1.1 Current Exam Facts

1.1 Current Exam Facts

Quick Answer: For 2026, the Promotion Fitness Examination (PFE) is an 80-item electronic test used in the Weighted Airman Promotion System (WAPS) for promotion to Staff Sergeant (SSgt / E-5) and Technical Sergeant (TSgt / E-6). The sole PFE study source is Air Force Handbook 1 (AFH 1), Airman, 15 February 2025. SSgt testing for most eligible active-duty Airmen runs 1 May through 30 Jun 26 on AFPT 00035 (1 Apr 26 edition starting 1 May 26). TSgt testing runs 15 Feb through 15 Apr 26 on AFPT 00036 (1 Feb 26 edition starting 15 Feb 26). Official catalogs, AFI 36-2502, and Pearson VUE do not publish a minute count—follow Test Control Facility (TCF) and Pearson VUE session instructions.

The PFE is the professional-knowledge half of WAPS: a competitive point total inside each promotion Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC), not a schoolhouse pass/fail.

What you are actually testing

Pearson VUE states that the PFE contains 80 items covering U.S. Air Force knowledge—history, organization, regulations, practices, traditions, and customs. The vendor page still describes PFE points as “the number of correct responses out of the 80 items” and still names the old Professional Development Guide. Treat those sentences as leftovers. The 2026 catalogs state that the PFE is based solely on AFH 1. AFI 36-2502, 2 July 2026, Table 2.4 scores PFE as a maximum of 100 points from percentage correct to two decimal places. Use Pearson VUE for item count and login rules and Table 2.4 for WAPS points (Section 1.2).

The Specialty Knowledge Test (SKT) is a separate 100-item exam from Career Development Course (CDC) material and career-field instructions. Most testers sit both tests. Catalogs state that some specialties have no SKT, and that most reporting identifier (RI) and special duty identifier (SDI) personnel will not take an SKT. Those Airmen are PFE-only and still sit the full 80-item PFE, including the Situational Judgment Test.

The 2026 SSgt catalog still mentions the Airman Development and Testing Chart (ADTC) “of each applicable study guide,” then states there will be no study guides developed for the 26E5 Testing Cycle. The TSgt catalog says the same for 26E6. Study AFH 1, the cycle catalog, and the 15 February 2025 ADTC.

NCO scenario. SrA Jordan (5-level maintainer) sits PFE and SKT in May–June. SSgt Patel (SDI special duty) is PFE-only in February–April. Both use the same 15 February 2025 handbook. Patel does not study CDCs for an SKT that will not be given. Jordan cannot skip the SKT because “the PFE is what really counts.”

Test day is electronic, on duty, and account-gated

WAPS testing is delivered electronically through Pearson VUE. Create a Pearson VUE account before the designated test date and know the username, password, and security-question answers. If you cannot log in or reset the password on test day, Pearson VUE treats that as a “No-Show” referred to the commander under DAFMAN 36-2664, Personnel Assessment Program.

There is no personal testing fee. Promotion testing is a military personnel action in official duty time. Coordinate the appointment with your unit and TCF. Verify name and email on the Pearson VUE profile; the vendor says the profile address is not a physical address.

Official 2026 catalogs, AFI 36-2502, and Pearson VUE do not publish a minute count. Do not study to a rumored “90 minutes.” Follow the TCF and Pearson VUE session clock.

Test-day checklist

• Confirm the cycle window (TSgt: 15 Feb–15 Apr 26; SSgt: 1 May–30 Jun 26) and AFPT edition.
• Log into Pearson VUE before test day and store username, password, and security answers.
• Confirm PFE + SKT versus PFE-only from the catalog line for your CAFSC, RI, or SDI.
• Study AFH 1 (15 February 2025) for the PFE; use CDCs only for an SKT you will actually take.
• Read the Situational Judgment Informational Guide before items 61 and after.

Situational Judgment Test items close the PFE

The last section of the PFE is a Situational Judgment Test (SJT). The Air Force guide states that questions 61–XX are SJT items based on foundational competencies. Select the most effective and least effective response. Scenarios are independent; use only the stem. Review competencies in AFH 36-2647, Competency Modeling.

Scoring keys come from Chief Master Sergeant and E-7/E-8 consensus plus competency doctrine. The official sample places you on a project team with an NCO whose opinions clash with yours. The most effective response is to discuss your opinions and try to learn from that NCO. The least effective response is to ignore the NCO.

For SrA Jordan, the last stretch of the May–June PFE is judgment, not customs trivia. For SSgt Patel, the same SJT closeout applies, but knowledge chapters before item 61 follow the TSgt catalog (Section 1.3). SJT items are part of the same 80-item PFE whose percentage correct becomes Table 2.4 points.