CFAT Practice Test

What the real test usually looks like

The CFAT (Canadian Forces Aptitude Test) is a timed, multiple-choice aptitude test that applicants to the Canadian Armed Forces have written as part of recruiting. Here is what National Defence's own published material says about it, and what is commonly reported.

A change in October 2024. National Defence says that in October 2024 the Canadian Armed Forces replaced the CFAT, "a multiple-choice written test", with the Scored Employment Application Form (SEAF), which looks at education, experience, leadership and other life achievements (National Defence). It is commonly reported that the CFAT is still used in some cases, such as for some occupations or for changing occupation later, but the details vary and can change. Before you study, ask your recruiter whether your application includes the CFAT.

Three sections. An archived National Defence recruiting page from 2005 describes the test this way (National Defence, archived):

• Verbal skills: 15 questions, with a maximum of 5 minutes.
• Spatial ability: 15 questions, with a maximum of 10 minutes.
• Problem solving: 30 questions, with a maximum of 30 minutes.

That makes 60 questions, which matches what is commonly reported today. Time limits vary by source: some guides list a longer limit for problem solving, so treat the timings as a guide and check them with your recruiter.

Four options, one right answer. The same page says each question has four answers to choose from and only one is correct, and that you are not penalized for incorrect answers.

What each section asks. National Defence's practice version from 2007 shows the kinds of question (National Defence, archived):

• Verbal skills tests your understanding of words: what a word means, its opposite, and analogies such as "MANY is to FEW as HOT is to ...".
• Spatial ability asks which three-dimensional form a flat cardboard pattern folds into, or what a form looks like unfolded.
• Problem solving mixes word problems (rates, ratios, percentages, time), number series, and some reasoning with letters and shapes.

Calculators. It is commonly reported that calculators are not allowed. The questions are built to be worked by hand, so practice that way.

What our practice covers. Our full mocks are in the style of the CFAT's verbal skills and problem solving sections, timed, with every answer explained. You can go back to a question within a mock. The spatial ability section (the folding picture puzzles) is not in our practice. For that style of question, see our spatial reasoning test.

Question types with worked examples

One worked example for each main kind of CFAT-style question, with the trap to avoid.

1. Verbal skills: same meaning. DILIGENT means the same as: (A) lazy (B) careful and hardworking (C) quiet (D) quick. The answer is B. If you are not sure, try the word in a sentence you know: "a diligent student" is one who works steadily. Trap: choosing "quick" because diligent people get things done. The word is about effort, not speed.

2. Verbal skills: opposites. TEMPORARY is the opposite of: (A) brief (B) permanent (C) recent (D) sudden. The answer is B. Trap: in an opposites question, one option usually means the same as the word (here, brief). Read the instruction twice: same or opposite?

3. Verbal skills: analogies. KEY is to LOCK as PASSWORD is to: (A) letter (B) account (C) computer (D) secret. First say the link as a sentence: "a key opens a lock". Then test each option: "a password opens an account". Computer is close, but the sentence fits account best.

4. Problem solving: a rate word problem. A printer makes 45 pages a minute. How long does it take to print 360 pages? 360 / 45 = 8 minutes. Trap: multiplying when you should divide. Ask what the answer should look like: a time, so pages divided by pages a minute.

5. Problem solving: a percentage. A unit of 80 people grows by 15%. How many people are in it now? 10% of 80 is 8, and 5% is 4, so 15% is 12. The unit now has 92. Splitting a percentage into 10% and 5% is quicker than long multiplication. Our percentage questions guide has more.

6. Problem solving: number series. 2, 5, 11, 23, 47, ... The gaps are 3, 6, 12, 24: they double each time, so the next gap is 48 and the answer is 95. Another way to see it: each number is double the one before, plus 1. Our number series guide walks through the common patterns.

7. Problem solving: letter series. A, C, F, J, O, ... The gaps are 2, 3, 4, 5, so the next gap is 6, and six letters after O is U. Writing the alphabet across the top of your scrap paper makes letter series much faster.

8. Problem solving: time. A shift starts at 22:45 and lasts 7 hours 30 minutes. When does it end? 22:45 plus 7 hours is 05:45 the next day, and 30 more minutes is 06:15. Trap: forgetting to roll past midnight.

How to prepare

1. Check with your recruiter first. Since October 2024 National Defence says the SEAF has replaced the CFAT for enrolment (National Defence). Find out whether you will write the CFAT, and if so, when and how.
2. Learn the pace of each section. On the archived limits, verbal skills allows about 20 seconds a question and problem solving about a minute. Vocabulary questions reward a quick, confident answer; word problems need steady working.
3. Build vocabulary in short daily sessions. Ten new words a day, each with its opposite and used in a sentence of your own, does more than one long session the night before.
4. Practice analogies by naming the link. Say the relationship out loud ("a tool and what it measures", "a maker and what they make") before you look at the options.
5. Do word problems by hand. Rates, ratios, percentages and time come up often. Practice them without a calculator, and write down each step.
6. Learn the common series patterns: adding or taking away the same amount, doubling, gaps that grow, and two patterns taking turns. For letter series, number the alphabet.
7. Answer every question. The archived recruiting page says you are not penalized for incorrect answers (National Defence, archived), so a reasoned guess is better than a blank.
8. Practice the spatial section separately. Our mocks do not include it. Folding and unfolding shapes is a skill you can build with our spatial reasoning test.
9. Take full timed mocks. Working against the clock is a different skill from knowing the material. Timed practice helps you stay calm when the time is short.

How scoring usually works

No penalty for wrong answers. The archived National Defence recruiting page says you are not penalized for incorrect answers, so it is in your interest to guess rather than leave a blank (National Defence, archived).

Scores and occupations. National Defence's 2007 practice version says the CFAT gives your military career counselor an indication of which occupations you may be best suited for, and that a higher score gives you more options among occupations (National Defence, archived). It is commonly reported that each occupation has its own requirement, and that officer and non-commissioned occupations differ. The Canadian Armed Forces sets these requirements and they can change, so ask your recruiter for the ones that apply to you.

There is no single pass mark that we can point you to, and we do not publish one. Be wary of any site that gives you a fixed score you must reach.

Our practice score is the number of our own questions you got right, with a breakdown by section. It is a practice score, not a CFAT score, and it does not predict which occupations you qualify for.

Common mistakes on CFAT-style tests

• Mixing up "same as" and "opposite of". Opposites questions often include a synonym as a trap. Check the instruction on every question.
• Spending too long on one word. Verbal skills moves fast. If you do not know a word, eliminate what you can, choose, and move on.
• Answering a different question than the one asked. Word problems often ask for one part of a total. Check the last line before you choose.
• Forgetting units. Kilometers and meters, hours and minutes: convert first, then calculate.
• Leaving blanks. With no penalty for incorrect answers, an empty answer can only cost you.
• Practicing with a calculator. It builds a habit you cannot rely on, and it hides slow mental arithmetic.

How this practice compares with the real test

What we match. The verbal skills and problem solving sections, with four options per question, timed, in the style the CFAT is commonly reported to use. Every answer is explained.

What we do not include. The spatial ability section, the folding and unfolding picture puzzles, is not in our practice. In our mocks you can go back to a question before you finish.

What we cannot match. The CFAT's questions, scoring and requirements belong to the Canadian Armed Forces. Our questions are original and written in a similar style. We cannot give you a CFAT score, and Intellect Council is not affiliated with the Canadian Armed Forces or the Department of National Defence.

A one-week CFAT study plan

• Day 1: Confirm with your recruiter that you will write the CFAT. Take the free sample above and note which questions cost you the most.
• Day 2: Verbal skills. Twenty new words with their opposites, then a set of analogies, naming the link each time.
• Day 3: Word problems by hand: rates, ratios, percentages and time.
• Day 4: Number and letter series. Work through the common patterns until you spot them quickly.
• Day 5: A full timed mock. The 30-Day Pass includes full CFAT-style mocks, each with explanations.
• Day 6: Spatial practice with folding and unfolding shapes, then review the section you scored lowest in.
• Day 7: A second mock in the morning, then rest. Check where you are testing and what to bring.