28.1 PFE Situational Judgment Format
Key Takeaways
- The SJT is the last section of the same 80-item PFE; Pearson VUE publishes PFE at 80 items and SKT at 100. It is not a separate WAPS test.
- The official Situational Judgment Informational Guide starts SJT items at 61 and prints the remaining range as 61–XX. It does not publish a standalone SJT item count.
- Each scenario produces two questions: choose the most effective option, then the least effective option, with only one answer per question.
- Scoring keys come from CMSgt, behavioral-scientist, and E-7/E-8 NCO consensus plus Air Force foundational-competency doctrine; only items with clear consensus are retained.
- AFI 36-2502 Table 2.4 (2 July 2026) scores the PFE as percent correct, max 100. Pearson VUE still says points equal the number correct out of 80 — leftover vendor wording, not current WAPS math.
28.1 PFE Situational Judgment Format
Quick Answer: The situational judgment test (SJT) is the last section of the Promotion Fitness Examination, not a second appointment and not a third WAPS factor. Pearson VUE publishes the PFE as 80 items and the SKT as 100 items. The Air Force Situational Judgment Informational Guide starts SJT items at 61 and prints the remaining range as 61–XX. Each scenario produces two questions: most effective, then least effective, one answer per question.
For both E-5 (SSgt) and E-6 (TSgt) WAPS testing, SJT items sit on the same PFE that also tests AFH 1 professional knowledge. You are ranking hypothetical workplace actions the way experienced Airmen and foundational-competency doctrine rank them — not looking up an AFH 1 paragraph number.
Where the SJT sits on the 80-item PFE
Pearson VUE's Weighted Airman Promotion System page (updated 31 July 2026) describes two promotion tests for Staff Sergeant and Technical Sergeant:
| Test | Official item count (Pearson VUE) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| PFE | 80 items | Professional Development Guide knowledge plus the SJT as the last section of those same 80 items |
| SKT | 100 items | AFSC Career Development Course, applicable instructions, and manuals |
The SJT is inside the 80-item PFE. It is not a 100-item sister test and not a separate Table 2.4 factor like decorations or EPBs.
The official guide on studyguides.af.mil opens: The last section of the PFE will include situational judgment test (SJT) questions. Those questions present hypothetical scenarios meant to assess your ability to determine the most and least effective action. Sample instructions add: Questions 61 – XX are situational judgment items based on Air Force foundational competencies.
Teach that range as printed. 61 is the published start. XX is how the guide labels the end. Pearson VUE's 80 is the published PFE length. The informational guide does not publish a standalone SJT item total. Do not treat an unofficial knowledge-versus-SJT split from older news releases as if the guide printed it.
Official WAPS catalogs, AFI 36-2502, and Pearson VUE do not publish a PFE minute count. Do not study to a made-up clock.
Two questions per scenario: most, then least
The guide's mechanics:
During the SJT section of the PFE, you will be presented a selection of scenarios. Each scenario will have two questions. For the first question on a scenario, you will be asked to choose the most effective option of the choices presented. For the second question on each scenario, you will be asked to choose the least effective option of the choices presented. Only one answer may be chosen per question.
| Format element | Official rule |
|---|---|
| What you read | A hypothetical workplace scenario that may occur in an organization |
| First question on that scenario | Select the MOST EFFECTIVE response from the listed choices |
| Second question on that same scenario | Select the LEAST EFFECTIVE response from the same listed choices |
| Marks | Only one answer may be chosen per question |
| The option list | Choices may not reflect all potential actions — rank the printed set |
| Evidence | Use only the information in the scenario; do not add assumptions |
| Independence | Each scenario is independent — do not import facts from another stem |
The sample pair makes the pairing visible. Item 61 and Item 62 reprint the identical stem and the identical four options. Item 61 asks for the most effective response; item 62 asks for the least effective response. You answer two numbered questions about one stem — you do not mark two letters on one item.
How the keys are built
Subject matter experts determine the correct answers. SMEs include CMSgts, behavioral scientists, and other NCOs. Their ranking of choices is turned into a scale for both the most and least effective actions, then validated among the various SME groups.
The scoring example names the panels you are matching: Chief Master Sergeants and behavioral scientists Air Force-wide, plus E-7 and E-8 SMEs who review and revise situations, response options, and scoring. Keys rest on judgment of experienced Airmen, theories describing best practices, and guidance on successful actions provided by the Air Force foundational competencies. Only items and responses where there is clear consensus, using all of those sources, are retained. AFH 1 does not print a public SJT answer sheet.
Official sample (teach it as printed)
Stem (Items 61 and 62): One of the other NCOs on your team comes from a very different background than you do. You find that you do not always agree with the opinions they express. You have recently been assigned to complete a project on the same team as this NCO. There has been noticeable tension within the team because of the difference in opinions.
| Option | Printed action |
|---|---|
| A | Discuss your opinions with the NCO and try to learn from them. |
| B | Make an effort to get to know the NCO outside of work activities. |
| C | Make sure the NCO fully understands your point of view. |
| D | Ignore the NCO as much as possible. |
Published key: most effective = Discuss your opinions with the NCO and try to learn from them. Least effective = Ignore the NCO as much as possible. Two-way engagement that includes learning is keyed above one-way persuasion and above socializing around the conflict. Withdrawing from the teammate while the team is already tense is the failure mode. Section 28.3 turns that pair into an NCO ranking method.
How SJT answers enter WAPS points
SJT items ride the PFE's WAPS factor. They are not a separate Table 2.4 line.
AFI 36-2502, 2 July 2026, Table 2.4 sets the PFE at 100 points and says: Base individual score on percentage correct (two decimal places). A minimum PFE score of 40 points is required when taking both tests, with a combined SKT and PFE score of 90. Airmen testing PFE only must score a minimum of 45 points. Note 1 cuts off after the second decimal and does not use the third to round. Note 2: an Airman who scores 40 on one exam needs 50 on the other to reach 90; PFE-only testing still requires 45 (90 when doubled). Missing those floors makes the Airman a promotion non-select.
Pearson VUE leftover wording still says PFE points equal the number of correct responses out of the 80 items. Taken literally, that caps credit at 80. Table 2.4's maximum is 100, scored as percent correct. Treat Pearson's sentence as leftover vendor language. Current WAPS math is percent correct, max 100. There is no separately published SJT cut score, SJT point cap, or PFE minute limit in the catalog, AFI 36-2502, or Pearson VUE.
Official tips
- Read both the scenario and the instructions carefully before answering — so you do not mark the most-effective choice on the least-effective item.
- The choices may not reflect all potential actions — rank the printed four.
- Use only the information in the scenario — do not invent a prior incident or unstated policy.
- Each scenario is independent — do not carry a name or history forward.
- Review foundational competencies and behaviors in AFH 36-2647.
Official sources: SJT Informational Guide (PDF), Pearson VUE WAPS, AFI 36-2502 (2 July 2026).
Where does the situational judgment test sit in WAPS testing for SSgt and TSgt?
On the official SJT sample about tension with another NCO on a project team, which printed action is keyed as the most effective response?
How does AFI 36-2502 Table 2.4 (2 July 2026) currently convert PFE results — including SJT items — into WAPS points?
How does the Situational Judgment Informational Guide say scoring keys for most- and least-effective actions are produced?