Officer Candidate / Aptitude tests (AFOQT) Verbal Aptitude Syllabus

Write a bridge sentence for the analogy GLOVE : HAND.

'A glove covers/protects a hand'—then test answer pairs against this same sentence (e.g., 'a sock covers a foot').

Why should a good analogy bridge sentence be as specific as possible?

A vague bridge ('a glove relates to a hand') lets too many wrong pairs fit; a precise bridge ('a glove is worn on a hand') eliminates distractors and isolates one answer.

What is a 'three-term' analogy format on the AFOQT?

The item gives three words—the first pair plus the third word—and you supply the fourth (e.g., A is to B as C is to ___).

What is a 'four-term' analogy format on the AFOQT?

The item gives two complete pairs or asks you to identify which answer-pair shares the same relationship as the given pair (A : B :: C : D).

How does your solving approach differ between three-term and four-term analogy formats?

Three-term: build the bridge from A:B, then complete it for C. Four-term: build the bridge from the given pair, then test each candidate pair to find the one matching the bridge.

What is a 'trap answer' in AFOQT verbal analogy questions?

A distractor designed to look correct—e.g., a word related to the topic but not the relationship, or the right meaning in the wrong direction/part of speech.

Name a common analogy trap involving the direction of the relationship.

A reversed pair: it has the correct relationship but in the opposite order (B:A instead of A:B). The answer must keep the same order as the stem pair.

What 'association trap' should you avoid in analogies?

Choosing a pair whose words are merely topically associated (both about the same subject) rather than sharing the exact logical relationship of the stem pair.

In reading comprehension, what is the 'main idea' of a passage?

The central point the whole passage supports—the single sentence summarizing what the author most wants the reader to understand.

What is 'author's purpose,' and what are its three broad categories?

The reason the author wrote the passage. Broad categories: to inform/explain, to persuade/argue, and to entertain (or describe).

How can you distinguish the main idea from a supporting detail?

The main idea is broad enough to cover the entire passage; a supporting detail is a specific fact, example, or statistic that backs up the main idea but does not summarize the whole.

What is the difference between an 'inference' and a stated fact in reading comprehension?

A stated fact is written explicitly in the text; an inference is a logical conclusion drawn from the text that is implied but not directly stated.

What rule keeps an AFOQT inference answer correct rather than a trap?

A valid inference must be directly supported by the passage; reject choices that go beyond the text, require outside assumptions, or overstate (use of 'always/never').

What is an 'implication' in reading comprehension?

A meaning the author suggests indirectly through word choice, tone, or context rather than stating outright; the reader must read between the lines to grasp it.

What is a 'detail / fact retrieval' question, and what is the best tactic for it?

It asks for a specific piece of information stated in the passage. Best tactic: scan/locate the relevant line and match the answer to the text exactly, rather than relying on memory.

In detail-retrieval questions, why must you beware of paraphrased distractors?

Wrong answers often reuse passage wording but change a key term, number, or qualifier; the correct answer matches the passage's meaning, not just its vocabulary.

Define 'tone' in a reading passage.

The author's emotional attitude toward the subject as revealed through word choice—e.g., optimistic, critical, neutral, sarcastic, somber.

What is the difference between an author's 'tone' and 'attitude'?

Tone is the emotional quality expressed in the writing; attitude is the author's underlying stance or feeling toward the subject. Tone is how the attitude sounds on the page.

What is 'style' in writing, and name two elements that create it?

Style is the distinctive way an author uses language. It is created by elements such as word choice (diction), sentence length/structure, and use of figurative language.

How do you identify tone when a passage seems neutral?

Look for charged or connotative words and qualifiers; if word choice is factual and balanced with no emotional language, the tone is objective/neutral.

What is the grammatical rule of subject-verb agreement?

A verb must agree in number with its subject: singular subjects take singular verbs, plural subjects take plural verbs (e.g., 'The team is...' vs. 'The players are...').

What is a pronoun-antecedent agreement error?

A pronoun that does not match its antecedent in number or gender (e.g., 'Each student must bring their book' mismatches singular 'each' with plural 'their').

In English syntax, what is the standard word order of a simple declarative sentence?

Subject–Verb–Object (SVO), e.g., 'The pilot (S) flew (V) the jet (O).'

What is a misplaced modifier, and how is it fixed?

A modifier positioned so it appears to describe the wrong word; fix it by placing the modifier directly next to the word it actually modifies.

When is a comma required before a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS)?

When the conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) joins two independent clauses, place a comma before it (e.g., 'I studied, and I passed.').

What is the primary function of a semicolon?

To join two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction (e.g., 'The test was hard; I still passed.'); it can also separate items in a complex list.

What are the basic rules of capitalization tested on the AFOQT?

Capitalize the first word of a sentence, proper nouns (specific names, places), the pronoun 'I,' and the first word in a direct quotation.

What is a comma splice, and what are two ways to correct it?

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma. Fix it by (1) using a period or semicolon, or (2) adding a coordinating conjunction after the comma.

Define the four sentence structures classified by clause composition.

Simple (one independent clause), compound (two+ independent clauses), complex (one independent + one+ dependent clause), and compound-complex (two+ independent + one+ dependent clauses).

What is the difference between a sentence fragment and a run-on sentence?

A fragment is an incomplete sentence missing a subject, verb, or complete thought; a run-on improperly joins two or more independent clauses without correct punctuation or conjunction.