{"id":3672,"date":"2018-04-24T11:23:12","date_gmt":"2018-04-24T17:23:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/?p=3672"},"modified":"2020-04-28T11:48:43","modified_gmt":"2020-04-28T17:48:43","slug":"advanced-guide-acing-afoqt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/advanced-guide-acing-afoqt\/","title":{"rendered":"An Advanced Guide to Acing the AFOQT"},"content":{"rendered":"

Making the choice to pursue officer or career field selection in the Air Force is a significant decision to be faced with. Once you\u2019re in, though, it can lead to a career of service, sacrifice and an opportunity to continue working up the chain of command.<\/p>\n

And it all starts with the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test.<\/p>\n

Need help preparing for the AFOQT? Check out Peterson’s AFOQT Online Practice Test Plus+<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The AFOQT is a tool utilized by the officer candidate selection board, and is made up of 12 different subtests. These secondary tests range from \u201cArithmetic Reasoning\u201d to a \u201cSelf-Description Inventory\u201d and are used to calculate seven composite scores in different sections.<\/p>\n

Sound confusing at all? It\u2019s a lot to take in. But with a focused approach and the right preparation, acing the AFOQT is not as far from your grasp as you may think.<\/p>\n

At least that\u2019s how Connor Campbell and Michelle Rodriguez did it.<\/p>\n

Campbell was a teacher when he decided to make a change. He had been working in a school for three years, and was in need of a change. That\u2019s when one of Campbell\u2019s mentors, who also happened to be a former Air Force pilot, made the suggestion.<\/p>\n

From there, it was a matter of preparing to the AFOQT<\/a> to give him the scores he needed to make the move into the ranks of the armed forces.<\/p>\n

With so much to study for, sometimes the best approach is to take it section-by-section. Campbell\u2019s teaching background gave him a better grasp of certain sections on the test. Instead of wasting time on \u201crelearning\u201d he focused on the sections that were not as familiar.<\/p>\n

One of the most important concepts to grasp about the AFOQT<\/a> is the structure of the subtests themselves. Understanding how the test is structured can help applicants better prepare for the mental task of sitting through the 550 total questions.<\/p>\n

Six different subtests feature 25 questions, but the time allotted for each section ranges from 5 minutes up to 38 for the \u201cReading Comprehension\u201d portion of the process. There\u2019s also the 240-question \u201cSelf-Description Inventory\u201d and a 10-minute \u201cPhysical Science\u201d section that spans 20 questions.<\/p>\n

By mixing practice tests and and an \u2018online education\u2019 (Google and YouTube), Campbell was able to highlight areas where he needed to brush up on basic knowledge. With a few clicks, he could find knowledge that helped him feel more comfortable in those areas.<\/p>\n

Using the varied approach, Campbell took the AFOQT head on, and is now sizing up his future career in the cockpit.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t always my goal to fly planes,\u201d he said, \u201cbut more of a right place, right time in life kind of situation. But I\u2019m loving it so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campbell found success with a meticulous approach. He used an app for flashcards, and would get in 5-10 minute bursts of brushing up on his vocabulary to brush up for that section. For another section, Campbell researched the type of questions that could show up on the test, and studied terminology that he was expecting to see to make sure he could understand what he was being asked.<\/p>\n

In addition, Campbell did exercises to make sure he was doing all of this as efficiently as he could. Getting the timing right is a crucial part of any test, and Campbell even did work on the sections he felt comfortable with to \u201cdevelop speed\u201d and get his brain \u201cused to thinking quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Rodriguez, it was the gift of a study book that helped her turn the tide. She had been frustrated with online practice quizzes. Once she started using the book, which broke down the sections and provided practice problems, it was a different story.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I didn\u2019t have this book I wouldn\u2019t have done as well as I did, honestly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Unlike Campbell, Rodriguez always had the Air Force on her radar. Coming from a military family, Rodriguez set her sights on a master\u2019s degree early in her education, and knew that the Air Force could help her reach those goals, both practically and financially.<\/p>\n

Now she is a student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and decided to take the AFOQT as a back-up plan in case grad school didn\u2019t work out the first time.<\/p>\n

Like Campbell, Rodriguez felt she had a leg up on certain sections, especially as a college student. That still didn\u2019t stop her from seeking out practice tests, though. Without a special waiver, you can only take the AFOQT twice, and Rodriguez said that added to the pressure.<\/p>\n

With all that on her mind, Rodriguez\u2019 preparation won out over the pressure, and she turned out to be one of just six students that passed under her recruiter\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was extremely happy. I was more happy then when I found out I got accepted into college,\u201d she said. \u201cSo it was definitely a shock.\u201d<\/p>\n

The crazy part? Rodriguez was also accepted into grad school around the same time, and after finding out that she would have to wait at least a year to enter the Air Force, is now on her way to the master\u2019s degree she\u2019s dreamed of.<\/p>\n

And with her AFOQT score in hand, Rodriguez still plans to enter the Air Force, and hopes to one day serve as a hospital administrator for the branch. It\u2019s not exactly how she planned things out, but by staying focused on her goals and her commitment to contributing to her community, Rodriguez is well on her way to using her education to empower and serve others.<\/p>\n

Whichever route you go, these success stories show that preparation, having a plan and understanding the task at hand are all crucial steps in acing your AFOQT.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Making the choice to pursue officer or career field selection in the Air Force is a significant decision to be faced with. Once you\u2019re in, though, it can lead to a career of service, sacrifice and an opportunity to continue working up the chain of command. And it all starts with the Air Force Officer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3673,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3941,6],"tags":[421,422,28],"class_list":{"0":"post-3672","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-military-veteran","8":"category-test-prep","9":"tag-afoqt","10":"tag-air-force","11":"tag-military","12":"ad_tags-afoqt"},"better_featured_image":{"id":3673,"alt_text":"","caption":"","description":"","media_type":"image","media_details":{"width":1400,"height":500,"file":"s3:\/\/pcom-wp-media\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/10124844\/AFOQT-chad-campbell.jpg","sizes":{},"image_meta":{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0","keywords":[]}},"post":3672,"source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/10124844\/AFOQT-chad-campbell.jpg"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAn Advanced Guide to Acing the AFOQT - Peterson's<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Making the choice to pursue a career field selection in the Air Force is a significant decision to be faced with. 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