SIFT Math Skills Test: Adaptive Math Without a Calculator

Format and timing

Source: SIFT FAQ V2.0. The real length varies by examinee; our 30-question set is a practice length we chose.

Scoring: steady beats fast, and both beat random

The MST picks questions based on your earlier answers, so the number and difficulty vary from person to person. As on any adaptive test, plan on no skipping and no going back. Answer too few before time expires and a penalty may be applied. The SIFT FAQ also advises against random guessing as time runs out; on the adaptive subtests it usually hurts more than leaving questions unfinished.

So keep a steady, accurate pace from the first question: no long stalls, no rush at the end. Your MST result feeds the one SIFT score (20–80, mean 50), and 40 qualifies you to apply to Army aviation. The formula is proprietary, so the SIFT score in our app is an estimate.

What it tests

Arithmetic, algebra and geometry, by hand. Our practice covers fractions, percents, ratios, rates, linear equations, exponents, roots, area, perimeter and right triangles. The worked examples below use flight-line settings like fuel, distance and time, math worth having cold before flight school.

The technique: label every number

Most no-calculator errors are setup errors, not arithmetic. Write each number with its unit, such as 84 gal/h or 25 min, and convert before you combine. A round-number estimate often removes two or three options before you calculate anything.

Three worked examples

1. Rate and units. A training helicopter burns 84 gallons of fuel per hour. How many gallons does it use on a 25-minute flight? Options: 21, 30, 35, 42, 2,100. Convert first: 25 minutes is 25/60, or 5/12, of an hour, and 84 × 5/12 = 7 × 5 = 35 gallons. Estimate check: a bit under half an hour, so a bit under 42. The 2,100 trap multiplies 84 by 25 without converting.

2. Linear equation. If 3(x − 4) = 2x + 5, what is x? Options: −7, 1, 9, 17, 21. Distribute: 3x − 12 = 2x + 5. Subtract 2x and add 12: x = 17. Check: 3 × 13 = 39 and 2 × 17 + 5 = 39. You get 9 if you forget to multiply the 4 by 3, and −7 from a sign slip.

3. Right triangle. A helicopter flies 9 km east, then 12 km north. How far is it from where it started? Options: 3, 15, 18, 21, 108 km. It's a right angle, so a² + b² = c²: 81 + 144 = 225, and √225 = 15 km. Faster: 9 and 12 are 3 × 3 and 3 × 4, so the answer is 3 × 5. The 21 trap adds the legs: distance flown, not distance from the start.

Traps

• Unconverted units. Minutes against hours is the classic.
• Answering a middle step. You found the time; the question asked for the distance.
• One long stall. Three minutes on one question can leave you too few answered at the end.
• Random clicks at the buzzer. The SIFT FAQ advises against them on the adaptive subtests.

Pacing

The length varies, so you can't divide 40 minutes by a fixed count. Use our practice pace as a guide: 30 questions in 40 minutes is 80 seconds each. If a question passes two minutes, make your best reasoned choice and move on.

Practice it here

We don't imitate adaptivity: our MST practice is fixed-length, and the timed set is 30 questions in 40 minutes. Start in practice mode, then the timed set. Our timed sets let you skip and go back; plan on neither in the real test, so practice committing to each answer. Every question is original. Taking the Navy's OAR too? See OAR Math Skills for how that test differs.

How to work a SIFT math question without a calculator

1. Read the last sentence first: what is asked, and in what unit?
2. Write every number on scratch paper with its unit, and convert units before combining.
3. Estimate the answer with round numbers and cross out options that can't be right.
4. Solve with the simplest arithmetic: cancel first, keep fractions as fractions.
5. Check the unit, and check that you answered the question rather than a middle step.
6. Commit and move on; past two minutes, make your best reasoned choice, never a random one.

FAQ