AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test) Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test Syllabus

When facing North, which directions are to your right and left?

Facing North, right hand points East and left hand points West; behind you is South.

Which formula gives the shortest (direct) distance after perpendicular movements in direction sense?

The Pythagoras theorem: shortest distance = square root of (horizontal displacement squared + vertical displacement squared).

In direction problems, how do you find net displacement along an axis?

Add movements in the same direction and subtract opposite-direction movements; the net value along each axis (North-South and East-West) gives the resultant displacement.

What is the effect of a right turn versus a left turn on a person's facing direction?

A right turn rotates facing 90 degrees clockwise (N to E to S to W); a left turn rotates 90 degrees anticlockwise (N to W to S to E).

What is a syllogism in logical reasoning?

A syllogism is a form of deductive reasoning with two premises and a conclusion; you must determine whether the conclusion necessarily follows from the given statements, taken as true.

Name the four standard categorical statement types in syllogisms.

A: All S are P (universal affirmative); E: No S is P (universal negative); I: Some S are P (particular affirmative); O: Some S are not P (particular negative).

Why are Venn diagrams the preferred method for solving syllogisms?

Drawing all possible Venn-diagram arrangements of the premises shows which conclusions hold in EVERY possible case; a conclusion is valid only if it is true in all arrangements.

In syllogisms, what is the 'possibility' rule for 'Some A are B'?

'Some A are B' is definitely true; it also leaves open the possibility that 'All A are B' and 'All B are A', so complementary conclusions may form valid 'either-or' pairs.

What is the 'either-or' (complementary pair) case in syllogism conclusions?

When two conclusions are contradictory (e.g., 'Some A are B' and 'No A is B') and at least one must be true but neither is definite alone, they form a valid 'either-or' answer.

In 'statement and assumption' questions, what is an assumption?

An assumption is something taken for granted or presupposed (unstated) by the statement; a valid assumption is one that must be true for the statement to make sense.

In 'statement and conclusion' questions, what makes a conclusion valid?

A conclusion is valid only if it logically and necessarily follows from the information given in the statement, without relying on outside knowledge or extra assumptions.

What is the key difference between an 'assumption' and an 'inference'?

An assumption is taken for granted BEFORE the statement (a hidden premise); an inference is a logical extension drawn AFTER, based on what the statement provides.

What is the systematic approach to a linear seating arrangement puzzle?

Fix the direction all persons face, list the slots, place definite clues first, use relative clues (left/right, between) to fill remaining slots, and test for contradictions.

In a circular arrangement, how does 'left' and 'right' depend on facing direction?

If members face the centre, their left/right is opposite to the observer's; if they face outward, their left/right matches the observer's view. Always confirm facing direction first.

What is a Venn diagram and what do overlapping regions represent?

A Venn diagram uses overlapping circles to show relationships between sets; the overlap (intersection) represents elements common to those sets, while non-overlap shows exclusive members.

Which Venn diagram correctly relates: Dogs, Animals, and Cats?

One large circle 'Animals' containing two separate (non-overlapping) circles 'Dogs' and 'Cats', because dogs and cats are distinct sub-categories of animals.

What is the set formula for the union of two sets used in Venn-diagram reasoning?

n(A union B) = n(A) + n(B) - n(A intersection B), accounting for the elements counted twice in the overlap.

What is a 'figure series' (non-verbal) and how is it solved?

A sequence of figures changes by a consistent rule (rotation, addition/removal of elements, shading, movement); identify the rule across figures and apply it to pick the next figure.

List common transformation rules to check in non-verbal figure series.

Rotation (clockwise/anticlockwise by fixed angle), reflection, increase/decrease in number of elements, change in shading, movement of an element step by step, and size change.

What is a mirror image, and along which axis is it reflected for a vertical mirror?

A mirror image is the lateral inversion of an object as seen in a mirror; with a vertical mirror placed on the right/left, left and right are swapped while top and bottom stay the same.

How does a mirror image affect letters and numbers placed before a vertical mirror?

They are laterally reversed (left-right flipped). Symmetrical characters (A, H, I, M, O, T, U, V, W, X, Y, 0, 8) look unchanged; others reverse.

What is a water image and along which axis is it reflected?

A water image is the reflection seen in water below the object; it is flipped vertically (top and bottom are swapped) while left and right remain unchanged.

Which capital letters appear unchanged in a water (vertical-flip) image?

Letters with horizontal symmetry such as B, C, D, E, H, I, K, O, X (and 0, 8) appear essentially unchanged when flipped top-to-bottom.

What is an 'embedded' (hidden) figure problem?

You are given a simple figure and must find it concealed within a larger complex figure, where the simple figure appears in the same shape, size, and orientation.

What is the key constraint when locating an embedded figure?

The target must appear in exactly the same proportion and orientation (it must not be rotated or resized); only its outline is hidden among the extra lines of the complex figure.

In paper folding and punching, how do you count the holes in the unfolded sheet?

Each punched hole reflects across every fold line; reverse the folds one at a time, mirroring hole positions across each crease, to determine the final pattern and count.

In a paper-folding (pattern) problem, what does each fold do to a cut/punch?

Every fold doubles the cut/punch by creating a mirror copy across the fold line, so the number of resulting holes is multiplied as you account for each layer.

On a standard dice, what is the rule about opposite faces' pip totals?

On a standard die, opposite faces always sum to 7 (1-6, 2-5, 3-4).

How do you identify opposite faces from two views of a rotated dice?

The face that stays common in both views is adjacent to all the others shown; faces never seen together with a common face across views can be opposite. Find the constant face to deduce hidden/opposite faces.

What is meant by 'visualisation and 3D rotation', and what spatial skill does it test for officers?

It tests the ability to mentally rotate or assemble a 3D object (e.g., a folded cube, rotated block, or combined pieces) and predict its appearance from a new orientation, measuring spatial reasoning important for navigation and machine handling roles.