Scores · Army Personnel Testing FAQ v2.0 · checked Nov 6, 2026
Army SIFT scores, one number, 20–80
Updated Nov 6, 2026 · facts checked Nov 6, 2026
The test gives one score, not a profile. The minimum to apply is 40, and a pass ends your testing for good. The retest wait is printed two different ways by two official sources; both are below.
How the score scale works
Scale: One score from 20 to 80 (mean 50, standard deviation 10); pass or fail shows on screen when you finish.
Because the scale is anchored to a mean and a standard deviation, a score tells you where you stand against other examinees, not how many items you got right. The minimum sits one standard deviation below the mean. Army Personnel Testing (APT) says the minimum may change as the test is validated, so check it with your education center or recruiter before you test (FAQ).
Every subtest feeds a single number
What you get is a single compensatory score; strong subtests can offset a weak one, and no subtest scores are reported. The FAQ calls the formula proprietary and compensatory: a strong Spatial Apperception result can make up for a weak Math Skills result, but nobody outside APT knows the weights.
| Subtest | S | Feeds |
|---|---|---|
| SDSimple Drawings | yes | 1 |
| HFHidden Figures | yes | 1 |
| AAITArmy Aviation Information Test | yes | 1 |
| SATSpatial Apperception Test | yes | 1 |
| RCTReading Comprehension Test | yes | 1 |
| MSTMath Skills Test | yes | 1 |
| MCTMechanical Comprehension Test | yes | 1 |
| Subtests in it | 7 | — |
- S SIFT score, 20–80 [1]
- One compensatory score; the formula is proprietary and no subtest scores are reported
What a competitive SIFT score looks like
- To apply: 40 to apply for Army aviation, with no waivers; the minimum may change as the SIFT is validated.
- What recruiters favor: USAREC lists 55 or higher as "most preferred" for warrant officer flight training. We could not open the USAREC page itself, so treat that figure as indicative and confirm it with your recruiter.
- What the board also weighs: this score is one line in a warrant officer packet, next to the GT score, the flight physical and letters of recommendation (requirements in order).
The Aviation Branch's cadet page answers a common worry directly: once you pass, a score below 50 does not stop you from scheduling the flight physical (cadet FAQ).
Retakes, from first attempt to the last
The rule allows two attempts at most; a passing score ends testing for good, a fail allows one retest, and a second fail ends Army aviation eligibility. The waiting period is where the sources disagree.
- First attempt
40 or higher
A pass: testing ends, and no retest is allowed.
- Under the minimum
One retest left
The application cannot go forward on this score.
- The wait
181st day or 45 days
The first figure is in the SIFT FAQ, the second on the Aviation Branch cadet page.
- Second attempt
Last try
A second fail ends eligibility for aviation.
ASVAB retest rules do not apply
Some prep sites copy the ASVAB retest schedule onto this test, and some round the wait to 180 days. The FAQ allows a single retest and dates it from the 181st day; the Aviation Branch page says 45 days. Ask your test control officer which rule your site applies before you book.
Your score letter and how long it lasts
Results arrive at once: pass or fail shows on screen as soon as you finish; the test control officer signs the score letter.
Expiry: The SIFT FAQ and the Aviation Branch pages do not state an expiry. Claims that these scores never expire come from prep sites, not from an official source; your recruiter or education center has the final word.
Raise your SIFT score with daily practice
Practice on your phone
SIFT questions with the reasoning for every choice, in a study app (see both stores).
After the score: other 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 exam factsTime limits, scheduling, cost, calculator, guessing and what to bring
- 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
Army SIFT scores, quick answers
Is 62 a good score on the Army SIFT?
It clears both published markers: the 40 minimum and the 55 or higher that USAREC reportedly lists as most preferred. It is also above the scale's mean of 50. Selection still depends on the whole packet.
How is the SIFT graded?
By a proprietary, compensatory formula across all subtests, reported as one number. Pass or fail appears on screen when you finish.
Can I retake the test to raise a passing score?
No. Once you reach the minimum you may not test again, so a bare pass stays a bare pass.
What is an average score on this test?
The scale is built with a mean of 50. APT does not publish the distribution of applicants' 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