AFOQT, TBAS, ASTB and SIFT: choosing your preparation
Brain Preflight · 2026-10-10
Understand which US military aviation test applies to you and how to combine official familiarisation with general aptitude practice.
Choose the right test before choosing a study plan
US military aviation applicants do not all take the same assessment. AFOQT is the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test. TBAS is a separate assessment used in pilot selection. ASTB-E is used for naval aviation applicants, while SIFT is the Army’s Selection Instrument for Flight Training. Ask your recruiter which assessments your route requires.
AFOQT and TBAS are different
For AFOQT, start with the current official familiarisation material and identify the sections you need to work on. The Air Force describes TBAS as measuring cognitive, multitasking and psychomotor attributes. Its results contribute to the PCSM alongside other inputs. A mental-maths score or a phone tracking score cannot be converted into a TBAS or PCSM result.
ASTB and SIFT need their own material
The Navy publishes ASTB sample questions and information. Army recruiting publishes SIFT guidance. Use the material for your actual assessment, particularly for aviation knowledge and any subject areas that need study. A general cognitive exercise library is not a complete course for either examination.
Where Brain Preflight fits
Brain Preflight offers mental arithmetic, spatial reasoning, memory and multitasking practice. A useful routine is to review mistakes in a single skill, then try an exercise that combines tasks. Keep subject revision and official familiarisation alongside that practice. The app is independent, does not reproduce the complete official batteries and does not predict selection scores.
Sources
- Air Force personnel assessment manual
- Official AFOQT testing information
- Navy ASTB information
- Army SIFT information
Independent app, not affiliated with the organisations named here.