Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (CFAT) [MERGED]

[MedTechStudent]

Someone enlighten me.

Me too, considering I wasn't even told my score and was under the impression they weren't even given out.  I just walked into an office and the RO said "You got the trade you wanted.". 

Oh my God wait thats awesome advice!

Nietz, don't fret about the bloody CFAT tests.  If you get the trade you applied for then thats it, its over.  If you don't get it then try again some other time or take another trade.  I think this is the reason they don't usually give out the scores cause then people walk around with either a silly sense of accomplishment, or fretting over their score.

From what I read, the original poster of this thread is asking for the percentage that is required to be qualified as an officer?

If he scored high enough to get what he APPLIED for then he will be TOLD.  And thats all there is to it! 

Don't make me put the beating-a-dead-horse icon in here!

 

[bdave]

From what I read, the original poster of this thread is asking for the percentage that is required to be qualified as an officer?

He is.
I did some research:

The Canadian Forces Aptitude Test is used as
a screening measure to ensure officer candidates
demonstrate a minimum level of cognitive ability. The
test covers three domains: verbal ability, spatial ability,
and problem solving ability. The applicant has the
choice of writing either the English or French version
of the test. Currently, the test is paper and pencil only
and takes about an hour to administer; a computerized
version has been developed but has not yet been
implemented in the Recruiting Centres. The minimum
standard is the twenty-fifth percentile relative to the
officer applicant normative sample. Separate norms
are maintained for the two languages.

I guess this means that you need at least a 75 percent success rate, overall, to be allowed to become an officer.
While it is probably relative to the mean score of the general population, as in top 25th percentile, I'm sure the score is standardized.

For the record, I was told my score. I did not ask.

 

[Neolithium]

I wasn't told my score, the Captain who was supervising the exam just let me know I scored high enough for all the trades I selected, which of course made me happy and I left it at that.

 

[Mr. St-Cyr]

They shouldn't tell you your score when you're enrolling, they merely tell you what you qualified for. 

 

[SupersonicMax]

They shouldn't tell you your score when you're enrolling, they merely tell you what you qualified for.

A lot of thing happen when they shouldn't.

 

[Steel Badger]

Typically, we do not ( and should not )  give the overall CFAT score or score by sections to the Applicant. To be honest, knowing the score in and of itself is not that important. What is more important is the form we ( at my CFRC anyway) give to teh applicant listing all the trades they qualified for.

In response to questions about how someone did on the test, I will tell them that they were weak or strong in particular areas.


SB

 

[PMedMoe]

The one and only time I did the present CFAT, I was not given a score but was told which percentile I was in for each section of the test.

 

[HavocSteve]

In November when I did mine, He gave me a sheet, pointed and said, you qualify for all of these trades. Which was basic Army trades (Cook and Steward and everything in between). Other then that, pulled me aside and said, "you took a lot of math in high school so why not try for combat engineer instead of armored soldier". So I put down combat soldier and hoped for the best lol. Now since all the trades are closed that I picked, a Mcpl gave me a call and said I should re-take the CFAT and score higher for tech trades and hopefully he said that it will make my application go faster only because my credit is absolute poop but I know if I get in, I will be debt free within a years service. I would have loved to known my score now since I have to re-take the test but all I can do now is just practice my math skills which have gone down the tubes since I've not gone to College and pretty much wasted my life away wondering what I really want to do with myself. But the CF is always on my mind even when I don't think I'm thinking about it so I have to do well on this CFAT. Hopefully the wavers go through and I'm allowed to re-take it.

 

[George Wallace]

On that note, be advised that your last CFAT score is the one that will count, not the best of whatever number of tests you take.  If you do worse on the next CFAT test, then that is the one that will count.  You could land up loosing out on the deal.

 

[Steel Badger]

Also remember:

With the CFAT you only get three chances to write it:

First Writing:  As part of your normal processing
                                         
First level Re-write:  ( 2nd writing)  Approved by the CO of your CFRC.  Requires 90 minimum wait period from date of first test. This period is included to allow you to study. Statistically, no study for test = tubing it.

Second Level re-Write: (3rd Writing) Requires approval of Commander CF recruiting group. Before he or she signs their name to it you must have:  a) Completed a ONE YEAR wait period from the date for the 1st re-write, and;
                              b) Provided proof of Academic upgrading at the university level for the areas in which you were weak.

(In some cases college level courses may suffice, but according to the PSO world theuni level is preferred)



SB

 

[Peterson]

I myself submitted the paperwork to apply to the CF last week, however I only found this great website the evening before I went to the CFRC. I'm not confident in my math abilities right now, and after doing a lot of reading and searching here, I think it may be best if I hold off on doing the CFAT, and do some studying instead. Would this be a bad idea? Or should I write the test first, see how I do, and risk not getting approved for the re-test? The answer should seem obvious, but I want to be honest with my recruiter about this. Would telling him I feel I may need a math refresher prior to taking the test be a bad thing? Or would they instead encourage me to write it just to see where I'm at?

My high school transcript tells him I didn't do well in math. It doesn't mean I'm not capable of doing well in math. I never studied a day in my life, or did any of my homework, and I had a bad attitude in high school that I didn't need to learn how to add the alphabet. It didn't take me long out of high school to realize that I messed up, BAD (Graduated in 2001). But anyway, that's a long story that doesn't matter right now.

Basically I don't want to fail the first CFAT, and have that tarnish my record for the future. Instead, I think I'd rather just take some night school and show some initiative that I WANT to succeed. But, the paperwork is already being processed. Whats the best way to go about it all from this point? It does say at the bottom of the practice test that they gave me at the CFRC that if I didn't do well that I should consider some correspondence courses or night school. Which is exactly what I'm considering.

Thank you for anything.

 

[Alea]

Hi,

I myself submitted the paperwork to apply to the CF last week, however I only found this great website the evening before I went to the CFRC. I'm not confident in my math abilities right now, and after doing a lot of reading and searching here, I think it may be best if I hold off on doing the CFAT, and do some studying instead. Would this be a bad idea? Or should I write the test first, see how I do, and risk not getting approved for the re-test? The answer should seem obvious, but I want to be honest with my recruiter about this. Would telling him I feel I may need a math refresher prior to taking the test be a bad thing? Or would they instead encourage me to write it just to see where I'm at?

Starting to study now is the best thing to do. Don't wait until tomorrow.
You should also keep in mind that you don't know when the recruiting center will call you for CFAT. It could take some times as well as it could go fast. If you can study right now, this will not be a lost of time.

That being said, if you don't feel ready when they do call you with a date, you are entitled to tell them that you need more time to study and they will give you another date or will tell you to call them back when you feel ready.

Just in case you didn't have the time to see this link yet :
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/23193/post-316117.html#msg316117

Good luck for your Math studies,
Alea

 

[Pokiey]

Hey Peterson,

First off, have you been given a date that you will write your CFAT? 

My advice would be to get down to your local library and spend a few hours looking at some GED study books.  When I started reviewing I was really worried, but I surprised myself with how much came back to me after reviewing things for a little while (and I was horrible at math in high school). 

Really you are your best judge on whether or not taking some classes to upgrade would be in your best interests, but I'd start reviewing the basics right away and see how it goes (start today...don't put it off).  You might surprise yourself!  There are also links to many sites that have practice aptitude tests and other tools you can use to prepare, the thread is stickied in the Recruiting forum titled "Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (CFAT) FAQ". 

Good luck to you!!

 

[HavocSteve]

On that note, be advised that your last CFAT score is the one that will count, not the best of whatever number of tests you take.  If you do worse on the next CFAT test, then that is the one that will count.  You could land up loosing out on the deal.

Yea, I'm a little wiry about that. I know I'll do better because I have a photo memory so I remember most of the CFAT (Which I guess is a good thing unless they change it? lol). Just sucks that I have to rewrite it. I should have tried harder and studied more then what I have since I only wanted basic army trades but now it's biting me in the butt and have to re-take it.

About what SB posted. Would my situation count as take #2? I don't want to re-take it but if it means me getting into the CF then so be it. LCIS doesn't look bad and my friend is waiting on PAT in Kingston doing the LCIS waiting for the POET to start. So he gave me some valuable info on what to expect ect. Just the MCpl advised me on re-taking it so that I could get in.

 

[A-ryathker]

Just a little word of encouragement and advise, I'm by no means a super brainy or smart techy kinda guy. I made the mistake of drooping out in high school (very young) and had to go and get my GED last yr in order to be able to enlist. As soon as I got my GED in the mail I right away submited my application to the CFRC and took my CFAT. I scored high enough for all trades and officers. I think this is mainly due to the fact that for about 3 months up to the CFAT i was studding hard during my nights and days off for my GED test and had alot of the stuff fresh in my head when I went for the CFAT. And scoring high on the CFAT was mentioned positively by recruiters numerous times over the phone and in person during the interview or when ever they looked at my file which goes to show it does really help you in the application stage. Also if your gonna be in the army for a long time and one day may want to change trades your CFAT score will limit what you can cant change trades to, even once it ( at least that's what I'm told). So all that to say is if I can score ok on the CFAT as a high school drop out whose spent most of his time since then working on farms and security, just by studying hard with GED books. I really think anyone can do it if you work hard and study for it. Good luck buddy

 

[aesop081]

of drooping out in high school

I have never heard of that before........

may want to change trades your CFAT score will limit what you can cant change trades to,

If you did not qualify for the trade you are trying to change to when you originally wrote the CFAT, the PSO will make you write it again at that time. No big deal.

Quit worrying about "score"........it doesn't do you any good to know......it doesn't hold you back from anything in your chosen career. After you have qualified for the trade you want.........nobody cares what you scored.

 

[Peterson]

Hey Peterson,

First off, have you been given a date that you will write your CFAT?

No, not yet. I got a 51% in Applied math in grade 10, and from there I went on to take consumer math in grade 11 and grade 12. I actually failed grade 11 consumer the first time, and had to take it again while in grade 12. All because I put pretty much zero effort into it. So, I'm not even sure if I'll get a call about writing the CFAT at all, actually.  Unless they give everybody a fair shot. With only so many spots to fill, I'm sure my application is closer to the bottom of the pile, or maybe hit the shredder after I left. 

I do not want to screw this up like I did high school.

Thanks for the input guys!

 

[Robbie4296]

I highly doubt that they are going to shred it, I personally didnt actually finish grade 10, have a mixture of 9-10, but that was 14 years ago since then entered the Electrical trade, had to take a entry exam, studied-passed, went to secondary school 81% and had to write the "Trade" exam to move up to next level of my trade another 81%.
The Recruiter said they might waive the min because the secondary balances it out,that was 4 weeks ago and now the doing background checks, so hopefully that is a positive sign, thats alot of time spent just to tell me I dont meet the education requirements, but who knows its up to them,  but there all lots of more applicants with lots more education so it might take longer for me to get in. Keep positive!!!!!
The GED book is great, awesome study tool, try to take advantage of every possible resource for studying available, it can only improve your skills.

 

[A-ryathker]

"Quit worrying about "score"........it doesn't do you any good to know......it doesn't hold you back from anything in your chosen career. After you have qualified for the trade you want.........nobody cares what you scored."

Very true....but still doesnt hurt aiming high. In my case if i just got just enough for infantry (my number one choice) then infantry closed and it would have slowed me down alot if i had to take the extra time to book another CFAT in order to be able to try out for an open tech trade etc...etc..

 

[Dimitrov]

Hi, nobody knows me around here since this is my first post. I'm interested in signing up for the Reserve as an Infantry soldier.

I read through a dozen of important posts and I figured out that I'll need to prepare myself for the CFAT. I went on google, my best friend, and found a practice CFAT in a .pdf format.

The results I got (without any prior knowledge or practice about the test) were 5/5 in Verbal Skills, 4/5 in Spatial Ability and 7/10 in Problem Solving.

I'm curious about what this means, and what it would've meant if this was the real CFAT.
For a normal grunt, what woud I need to get on my CFAT? Do I need to pay that 150$ to an online training program or can I manage it on my own?

Basically, how important is the CFAT if you're just looking to be an infantry soldier.