1.2 DAA Logistics, Portal Rules & Test-Taking Strategy
Key Takeaways
- The candidate-portal DAA link is valid for 14 days and must be completed in a single sitting once started.
- Live testing requires a screen of at least 10.2 inches; you may sit at home or at an AFCO.
- RAF familiarisation publishes section timers summing to about 69 minutes across roughly 128 items.
- No calculator on numerical reasoning — paper workings are expected; pace work-rate and spatial blocks aggressively.
1.2 DAA Logistics, Portal Rules & Test-Taking Strategy
Quick Answer: After your application progresses, you receive a candidate-portal link that stays valid for 14 days. Once you start, you must finish in a single sitting. You may sit at home on a device with a screen of at least 10.2 inches, or arrange to sit at a local Armed Forces Careers Office (AFCO). Each of the six sections is individually timed; calculators are not allowed on the numerical work.
Logistics mistakes wipe out otherwise strong aptitude. Treat device rules, the 14-day window, and section timers as part of the exam itself.
Portal window and single sitting
Royal Navy DAA guidance states:
- The assessment link is sent to your candidate portal and remains valid for 14 days.
- You choose when to start inside that window, but once started you must complete it in one sitting.
- After completion, careers staff contact you about next steps.
Do not open the live link “just to look around” unless you are ready to finish the full battery.
Where you take it
Official options:
- At home / on your own IT using the portal link, on a screen ≥ 10.2 inches (phones are fine for familiarisation practice, not for the live assessment).
- At an AFCO, using Service IT, arranged with your Careers Adviser.
RAF familiarisation also notes that when a section timer expires the clock stops, but you can still answer remaining items in that section before moving on — so unfinished items are not automatically locked the instant the timer hits zero. Still, leaving a long trail of unanswered items is a poor strategy.
Official public pages emphasise a quiet location and focus; they do not publish a detailed consumer “webcam proctoring software” specification. Follow whatever instructions appear in your portal invite. If home conditions are poor, book an AFCO sitting.
Timing map (use this for pacing drills)
Build practice sets that mirror the RAF familiarisation real-test loads:
| Block | Items | Timer | Pace cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 20 | 15 min | ~45 seconds/item across scenarios |
| Numerical Part 1 | 12 | 4 min | ~20 seconds/item — mental arithmetic only |
| Numerical Part 2 | 15 | 11 min | Read chart titles/units first |
| Work Rate | 20 | 4 min | ~12 seconds/item — coding speed |
| Spatial Part 1 (2D) | 10 | 4 min | Track labelled edges carefully |
| Spatial Part 2 (3D) | 10 | 3 min | Track both corner dots after rotation |
| Electrical | 22 | 15 min | ~40 seconds/item |
| Mechanical | 19 | 13 min | ~40 seconds/item |
That is 69 minutes of timers before instructions and transitions. Drill each block separately, then string two or three blocks back-to-back to build stamina.
Rules that actually matter
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Use blank paper and pencil for workings (numerical explicitly allows paper) | Use a calculator or multi-function watch for numerical answers |
| Sit on a ≥10.2" screen in a quiet place | Start on a phone screen for the live test |
| Finish inside the 14-day portal validity | Assume you can pause overnight once started |
| Answer every item you can; guessing is better than blanks if unmarked | Spend two minutes on one work-rate item |
Test-taking tactics
1. Triage inside each timer
Every section is short. If a mechanical diagram or multi-step fraction will consume disproportionate time, mark a best guess and move. Returning is only useful if the interface and remaining time allow it — familiarisation UIs often show a revisit list, but do not bank on unlimited review on the live form.
2. Guessing policy
Public MOD pages do not spell out a negative-marking formula. Standard aptitude practice is that unanswered items cannot score, so leaving blanks at the buzzer is usually worse than an educated guess. Eliminate impossible magnitudes first.
3. Scratch-paper discipline
- Numerical: write unit conversions and intermediate products; keep columns neat.
- Work rate: jot the active code columns once, then scan options.
- Spatial: sketch rotations or edge matches instead of “staring harder.”
- Electrical/mechanical: annotate currents, forces, or gear directions on the diagram copy.
4. Between-section reset
Clear the previous section mentally on the transition screen. Carrying frustration from numerical into work rate destroys coding accuracy.
5. Branch follow-up after results
Results are reviewed against role-specific thresholds. If you miss your first choice, ask which roles your profile still supports and what your branch’s retake rules are (attempt caps and waiting periods are not identical across RN/RM and RAF).
Master the logistics once, then spend your study hours on the six aptitude domains that follow.
How long does the Royal Navy say your DAA candidate-portal link remains valid?
What minimum screen size does Royal Navy DAA guidance require for the actual assessment?
Which statement about DAA numerical testing is correct?