Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (CFAT) [MERGED]

[brihard]

"If Private Bloggins is running at 10.5 km/h, and has a 150m head start on the Sergeant Major who is chasing him at 12 km/h, how far will he travel before the Sergeant Major catches Private Bloggins, unhinges his jaw like a snake, and eats Private Bloggins' head in rage?"

Don't stress out too much about it- you'll be fine. Just put the study in, and write the thing. It's not a pass/fail, it's an assessment of your abilities and how they link up with what the military's looking for.

 

[Trick]

For those who have written it, did you find you were pressed for time? I tend to do well on these types of things, but I do take my time. Also, I presume you are made aware of how much time you have left as the test goes on?

 

[Fiera]

For those who have written it, did you find you were pressed for time? I tend to do well on these types of things, but I do take my time. Also, I presume you are made aware of how much time you have left as the test goes on?

When I wrote the CFAT we had a timer in the room that got reset for each section of the test. The only section I found time to be an issue was the math. However when I wrote the test I had failed math 9 and had not looked at a math book in several years. I'm told I did well and have upgraded to math 11 now so if I were to write it again it probably wouldn't be the problem it was last time. Definitely get a GED book, check out Khan Academy and just brush up on your math if you're not strong in it or have not done it in a while. And if you're having problems with a question, go on to the next one and come back to it when everything else is complete. You don't want to lose marks overall from unanswered questions because you spent too much time on one you couldn't get.

 

[reboog]

For those who have written it, did you find you were pressed for time? I tend to do well on these types of things, but I do take my time. Also, I presume you are made aware of how much time you have left as the test goes on?

I barely managed to finish the spatial section in time, but rocked the math like it was nothing. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses in different places, so it'll completely depend on where yours lie. The practice CFAT is pretty representative of the TYPES of questions that are on the real test, but not of its difficulty. Practice what you can.

Also, my CFAT was done on a computer and there's a little timer in the corner of the screen that flashes at you when your time is running out.

 

[EngineerWannabe]

I read the CFAT FAQ thread an I didn't find the answer to my question. I tried the search bar with not much luck either. I was wondering what kind of score I would need to get on the test to become a Combat Engineer. I just finished grade 11 with low 60's in Pure Math and Physics. My English skills are alright. I struggle with tests sometimes. Anyway back to the question, does anyone know the specific score required? My other trade choices were Armoured Soldier and Vehicle Tech. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Wannabe

 

[infantryian]

The specific score is a moot point. You will not be told your score to find out how much you missed it by, or how much you surpassed it by.
If I told you that you needed to answer 75% of all questions correctly would you try harder?

I am not sure if you are applying for regular or reserve. If it is regular then you should take math and physics in grade 12 and try to apply yourself better. Hiring a tutor may not be a terrible move either. If reserve I would try to study up your math skills, specifically, the types of problems shown in the practice test. If you fail you can always keep trying to upgrade your education and try harder in math and physics in grade 12 and try again.

 

[EngineerWannabe]

Thank you for the answer, I'm going to be trying my hardest no matter what and taking my time. I don't think I've studied this hard for a test in my life. I've been looking at all my math books from grade 10 and 11 and my little brother's junior high math stuff. I've fallen behind in my basic math because of all the calculators!

Thanks,
Wannabe

 

[EngineerWannabe]

I'm usually the kid that is done the test 20 minutes before anyone else so I don't think it should be a problem (well I hope). Another question that I just thought of, if I want to be an engineer; would my spatial or math be more important? It kind of sounds stupid but hey no stupid questions, or so I'm told

Thanks,
Wannabe

 

[Trick]

Somewhat related to the above question, is your score just the straight % correct on the whole exam, or are you graded per section?

 

[EngineerWannabe]

Damn, good advice I really do need to chill.

Thanks,
Wannabe

 

[Neill McKay]

I read the CFAT FAQ thread an I didn't find the answer to my question. I tried the search bar with not much luck either. I was wondering what kind of score I would need to get on the test to become a Combat Engineer.

My information is pretty dated.  It's been more than fifteen years since I wrote the tests, but at the time all you got was a list of trades for which you were found suitable by the testing software -- no marks or other results.

The tests cover a variety of abilities, and I would imagine that The System takes the results of different tests into consideration in giving you a "yes" or "no" for different trades.  A low score in a given test might exclude you from certain trades but have no affect on your suitability for others.

 

[MMSS]

I wrote the CFAT in 2005 with about a dozen others. I had no issues with the timing however some of the others certainly did. Prepare yourself, I didn't study a whole lot but then again I was a full time university student at the time anyway so math and writing were pretty fresh.

My senior year of high school I wrote the SAT as I was thinking about applying to American schools, I found the timing was a lot more difficult, more than almost any test I have had before or after.

 

[Chrispi]

For those who have written it, did you find you were pressed for time? I tend to do well on these types of things, but I do take my time. Also, I presume you are made aware of how much time you have left as the test goes on?

I had the opportunity to write mine on a computer, as mentioned by others, I was well aware of the time I had remaining for each section as I went along.

Depending on the person, and what you've studied, the sections will be more/less difficult.
I finished the Math section on time...  barely.  Every other section I had time to go back, and review my answers.

I ASSuME that depending on the CFRC you go to, you may, or may not, have a PC based version. 
(I cannot say if every CFRC has the same set-up as I had).

If you perform the test on a PC, the number of questions, remaining questions, and timer is presented to you. 
Everything you need to manage every question is presented to you, relax, go at a comfortable pace, and you will be fine.

Good Luck!

 

[Trick]

Why are you worrying about all this little crap?  Is knowing the required score for Combat Engineer going to make you some how do better?  Do your best, if you qualify you qualify.

And why does it matter if you are graded per section? Damn guys.

Here's some advice:  All this time you're spending worrying about what score you need, or if it's percentage based overall or per section, could be used to study!
When it comes down to it, it really doesn't matter. Knowing the required scores or how you are actually assessed isn't going to help you pass. It's not a question on the CFAT!  ;D

Ha, fair enough point. I would say though that anxiety plays a lot in these types of things, and going into an exam knowing as much about the process as possible often reduces that anxiety for a lot of people.

 

[Trick]

Just thought I would share this link for some spatial stuff:
http://www.psychometric-success.com/practice-papers/Psychometric%20Success%20Spatial%20Ability%20-%20Practice%20Test%201.pdf

Writing the CFAT tomorrow, so I'm not sure how representative it is, but I found it helpful. The Spatial Ability section will probably be the hardest for me.

 

[Trick]

Just wrote it today, so I thought I'd give some feedback while it's still fresh. Personally, I was really pressed for time in both the spatial and problem solving portions. As I predicted, I struggled quite a bit with the spatial questions and I think of all the sections, the jump was the biggest in difficulty from the practice test to the actual CFAT for me. I actually had to fire off the last 5-6 very quickly in the problem solving portion despite being very confident in the questions I did complete.

So all that being said, I felt pretty lousy after the test. Actually, I felt pretty lousy during the test when I realized this wasn't going to plan. Despite that though (they don't give you specific scores) I was told in my interview afterwards that my results were excellent. So my advice would be not to let yourself get too stressed, you're probably doing better than you think. Honestly, I think I could have done even better had I kept my cool more and not spent time stressing about the time...

There were a couple people there who didn't get the result they wanted, but don't worry, they don't laugh you out of the RC or anything. They give you feedback, and tell you how (and encourage you) to improve. Obviously everyone wants to pass for their trade, but if you don't your life isn't over.

So that's about all that comes to mind. Good luck to all those writing it!

 

[Rugiviet]

I just did mine today.

The sample test at the army website is a good approximation but the actual test is a bit harder. The problems are all similar but they are just harder and involve a bit more calculation.

You need to brush up on your multiplication and division by hand for the maths component.

I was pressed for time on the spatial and problem solving sections, time management is crucial on the test. Don't spend too much time on any one problem even if you know how to solve it but its taking a long time because of the calculations, just guess the best answer and go on to the next question.

Doing Asvab sample tests and spatial IQ tests online will help.

I did ok, was told that I was eligible for all trades and scored in the officer range.

 

[SoldierInAYear]

Lets say you fail all the math parts of the CFAT and pass the rest. Will you still be able to qualify for some trades?

 

[Romanmaz]

Lets say you fail all the math parts of the CFAT and pass the rest. Will you still be able to qualify for some trades?

If you're even asking this question I suggest you brush up on your math before you take the test. The math/problem solving section is arguably the easiest part of the test.
I'm assuming you have to meet the minimum requirements on every section of the test to qualify for your chosen trade(s) so failing one aspect means not qualifying/failing.

 

[SOES_vet]

So all that being said, I felt pretty lousy after the test. Actually, I felt pretty lousy during the test when I realized this wasn't going to plan. Despite that though (they don't give you specific scores) I was told in my interview afterwards that my results were excellent. So my advice would be not to let yourself get too stressed, you're probably doing better than you think. Honestly, I think I could have done even better had I kept my cool more and not spent time stressing about the time...

Glad it all worked out in the end, and yes, the spatial orientation portion of the CFAT, is generally considered to be the hardest part for most people. That said, and I once mentioned this on a similar thread, you can train yourself to get better at those types of questions by drilling lots of them. There should be plenty of resources online. Either way, it all worked out for you anyway.

Great advice on trying not to stress out during the exam. Once you are there, during the test, exam etc, what will happen will happen, and all there is to do is to put forth your best effort. Stressing wont help, and if you need to stress there will be plenty of time to do that afterwards.