steps
Check one attribute at a time and cross out pictures as you go:
- Heading first, from the compass. It is the fastest to read and often rules out several pictures at once. Turn the heading into a direction in the picture: toward you, away, left or right, or a diagonal between them.
- Bank second, from the horizon line. The line rises on the side of the lowered wing. Horizon higher on the left means the aircraft is banked left.
- Pitch last, from the aircraft symbol. Symbol above the horizon line, nose up and climbing; below it, nose down and diving; on the line, level.
Where Instrument Comprehension points go
- Bank read backwards. The horizon in the dial moves opposite to the aircraft. If you find yourself thinking "the line goes down on the right, so the right wing is down", stop and recheck.
- Reading the needle's tail. On a compass card the opposite end of the needle points at the reciprocal heading, 180 degrees away.
- Forgetting the viewpoint. A picture of the aircraft's belly or nose toward you is still correct if the heading is south. Rotate the scene in your head; do not rotate the rule.
- Over-checking. At about 12 seconds an item, one careful pass with elimination beats two passes on every item.
How to practice without a picture quiz
The best material is official: AFPC's Form T pamphlet has drawn sample items with answers, and OATTS, the free familiarization software AFPC offers for the AFOQT and TBAS, lets you meet the format on a screen. Both are linked from AFPC's Form T page.
Between those sessions, drill the steps on paper: write a random heading and a bank direction, sketch the aircraft as the observer would see it, then check. Understanding what the attitude indicator actually measures also helps; the instruments section of Aviation Information covers it. Because this subtest feeds the Pilot composite, it also moves your PCSM score.
AFOQT prep beyond the dials
Practice on your phone
AFOQT questions with the reasoning for every choice, in a study app (see both stores).
Subtest pages for Parts A and B
- Reading Comprehension25 items on the exam
- Aviation Information20 items on the exam
- Math Knowledge25 items on the exam
Instrument Comprehension questions
How many Instrument Comprehension items are on the AFOQT?
Form T has 25, more than Form S had and drawn with newer graphics. The Form S pamphlet still found online shows the old pictures.
Is the SIFT's Spatial Apperception Test the same thing?
No. The SIFT shows the view out of the cockpit and asks which aircraft position produces it; the AFOQT shows two instruments and pictures of the aircraft from outside. The skills overlap, the formats do not. See the Spatial Apperception Test guide.
Does flying experience help on Instrument Comprehension?
Some, because pilots already read an attitude indicator without thinking. The subtest itself asks only for the three-step reading above, which anyone can learn.