Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (CFAT) [MERGED]

[medicineman]

When I originally applied many moons ago, I applied ROTP.  I did the CFAT - which was for us the basic psychometric tests where you had all the rapid calculations, word associations, spatial orientation, etc.  After, I did a language aptitude assessment and then the medical.  There was a score on there that was either pass or fail.  2 out of 12 of us made it through to the medical.  Fast forward a couple of years - reapplied as an NCM.  First part was waived because I'd already taken it and passed at the offficer standard within a certain time frame.  The next tests were for the various trades aptitudes.

There were no classification specific aptitude tests for the officers aside from Aircrew selection - I was interviewed based on what my choices were as far as classifications and the officers made suggestions about what they thought I should do or what they thought I might be suited to do.  When I reapplied as an NCM, because I had some university, they tried to nudge me back towards some officer classifications - but those were based solely on my medical category, not on any test I'd written. 

They'll assess you in BMOQ and CAP for the stuff they're really worried about - abilities to learn, adapt and lead under stress...stuff that's a tad harder to predict by colouring dots on a piece of paper.

MM

 

[McBlairRson]

Hi,
I am grade 12 and preparing for my aptitude test coming up in the first week May.(applied for ROTP) Regarding the vocab part of the test, what can i do get a high mark in that section? People who have taken it says the vocab is the hardest part since they have never heard of them before. This really got me worried. Plus officers have to get higher marks to qualify for any position.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Maxadia]

Do high amounts of reading several years before taking the test.

Seriously, there's not much you can do on the short term for the vocabulary.  A lot of it has to do with your understanding of the language.  There might be some vocabulary building exercises, but for the most part, I would think that practicing spatial ability exercises (like the test examples where you have to take an unfolded pattern and pick the correct shape) and brushing up on math skills would be the most helpful.

I did very on vocab and spatial, and had 6 wrong on the math portion (which I thought I aced).  I can only assume that I made some stupid mistakes doing the math part (plus I found that to be the hardest one to finish with lots of time left to go back over questions)

 

[McBlairRson]

I have already taken it and they told me I qualified for all positions in NCM but did not qualify for officer. Which i want to get in. Since then i ready and started memorizing vocabulary (still now). Its just that no matter how much i do it i still feel I'm not ready. According to the Sgt who talked to me, he said my vocab killed my average...and i need to increase it by at least 6% to qualify for officer.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I have already taken it and they told me I qualified for all positions in NCM but did not qualify for officer. Which i want to get in. Since then i ready and started memorizing vocabulary (still now). Its just that no matter how much i do it i still feel I'm not ready. According to the Sgt who talked to me, he said my vocab killed my average...and i need to increase it by at least 6% to qualify for officer.

Hummmmm, qualified for all NCM positions but no officer ones huh

 

[Maxadia]

Hummmmm, qualified for all NCM positions but no officer ones huh

Yeah, that sounds a little unusual.

 

[jwtg]

I have already taken it and they told me I qualified for all positions in NCM but did not qualify for officer. Which i want to get in. Since then i ready and started memorizing vocabulary (still now). Its just that no matter how much i do it i still feel I'm not ready. According to the Sgt who talked to me, he said my vocab killed my average...and i need to increase it by at least 6% to qualify for officer.

A good way to improve your vocabulary is to read books.  Long books with big words.  Your English skills will also improve if you habitually employ proper grammar, syntax, punctuation and capitalization.

Here would be a good place to practice. 

 

[Jarnhamar]

Yeah, that sounds a little unusual.

Caught that too eh?

 

[JoBo]

This helped me a great deal. It's excellent training.

http://freerice.com

It has about 60 or so levels. It starts easy and gets pretty difficult by the mid thirties. You can take pride in knowing every correct answer helps to end hunger. Best of luck!

 

[Maxadia]

Caught that too eh?

I'm just an applicant, but something about that doesn't sound correct - or it's really biased against NCMs.

 

[The_Falcon]

I'm just an applicant, but something about that doesn't sound correct - or it's really biased against NCMs.

Sounds like they are slagging Officers

 

[The_Falcon]

Your CFAT score is one component of your overall MP (Military Potential) Score, which is assigned by your MCC and includes how well you did in your interview, education, job knowledge, CFAT and few other criteria.  You won't be told your MP score.  Only advised it is not competitive and what you can do to improve it.  Your CFAT score you are stuck with since you qualified whatever it is you applied for.  Waivers for a retest are only granted if you did not qualify for a selected occupation, or you applying for a new occupation and you need a higher score to do so. 

 

[Gulruthina]

Your CFAT score is one component of your overall MP (Military Potential) Score, which is assigned by your MCC and includes how well you did in your interview, education, job knowledge, CFAT and few other criteria.  You won't be told your MP score.  Only advised it is not competitive and what you can do to improve it.  Your CFAT score you are stuck with since you qualified whatever it is you applied for.  Waivers for a retest are only granted if you did not qualify for a selected occupation, or you applying for a new occupation and you need a higher score to do so.

Does previous civilian experience that relates to the occupation you have applied for counts towards your Military Potential Score?

 

[Jarnhamar]

How exactly does one raise their vocabulary 6%?  That's fairly vague of the recruiting sgt...

Vocabular isn't something you can really take a crash course in, it's developed slowly over time.  I find it very hard to believe someone can meet the requirements for all NCM trades yet not make a single officer one.

 

[MKos]

How exactly does one raise their vocabulary 6%?  That's fairly vague of the recruiting sgt...

Vocabular isn't something you can really take a crash course in, it's developed slowly over time.  I find it very hard to believe someone can meet the requirements for all NCM trades yet not make a single officer one.

The second time I rewrote my eCFAT, (ROTP 2012), I was told I missed the ROTP/Officer cutoff by 5 percent...When I rewrote it, I raised my overall score up 8 percent...Whatever that means.

Anyways, study hard, and try to think outside the box, especially in spatial, reading I agree was the hardest part, but their isn't much you can do to become a vocab whiz, a week before your CFAT.

GOOD LUCK

 

[The_Falcon]

Does previous civilian experience that relates to the occupation you have applied for counts towards your Military Potential Score?

Possibly, depends on the occupation and whether or not you were able to articulate that experience to the MCC who interviewed and assessed you.

 

[The_Falcon]

How exactly does one raise their vocabulary 6%?  That's fairly vague of the recruiting sgt...

Vocabular isn't something you can really take a crash course in, it's developed slowly over time.  I find it very hard to believe someone can meet the requirements for all NCM trades yet not make a single officer one.

You need to a score in a higher percentile, is what the recruiter was trying to get across.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Ah that makes more sense.

 

[The_Falcon]

As for making the cut off for NCM vs OFF, every individual trade has a certain score and percentile in each category that must be reached (in some cases multiple categories).  For Officer there is no distinction between occupations, you either qualify officer or you don't, and the cut off score is set fairly high.

 

[Maxadia]

As for making the cut off for NCM vs OFF, every individual trade has a certain score and percentile in each category that must be reached (in some cases multiple categories).  For Officer there is no distinction between occupations, you either qualify officer or you don't, and the cut off score is set fairly high.

So it IS possible to score just under for Officer, but high enough to score for ALL NCM trades?  I figured there'd be some overlap somewhere.