EAWS Practice Test

Navy Sailors in naval aviation earn the Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist (EAWS) designation. Most are E-5 or senior and permanently assigned to a carrier, an amphibious assault ship, an aviation squadron, an FRC/AIMD or NAWDC. This page has free practice sets grouped by topic, from flight deck safety to aircraft recognition. It also has worked explanations and a study plan to use alongside your command's EAWS program and the official instruction.

EAWS Exam at a Glance

What the EAWS is and how it works

According to U.S. Navy – Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF), under COMNAVAIRFORINST 1414.2A, “The updated COMNAVAIRFORINST 1414.2A instruction requires Sailors to attain in-rating technical qualifications up to the work center supervisor level prior to enrolling in the EAWS program.”^[1]

EAWS is the Navy's warfare qualification for enlisted Sailors in naval aviation. Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) runs it under COMNAVAIRFORINST 1414.2A, which sets who can enroll and how the program works. The qualification shows that a Sailor understands the wider aviation command and not only their own rating.

Who can enroll. You must be E-5 or senior and fully qualified in your rating up to Journeyman/Work Center Supervisor before you enroll. You must also be permanently assigned to a CVN, LHA, LHD, aviation squadron, FRC/AIMD or NAWDC. E-4 Sailors may enroll only by exception. E-3 and below are not eligible.

How you are evaluated. You earn EAWS through your command, not at a public test center. Your command's EAWS program manages the qualification steps, study material and final evaluation, so the details vary by platform and unit. Ask your command EAWS coordinator for the current requirements and read the instruction yourself.

After you qualify. There is no renewal. You keep the designation unless your CO disqualifies you for cause. Platform-specific qualifications do not expire. If you report to the same type command (for example, VP to VP or CVN to CVN), you do not have to requalify.

Worked examples: how to reason through EAWS questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: Which lightweight torpedo do Navy helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft carry for antisubmarine warfare?

1. Mk 48
2. Mk 82
3. AGM-84 Harpoon
4. Mk 54

Answer: D. Mk 54

Explanation:

Mk 54 is correct. It is the Navy's lightweight torpedo, built to be dropped from helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft against submarines. The Mk 48 is a heavyweight torpedo fired from submarines, and it is too large for these aircraft. The Mk 82 is not a torpedo at all. It is a general-purpose bomb used against surface targets. The AGM-84 Harpoon is an anti-ship missile that targets surface vessels, not submarines. The general rule: aircraft carry lightweight torpedoes for antisubmarine warfare, and submarines fire heavyweight torpedoes. Learn each weapon by its role and launch platform as well as its name.

Example 2

Question: During flight operations, a crew member wearing a purple jersey is observed on the flight deck. What is this individual's role?

1. Aircraft Handling and Chock Crewman
2. Ordnance Handling Personnel
3. Aviation Fuel Crew
4. Plane Captain

Answer: C. Aviation Fuel Crew

Explanation:

Aviation Fuel Crew is correct. Purple jerseys, often called "grapes," identify the people who handle aviation fuel on the flight and hangar decks. The other jobs have different colors. Aircraft handling and chock crewmen wear blue. Ordnance handling personnel wear red, the same color used for crash and salvage crews. Plane captains wear brown. The general rule: jersey color tells you someone's job at a glance, which matters when engines are turning and voice communication is hard. Learn the full color chart as a set, because exam questions often swap similar-sounding roles to test whether you can match each color to its job.

Example 3

Question: An HSM squadron in a carrier air wing flies which helicopter?

1. MH-60S Knighthawk
2. MH-60R Seahawk
3. MH-53E Sea Dragon
4. CH-53K King Stallion

Answer: B. MH-60R Seahawk

Explanation:

MH-60R Seahawk is correct. Helicopter Maritime Strike (HSM) squadrons fly the MH-60R for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. The MH-60S Knighthawk looks similar but belongs to Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) squadrons, which handle logistics, search and rescue, and combat support. The MH-53E Sea Dragon flies with Helicopter Mine Countermeasures squadrons, not in the carrier air wing's strike role. The CH-53K King Stallion is a Marine Corps heavy-lift helicopter. The general rule: link the squadron type to its mission, then to the aircraft. In the MH-60 family, "R" goes with HSM strike work and "S" goes with HSC sea combat.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official material. Get your command's EAWS study material and a copy of COMNAVAIRFORINST 1414.2A from your EAWS coordinator. Your evaluation is based on that material, so treat our sets as practice on top of it, not a replacement for it.

Take a baseline. Take the full practice test once, without notes, and write down the topics where you missed questions.

Work topic by topic. Start with the areas you see every day, such as flight deck and airfield safety and aviation maintenance programs. Then move to topics outside your rating, such as weapons and ordnance, aircraft recognition and missions and air wing and squadron organization. For every miss, read the explanation and find the matching section in your command material.

Walk the spaces. Tie what you study to real equipment and people at your command. Ask work centers outside your rating to show you their gear and explain their jobs.

Before your final evaluation, retake the full test. Spend your last study sessions on the topics you still miss.

Sources & last verified

1. U.S. Navy – Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF), under COMNAVAIRFORINST 1414.2A — validity, eligibility (official source). “Platform-specific qualifications do not expire. Once EAWS qualified on a specific aircraft type/model/series, a Sailor no longer must requalify upon reporting to that same type…” Verified Oct 20, 2026.
2. U.S. Navy – Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF), under COMNAVAIRFORINST 1414.2A — renewal (official source). “Once qualification is achieved Aviation Warfare Specialist will retain the designation unless disqualified for cause as determined by the CO.” Verified Oct 20, 2026.

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