NAMI (Navy) · Navy officer programs
Updated Nov 6, 2026 · facts checked Nov 6, 2026
The Officer Aptitude Rating is not a separate exam. It is 3 subtests of the ASTB-E (math, reading comprehension and mechanical comprehension) sat on their own and reported as one number that the Navy uses to pick officer candidates outside aviation.
Who takes it: Navy officer applicants outside aviation (for example Officer Candidate School designators); whether to take the OAR alone or the whole ASTB-E is settled with your recruiter. The score predicts academic performance at Navy Officer Candidate School.
Applicants for pilot or naval flight officer need the aviation ratings as well, which only the full ASTB-E produces. Marine Corps and Coast Guard aviation applicants also sit the full battery.
All three are adaptive and none is reported separately. Math Skills and Mechanical Comprehension have their own pages; reading is a section of the practice test.
| # | Subtest | Counts toward | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Math Skills Test MSTadaptive | OAR | Practice |
| 2 | Reading Comprehension Test RCTadaptive | OAR | In Practice test |
| 3 | Mechanical Comprehension Test MCTadaptive | OAR | Practice |
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Officer Aptitude Rating (OAR), the first three subtests of the ASTB-E | NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology [1] | |
| Run by | The U.S. Navy's Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI), Operational Psychology department | NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology · NAMI [1][2] | |
| Who takes it | Navy officer applicants outside aviation (for example Officer Candidate School designators); whether to take the OAR alone or the whole ASTB-E is settled with your recruiter | NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology · NAMI [1][2] | |
| Format | Three computer-adaptive subtests in APEX (MST, RCT, MCT), with no skipping and no going back | NAMI · NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology [1][2] | |
| Subtests | 3 (Math Skills, Reading Comprehension, Mechanical Comprehension) | NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology [1] | |
| Questions | Not published, because the adaptive subtests vary in length | NAMI [2] | |
| Time at the test | 1 to 2 hours | NAMI [2] | |
| Answer choices | 4 choices on MST and RCT; 3 on MCTas of May 13, 2014 · from NAMI's 2014 sample questions | NAMI [3] | |
| Calculator | No calculator; the formulas you need are given and scratch paper is provided | NAMI [2] | |
| Score scale | One score from 20 to 80 in one-point steps; most people score between 40 and 60 | NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology [1] | |
| Minimum scores | Set by each Navy designator, for example Surface Warfare Officer 42, Supply Corps 42 and Intelligence 50 (program authorizations of June and July 2025)Pilot and naval flight officer programs use the ASTB-E's AQR, PFAR and FOFAR instead of an OAR cut-off.as of Nov 6, 2026 · program minimums change; check with your recruiter | Navy Personnel Command [4][5][6] | |
| Results | Immediately after the test in APEX | NAMI [2] | |
| Retakes | At most 3 attempts across the OAR and the ASTB-E together, at least 30 full calendar days apart; the latest attempt counts | NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology · NAMI [1][2] | |
| Score that counts | Your latest attempt counts, even if it is lower, whatever version you took | NAMI [2] | |
| Cost | Free; English only | NAMI [2] |
The two are one test at two lengths, so the choice is about your program, not difficulty:
What changed: old rules from forms 3–5 (merging an OAR into a full battery within 90 days, "RST", t-scores) no longer apply.
| Attribute | OAROfficer Aptitude RatingPractice | ASTB-EAviation Selection Test BatteryPractice |
|---|---|---|
| Subtests [1][2] | 3 (Math Skills, Reading Comprehension, Mechanical Comprehension) | 6 subtests (MST, RCT, MCT, ANIT, NATFI, PBM) |
| Time at the testThe figure each owner gives for the whole sitting. [2] | 1 to 2 hours | 2 hours to 3 hours 15 minutes for the full battery |
| Scores reported [1][2] | A single OAR score; no subtest scores are reported | OAR, AQR, PFAR, FOFAR; the formulas are not released and are compensatory |
| What the score decides [1] | Predicts academic performance at Navy Officer Candidate School | Aviation selection (pilots on AQR + PFAR, flight officers on AQR + FOFAR) and officer selection (OAR) |
| Retakes [1][2] | At most 3 attempts across the OAR and the ASTB-E together, at least 30 full calendar days apart; the latest attempt counts | At most 3 attempts at the current version (OAR and ASTB-E attempts count together), at least 30 full calendar days apart, and the whole battery is retaken each time |
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Your tally shows here once every question above has an answer.
Each Navy designator sets its own OAR floor in a program authorization: Surface Warfare 42, Supply Corps 42, Intelligence 50 (2025 editions). Waivers, immediate-selection scores and what most people score are on the scores page. Program minimums change; check with your recruiter.
Practice on your phone
OAR questions with the reasoning for every choice, in a study app (see both stores).
No. The ASVAB is for enlisted applicants; the OAR is for Navy officer applicants and comes from the ASTB-E. How the two differ is on exam facts.
Yes. NAMI counts OAR and ASTB-E attempts together toward one limit of three.
At the same places as the ASTB-E: NAMI counts 250+ military sites, for example Navy officer recruiting stations, Marine Corps officer selection offices and NROTC units. You book with the site.
Yes: immediately after the test in APEX.
with the date we checked each