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Figures, Logistics and Groups (FLAG)
CBAT Figures, Logistics and Groups (FLAG): What to Expect
The FLAG test is a multi-task cognitive assessment within RAF CBAT that evaluates your ability to manage visual monitoring, basic maths, memory, and response coordination simultaneously. It combines three different task types — Figures, Logistics, and Groups — into a fast-paced, integrated assessment lasting approximately ten minutes, with a short break halfway through.
This page provides a clear walkthrough of how FLAG works, the types of tasks you will encounter, and what is expected of you. It does not contain practice tests, as FLAG is designed to assess real-time cognitive processing rather than learned techniques.
FLAG Format & Test Overview
FLAG consists of three distinct task sections that run in a continuous flow:
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Figures — Basic mental maths under time pressure
Simple arithmetic questions appear regularly, testing your ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division quickly while under multi-task demands. Responses must be entered using the on-screen keypad. -
Logistics — Monitor and respond to moving objects
Multiple “aircraft” move across the screen. Only circled aircraft are relevant. When a circled aircraft enters a coloured zone (such as green, yellow, or red shapes), you must click the corresponding colour on the keypad quickly and accurately. -
Groups — Recall and use brief visual information
When aircraft enter or leave the screen, a two-letter callsign is shown briefly, accompanied by a beep. You must remember which callsigns are currently present and answer simple yes/no questions about them when prompted.
The pace increases as the test progresses, and tasks from each section are interleaved, creating a sustained multi-tasking challenge.
See below screenshot from CBAT Ready which shows the typical FLAG scenario:
What You’ll Be Asked to Do
FLAG tests your ability to:
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Perform rapid mental arithmetic while under time pressure
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Track multiple moving elements visually and respond appropriately
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Retain and recall brief visual information about which items are on screen
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Manage and switch attention between tasks quickly and accurately
For example, multiple aircraft may appear in overlapping sequences; while you respond to one colour event, you must also maintain awareness of other moving objects and be ready to recall callsign information or answer a brief question.
Do You Need to Prepare?
You are not expected to prepare for the FLAG test in the traditional sense, as it is designed to assess how you naturally manage multiple cognitive demands in real time rather than learned knowledge.
That said, familiarity with the structure and mechanics of the test can provide a clear advantage. Understanding how the Figures, Logistics, and Groups tasks are presented — and how they overlap under time pressure — helps reduce uncertainty and allows candidates to focus on performance rather than interpretation on the day.
CBAT Ready includes a dedicated FLAG section that places candidates into conditions and scenarios similar to those encountered in the real FLAG test. These exercises are designed to reflect the pace, task coordination, and cognitive load of FLAG, helping candidates become comfortable with the demands before sitting the assessment for the first time.
