The ASVAB Test and Military Jobs

What do my ASVAB Scores mean?

While you do not always have a choice in deciding what job you will do in the military, you can at least help guide the direction your military path will take. Your scores on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery will in large part determine what job you will have once you enlist. Doing well on the ASVAB is important in getting the type of job you want.

Sections

The ASVAB consists of several sections that last for up to about 40 minutes each. Some of them last only about 10 minutes. The sections test your knowledge of the English language, math, science, auto shop, electronics and mechanics. The English language sections include Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension. The math sections include Arithmetic Reasoning and Mathematics Knowledge. The science section is called General Science.

Scoring

Your scores from each section are combined into line scores for different subject areas. These line items are then used by each branch of the military to determine which job training programs you can enter. Your overall score is totaled from each section and determines whether you can even enlist in the military.

Each branch has different requirements for entrance and for entering different job training programs. For example, the Army has the least restrictive entrance requirements, requiring a 31 on the ASVAB, with waivers possible at times down to 26, depending on current recruiting needs. The Air Force requires a 36 on the ASVAB if you have a high school diploma and a 65 if you have a GED. Waivers are possible down to 31 if you have a special skill like speaking a foreign language. The Navy requires a 31 with a high school diploma and a 50 with a GED. Women sometimes have to earn at least a 50 as on-ship housing for females is limited. The Marines require a 32 on the ASVAB with a diploma and a 50 with a GED. The Coast Guard requires a 40 for high school diploma holders and a 50 with a GED. If certain section test scores are high enough to qualify you for a specific in-demand Coast Guard job and you are willing to enlist to do that job, you may receive a waiver.

Higher scores are required for highly-technical job titles. If you have poor scores on the mechanical and math sections, you are not likely to receive training to be an electrician or nuclear sub technician. Likewise, if you have poor verbal skills and reading comprehension, you may not receive training to learn a second language.

These scores are total scores combined from ASVAB line scores. Your individual line scores are what determine whether you are eligible for certain job training programs. Your scores are only meant to determine your eligibility for a job training program. They are not a guarantee of getting that particular job once you enlist. You must successfully complete the training program first.

Special Programs

Your ASVAB scores also determine whether you can participate in some enlistment incentive programs. For example, if you earn a 50 on the ASVAB, you are eligible for the Navy College Fund or the college loan repayment program. Likewise, a 50 on the ASVAB is required to participate in enlistment bonuses, the Marine Corps College Fund, and the Geographic Area of Choice Program in the Marine Corps. Incentive programs change over time, so it is important to get accurate information on ASVAB score requirements from a recruiter.

Take the ASVAB seriously. It can determine the direction of your future career in the military. It may also play a role in what job you get after your military service is over if you get a job utilizing your military job training. Get a current ASVAB study guide from the library or a book store. Brush up on areas of the test where you think you will do the poorest. Learn the types of questions each section asks, and take practice exams in the required time in the book.

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Prepare for the ASVAB - Study Guides

ASVAB Practice Tests The Ultimate ASVAB Practice Pack provides you three full-length ASVAB practice tests with answer key and unlimited access to the ASVAB Online Practice Center.  Modeled After the CAT-ASVAB with over 2000 questions in the question pool - each practice test is different every time you take it.  See your AFQT score and Subtest scores at the end of the practice test.  Track your scores and history to see how you are improving.  All of this for $12.95!  100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.  Start practicing now.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Kaplan ASVAB 2011 The Kaplan guide has everything I needed to prepare myself for the exam. The book was a great help for refreshing my memory in math and English for the test. Timing yourself on the practice tests is also a great way to make sure you are ahead of the game and never worry about time in the actual test. This is one of the best study guides I have ever seen or used but be prepared to spend time doing the work. As I said it will take hours to go through the material and learn what you need. I believed this book had a direct result in scoring an AFQT of 99. Excellent Book! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- McGraw-Hill's ASVAB To reach your military career goals, it is necessary for you to score high on the ASVAB--the exam used to qualify and place recruits in all branches of the armed services. Written by a former key member of the ASVAB team at the Department of Defense, McGraw-Hill's ASVAB provides you with insider advice to achieve exam success. This guide includes four complete sample ASVABs with explanations, as well as tips and strategies for succeeding on the Verbal and Math test sections you must pass to qualify for enlistment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ASVAB Basics Extra back-to-basics practice that has helped thousands of recruits to qualify for the armed forces. Thousands of military recruits need extra help to pass the ASVAB, or Armed Forces Test and here's where they can find it! ARCO's ASVAB Basics offers intensive practice in reading, vocabulary, and mathematics the subjects covered in the four ASVAB subtests that determine whether a recruit qualifies for enlistment. Now updated, it features: * Full-length ASVAB subtests for practice * Drills to improve basic academic skills * Complete explanatory answers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ASVAB - How to Prepare "My recruiter told me about this book so I ordered it and got it 3 days later from the Military Bookstore. I got this book and it is awesome. The cd works great and every thing I needed and more to help me was in there. I recommend this book to everyone who is thinking of going in the service and wants to get a real job! GET THIS BOOK AND SCORE HIGH!!!!" Baseops | About | Links | Contact | Aviation Jobs | Military Calling Cards | Military Pay | Pilot Forum