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What is the CFAT Test And Who Needs to Take it?

Aug 17, 2021

Canadian soldier

Credit: www.forces.gc.ca

To join a military branch, there are a series of tests you need to clear. The tests cover various aspects such as your fitness, cognitive function, and others. Most people forget the mental and cognitive aspects of the military, but instead, they only consider physical fitness and tactics.

The Canadian Armed Forces are implementing a different method when selecting new soldiers that have enlisted. By using the Canadian Forces Aptitude Test, there are more aspects soldiers are tested on apart from physical fitness and tactical training.

What is the CFAT?

The Canadian Forces Aptitude Test is a new selection standard for soldiers entering this armed defense military force. It has been designed to help streamline the process of finding soldiers with high aptitude skills for strategic ranks. At the same time, this exam is designed to ensure the entire military force has great problem-solving skills.

Placement questions

When you take the CFAT test, there is a lot of information gathered about yourself that helps the brass find the perfect placement. The questions asked in the CFAT test are rarely about work-related questions or relate to your military background. Instead, each question asked helps shed light on where you could be better suited in the Candian Forces’ hierarchy.

How does the score impact your career?

As you are writing the CFAT exam, try not to be complacent because this impacts your future career in the Canadian Forces. Ensure that you give each question everything you’ve got because a lower score might result in a less than ideal placement. On the other hand, a good score can also set you up for quicker career development.

Structure of the CFAT exam

If you wonder how the CFAT exam looks, the first thing you need to know is that it is typically an exam broken into three sections. These sections contain mostly multiple-choice questions as well as other challenging assignments. The structure of this assessment is relatively simple, but candidates should be very careful when answering the questions.

Preparing for this exam

Preparations for the CFAT exam are very important, and fortunately, there is a lot of training material to go on. There are plenty of practice tests to take for the CFAT exam to get a feel for how the paper looks like. Also, you can benefit from the online community that has written this exam before.

Who should take the CFAT?

Taking the CFAT is an important stepping stone to enlisting in the Canadian Forces. As mentioned, it helps with placing almost all of the soldiers that join the force. Are there any special requirements for taking this test?

Candidates building a career in the military

Canadian citizens interested in joining the Armed Forces should take this test to get started on building a career in the military. It’s crucial for candidates who would like to join this military force to take the tests since it will serve as a guide of where they are best suited.

Military personnel that has moved over to Canada

For one reason or another, you might need to move over to Canada with the intention to be a permanent resident. If you were a soldier in your home country and would like to continue with that career, taking the CFAT is important. Passing this test will help the Canadian Forces command see whether you are fit for duty within their ranks or not.

Does the CFAT disqualify candidates interesting in enlisting

After taking the CFAT test and failing badly, does this disqualify me from being in the Canadian Forces? This depends on how badly you did because the entire aim of the CFAT is to identify your cognitive abilities. If you did really bad, your application to join might not be approved, which can count as CFAT disqualification.

Long term benefits of passing the CFAT

There are plenty of long term benefits of passing the CFAT with flying colors. First and foremost, you get identified as an exemplary candidate. Down the line, when officer vacancies or training opens up, you can be the first one that gets considered. Scoring high on the CFAT shows that your cognitive function can be better-suited in a leadership position.


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