YOUR AFOQT Math STUDY COMPANION

The Ultimate AFOQT Math Formula Cheat Sheet

TL;DR: Going for Air Force officer training? The AFOQT has two math subtests, both with no calculator and no formula sheet. That means every formula on this page needs to be in your head on test day. Memorize them now and you'll have one less thing to think…

AFOQT MATH FORMULA GUIDE — original handwritten comic illustration.

TL;DR: Going for Air Force officer training? The AFOQT has two math subtests, both with no calculator and no formula sheet. That means every formula on this page needs to be in your head on test day. Memorize them now and you’ll have one less thing to think about under timed pressure, which frees your brain up to focus on the actual reasoning each problem demands.

Quick answer: There is no official formula sheet on the AFOQT, and you can’t use a calculator, so you need to memorize the math you use. The two math subtests are Arithmetic Reasoning (25 questions, 29 minutes) and Math Knowledge (25 questions, 22 minutes). Focus on percents, ratios, d = rt, slope, the Pythagorean theorem, area and volume, and exponent rules.

Want to memorize these formulas? Drill them with our free AFOQT Math Flashcards, flip each card, mark “Know it,” and restudy just the ones you missed.

Key takeaways:

  • Arithmetic Reasoning is 25 questions in 29 minutes.
  • Math Knowledge is 25 questions in 22 minutes.
  • No calculator and no formula sheet on either subtest.
  • AFOQT scores are reported in percentiles for six composites: Pilot, CSO, ABM, Academic Aptitude, Verbal, and Quantitative.
  • Quantitative composite = AR + MK; minimum to apply for most officer programs is a 15.

Mixed Numbers

A number is composed of a whole number and a fraction. Example: \(2 \frac{2}{ 3}\) Converting between improper fractions and mixed numbers: \(a \frac{c}{b}=a+\frac{c}{b}= \frac{ab+ c}{b}\)

Factoring Numbers

Factor a number means breaking it up into numbers that can be multiplied together to get the original number. Example:\(12=2×2×3\)

Integers

\( \{…,-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3,…\} \)
Includes: zero, counting numbers, and the negative of the counting numbers

Real Numbers

All numbers that are on a number line. Integers plus fractions, decimals, and irrationals, etc.) (\(\sqrt{2},\sqrt{3},π\), etc.)

Order of Operations

PEMDAS
(parentheses/ exponents/ multiply/ divide/ add/ subtract)

Absolute Value

Refers to the distance of a number from \(0\) on the number line. The distances are positive as the absolute value of a number cannot be negative. \(|-22|=22\)
or (|x| = x for x ≥ 0, and |x| = −x for x < 0)
\(|x|<n⇒-n<x<n\)
\(|x|>n⇒x<-n or x>n\)

Ratios

A ratio is a comparison of two numbers by division.
Example: \(3: 5\), or \(\frac{3}{5}\)

Percentages

Use the following formula to find part, whole, or percent
part \(=\frac{percent}{100}×whole\)

Proportional Ratios

A proportion means that two ratios are equal. It can be written in two ways:
\(\frac{a}{b}=\frac{c}{d}\), \(a: b = c: d  \)

Percent of Change

\(\frac{New \ Value \ – \ Old \ Value}{Old Value}×100\%\)

Expressions and Variables

A variable is a letter that represents unspecified numbers. One may use a variable in the same manner as all other numbers: Addition: \(2+a\): \(2\) plus a
Subtraction: \(y-3\): \(y\) minus \(3\)
Division: \(\frac{4}{x}\): 4 divided by x
Multiplication: \(5a\): \(5\) times a

Distributive Property

\(a(b+c)=ab+ac\)

Equations

The values of the two mathematical expressions are equal.
\(ax+b=c\)

Distance from A to B:

\(\sqrt{(x_{1}-x_{2})^2+(y_{1}-y_{2})^2 }\)

Parallel and Perpendicular lines:

Have equal slopes. Perpendicular lines (i.e., those that make a \(90^° \) angle where they intersect) have negative reciprocal slopes: \(m_{1}\).\(m_{2}=-1\).
Parallel Lines (l \(\parallel\) m)

Mid-point of the segment AB:

M (\(\frac{x_{1}+x_{2}}{2}, \frac{y_{1}+y_{2}}{2}\))

Slope of the line:

\(\frac{y_{2}- y_{1}}{x_{2} – x_{1} }=\frac{rise}{run}\)

Point-slope form:

Given the slope m and a point \((x_{1},y_{1})\) on the line, the equation of the line is
\((y-y_{1})=m \ (x-x_{1})\).

Slope-intercept form:

given the slope m and the y-intercept b, then the equation of the line is:
\(y=mx+b\).

Factoring:

“FOIL”
\((x+a)(x+b)\)
\(=x^2+(b+a)x +ab\) “Difference of Squares”
\(a^2-b^2= (a+b)(a-b)\)
\(a^2+2ab+b^2=(a+b)(a+b) \)
\(a^2-2ab+b^2=(a-b)(a-b)\) “Reverse FOIL”
\(x^2+(b+a)x+ab=\) \((x+a)(x+b)\)

You can use Reverse FOIL to factor a polynomial by thinking about two numbers a and b which add to the number in front of the x, and which multiply to give the constant. For example, to factor \(x^2+5x+6\), the numbers add to 5 and multiply to 6, i.e.: \(a=2\) and \(b=3\), so that \(x^2+5x+6=(x+2)(x+3)\). To solve a quadratic such as \(x^2+bx+c=0\), first factor the left side to get \((x+a)(x+b)=0\), then set each part in parentheses equal to zero. For example, \(x^2+4x+3= (x+3)(x+1)=0\) so that \(x=-3\) or \(x=-1\).
To solve two linear equations in x and y: use the first equation to substitute for a variable in the second. E.g., suppose \(x+y=3\) and \(4x-y=2\). The first equation gives y=3-x, so the second equation becomes \(4x-(3-x)=2 ⇒ 5x-3=2\) \(⇒ x=1,y=2\).

Exponents:

Refers to the number of times a number is multiplied by itself.
\(8 = 2 × 2 × 2 = 2^3\)

Scientific Notation:

It is a way of expressing numbers that are too big or too small to be conveniently written in decimal form.
In scientific notation all numbers are written in this form: \(m \times 10^n\)
Decimal notation:
5
\(-25,000\)
0.5
2,122.456
Scientific notation:
\(5×10^0\)
\(-2.5×10^4\)
\(5×10^{-1}\)
\(2.122456×10^3\)

Square:

The number we get after multiplying an integer (not a fraction) by itself. Example: \(2×2=4,2^2=4\)

Square Roots:

A square root of \(x\) is a number r whose square is \(x: r^2=x\)
\(r\) is a square root of \(x\)

Pythagorean Theorem:

For any right triangle with legs \(a\) and \(b\) and hypotenuse \(c\): \(a^2+b^2=c^2\)
Solving for the hypotenuse: \(c=\sqrt{a^2+b^2}\)
Solving for a leg: \(a=\sqrt{c^2-b^2}\)
Common Pythagorean triples: \(3,4,5\); \(5,12,13\); \(8,15,17\); \(7,24,25\)

Triangles

Area: \(A=\frac{1}{2}bh\) where \(b\) is the base and \(h\) is the height.
Perimeter: \(P=a+b+c\) (sum of all three sides).
Pythagorean Theorem (right triangles): \(a^2+b^2=c^2\) where \(c\) is the hypotenuse.
Sum of interior angles: \(180°\)

All triangles:

Area \(=\frac{1}{2}\) b. H
Angles on the inside of any triangle add up to \(180^\circ\).
The length of one side of any triangle is always less than the sum and more than the difference between the lengths of the other two sides.
An exterior angle of any triangle is equal to the sum of the two remote interior angles. Other important triangles:

Equilateral:

These triangles have three equal sides, and all three angles are \(60^\circ\).

Isosceles:

An isosceles triangle has two equal sides. The “base” angles (the ones opposite the two sides) are equal (for example, the two \(45^\circ\) angles of a right isosceles triangle).

Circles

Area \(=πr^2\)
Circumference \(=2πr\)
Full circle \(=360^\circ\)

Rectangles

(Square if l=w)
Area=lw

Parallelogram

(Rhombus if l=w)
Area=lh
Regular polygons are n-sided figures with all sides equal and all angles equal.
The sum of the inside angles of an n-sided regular polygon is
\((n-2).180^\circ\).

Area of a trapezoid:

\(A =\frac{1}{2} h (b_{1}+b_{2})\)

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Surface Area and Volume of a Rectangular/right prism:

\(SA=ph+2B\)
\(V=Bh\)

Surface Area and Volume of a Cylinder:

\(SA =2πrh+2πr^2\)
\(V =πr^2 h  \)

Surface Area and Volume of a Cone

\(SA =πrs+πr^2\)
\(V=\frac{1}{3} \ πr^2 \ h\)

Surface Area and Volume of a Sphere

\(SA =4πr^2\)
\(V =\frac{4}{3} \ πr^3\)
(p \(=\) perimeter of base B; \(π ~ 3.14 \))

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Simple interest:

\(I=prt\)
(I = interest, p = principal, r = rate, t = time)

mean:

mean: (frac{sum of the data}{of \ data \ entries})

mode:

value in the list that appears most often

range:

largest value \(-\) smallest value

Median

The middle value in the list (which must be sorted)
Example: median of
\( \{3,10,9,27,50\} = 10\)
Example: median of
\( \{3,9,10,27\}=\frac{(9+10)}{2}=9.5 \)

Average

\( \frac{sum \ of \ terms}{number \ of \ terms}\)

Average speed

\(\frac{total \ distance}{total \ time}\)

Probability

\(\frac{number \ of \ desired \ outcomes}{number \ of \ total \ outcomes}\)
The probability of two different events, A and,B both happening is:
P(A and B)=p(A).p(B)
as long as the events are independent (one does not change the chance of the other).

Powers, Exponents, Roots

\(x^a.x^b=x^{a+b}\)
\(\frac{x^a}{x^b} = x^{a-b}\)
\(\frac{1}{x^b }= x^{-b}\)
\((x^a)^b=x^{a.b}\)
\((xy)^a= x^a.y^a\)
\(x^0=1\)
\(\sqrt{xy}=\sqrt{x}.\sqrt{y}\)
\((-1)^n=-1\), if n is odd.
\((-1)^n=+1\), if n is even.
If \(0<x<1\), then
(0 < x³ < x² < x < √x < ∛x < 1).

Simple Interest

The charge for borrowing money or the return for lending it.
Interest = principal \(×\) rate \(×\) time
OR
\(I=prt\)

Powers/ Exponents

\(x^a×x^b=x^{a+b}\)
\(\frac{x^a}{x^b}=x^{a-b}\)
\((x^a)^b=x^{ab}\)
\(x^0=1\)
\(x^{-a}=\frac{1}{x^a}\)
\(x^{\frac{1}{n}}=\sqrt[n]{x}\)

Positive Exponents

An exponent is simply shorthand for multiplying that number of identical factors. So \(4^3\) is the same as (4)(4)(4), three identical factors of 4. And \(x^3\) is just three factors of \(x\), \((x)(x)(x)\).

Negative Exponents

A negative exponent means to divide by that number of factors instead of multiplying.
So \(4^{-3}\) is the same as \( \frac{1}{4^3}\) and
\(x^{-3}=\frac{1}{x^3}\)

Factorials

Factorial- the product of a number and all counting numbers below it.
8 factorial \(=8!=\)
\(8×7×6×5×4×3×2×1=40,320\)
5 factorial \(=5!=\)
\(5×4×3×2×1=120\)
2 factorial \(=2!=2× 1=2\)

Multiplying Two Powers of the SAME Base

When the bases are the same, you find the new power by just adding the exponents
\(x^a.x^b=x^{a+b }\)

Powers of Powers

For the power of power: you multiply the exponents.
\((x^a)^b=x^{(ab)}\)

Dividing Powers

\(\frac{x^a}{x^b} =x^a x^{-b}= x^{a-b}\)

The Zero Exponent

Anything to the 0 power is 1.
\(x^0= 1\)

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Recommended EffortlessMath Books

For a step-by-step workbook on every AFOQT math topic, see the AFOQT Math for Beginners (resource currently unavailable). For complete officer-test prep with full-length practice, the AFOQT Math Test Prep Bundle combines the workbook with timed practice tests.

Formulas Worth Adding to Your Memory List

These come up often in Math Knowledge and Arithmetic Reasoning questions, and each one saves time when you can’t reach for a calculator.

  • Quadratic formula: for ax² + bx + c = 0, x = (−b ± √(b² − 4ac)) / (2a). Example: x² − 5x + 6 = 0 gives x = (5 ± √1)/2, so x = 3 or x = 2.
  • Special right triangles: a 45-45-90 triangle has sides in the ratio 1 : 1 : √2, and a 30-60-90 triangle has sides 1 : √3 : 2.
  • Distance, rate and time: d = r × t. A plane at 400 mph for 2.5 hours covers 400 × 2.5 = 1,000 miles.
  • Work rate: if one person finishes a job in a hours and another in b hours, together they need ab/(a + b) hours. With 3 and 6 hours, that is 18/9 = 2 hours.
  • Average speed: total distance divided by total time, not the average of the two speeds.

How Much Time You Have per Question

SubtestQuestionsMinutesAbout per question
Arithmetic Reasoning252970 seconds
Math Knowledge252253 seconds

Math Knowledge is the faster of the two, so formulas need to come to mind right away there. Arithmetic Reasoning gives you a little more time because each word problem takes a moment to set up. Since wrong answers don’t cost points, never leave a question blank.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an AFOQT formula sheet?

No. The AFOQT does not give you a formula sheet on either math subtest, so you have to memorize what you need. Focus on percent, ratio and proportion, distance = rate × time, slope, the Pythagorean theorem, area and volume, and exponent rules. Practice writing them from memory, then use each on a timed word problem.

Do you get a calculator on the AFOQT?

No. Calculators are not allowed on any AFOQT subtest, including Arithmetic Reasoning and Math Knowledge. Scratch paper is provided for your work. Build speed with mental math and estimation, for example finding 15% of 240 as 10% (24) plus 5% (12) = 36, since the time per question is short.

What is on the AFOQT math section?

The AFOQT has two math subtests. Arithmetic Reasoning gives you 25 word problems in 29 minutes on fractions, percents, ratios, rates, work and mixtures. Math Knowledge gives you 25 questions in 22 minutes on algebra, exponents, radicals, geometry and number concepts. Together they form the Quantitative composite, so both matter for officer selection.

What AFOQT math formulas should I know?

Know distance = rate × time, percent change, simple interest I = Prt, averages, slope and the Pythagorean theorem, plus area and volume for rectangles, triangles, circles and cylinders. A typical Arithmetic Reasoning item: a plane flies 1,350 miles at 450 mph. Using t = d ÷ r, the flight takes 1,350 ÷ 450 = 3 hours.

What should an AFOQT math study guide cover?

A solid AFOQT math study guide covers arithmetic word problems for the Arithmetic Reasoning subtest and algebra and geometry for Math Knowledge, with timed practice for both. Since you get only about a minute per Math Knowledge question, include drills on factoring, exponent rules and solving equations quickly. Review weak topics first and retest each week.

Related EffortlessMath Lessons

If a topic on this page feels rusty, these short lessons go deeper:

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