SIFT Practice Test

What the real test usually looks like

The SIFT (Selection Instrument for Flight Training) is the Army's selection test for its aviation program. It measures math, reading, mechanical understanding, spatial orientation and pattern recognition, plus knowledge of aviation terms, aircraft parts, basic aerodynamics and flight rules. The Army's SIFT FAQ, as published by the Minnesota National Guard (Minnesota National Guard) and the Texas Military Department (Texas Military Department), lists these details:

• Seven subtests. Simple Drawings, 100 questions in 2 minutes; Hidden Figures, 50 questions in 5 minutes; Army Aviation Information, 40 questions in 30 minutes; Spatial Apperception, 25 questions in 10 minutes; Reading Comprehension, 20 questions in 30 minutes; Math Skills, 40 minutes, length varies; and Mechanical Comprehension, 15 minutes, length varies.
• Two adaptive subtests. Math Skills and Mechanical Comprehension are computer adaptive, so the number and difficulty of questions can differ from one person to the next.
• About 2 to 3 hours. The FAQ says check-in, setup, an optional break and the test itself may take up to 3 hours, though many people finish in about 2.
• Online only. The SIFT is given only in a web-based format, in English only, and there is no charge to take it.
• No calculator. The math is designed to be done by hand. A few formulas are provided, and you get scrap paper.

What our practice covers. Our full mocks are in the style of the SIFT's four written subtests: Army Aviation Information, Reading Comprehension, Math Skills and Mechanical Comprehension. Where the real test makes a subtest adaptive, our mocks use a fixed length, and you answer one question at a time with no going back. Simple Drawings, Hidden Figures and Spatial Apperception are picture tasks, and they are not included in our practice. For practice with rotating and matching shapes, see our spatial reasoning test.

Question types with worked examples

One worked example for each kind of SIFT-style question we cover, with the trap to avoid.

1. Army Aviation Information: helicopter controls. A pilot wants the helicopter to move forward. Which control tilts the main rotor disk? The cyclic. It tilts the disk in the direction you want to go, while the collective raises or lowers lift and the pedals point the nose. Trap: mixing up the cyclic and the collective. A simple way to remember: the collective changes all the blades collectively.

2. Army Aviation Information: principles of flight. Why does a wing produce lift? Air flowing over the curved wing and meeting it at a slight angle (the angle of attack) creates lower pressure above the wing than below it. Raise the angle of attack too far and the airflow separates from the wing, which is a stall. Know the basic terms: angle of attack, stall, airfoil, the three axes (roll, pitch and yaw) and the four forces.

3. Reading Comprehension: what the passage says. Passage: "Crews refuel only after the engine is shut down and the rotor has stopped, unless the unit has approved hot refueling procedures." Question: when may a crew refuel with the engine running? Answer: only when the unit has approved hot refueling procedures. Trap: choosing "never", which ignores the word "unless". Small words such as unless, only and usually often decide the answer.

4. Math Skills: rates and units. A fuel tank holds 120 gallons and the aircraft burns 40 gallons an hour. How long can it fly with a 30-minute reserve kept in the tank? The reserve is half an hour, or 20 gallons, so 100 gallons are usable, and 100 / 40 = 2.5 hours. Trap: forgetting to convert the reserve from minutes to gallons. Write the units next to every number.

5. Math Skills: percentages without a calculator. What is 15% of 240? 10% is 24 and 5% is half of that, 12, so 15% is 36. Breaking a percentage into 10%, 5% and 1% pieces is quicker than long multiplication.

6. Mechanical Comprehension: levers. A load of 300 pounds sits 2 feet from the pivot of a lever. How much force at 6 feet from the pivot balances it? Force times distance must match on both sides: 300 x 2 = 600, and 600 / 6 = 100 pounds. The longer arm needs less force. Our mechanical aptitude test has more of these.

How to prepare

1. Learn the aviation basics first. The Army's FAQ says performance on the aviation part can be improved by study. Learn the parts of a helicopter, the flight controls, the four forces, the three axes and common terms. Flash cards in short daily sessions work well.
2. Know your pace in each subtest. Army Aviation Information allows 30 minutes for 40 questions, about 45 seconds each. Reading Comprehension allows 30 minutes for 20, about 90 seconds each, so read the passage properly.
3. Practice math by hand. The FAQ says no calculator is allowed and only a few formulas are provided. Rehearse fractions, percentages, simple equations, rates and unit conversions on paper.
4. Use the right guessing rule for each subtest. On Army Aviation Information, Spatial Apperception and Reading Comprehension, the FAQ says unanswered questions count as wrong, so make educated guesses if time is running out. On the adaptive Math Skills and Mechanical Comprehension subtests, and on Simple Drawings and Hidden Figures, it advises against random guessing.
5. Keep moving on the adaptive subtests. The FAQ says not finishing enough questions on Math Skills or Mechanical Comprehension can bring a score penalty that grows the fewer you answer. Work briskly without losing accuracy.
6. Refresh simple machines. Levers, pulleys, gears and the flow of liquids and air come up often in mechanical questions. Learn what each one trades: force for distance, or speed for turning force.
7. Read for what the passage says. In reading questions, answer from the text alone and watch for qualifying words.
8. Take full timed mocks. The SIFT is long. Sitting the written subtests back to back, at the real pace, helps you keep focus to the end.

How scoring usually works

The SIFT score. The Army's FAQ says SIFT scores range from 20 to 80, with a mean of 50 (Minnesota National Guard). It states a minimum qualifying score to apply for the aviation program and notes that the minimum may change, so ask your local education center or recruiter for the current requirement.

One combined score. The FAQ says the formula is not released, and that it is compensatory: a weaker subtest can often be offset by a stronger one. It still advises doing your best on every subtest.

Results and retakes. A pass or fail result appears as soon as you finish, and the Test Control Officer or Test Examiner gives you a signed score letter. The FAQ says that once you reach the qualifying score you may not retake the SIFT. If you do not qualify on a first attempt, you may retake it no earlier than the 181st day after it, and after a second attempt that does not qualify you may not test again (Texas Military Department). Since you may get only two attempts, it pays to prepare well for the first one.

Our practice score is the number of our own questions you got right, with a breakdown by subtest. It is a practice score, not a SIFT score, and it does not predict a SIFT result.

Who takes the SIFT

The SIFT is taken by people applying to the Army's aviation program. The Army's FAQ says service members schedule it through their local education center, and Warrant Officer Flight Training (WOFT) applicants through a recruiter. Places that commonly give it include post education centers, Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS), and military academies and ROTC programs. The program's requirements are set by the Army and can change, so check the current ones with your recruiter or education center.

How this practice compares with the real test

What we match. The four written subtests, Army Aviation Information, Reading Comprehension, Math Skills and Mechanical Comprehension, timed, one question at a time with no going back. Every answer is explained.

What we do not include. Simple Drawings, Hidden Figures and Spatial Apperception, the picture tasks, are not in our practice. Our Math Skills and Mechanical Comprehension sections have a fixed length; the real ones are adaptive.

What we cannot match. The SIFT's questions and scoring belong to the Army. Our questions are original and written in a similar style. We cannot give you a SIFT score, and Intellect Council is not affiliated with the US Army.

A one-week SIFT study plan

• Day 1: Take the free sample above. Note which subtests cost you the most.
• Day 2: Aviation basics: helicopter parts, flight controls, the four forces and the three axes.
• Day 3: Math by hand: fractions, percentages, equations, and speed, distance and time.
• Day 4: Reading and mechanical: short passages, then levers, pulleys and gears.
• Day 5: A full timed mock. The 30-Day Pass includes full SIFT-style mocks, each with explanations.
• Day 6: Review your weakest subtest, and go over aviation terms again.
• Day 7: A second mock in the morning, then rest. Confirm your test time and what to bring.