Free aptitude test practice UK: RAF DAA, Army ACT and CBAT (2026)

Which UK aptitude test should I prepare for?

Start with the assessment named in your recruitment invitation. In the United Kingdom, DAA, Army ACT and RAF CBAT describe different selection routes. This guide helps you choose the matching app programme and detailed preparation page. It covers UK military aptitude practice for applicants in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; it does not describe every UK employer’s recruitment tests.

How do I choose a UK programme in Brain Preflight?

Set the app language to English, then choose your selection programme. The UK routes are available in English. Select RAF / Royal Navy — Defence Aptitude Assessment, British Army — Army Cognitive Test or RAF aircrew — CBAT (Cranwell). Each groups exercises into a routine for that route. You can also open individual exercises directly from the catalogue and spend your free allowance on the skill you want to revisit.

Use the date in your own invitation for planning. There is no shared annual DAA, ACT or CBAT test day to enter. Your app practice level records performance in the app; it does not determine eligibility for a military role.

Are DAA, ACT and CBAT the same assessment?

No. The RAF describes DAA through six aptitude areas. The Army links a five-test ACT familiarisation tool, while the RAF describes CBAT as a separate assessment at Cranwell. Some skills overlap, but exercises and selection requirements differ. Use the DAA guide if your invitation names DAA, the Army guide for ACT, and the CBAT guide for the aircrew skills routine.

If you are applying to a civilian airline or flying school, check the assessment named by that provider. The cut-e / Aon guide, COMPASS guide and DLR guide cover separate pilot-selection contexts. A UK location alone does not identify the test.

How can I organise free daily UK test practice?

Use your first sessions to sample the relevant skill families. For DAA, alternate verbal or numerical reasoning with spatial and technical work. For ACT, try each of the five app exercises before concentrating on a weak area. For CBAT skills, begin with spatial and arithmetic tasks separately, then review how you manage concurrent tasks in Psychomotor or Airways.

• After an error, write down the cause: a missed rule, a memory lapse, an arithmetic mistake or rushed checking.
• Use tomorrow’s allowance to revisit one recurring problem rather than repeating your strongest exercise.
• Keep official familiarisation, application requirements and any interview or fitness preparation on a separate checklist.

This is an editorial practice suggestion, not an official study duration or a prediction of improvement. For more planning questions, use the aptitude practice questions and answers.

Where should official familiarisation fit in?

Use the RAF’s DAA familiarisation and the Army-linked ACT practice before relying on an app routine. They help you understand the published instructions. For CBAT, read the RAF role page and the candidate information sent to you. Brain Preflight contains independently written exercises and its own timed practice formats, rather than official questions or selection certificates.

If technical topics are unfamiliar, begin with the worked mechanical comprehension examples and then return to the DAA programme. Broader international comparisons include US military aviation tests and Australian ADF aptitude selection; their requirements are distinct from UK recruitment.

Start practising in Brain Preflight

Download Brain Preflight free on iPhone. You get 5 free exercise sessions immediately and 5 new sessions every day, choosing any exercise available in your selected language. No purchase or subscription is required for the daily allowance. Installed exercises work offline; purchases, rewarded ads and other online services need a connection. The UK programmes are available in English. Optional Premium adds unlimited sessions, ad-free practice, the app’s own timed series or mock-exam routines and detailed diagnostics. The free plan may show ads.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources and familiarisation

Selection sources checked 29 October 2026. Use your current invitation for individual arrangements.

• RAF: official DAA familiarisation
• British Army: soldier assessment and official practice link
• Army-linked Mindmill ACT familiarisation
• RAF: pilot application process and CBAT