ASVAB Test

ASVAB stands for the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. As its name implies, there are multiple tests involved in the battery of the ASVAB. These tests are given by military recruiters in high schools, colleges, or anywhere young people are considering enlisting. The tests, based on general knowledge from a high school curriculum, are analyzed by recruiters for the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, the wing of the Defense Department responsible for administering recruits for all of the armed services. Candidate scores determine where and how they will be deployed and trained for military service.

The core of the battery of tests is called the Armed Forces Qualifying Tests (AFQT). Candidates must achieve minimum scores in order to join a particular division of military. For instance, a 31 is the minimum qualification for entrance into the United States Army or Marine Corps; a 35 is required for the Navy; a 36 for the Air Force; and a minimum of 45 is needed for entrance into the United States Coast Guard. Scores also offer information to recruiters about which specialization candidates might excel in, from engineering to communications.

There are currently several versions of the test available for applicants to take. All of them follow a multiple-choice format. The most common is the Computer Adaptive Test (CAT). It takes less than two hours and, like other adaptive test, gives takers harder or easier questions based on their success on previous questions. The Mobile Examination Test (MET) is a paper test administered at schools. It takes longer than two hours. Questions are similar to the CAT, but wrong answers are not penalized, so the optimal strategy is to answer as many questions as possible. Finally, there is a student ASFVAB exam designed to help students choose career paths, military or not. The tests cover similar material. They each have either eight or nine subtests, ranging from general science and math to more concrete topics like auto mechanics and electronics. Taking a sample test is recommended to discover the range and depth of questions on the individual exams.

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