PrepSuite.co.uk
Cognitive Updating Test (CUT)
CBAT Cognitive Updating Test (CUT): What to Expect
The Cognitive Updating Test (CUT) is a multi-task management and information-updating test used within RAF CBAT. It is designed to assess how effectively you can monitor systems, update information, and coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously under time pressure.
This page provides a clear walkthrough of how the test works, what you will be asked to do, and how the interface is structured. It does not contain practice tests, as the CUT is designed to assess real-time cognitive processing rather than learned techniques.
Cognitive Updating Test Format & Conditions
You have a 32 minutes to maintain operations across 6 separate tabs which contain different types of controls and information, as well as 2 static panes which contain warning messages as well as a clock.
The static Warning Panel will advise you when there are any controls which need your attention, whereas the static Clock Panel is used in conjunction with your Sensors and Mission panel to activate controls in line with the time specified.
(Note that the following images have been extracted from the CBAT Ready CUT practice test and show different panel names which will not be referenced in this page unless they align with the real CBAT. Additionally, some of these images do not represent the full extent of controls found within the real test as it was not viable to fit all of them into an app designed for mobile use.)
Within the selectable tabs, the Messages Panel is the most important and should remain the forefront of your attention. The reason for this is that it provide vital instructions, such as when to activate certain controls or what coordinates to input, as seen below.
(Candidates have found it useful to keep this tab permanently open on one side of the screen whilst using the other side of the screen to select between the other tabs)
Next, the System Panel contains 2 separate controls:
Hydraulics/Hydraulics Pump
Communications Code
Hydraulics is a visual only panel which is controlled by the On/Off button within the Hydraulic Pump panel. You must simply use the On/Off buttons to keep the pressure within the "Correct Pressure" range to ensure that no warnings are triggered.
The Communications Code simply requires you input the code which will be presented to you on the Messages Panel. You must then select the submit button beside the code when the countdown reaches 0.
(A well regarded tip to lower maintenance time for this section is to leave the Hydraulic Pump on until the pressure is at the upper margin for "Correct Pressure". You can then turn this off and buy yourself more time until the pressure falls beneath "Low Pressure")
Next, the Mission Panel contains 2 separate controls:
Load Drop Interface (Parcel Drop) / Load Drop Dispenser (Parcel Drop Dispenser)
Video Recording Interface (not shown in the image below)
The Load Drop Interface simply requires that you input the details found within the Messages panel into each of the Latitude, Longitude and Time fields. You must then activate the Load Drop Dispenser when all the lights turn green.
The Video Recording Interface (again, not shown below) follows a very similar process, bar the dispenser. You must input the details found within the Messages Panel into the Magnification, Latitude, Longitude and Duration fields.
Next, the Engine Panel only contains 1 control.
You are required to keep the 3 fuel tanks within 50 litres of one another. Specifically, the difference between the largest and smallest fuel tank cannot be greater than 50 litres.
To achieve this, you must select a fuel tank at a time to have its fuel used. As you may be able to gather, the aim of the game is to initially select the largest fuel tank and drain it to a level whereby it's almost 50 litres less than the smallest fuel tank. This process is then repeated with the new largest fuel tank.
Next, the Navigation Panel also contains 1 control.
The Navigation Panel simply requires that you keep the Current Knots within 10 knots of the Required Knots whilst the Current Knots slowly increases or decreases. In the example below, this would mean that the Current Knots cannot decrease past 80, or exceed 100.
To achieve this, you must firstly observe if the Current Knots are increasing or decreasing from the Required Knots. Once this is understood, you must use the + or - button to counteract the change in knots.
(A well regarded tip to lower maintenance time for this section is to counteract the change so that Current Knots are at the maximum opposite threshold. For example in the image below where Required Knots = 90, if the Current Knots were increasing then you should lower the Current Knots to 80. This gives you more time before the Current Knots exceeds the upper threshold of 100.)
Lastly, the Sensor Panel also contains 2 controls:
Video Recording
Sensors
The Video Recording interface requires reliance on the Messages Panel which will advise you when the Alpha or Bravo Camera must be activated. For example, you will be advised to activate Alpha Camera at 08:23:45.
The Sensor interface simply requires you to activate the relevant sensor when the adjacent countdown reaches 0 seconds.
Do You Need to Prepare?
You are not expected to prepare for the Cognitive Updating Test, and no prior knowledge is required. The CUT is designed to assess how you naturally manage information and competing demands in real time, rather than how well you have learned specific techniques.
That said, understanding the structure and mechanics of the test can (and does) provide a clear advantage. Familiarity with how information is presented, how tasks are coordinated, and what is expected of you helps reduce uncertainty on the day and allows candidates to focus on performance rather than interpretation.
This is where CBAT Ready adds value — by helping candidates understand the demands of the test environment before they experience it for the first time.
