Navy Officer Cadet cheat sheet

A valid syllogism's conclusion follows necessarily from its premises; if a counterexample model exists in which premises are true and conclusion false, the argument is invalid.

'Some A are B' does not imply 'some A are not B' in classical logic, but in ordinary test usage 'some' usually carries the conversational implicature 'not all'.

Contrapositive is logically equivalent to the original: 'If P then Q' equals 'If not Q then not P'. Converse ('If Q then P') and inverse are not equivalent.

'Only if' introduces a necessary condition: 'A only if B' means A implies B. 'If' introduces a sufficient condition: 'If A then B'.

In word analogy items, fix the relationship type first (part-whole, cause-effect, degree, function, category), then test direction: A is to B as C is to D, not as D is to C.

A conclusion stated with absolute quantifiers ('all', 'never', 'always') is usually weaker-supported than one hedged with 'some', 'likely', or 'tends to'.

Inference versus assumption: an inference must be supported by the passage; an assumption is an unstated premise required for the argument to work.

For 'odd one out' verbal sets, name the shared property of the majority before judging the outlier; the outlier typically fails on exactly one dimension.

Percentage change = (new − old) / old × 100. A rise then fall of the same percentage p leaves a net loss of p²/100 percent.

Successive percentage changes multiply: net factor = (1 + a)(1 + b). A 20% rise then 25% fall gives 1.20 × 0.75 = 0.90, a 10% net fall.

Speed = distance / time. Convert km/h to m/s by multiplying by 5/18; convert m/s to km/h by multiplying by 18/5.

Average speed over equal distances = harmonic mean 2xy/(x + y), not the arithmetic mean. Over equal times, the arithmetic mean applies.

Simple interest = P × R × T / 100. Compound interest = P[(1 + R/100)^T − 1]; for two years the difference from simple interest is P(R/100)².

Work rate adds: if A finishes in a days and B in b days, together they take ab/(a + b) days.

Ratio scaling: if a:b = 3:5 and the total is T, shares are 3T/8 and 5T/8. Keep units consistent before scaling.

Profit percentage is conventionally calculated on cost price: profit% = (SP − CP)/CP × 100. A discount percentage is calculated on marked price.

Divisibility: by 3 if digit sum divisible by 3; by 9 if digit sum divisible by 9; by 4 if last two digits divisible by 4; by 11 if alternating digit sum is 0 or a multiple of 11.

Rotation preserves shape and size; reflection reverses orientation (chirality). A rotated figure can be superimposed on the original; a reflected one cannot.

In 2D, a 90° clockwise rotation maps (x, y) to (y, −x); 180° maps (x, y) to (−x, −y); 270° clockwise maps (x, y) to (−y, x).

Net folding: count faces, edges and vertices with Euler's formula V − E + F = 2 for a closed convex polyhedron; a cube has 6 faces, 12 edges, 8 vertices.

Cube nets: 11 distinct hexomino nets fold into a cube. Opposite faces on a net are separated by exactly one face in a straight line.

Mirror images: a vertical mirror swaps left and right but preserves up and down; a horizontal mirror swaps up and down but preserves left and right.

Mechanical advantage of a lever: MA = effort arm / load arm. A class-1 lever with the fulcrum between load and effort balances when load × load arm = effort × effort arm.

Pulley systems: a single fixed pulley changes direction only (MA = 1); a movable pulley halves the effort (MA = 2); a block-and-tackle with n supporting rope segments has MA = n.

Gear trains: gear ratio = teeth on driven / teeth on driver; rotational speed is inversely proportional to teeth count. Meshed gears rotate in opposite directions.

Series circuits share current; parallel circuits share voltage. Adding resistors in series increases total resistance; in parallel it decreases total resistance.

Expected value = Σ (probability × outcome). Choose the option with the highest expected value when outcomes are comparable in units.

Sunk costs are irrelevant to a forward-looking decision; only future costs and benefits count.

Opportunity cost is the value of the best alternative forgone, not the sum of all alternatives.

In a prioritisation matrix, rank tasks by urgency × importance; deadline-critical and safety-critical items outrank routine items.

Critical path in a project network is the longest sequence of dependent tasks; it determines minimum project duration.

Break-even point = fixed costs / (unit price − variable cost per unit).

When information is incomplete, a decision rule is to gather the cheapest high-value information first, then act on the balance of evidence.

Base-rate neglect: a rare condition's positive test can still yield a low posterior probability; combine prior probability with test sensitivity and specificity.

Situational judgement items are scored against a defined effectiveness scale, typically from counterproductive through ineffective, neutral, effective, to highly effective.

Leadership styles: autocratic (fast, low buy-in), democratic (slower, higher commitment), laissez-faire (high autonomy, risk of drift), transformational (vision-driven change).

Tuckman's team stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning. Conflict peaks at storming; intervention should be early and direct.

Task-oriented behaviour (structure, deadlines) and relationship-oriented behaviour (support, trust) are independent dimensions; effective leaders balance both.

Escalation rule: safety, legal, ethical, or reputational risks are escalated immediately and in writing; routine performance issues are handled at the lowest competent level.

Giving feedback: describe observable behaviour and its impact, then invite the person's perspective before agreeing an action - the SBI (Situation-Behaviour-Impact) structure.

Psychological safety - a shared belief that speaking up is safe - predicts team learning and error reporting more strongly than individual ability does.

Delegation requires authority, competence, resources, and a clear outcome; retain accountability even when delegating the task.

The United Nations was founded in 1945; its Security Council has five permanent members with veto power: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

NATO was founded in 1949 under the North Atlantic Treaty; Article 5 treats an armed attack on one member as an attack on all.

The Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982) sets a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea and a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

The Geneva Conventions (1949) and their Additional Protocols govern the laws of armed conflict: distinction, proportionality, military necessity, and humanity.

Rank structure in most navies runs from seaman/rating through petty officer, chief petty officer, warrant officer, then commissioned officers from ensign/sub-lieutenant upward to admiral.

Oceanographic facts: the Pacific is the largest and deepest ocean; the Mariana Trench reaches roughly 11,000 m; the Sargasso Sea is bounded by currents, not land.

Navigation basics: latitude lines run east-west and measure north-south position; longitude lines run pole to pole and measure east-west position from the prime meridian.

Current affairs questions reward recency: track changes in heads of state, major treaties, defence alliances, and international organisations within the past 12 months.

Active voice: subject performs the action ('The officer issued the order'). Passive voice: subject receives it ('The order was issued by the officer').

Subject-verb agreement: a compound subject joined by 'and' takes a plural verb; joined by 'or'/'nor' it agrees with the nearer subject.

Comma splice: two independent clauses joined only by a comma is an error; use a semicolon, a coordinating conjunction, or a full stop.

Dangling modifier: an introductory participial phrase must modify the subject of the main clause ('Having finished the drill, the cadets...' not 'the drill was finished').

Formal naval correspondence uses a clear subject line, a direct opening, plain sentences, and a specific action statement; avoid slang, contractions, and passive hedging.

Affect is usually a verb (to influence); effect is usually a noun (a result). 'Principal' means main or a person; 'principle' means a rule or belief.

Reported speech shifts tense back one step: 'I am ready' becomes 'he said he was ready'; time words shift (now → then, today → that day).

Parallel structure: items in a list must match in grammatical form - 'plan, brief, and execute', not 'plan, briefing, and to execute'.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is commonly measured by VO2 max, expressed in ml of oxygen per kg of body mass per minute; higher values indicate greater aerobic capacity.

BMI = mass in kg / (height in m)². It is a screening tool only; it does not distinguish fat from muscle or indicate fitness.

Target heart rate zone for aerobic training is typically 60–80% of estimated maximum heart rate; estimated maximum heart rate ≈ 220 − age.

The FITT principle: Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type - the four variables used to prescribe and progress training load.

Common disqualifying conditions in officer selection include uncorrected visual acuity below the service standard, colour vision deficiency where signalling is required, and significant hearing loss.

Body composition standards for entry are usually expressed as a maximum body-fat percentage or a weight-for-height band; measurement methods include calipers and bioimpedance.

Swim standards typically require continuous unaided swimming over a set distance plus treading water and a timed underwater or surface drill.

Overuse injuries such as stress fractures are managed by load reduction and graded return; sudden large increases in training volume are a major risk factor.

Heat illness prevention: acclimatise over 10–14 days, replace fluids and electrolytes, and schedule strenuous exercise outside peak heat.

Competency-based interviews score evidence against defined criteria, usually using the STAR structure: Situation, Task, Action, Result.

Officer suitability assesses leadership, integrity, resilience, teamwork, communication, motivation, and judgement - evidence must come from the candidate's own experience.

Motivation questions test knowledge of the service role, its commitments, and the candidate's reasons; vague or second-hand answers score poorly.

Integrity scenarios test whether the candidate discloses errors, refuses unethical orders appropriately, and takes responsibility rather than blaming others.

Resilience evidence describes a specific setback, the candidate's response, what was learned, and how the learning was applied afterwards.

In group exercises, assessors look for task contribution, inclusion of others, and the ability to change position when a better argument appears - not dominance.

Answering 'what is your weakness' well requires a real limitation plus concrete evidence of active mitigation; a disguised strength is usually penalised.

Candidates should prepare questions that show understanding of the officer role and of current operations; questions about pay and leave alone signal weak motivation.

A valid syllogism's conclusion follows necessarily from its premises; if a counterexample model exists in which premises are true and conclusion false, the argument is invalid.

'Some A are B' does not imply 'some A are not B' in classical logic, but in ordinary test usage 'some' usually carries the conversational implicature 'not all'.

Contrapositive is logically equivalent to the original: 'If P then Q' equals 'If not Q then not P'. Converse ('If Q then P') and inverse are not equivalent.

'Only if' introduces a necessary condition: 'A only if B' means A implies B. 'If' introduces a sufficient condition: 'If A then B'.

In word analogy items, fix the relationship type first (part-whole, cause-effect, degree, function, category), then test direction: A is to B as C is to D, not as D is to C.

A conclusion stated with absolute quantifiers ('all', 'never', 'always') is usually weaker-supported than one hedged with 'some', 'likely', or 'tends to'.

Inference versus assumption: an inference must be supported by the passage; an assumption is an unstated premise required for the argument to work.

For 'odd one out' verbal sets, name the shared property of the majority before judging the outlier; the outlier typically fails on exactly one dimension.

Percentage change = (new − old) / old × 100. A rise then fall of the same percentage p leaves a net loss of p²/100 percent.

Successive percentage changes multiply: net factor = (1 + a)(1 + b). A 20% rise then 25% fall gives 1.20 × 0.75 = 0.90, a 10% net fall.

Speed = distance / time. Convert km/h to m/s by multiplying by 5/18; convert m/s to km/h by multiplying by 18/5.

Average speed over equal distances = harmonic mean 2xy/(x + y), not the arithmetic mean. Over equal times, the arithmetic mean applies.

Simple interest = P × R × T / 100. Compound interest = P[(1 + R/100)^T − 1]; for two years the difference from simple interest is P(R/100)².

Work rate adds: if A finishes in a days and B in b days, together they take ab/(a + b) days.

Ratio scaling: if a:b = 3:5 and the total is T, shares are 3T/8 and 5T/8. Keep units consistent before scaling.

Profit percentage is conventionally calculated on cost price: profit% = (SP − CP)/CP × 100. A discount percentage is calculated on marked price.

Divisibility: by 3 if digit sum divisible by 3; by 9 if digit sum divisible by 9; by 4 if last two digits divisible by 4; by 11 if alternating digit sum is 0 or a multiple of 11.

Rotation preserves shape and size; reflection reverses orientation (chirality). A rotated figure can be superimposed on the original; a reflected one cannot.

In 2D, a 90° clockwise rotation maps (x, y) to (y, −x); 180° maps (x, y) to (−x, −y); 270° clockwise maps (x, y) to (−y, x).

Net folding: count faces, edges and vertices with Euler's formula V − E + F = 2 for a closed convex polyhedron; a cube has 6 faces, 12 edges, 8 vertices.

Cube nets: 11 distinct hexomino nets fold into a cube. Opposite faces on a net are separated by exactly one face in a straight line.

Mirror images: a vertical mirror swaps left and right but preserves up and down; a horizontal mirror swaps up and down but preserves left and right.

Mechanical advantage of a lever: MA = effort arm / load arm. A class-1 lever with the fulcrum between load and effort balances when load × load arm = effort × effort arm.

Pulley systems: a single fixed pulley changes direction only (MA = 1); a movable pulley halves the effort (MA = 2); a block-and-tackle with n supporting rope segments has MA = n.

Gear trains: gear ratio = teeth on driven / teeth on driver; rotational speed is inversely proportional to teeth count. Meshed gears rotate in opposite directions.

Series circuits share current; parallel circuits share voltage. Adding resistors in series increases total resistance; in parallel it decreases total resistance.

Expected value = Σ (probability × outcome). Choose the option with the highest expected value when outcomes are comparable in units.

Sunk costs are irrelevant to a forward-looking decision; only future costs and benefits count.

Opportunity cost is the value of the best alternative forgone, not the sum of all alternatives.

In a prioritisation matrix, rank tasks by urgency × importance; deadline-critical and safety-critical items outrank routine items.

Critical path in a project network is the longest sequence of dependent tasks; it determines minimum project duration.

Break-even point = fixed costs / (unit price − variable cost per unit).

When information is incomplete, a decision rule is to gather the cheapest high-value information first, then act on the balance of evidence.

Base-rate neglect: a rare condition's positive test can still yield a low posterior probability; combine prior probability with test sensitivity and specificity.

Situational judgement items are scored against a defined effectiveness scale, typically from counterproductive through ineffective, neutral, effective, to highly effective.

Leadership styles: autocratic (fast, low buy-in), democratic (slower, higher commitment), laissez-faire (high autonomy, risk of drift), transformational (vision-driven change).

Tuckman's team stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning. Conflict peaks at storming; intervention should be early and direct.

Task-oriented behaviour (structure, deadlines) and relationship-oriented behaviour (support, trust) are independent dimensions; effective leaders balance both.

Escalation rule: safety, legal, ethical, or reputational risks are escalated immediately and in writing; routine performance issues are handled at the lowest competent level.

Giving feedback: describe observable behaviour and its impact, then invite the person's perspective before agreeing an action - the SBI (Situation-Behaviour-Impact) structure.

Psychological safety - a shared belief that speaking up is safe - predicts team learning and error reporting more strongly than individual ability does.

Delegation requires authority, competence, resources, and a clear outcome; retain accountability even when delegating the task.

The United Nations was founded in 1945; its Security Council has five permanent members with veto power: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

NATO was founded in 1949 under the North Atlantic Treaty; Article 5 treats an armed attack on one member as an attack on all.

The Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982) sets a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea and a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

The Geneva Conventions (1949) and their Additional Protocols govern the laws of armed conflict: distinction, proportionality, military necessity, and humanity.

Rank structure in most navies runs from seaman/rating through petty officer, chief petty officer, warrant officer, then commissioned officers from ensign/sub-lieutenant upward to admiral.

Oceanographic facts: the Pacific is the largest and deepest ocean; the Mariana Trench reaches roughly 11,000 m; the Sargasso Sea is bounded by currents, not land.

Navigation basics: latitude lines run east-west and measure north-south position; longitude lines run pole to pole and measure east-west position from the prime meridian.

Current affairs questions reward recency: track changes in heads of state, major treaties, defence alliances, and international organisations within the past 12 months.

Active voice: subject performs the action ('The officer issued the order'). Passive voice: subject receives it ('The order was issued by the officer').

Subject-verb agreement: a compound subject joined by 'and' takes a plural verb; joined by 'or'/'nor' it agrees with the nearer subject.

Comma splice: two independent clauses joined only by a comma is an error; use a semicolon, a coordinating conjunction, or a full stop.

Dangling modifier: an introductory participial phrase must modify the subject of the main clause ('Having finished the drill, the cadets...' not 'the drill was finished').

Formal naval correspondence uses a clear subject line, a direct opening, plain sentences, and a specific action statement; avoid slang, contractions, and passive hedging.

Affect is usually a verb (to influence); effect is usually a noun (a result). 'Principal' means main or a person; 'principle' means a rule or belief.

Reported speech shifts tense back one step: 'I am ready' becomes 'he said he was ready'; time words shift (now → then, today → that day).

Parallel structure: items in a list must match in grammatical form - 'plan, brief, and execute', not 'plan, briefing, and to execute'.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is commonly measured by VO2 max, expressed in ml of oxygen per kg of body mass per minute; higher values indicate greater aerobic capacity.

BMI = mass in kg / (height in m)². It is a screening tool only; it does not distinguish fat from muscle or indicate fitness.

Target heart rate zone for aerobic training is typically 60–80% of estimated maximum heart rate; estimated maximum heart rate ≈ 220 − age.

The FITT principle: Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type - the four variables used to prescribe and progress training load.

Common disqualifying conditions in officer selection include uncorrected visual acuity below the service standard, colour vision deficiency where signalling is required, and significant hearing loss.

Body composition standards for entry are usually expressed as a maximum body-fat percentage or a weight-for-height band; measurement methods include calipers and bioimpedance.

Swim standards typically require continuous unaided swimming over a set distance plus treading water and a timed underwater or surface drill.

Overuse injuries such as stress fractures are managed by load reduction and graded return; sudden large increases in training volume are a major risk factor.

Heat illness prevention: acclimatise over 10–14 days, replace fluids and electrolytes, and schedule strenuous exercise outside peak heat.

Competency-based interviews score evidence against defined criteria, usually using the STAR structure: Situation, Task, Action, Result.

Officer suitability assesses leadership, integrity, resilience, teamwork, communication, motivation, and judgement - evidence must come from the candidate's own experience.

Motivation questions test knowledge of the service role, its commitments, and the candidate's reasons; vague or second-hand answers score poorly.

Integrity scenarios test whether the candidate discloses errors, refuses unethical orders appropriately, and takes responsibility rather than blaming others.

Resilience evidence describes a specific setback, the candidate's response, what was learned, and how the learning was applied afterwards.

In group exercises, assessors look for task contribution, inclusion of others, and the ability to change position when a better argument appears - not dominance.

Answering 'what is your weakness' well requires a real limitation plus concrete evidence of active mitigation; a disguised strength is usually penalised.

Candidates should prepare questions that show understanding of the officer role and of current operations; questions about pay and leave alone signal weak motivation.