Module overview
What the test trains
This module focuses on short-term visual memory, encoding speed and selective recall. It is designed to make the underlying process easier to recognise, repeat and review before you add more speed or workload.
Task profile
What the task looks like
What it involves
- View a string of digits for a limited period.
- Encode the sequence before it disappears.
- Answer a follow-up question using only the retained information.
- In the native practice version, count how many times a particular digit appeared.
Practice screen example
These screenshots show CBAT Academy’s independent practice version of the task.
Interface briefing
Controls and difficulty
Controls
A digit sequence is shown briefly, then you select the sequence you saw from on-screen multiple-choice options.
Difficulty and settings
The digit count rises from 6 to 9 while the display time you get to view it drops from 3 seconds to 2, within a fixed 4-minute session.
Read how practice scores and estimates work →Training plan
Build a method that holds up under pressure
Why this becomes difficult
- Longer strings exceed effortless memory capacity.
- Repeated digits can be confused with their positions.
- The sequence disappears before you know which detail the question will emphasise.
- Rushing the answer can destroy a correct memory before it is used.
Preparation tips
- Chunk the sequence into groups of two or three digits.
- Notice repeated digits explicitly rather than relying only on the sound of the sequence.
- Scan consistently from left to right instead of jumping around.
- Use silent verbal rehearsal if it helps, but keep it compact.
- Answer from the stored representation before looking for confirmation in the choices.
Common mistakes
- Trying to remember every digit as an isolated item.
- Rearranging the order during mental rehearsal.
- Focusing on one repeated digit and losing the rest of the sequence.
- Guessing based on what looks likely instead of the remembered string.
Useful practice drills
- Flash 6–10 digit strings for two to five seconds and then hide them.
- Ask count, position and subsequence questions about the same string.
- Increase string length only after accuracy is stable.
- Practise both visual and spoken chunking to find the stronger encoding method.
Transparency
Sources and information status
Task guidance on this page describes CBAT Academy’s own software. Broad aptitude context is checked against the public references in the source register.
This guide describes CBAT Academy’s independently developed practice modules. It is not an exact specification of any current RAF, Canadian Forces or Ministry of Defence assessment. Official content, timings, scoring and administration may differ.
Continue the briefing
Turn the method into repeatable performance.
Launch the interactive trainer, begin with accuracy and review the pattern behind each mistake before increasing pace.