Agagles,
Just last week Flieger said on the AFA forum, that although they did the super secret handshake, but have yet to receive the official paperwork, starting class of 16, the system has changed to be more like AFROTC where the exam will not be given until further into the system. Yes, prior yrs for AFA you took it when you became an applicant, now it will be when you are a qualified applicant, thus, you have a nom.
Basically they are following suit of AFROTC since if they paid for every candidate it would costs tons more money and they still would have the same amount of awarded scholarships/apptmts. By waiting until they are seen as "truly" competitive it saves not only money, but also stress on the DodMERB system. Afterall, you know and I know that just for the AFA under the old system, @ 6600 make it to applicant, but only 3300 get noms. That is 3300 less exams, and g*d knows how many less referrals due to DQs. That's just AFA, imagine how many for ROTC, if they gave the exam before they were boarded?
Back to the OP. If your DD wants to be a pilot; re:doc ? pilot, and since you did not say which branch, all I can say is "YES" for AFROTC they will go through a vary detailed exam.
Additionally, they will be required to take another exam for SFT. It may be that AFROTC has decided to save costs by delaying the exam that my DS went through in 07 to upon getting selected for SFT. The reason why is also fiscal. If you are not selected for SFT, even as a scholarship recipient, you do not get promoted to PMC, hence, no commissioning via ROTC. It would make sense for them not to do the thorough exam until that point since it would save the DOD money. Only about 50% of AFROTC cadets over the pass 2 yrs went to SFT. For DS his SFT exam was like your DDs. It could just be possible that they switched it to more intensified exams as you go up the line.
Trust this Mom, you live in absolute fear for that Pilot exam. Out of the 40 cadets DS went with 10 failed their 1st EEG, and had to go for a more intense one. 5 cadets got nailed for eyesight, DS who did not need a waiver for AFA/AFROTC DodMERB, got hit for UPT, waiver already given, and is typically given. Just pointing out that there are different levels. He was fine for the overall, but when it came to his career, he didn't meet the base line. Ironically, his eyesight improved from the exam he took in 07 (20/40) to this one,(20/20) it was something with dipo-somethings or another.
PS. for those with kids that are on the cusp for PRK, that is why they wait until they are in their 20's to perform it, because your eyes are still changing. Had we done it for our DS, who really tried pushing us on it, he would have done it for nothing since his eyesight corrected themselves. It is not only expensive, but you will go through a waiver process for it, and opening yourself up for more intensified exams/paperwork.