If you are looking to join the Air Force, you’ll have to take the AFOQT in order to do it. But there are a lot of different factors to consider when it comes to this exam. One of the most important is what is the minimum passing score for the AFOQT?
Anyone who wants to get into the Air Force needs to know about the AFOQT and how it’s scored as well as the different parts of the score. This will help you to prepare and to go through the process of studying for the exam. After all, you want to pass on your first try, and you want to be able to get a score that will help you get the position you want as well.
If you know the minimum score you need and do your research to prepare for the exam, you will be much better off. Just make sure that you are looking at average AFOQT scores as well as the scores that most people achieve in order to get the position that you’re looking for. That will help you to get the score that you need the first time around, or at least the second.
How Does AFOQT Scoring Work?
How Does AFOQT Scoring Work?The specifics of AFOQT scoring are kept under wraps, and no one knows precisely how it all works. What is known is that there are 12 different sections to the exam, and only 5 of them count toward your score. That doesn’t mean the other ones aren’t important. They absolutely are but in a different way.
The five sections that count toward your score include Pilot, Navigator, ABM, Academic Aptitude, Verbal, and Quantitative. But the score you get in each of these is not directly related to the number of questions that you get right. Instead, the score is related to the number you got right compared to other people who took the exam.
You get a score based on your percentile, between 1 and 99, on each of the five sections. You’ll then get a composite score that will represent your percentile through a compilation of all 5 of these sections. Depending on how you do when the score is compiled together, you will have different options when you join the Air Force.
What Score Do You Need to Pass the AFOQT?
In order to pass the AFOQT in general, you will need to get at least a 15 in the verbal section and a 10 in the quantitative section. However, these scores will not guarantee you any specific position within the Air Force, and they will not give you the opportunity to become a pilot.
In order to become a pilot, you will be required to get at least a 25 in the pilot section and a 10 in the navigator section as well as the scores in the verbal and quantitative section. On top of that, your combined score between the pilot and navigator sections must total at least 50 (though one could be at the minimum and still allow you to get in).
If you score at least these required numbers, you will pass the AFOQT. As long as you get the numbers needed for the pilot program, you will have the opportunity to become a pilot, though that does not mean that you will automatically be selected as a pilot. Your best chance is still to get a higher score, so you have a better percentile ranking.
If you’re looking for AFOQT good scores, you’ll want to get much higher than the minimum. In general, you’ll want to score in the high 70’s to 80’s on each of the different sections in order to get the best chance at the position you want and becoming an officer. To become a pilot, for example, the average scores on each section are:
Pilot – 90
Navigator – 85
Academic – 82
Verbal – 77
Quantitative – 82
If you’re looking at the AFOQT OTS, you’ll need to score slightly differently, but actually somewhat lower in order to get the results that you’re looking for. These scores generally average around:
OTS Pilot – 77
OTS Navigator – 77
OTS Academics – 82
OTS Verbal – 76
OTS Quantitative – 81
How Long Does it Take to Get AFOQT Scores?
One excellent thing about the AFOQT is that you don’t have to wait long to get your results. In fact, you should be able to get your results within ten days of your test day. And in fact, you can often get your scores within only eight days of your test day. Just make sure you know the information necessary to access them.
You will go to the Air Force Personnel Center Website in order to check your scores. From there, you will need to log in with your social security number as well as your last name and the number for the testing center where you completed your exam. If you have all of this information, you will be able to access your scores. If not, you will need to locate it or contact the center.
How to Read Your AFOQT Scores?
When you read your AFOQT scores, remember you are actually looking at percentile-based rankings. You will get a number between 1 and 99 that shows you your specific percentile compared to others who have taken this exam and who are competing with you for the positions that you want.
The better the percentage that you get, the better your chances are of getting exactly what you’re looking for out of your entrance to the Air Force. You want to have the best percentile score because that means you stack up better compared to your peers, and you will be able to choose from different opportunities and better opportunities.
Can AFOQT Scores Be Waived?
There are specific instances where your AFOQT scores could be waived, but you will need to apply for a waiver in order to even be considered for this option. If you don’t, your scores will invalidate you, and you will not be accepted or will not be allowed to be considered for specific roles and positions.
The waiver also has specific requirements, including the fact that you have already taken the AFOQT exam twice. This means you do have a second chance to get a better score before you will be locked into the results that you’ve received. If you can take the exam the second time and do better, that score will be used, and you will be considered as ‘passed.’
If you have taken the exam twice and you still have not passed the exam, you will need to submit the waiver application, which requires a formal process through the Air Force. If you are already in the Air Force, you will need to have information including:
– Waiver request
– Information as to justification/reasons for the waiver
– Commander endorsement
– JFHQ endorsement
– College transcripts
– Study plan/tutoring plan
– Other educational documentation
– Three commander letters of recommendation
If this sounds complex, it is. The AFOQT is designed to make sure that only the best of the best get into the program. If you do not pass, the standard is to assume that you are not qualified. If you want to prove that you are qualified to even without the proper scores, you will need to prove yourself in other ways, and that starts with your commanding officers.
If you have taken the AFOQT twice and have not passed and want to take it a third time, this is slightly different. You will still need to apply for a waiver, but this one will be different. You will still want to talk with a commanding officer if you have one, or with your recruiting officer if you are just getting started. They will be able to help you figure out what it takes to get a third chance at the AFOQT.
Wrapping Things Up: Minimum Passing Score for the AFOQT
If you are taking the AFOQT, the best thing that you can do is study hard so that you can pass it the first time. If you study well and you don’t pass the first time, you will at least have a good understanding of what you need to prepare better the last time. You will also be able to look at your scores and see how much better you need to perform the next time around. Not to mention, you’ll have a better understanding of what the text actually looks like and how it works.
If you need to know what is the minimum passing score for the AFOQT, it’s essential to aim at least a bit higher, especially if you’re looking to become an officer or a pilot. These positions are going to require a good percentile score compared to your peers, and that’s going to take more than a minimum score of 10 or 15 (depending on the specific area). It’s going to take scores that are closer to the high 70’s and mid-’80s.
If you’re wondering about the difference between ASVAB and AFOQT, check out our comparison post here.
