Exam facts · SIFT FAQ v2.0 (Feb 2024) · checked Nov 6, 2026
How long the SIFT takes, and the test-day rules
Updated Nov 6, 2026 · facts checked Nov 6, 2026
Plan for up to 3 hours, including check-in, setup and an optional break; many people finish in about 2 hours. Inside that, each subtest has its own clock, two of them adapt to your answers, and the penalty for a wrong or blank answer changes from one subtest to the next.
SIFT test-day facts with sources
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Selection Instrument for Flight Training (SIFT) | Army Personnel Testing [1] | |
| Run by | U.S. Army Personnel Testing (APT), Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 | Army Personnel Testing [1] | |
| Format | Web-based only, on a monitored secure server; MST and MCT are adaptive, the other five subtests have fixed items and time limits | Army Personnel Testing [1] | |
| Subtests | 7 subtests (SD, HF, AAIT, SAT, RCT, MST, MCT) | Army Personnel Testing [1] | |
| Questions | 235 questions in the five fixed subtests, plus two adaptive subtests whose length varies | Army Personnel Testing [1] | |
| Time at the test | Up to 3 hours, including check-in, setup and an optional break; many people finish in about 2 hoursSubtest limits: SD 2, HF 5, AAIT 30, SAT 10, RCT 30, MST 40, MCT 15 minutes. | Army Personnel Testing [1] | |
| Calculator | No calculator; a few formulas are provided, with scrap paper and pencils | Army Personnel Testing [1] | |
| Blanks and guessing | It depends on the subtest. SD and HF deduct for wrong answers (don't guess); AAIT, SAT and RCT count blanks as wrong (guess before time runs out); MST and MCT penalize too few answers, and random guessing usually hurts more | Army Personnel Testing [1] | |
| Where you test | At the site where you schedule it, through your education center if you serve or a recruiter if you are a civilian WOFT applicant | Army Personnel Testing [1] | |
| Cost | Free; English only | Army Personnel Testing [1] | |
| Results | Pass or fail shows on screen as soon as you finish; the test control officer signs the score letter | Army Personnel Testing [1] | |
| Retakes | Two attempts at most; a passing score ends testing for good, a fail allows one retest, and a second fail ends Army aviation eligibilityThe wait before the retest is given two ways: the SIFT FAQ says no earlier than the 181st day, while the Aviation Branch cadet page (Fort Rucker) says after 45 days. | Army Personnel Testing · U.S. Army Aviation Branch, Fort Rucker [1][2] | |
| Free official prep | The SIFT FAQ suggests learning aviation terms and military history and practicing pacing on timed tests | Army Personnel Testing [1] | |
| What changed | The SIFT replaced the Alternate Flight Aptitude Selection Test (AFAST) in 2013; the 2024 FAQ keeps the 2013 subtest table | Army Personnel Testing · SIFT frequently asked questions, 2013 edition (Texas Military Department copy, PDF) [1][3] |
Subtest order and time limits
In the order the FAQ lists them. The test is web-based only, on a monitored secure server; MST and MCT are adaptive, the other five subtests have fixed items and time limits. It holds 235 questions in the five fixed subtests, plus two adaptive subtests whose length varies.
| # | Subtest | Questions | Minutes | Counts toward | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simple Drawings SD | 100 | 2 | S | — |
| 2 | Hidden Figures HF | 50 | 5 | S | Format guide |
| 3 | Army Aviation Information Test AAIT | 40 | 30 | S | Practice |
| 4 | Spatial Apperception Test SAT | 25 | 10 | S | Format guide |
| 5 | Reading Comprehension Test RCT | 20 | 30 | S | In Practice test |
| 6 | Math Skills Test MSTadaptive | — | 40 | S | In Practice test |
| 7 | Mechanical Comprehension Test MCTadaptive | — | 15 | S | In Practice test |
Simple Drawings: a two-minute sprint
Simple Drawings is the fastest subtest: 2 minutes for 100 items, about 1.2 seconds each. The FAQ does not show sample items; it describes the picture subtests as testing "the ability to quickly recognize patterns within objects and groups of images", and it notes that most examinees cannot answer every item on the speed subtests.
- Scoring: part of a point comes off for each wrong answer. Marking the last items at random before time runs out lowers your score.
- On test day: read the on-screen instructions before the two minutes start; they are the only official description of the item.
- Practice: written descriptions of shapes do not train this skill, so this site has no Simple Drawings quiz. Timed visual odd-one-out drills are the closest substitute; the plan is on the study guide.
Where to take it and how to book
You take it at the site where you schedule it, through your education center if you serve or a recruiter if you are a civilian WOFT applicant. You book at the site where you will test; state National Guard education offices publish their own days and times. The test runs only on a monitored, secure web-based system, and there is no paper version (SIFT FAQ).
What the SIFT costs
Cost: Free; English only. The limit on retests is the number of attempts, not money (retake rules).
No calculator, a few formulas given
There is no calculator; a few formulas are provided, with scrap paper and pencils. Phones and other electronics stay with the proctor, so a phone calculator is not an option either. Practice arithmetic by hand: Math Skills notes.
Blanks, wrong answers and guessing
Three rules apply, by subtest:
- Simple Drawings, Hidden Figures: right answers minus a share of wrong ones. Work fast, and do not guess as time expires.
- Army Aviation Information, Spatial Apperception, Reading Comprehension: a fixed set where unanswered items are scored wrong. Rule out what you can and guess on the rest before the clock ends.
- Math Skills, Mechanical Comprehension: adaptive subtests that penalize finishing too few items, more heavily the fewer you answer. Random guessing near the end usually hurts more than the penalty; the penalty never applies if the subtest ends on its own before time is up.
Source: SIFT FAQ, "What if I don't answer all of the questions".
ID, forms and what stays outside
The FAQ copy we checked is the Minnesota National Guard's, and its list is written for Guard soldiers: a CAC as the only ID, and a DA Form 4187 signed by your unit commander or a readiness, training or admin NCO. Phones, cameras and other electronics are handed to the proctor before you enter, and paper and pencils are supplied. Civilian applicants should ask their recruiter which ID and paperwork their site requires (SIFT FAQ).
Accommodations are not covered
The FAQ does not describe testing accommodations. If you need one, ask the test control officer at your site before you book.
Practice for the SIFT between appointments
Practice on your phone
SIFT questions with the reasoning for every choice, in a study app (see both stores).
The rest of the SIFT pages
- SIFTThe Army flight-school screening test: subtests, the single score, the retest rule
- SIFT practice testPractice questions from Math Skills, Reading, Mechanical Comprehension and the AAIT
- SIFT scoresThe score scale, the minimum, and the retest wait
- SIFT study guideSpeed drills, horizon rules, helicopter topics, adaptive pacing
- SIFT Hidden FiguresHow the Hidden Figures subtest works, the pace it demands and how to practice it
- SIFT Spatial Apperception TestReading pitch, bank and heading from a cockpit view: the rules and the pace
SIFT test day, short answers
How long is the Army SIFT test?
Up to 3 h at the site, including check-in and an optional break. The subtest limits themselves add up to a little over two hours.
Is the SIFT on paper or computer?
Computer only, on a secure web-based system. There is no paper form.
Do you get a calculator on the SIFT?
No. A few formulas are given and scrap paper is supplied.
When is the SIFT result known?
Your pass-or-fail verdict is on screen the moment the last subtest closes; the signed score letter comes from the test control officer. The scale is explained on scores.
Sources
with the date we checked each
- [1]Army Personnel Testing: SIFT frequently asked questions, version 2.0 (February 2024 PDF, Minnesota National Guard copy) mn.gov · checked Nov 6, 2026
- [2]U.S. Army Aviation Branch, Fort Rucker: cadets and candidates home.army.mil · checked Nov 6, 2026
- [3]SIFT frequently asked questions, 2013 edition (Texas Military Department copy, PDF) tmd.texas.gov · checked Nov 6, 2026