Aptitude tests are often used as part of the enlistment process in many different branches of the army.
Passing the aptitude test is an essential part of the recruitment process; failure means that your application will not progress further - which might mean that you are tempted to cheat on your test to ensure that you get the role you are looking for.
In this article, we will discuss why cheating is not beneficial to your military career, how recruiters will find out that you have cheated, and how you can improve your chances of passing the military aptitude tests without risking your future career.
What are army aptitude tests?
Aptitude tests are used in military recruitment processes to assess suitability, and they measure baseline aptitudes and skills rather than knowledge or experience.
In some cases, your score on the aptitude tests might be used solely to ensure that you have basic abilities in literacy or numeracy, but some tests will be used to evaluate your abilities in terms of which type of role you are most suited to.
Passing the aptitude tests is as vital to your entry to the military as the fitness tests.
Some of the aptitude tests that you might find in your military recruitment process include:
With all these tests it is important to remember that you are being assessed on your inherent aptitudes, which are used to spot your future capabilities and things like leadership potential.
Your results will be used to help you in your career choices; for example, if you score highly in the mechanical reasoning assessment, you are likely to be more suitable for a role as an engineer than someone with no mechanical aptitude.
How can the army know if I cheated?
With the knowledge that passing your aptitude tests is needed to progress in your application, the pressure on performance could make you consider cheating.
There are various ways that you might consider cheating, like getting someone else to take the test for you, or by getting hold of the questions beforehand so you can research the answers. Some people might think about getting help from other people or even the Internet to answer the questions.
In most cases, your army aptitude tests will take place at a specific test center, usually as part of a full day of assessments. This makes cheating much harder, and makes it much more likely that you would be caught if you even attempted it.
If you are taking the test at home through an online service, getting someone else to take the test might seem like a good idea. However, without practice and preparation, there is no guarantee that another person would be able to perform significantly better than you in the assessment.
You might also consider getting external help by asking other people for the answers or looking online. This can be time-consuming, and one of the things to remember about aptitude tests is that they are usually timed - with a tight time limit - so you may end up missing out on answers because your time has run out.
In some cases, online assessments are proctored via the webcam, through keylogging, or through other technical methods like being unable to open another browser while the test is live.
It is highly unlikely that you will be able to get advanced knowledge of the specific questions that you will face in the assessment; test publishers usually have huge banks of available questions that they can use.
Finally, the recruitment team may ask you to repeat the test at a later date, comparing your results. This will catch you out if you did not complete the online test yourself - your results will not match.
The importance of integrity and honesty in the army
Of course, being a part of the military means having certain values and meeting the standards of behavior and conduct that are expected.
Integrity and honesty are essential parts of this.
According to the British Army, soldiers have to demonstrate the following personal standards:
Courage
Discipline
Respect for others
Integrity
Loyalty
Selfless commitment
Integrity is an important value that is tied in with honesty, and having integrity means that your team will be able to trust you. You’ll have a strong internal code of ethics which means that you will take personal responsibility and make sure to do the right thing.
Whether you are just coming into the military or a long-serving leader, you will be expected to follow the same values, meaning that trust and cohesion follow all the way up the chain of command, too.
Military personnel are in a position of responsibility, and they need to earn the respect and trust of their team - and once that is lost, it is very hard to get back.
The consequences of cheating on army aptitude tests
There are consequences that will come from cheating on your aptitude test. Some of these might happen when you take the tests, but they also could happen if you get found out later - and in some cases if you are already in position.
One of the obvious consequences of cheating is that you might get through the recruitment and enlistment process, only to find that you have been matched with a career that you are not suitable for - and that you are not happy in.
Disqualification from the enlistment process
Firstly, if you are found to be cheating, you can expect your application to be terminated immediately.
This means that you would be completely disqualified from the enlistment process, with no recourse to continue.
Barred from future opportunities
You might also run the risk of being barred from future opportunities. By cheating, you are going against the values of the military - and this means that you do not have the right personality for the role.
Getting caught cheating could ruin your potential career before it even gets started.
Damage to reputation
If you fail out of the recruitment process for the military because you didn't make the grade, you will most likely be able to try again later - but if you are disallowed through cheating you will end up risking damage to your relationship in both a personal and a professional way.
Legal consequences
If you are found to be cheating at the time of your application, the likelihood is that you will be disqualified from enlisting and prevented from enlisting later in the process. However, if you are found to have cheated in the tests later in your service, you might face legal consequences including things like breach of contract
Dishonorable discharge
Facing a dishonorable discharge is something that nobody in the military wants; a court martial that forces you out of your role in the army, navy, or air force can have long-standing effects on you even outside of military service. Dishonorable discharge on the grounds of integrity can lead to loss of pensions or benefits, and can make it difficult for you to find work in the civilian world too.
How to pass army aptitude tests without cheating
1. Know the tests
There are several different types of tests that you could take when you are applying for a role in the military. Some branches have their own specific battery of tests, such as the BARB or ACT for the British Army.
When you know what sort of questions you are going to be asked, you can prepare yourself more thoroughly.
2. Practice tests
You can find full-length practice tests that are relevant to the recruitment process for military roles at Military Aptitude Tests. The benefit of using these tests is that they are designed to mimic the tests that you will face for each branch of the military, including for the UK, the US, and even Australia and New Zealand.
These practice tests can be used to not only build familiarity with the test environment, the structure, and the layout, but the results of these tests can help you understand your strengths and weaknesses so you have a good idea about what to revise to improve your score.
3. Revision
Although aptitude tests are about inherent abilities and natural aptitudes, you can improve your performance with some revision.
If in your practice numerical tests, you realize that you have a gap in your knowledge when it comes to dealing with percentages, you can then look for ways to practice and increase your ability.
4. Know the role
If you know what you want to do in the military, you will have a good idea of the type of skills and aptitudes that you will need to demonstrate. If you want to be an officer, you’ll have to be good at judgment, communication and leadership, while if you want to join the navy you’ll need to be able to swim.
When you know what sort of person that the branch is looking for, you can work on improving the relevant skills that will make you a better candidate - and that will help in the aptitude tests too.
5. Speak to the recruiter
Military recruitment personnel is there to help; they want to help you secure a position and get you enlisted in a suitable role. This means that you will have a named person to speak to if you have any questions or concerns throughout the process, and they are there to offer you guidance and support. This is particularly useful if you need any special considerations for the tests to be completed, or if you want to get clarification on the process in any way.
6. Research
Aside from checking out the requirements for the role that you have applied for, make sure that you research all you can about the specific military organization. The website is often an excellent starting place for this, with detailed pages dedicated to providing those who are considering enlisting with all the information they need about what to expect, the different stages of the process, and what the future opportunities will be.
7. Eat, sleep, and stay hydrated
The best thing you can do for your brain is to fuel it in the right way, so that when you need it to work in a test environment it will be able to.
This means eating healthy meals and staying hydrated in the run-up to the assessments but also making sure that you get enough sleep - tiredness leads to a lack of concentration at the best of times, and sleep deprivation has been linked to reduced cognitive function.
Aim for 6-8 hours of sleep a night, and focus on eating well and drinking fluids for the best results.
Final thoughts
While passing the aptitude tests that are part of your enlistment is undoubtedly important, the risks associated with cheating should make you think twice about being dishonest in your application. Not only are you risking your current application, but you could also be risking your future career both with the military and as a civilian, too.
The best way to get success in the military aptitude tests is to practice, revise, and be prepared.
