NAF Aptitude Test 2026: BMTC 47 Zonal Test Holds 24 October

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has fixed the Zonal General Aptitude Test for the Year 2026 BMTC 47 recruitment exercise for Saturday, 24 October 2026. The notice was posted on the official recruitment portal on 21 October 2026, and it says the list of applicants will be published shortly, sorted by the centre each person selected during registration. If you applied between 3 September and 14 October 2026, the only places to confirm your name and venue are nafrecruitment.airforce.mil.ng and its Updates page. The exercise is free at every stage.

Key takeaways

The BMTC 47/2026 zonal aptitude test holds on Saturday, 24 October 2026, three days after the NAF published the notice on 21 October.
Names will be released "according to their selected centres", so your venue is the centre you chose when you registered, not a centre of your choice on the day.
The portal now shows "Application is closed" and "No exercise is currently ongoing" for new registrations. The test is for people who already applied; there is no fresh application window.
Recruitment into the NAF is free and is run only through the official portal. Nobody can sell you a shortlist slot, a test centre or a pass mark.
The NAF has not yet published a what-to-carry list for this test. Until it does, the safest approach is to bring the documents you generated at registration plus your original certificates and identification.

Last updated: 22 October 2026

What the NAF announced on 21 October 2026

The notice on the recruitment portal is short. Under the heading "Notification for conduct of Zonal General Aptitude Test for Year 2026 NAF BMTC 47 Recruitment Exercise", it states that the test is scheduled for Saturday, 24 October 2026 and that the list of applicants will be published shortly according to their selected centres. There is no venue list, reporting time or document list in the notice itself. Those details, if the NAF issues them, will appear on the same Updates page or in your applicant dashboard, so check both daily between now and Saturday morning.

The timing is tight: the test comes ten days after the 14 October closing date and only three days after the notice went up. Treat the next 48 hours as preparation time rather than waiting time.

Who sits the BMTC 47 aptitude test?

The test is for candidates who completed an online application for BMTC 47/2026 during the registration window of 3 September to 14 October 2026. BMTC (Basic Military Training Course) is the airmen and airwomen entry route, open in two categories:

Non-Tradesmen and Non-Tradeswomen: secondary-school leavers aged 18 to 22, according to the portal FAQ.
Tradesmen and Tradeswomen: holders of ND, NCE, RN/RM, NABTEB, City & Guilds or Trade Test certificates, aged 18 to 25 according to the portal FAQ.

Other eligibility conditions published on the portal include a minimum height of 1.66 m for men and 1.63 m for women, and credits in English Language and Mathematics. The portal FAQ lists a minimum of seven credits, while several newspaper reports quoted five credits in no more than two sittings; where the two differ, the portal's own instructions are the ones the NAF will apply at screening. If you did not finish your application or could not print your acknowledgement card, you were not fully registered and should not expect to see your name on the list.

How to check whether you have been listed for the test

Open nafrecruitment.airforce.mil.ng/updates. New notices appear at the top with a date stamp; the aptitude test notice is dated 21 October 2026.
Log in to the applicant area on the portal with the details you used at registration and look for any message about your centre or reporting time.
When the list is published, search for your name under the centre you selected at registration. Lists are grouped by centre, so a name that is not under your centre is not your name.
Reprint your acknowledgement card if your copy is lost or damaged. The portal's "Print Acknowledgement Cards" option is the only legitimate way to get it.
Follow the NAF's verified social media handles linked from the portal, but treat the portal as the final word. Screenshots of "lists" forwarded on WhatsApp are not an official source.

Which centres hosted the test last year?

The NAF has not yet published the 2026 centre list. For context only, the 2025 BMTC 46 zonal aptitude test, which the NAF said drew more than 20,000 applicants, was written at 15 centres: Sokoto, Minna, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Maiduguri, Yola, Makurdi, Jos, Ilorin, Ipetu-Ijesa, Enugu, Benin, Port Harcourt and Ikeja. Centres can change from one exercise to the next, so use this list only to estimate travel time and cost until your own centre is confirmed on the portal.

What to prepare before Saturday

Because the NAF has not released a document list for this test, the practical approach is to carry everything the force asked for at the application stage. Based on the registration requirements reported when BMTC 47 opened, that means:

Your printed acknowledgement card or slip from the portal.
The Parent or Guardian Consent Form and the Local Government Area attestation or certification form, signed by the appropriate officials.
Original and photocopies of your academic certificates or statements of result (WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, ND, NCE or Trade Test as applicable).
Birth certificate or declaration of age, certificate of state of origin and your National Identification Number (NIN) slip.
Recent passport photographs and your own writing materials.

Plan to arrive early. Aptitude tests for the armed forces usually involve accreditation before the paper itself, and candidates who arrive after accreditation closes are not admitted. If your centre is far from where you live, sort out transport and accommodation on Friday rather than on Saturday morning.

What the test is likely to cover

The NAF has not published a syllabus for the BMTC 47 aptitude test, and no official past questions exist. The sensible revision plan for an entry-level armed forces test is English language, basic mathematics, general knowledge about Nigeria and current affairs, and some knowledge of the Nigerian Air Force itself, such as its history and the name of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, who said during the 2025 test that the NAF is "firmly committed to recruiting the best candidates by merit". Be wary of anyone selling "NAF BMTC 47 past questions" or claiming to know the paper.

What happens after the aptitude test?

The aptitude test is a zonal screening stage, not the final selection. In previous exercises, candidates who passed went on to a further selection process before being invited to the Basic Military Training Course. The NAF will communicate the next stage through the portal and its verified channels; the force has not given a date for results or for the final selection, so ignore any site that claims to have the "BMTC 47 final list" this week.

Avoiding recruitment scams around the test

Every NAF exercise attracts fraudsters, and the days around an aptitude test are the busiest period for them. Keep these points in mind:

The portal states that "Recruitment/Enlistment into the NAF is FREE and is done through this Portal". There is no fee for the test, the list, the centre or the final selection.
The NAF does not use agents. Anyone offering to "upload your name", move you to a nearer centre or guarantee a pass is a suspected fraudster, and you should report them.
Official information comes from airforce.mil.ng and nafrecruitment.airforce.mil.ng. The portal's listed contact lines are 07052683575 and 07030562381, and the email is careers@airforce.mil.ng, available Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Never send your acknowledgement card, NIN or passport photograph to a stranger who promises to "check your status" for you.

Frequently asked questions

When is the NAF BMTC 47 aptitude test?

The Zonal General Aptitude Test for the Year 2026 NAF BMTC 47 recruitment exercise is scheduled for Saturday, 24 October 2026, according to a notice posted on the official recruitment portal on 21 October 2026.

Where can I find the list of applicants for the NAF aptitude test?

The NAF says the list will be published on nafrecruitment.airforce.mil.ng and grouped by the centre each applicant selected at registration. Check the portal's Updates page and your applicant login; do not rely on lists shared on social media.

Can I still apply for NAF BMTC 47/2026?

No. Registration ran from 3 September to 14 October 2026, and the portal now shows that the application is closed. The aptitude test is only for people who completed their application before the deadline.

Is the NAF aptitude test free?

Yes. The portal states that recruitment and enlistment into the NAF are free and handled only through the official portal. No payment is required for the test, the list or any later stage.

What should I bring to the NAF aptitude test?

The NAF has not released a document list for this test. Carry your printed acknowledgement card, the consent and LGA attestation forms, your original certificates with photocopies, your birth certificate or age declaration, certificate of origin, NIN slip, passport photographs and writing materials, and watch the portal for any additional instructions.

Looking for other opportunities?

If you are waiting on the NAF or want a backup plan, the Nigerian Navy Batch 39 recruitment is open until 31 October 2026, and our guide to graduate trainee programmes in Nigeria covers the private-sector route. You can also browse current jobs in Nigeria, entry-level roles and security jobs in Nigeria on Jobsiz, and tidy up your application with our CV format guide.

Sources

Written by the Jobsiz Editorial Team. This article is based on the NAF recruitment portal and the sources listed above as at 22 October 2026. Recruitment details can change at short notice; always confirm on the official portal before travelling to a centre.