Sample Army Alpha/Beta Questions

1. 1. A company advanced 6 miles and retreated 2 miles. How far was it then from its first position?
   2. A dealer bought some mules for $1,200. He sold them for $1,500, making $50 on each mule. How many mules were there?
   3. Thermometers are useful because
      • a. They regulate temperature
      • b. They tell us how warm it is
      • c. They contain mercury
   4. A machine gun is more deadly than a rifle, because it
      • a. Was invented more recently
      • b. Fires more rapidly
      • c. Can be used with less training

For these next two items, examinees first had to unscramble the words to form a sentence, and then indicate if the sentence was true or false.

1. 1. happy is man sick always a
   2. day it snow does every not

The next two items required examinees to determine the next two numbers in each sequence.

1. 1. 3 4 5 6 7 8
   2. 18 14 17 13 16 12

A portion of the Army Alpha required examinees to solve analogies.

1. 1. shoe — foot. hat — kitten, head, knife, penny
   2. eye — head. window — key, floor, room, door

In these next two examples, examinees were required to complete the sentence by selecting one of the four possible answers.

1. 1. The apple grows on a shrub, vine, bush, tree
   2. Denim is a dance, food, fabric, drink

Other portions of the test required examinees to follow instructions in performing paper-and-pencil tasks.

In the items below, examinees were asked to identify what was missing from each picture.