Practice Test GeeksSIFT Exam Practice Test

SIFT Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield SIFT facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here ā€” free, no sign-up.

180 questions
90 min time limit
40.00% to pass
  1. What is the function of the Army's flight surgeon in aviation unit readiness? ā†’ To assess and maintain the medical fitness of aviators for flight duty
  2. The vertical speed indicator (VSI) shows a pilot: ā†’ Rate of climb or descent in feet per minute
  3. What is the purpose of the collective control in a helicopter? ā†’ Controls the overall pitch of all main rotor blades simultaneously to change altitude
  4. A thrust is produced by ā†’ The engine(s) of a helicopter
  5. What is a 'NOTAM' in aviation? ā†’ Notice to Airmen ā€” temporary notices about flight hazards, restrictions, or changes
  6. A cockpit view shows the horizon tilted so the left wing is lower than the right wing, with the nose slightly above the horizon. What is the aircraft doing? ā†’ Climbing in a left bank
  7. In a standard cockpit, the throttle (or collective in helicopters) primarily controls: ā†’ Engine power and thrust (or lift in helicopters)
  8. Momentum is conserved in a collision between two objects when: ā†’ No external net force acts on the system
  9. A pilot observes the cockpit view and determines the aircraft is in a climbing right turn. How would the horizon appear from their perspective? ā†’ Low in the viewing area and tilted down to the left.
  10. A figure composed of two overlapping circles is rotated 360Ā°. The result is: ā†’ Identical to the original
  11. A 60 W light bulb runs for 5 hours. How much electrical energy does it consume in kilowatt-hours? ā†’ 0.3 kWh
  12. What does a 'circuit breaker' do in an electrical system? ā†’ Automatically interrupts current flow when it exceeds a safe limit
  13. What is the primary mission of the AH-64 Apache helicopter? ā†’ Armed reconnaissance and anti-armor attack
  14. What is the function of the anti-torque pedals in a helicopter? ā†’ Control the pitch of the tail rotor blades to counteract torque
  15. What does a red radial line on an airspeed indicator represent? ā†’ Never-exceed speed (Vne)
  16. A simple drawing shows a crescent shape pointing right. After a vertical-axis reflection followed by a 180Ā° rotation, the crescent points: ā†’ Right
  17. The 'anhedral' wing configuration (wings angled downward from root to tip) is primarily used to: ā†’ Reduce lateral (roll) stability for improved maneuverability
  18. An aircraft outside view shows it banked steeply to the right with the nose well above the horizon. From the cockpit, the pilot sees: ā†’ Horizon far below center, steeply tilted right-side lower
  19. What does the 'collective' control on a helicopter primarily regulate? ā†’ Overall pitch of all rotor blades simultaneously
  20. An object at the top of a 50-meter cliff has potential energy of 4,900 J. What is its mass? (g = 9.8 m/sĀ²) ā†’ 10 kg
  21. An object is accelerating at 3 m/sĀ². If the net force on it is 15 N, what is its mass? ā†’ 5 kg
  22. Water is flowing through a pipe. If the pipe splits into two equal branches, what happens to the flow speed in each branch (assuming incompressible flow)? ā†’ Flow speed halves in each branch
  23. An electric motor draws 5 A at 120 V. What is its power consumption? ā†’ 600 W
  24. If fuel costs $4.50 per gallon and a helicopter uses 35 gallons per hour, how much does a 3-hour flight cost in fuel? ā†’ $472.50
  25. During an engine failure, a pilot initiates an autorotation. What is the primary purpose of lowering the collective lever immediately? ā†’ To maintain rotor RPM by using the upward flow of air.
  26. In the pulley system shown, a 100 lb weight is being lifted. Assuming the system is frictionless, what is the minimum force (F) required to lift the weight? ā†’ 25 lbs
  27. What is the purpose of the horizontal stabilizer on a helicopter? ā†’ To provide aerodynamic stability and reduce pitch oscillations
  28. If a helicopter must climb 4,500 feet over a horizontal distance of 9 miles, what is the climb gradient in feet per mile? ā†’ 500 feet/mile
  29. Which practice strategy best prepares a candidate for the SIFT Hidden Figures subtest? ā†’ Practicing with embedded figures worksheets and overlapping polygon puzzles
  30. A figure shows a star with one point aimed directly upward. After two successive 90Ā° clockwise rotations, where does that point aim? ā†’ Down
Turn these facts into recall:
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