AFOQT scores: composites, percentiles and minimums
AFOQT results are seven composite scores, each a percentile from 1 to 99: Verbal, Quantitative, Academic Aptitude, Pilot, CSO, ABM and Situational Judgment. Commonly published minimums are Verbal 15 and Quantitative 10 for any commission, and 25 on the Pilot or CSO composite for those jobs, with Pilot plus CSO at least 50. Boards compare you with other applicants, so competitive scores are well above the minimums.
- 7
- composites
- 1-99
- percentile scale
- 15 / 10
- Verbal / Quantitative minimums
- 25
- Pilot or CSO minimum
Last checked · Composites from Wikipedia and AFROTC; minimums from AFROTC detachment pages
By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated · How we check facts · How this is scored
What are the AFOQT composites?
Each composite combines several subtests into one percentile. Verbal and Quantitative measure the academic basics; Pilot, CSO and ABM measure aptitude for rated jobs.
| Composite | Built from | Commonly published minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal | Verbal Analogies, Word Knowledge, Reading Comprehension | All officers: minimum 15 |
| Quantitative | Arithmetic Reasoning, Math Knowledge | All officers: minimum 10 |
| Academic Aptitude | The verbal and quantitative subtests together | Used by boards as a general measure |
| Pilot | Math Knowledge, Table Reading, Instrument Comprehension, Aviation Information | Pilot: minimum 25 |
| Combat Systems Officer (CSO) | Includes Math Knowledge, Table Reading and Block Counting (sources differ on the rest) | CSO: minimum 25 |
| Air Battle Manager (ABM) | Includes Table Reading and Block Counting (sources differ on the rest) | Used for ABM selection |
| Situational Judgment | Situational Judgment | Reported on its own |
Because subtests feed more than one composite, one weak subtest can pull several composites down. Table Reading and Math Knowledge each appear in three or more.
What does an AFOQT percentile mean?
A percentile shows where you stand against a comparison group of test takers: a Pilot score of 70 means you did as well as or better than about 70% of them on the Pilot subtests.
A percentile is not percent correct. The Air Force does not publish how many right answers give each percentile, and the mapping depends on the form and the comparison group, so no practice test can give you a true AFOQT percentile. Ours reports percent right per subtest and a practice band, and says so.
Each composite is set against its own comparison group, so a Verbal of 60 and a Pilot of 60 mean the same position in two different rankings, not the same number of right answers.
Percentiles bunch in the middle. Moving from the 40th to the 60th percentile can take only a few more right answers on each subtest, while moving from the 90th to the 95th takes many more.
What are the minimum AFOQT scores?
Verbal 15 and Quantitative 10 for any commission, 25 on the Pilot composite for pilot, 25 on the CSO composite for CSO, and a combined Pilot plus CSO of at least 50 for rated jobs.
| Track | Minimum percentiles |
|---|---|
| Any officer commission | Verbal 15 and Quantitative 10 |
| Pilot | Pilot 25, with Verbal 15, Quantitative 10 and Pilot + CSO of at least 50 |
| Combat Systems Officer | CSO 25, with Verbal 15, Quantitative 10 and Pilot + CSO of at least 50 |
| Air Battle Manager | Pilot + CSO of at least 50, with Verbal 15 and Quantitative 10 |
Rules change, and programs can set their own floors, so confirm with your detachment or recruiter before you test.
What is a good AFOQT score?
A score that makes you competitive for the job you want, which is usually well above the minimum. Selection boards compare applicants, so the minimum only gets you considered.
Published reports of selection boards describe successful pilot applicants with Pilot composites far above 25, and many detachments advise aiming as high as you can on every composite your job uses. We do not quote a single "good" number, because it depends on the year, the board and the rest of your record.
Pilot selection adds the Pilot Candidate Selection Method (PCSM), which combines your Pilot composite, flying hours and a separate test. Flying hours can raise your PCSM even if your AFOQT is fixed.
What do the practice bands on this site mean?
They are our labels for percent right on our questions: Early practice, Building (50%+), Solid (65%+), Strong (80%+) and Top (90%+). They are not AFOQT percentiles.
| Band | Percent right | Right answers out of 205 |
|---|---|---|
| Early practice | Under 50% | Under 103 |
| Building | 50% or more | 103 or more |
| Solid | 65% or more | 134 or more |
| Strong | 80% or more | 164 or more |
| Top practice band | 90% or more | 185 or more |
Read your subtest scores as well as the total: they tell you which composites to work on. The free AFOQT practice test reports all eight.
Which AFOQT subtests matter most for my job?
Verbal and math subtests matter for everyone. Pilot candidates add Table Reading, Aviation Information and Instrument Comprehension; CSO and ABM candidates add Table Reading and Block Counting.
| Target | Subtests to prioritize | Our free practice |
|---|---|---|
| Any commission | Verbal Analogies, Word Knowledge, Reading Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning, Math Knowledge | Verbal and math drills |
| Pilot | Math Knowledge, Table Reading, Aviation Information, Instrument Comprehension | Math, Table Reading and Aviation drills |
| Combat Systems Officer | Math Knowledge, Table Reading, Block Counting, plus the verbal subtests | Math and Table Reading drills |
| Air Battle Manager | Table Reading, Block Counting and the verbal and math subtests | Table Reading, verbal and math drills |
Instrument Comprehension and Block Counting are not in our practice tests; use the examples in the Air Force pamphlet for those. Everything else in the table has a free drill on this site.
How do I raise my AFOQT scores?
Work on the subtests your target composites use, starting with the fast ones: Table Reading, Word Knowledge and Aviation Information often rise quickest with practice.
Practise on the real clocks. A subtest you know well can still score low if you leave items blank, and the short subtests are where blanks pile up. Take one full mock early, one in the middle of your preparation and one a few days before the test, and compare subtest by subtest.
Retakes are limited, so improve before your first attempt. The plan in how to pass the AFOQT spreads two weeks across the subtests by composite, and the AFOQT test guide explains the subtests we do not cover.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 50 on the AFOQT good?
Are AFOQT scores percentiles?
Does the Air Force use my highest score?
What score do I need to be a pilot?
Can a practice test give my AFOQT percentile?
When do I get my AFOQT scores?
Does Situational Judgment have a minimum?
Find the subtests holding you back
Eight full AFOQT-style mocks scored subtest by subtest, 32 drills and every answer explained.
The AFOQT Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 32 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.
Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The AFOQT Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.
- 8
- timed mocks
- 32
- topic drills
- 1
- score predictor