The ADFA Attitude Surveys consist of two questionnaires administered at the beginning and end of Year One Familiarisation Training (YOFT) to first year cadets each year from 2004-2009. Some demographic data about the makeup of first year cadets was collected for the purposes of the Surveys, though this was not collected in a consistent way each year. For example, in 2004 biographic data was not matched for the responses collected for the two questionnaires, and in 2009 only some pre-YOFT data was collected.
Data extracted from ADFA Attitude Survey Reports 2005-2009[494]
| YOFT Year | Parents from a non-English speaking background | Language other than English as a first language | Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander identification |
| 2005 | 89.3% of cadets did not have a parent from a non-English speaking background. 10.7% had a father and/or mother from a non-English speaking background. | Only 4.2% of respondents had a first language other than English. | None |
| 2006 | Almost 90% of cadets did not have a parent from a non-English speaking background. 11% had either father and/or mother from a non-English speaking background. | 3% of Cadets had a first language other than English. | Less than 1% (1 of 288) identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. |
| 2007 | 90.4% of Cadets did not have a parent from a non- English speaking background. 9.6% had either their father and/or mother from a non-English speaking background. | 3.3% of Cadets had a first language other than English. | None |
| 2008 | Approximately 10% of cadets had a parent from a non-English speaking background. | 3.7% of cadets had a first language other than English. | Less than 1% (2 cadets or 0.6%) identified as Aboriginal. |
| 2009 | Approximately 10% of cadets had a father and/or mother from a non-English speaking background. | 5% of cadets had a first language other than English. | 1% (3 cadets) identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. |
In years for which data was available, cadets from overseas militaries had the largest proportion (between 45%-75%) of those with parents from a non-English speaking background, or whose first language was not English, out of all the Services.
ADFA was unable to provide directly comparable data for 2010-11.
[494] DSPPR, Australian Defence Force Academy Attitude Survey 2004 – Summation of Key Findings, DSPPR Brief 4/2004, Department of Defence (2004); DSPPR, Australian Defence Force Academy Attitude Survey 2005 – Main Report, DSPPR Research Report 30/2005, Department of Defence (2005); DSPPR, Australian Defence Force Academy Attitude Survey 2006 – Main Report, DSPPR Research Report 26/2006 Department of Defence (2006); DSPPR, Australian Defence Force Academy Attitude Survey 2007 – Main Report, DSPPR Report 20/2007, Department of Defence (2007); DSPPR, Australian Defence Force Academy Attitude Survey 2008 – Main Report, DSPPR Research Report 43/2008, Department of Defence (2008); DSPPR, Australian Defence Force Academy Attitude Survey 2009 – Main Report, DSPPR Research Report 37/2009 Department of Defence (2009).
