Aptitude area

Aptitude area (AA) score on ASVAB

The subtests for determining the composites are:

General Science (GS);
Arithmetic Reasoning (AR);
Word Knowledge (WK);
Paragraph Comprehension (PC);
Numerical Operations (NO);
Coding Speed (CS);
Auto and Shop Information (AS);
Mathematics Knowledge (MK);
Mechanical Comprehension (MC);
Electronics Information (EI);
Sum of Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension (VE).

ABCs of the ASVAB

I've often heard folks say "I got a 70 on the ASVAB," or ask "What score do I need to get on the ASVAB to get this particular job?"

Understanding the ASVAB and how the military uses the results can be a bit tricky.

The ASVAB is the Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Test. Test results determine (1) whether or not one qualifies for military service, and (2) if so, what jobs they qualify for.

What is the ASVAB?

The Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery is a series of tests developed by the Department of Defense in the 1960s. The battery consists of 10 individual tests of the following subjects: Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, General Science, Auto & Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension, Electronics Information, Numerical Operations, and Coding Speed.

There are currently three versions of the ASVAB. The first version is Form 18/19, which is the paper-based test commonly given to juniors and seniors in high school. The test is administered annually or semiannually at more than 13,000 high schools and postsecondary schools in the United States. Approximately 900,000 students take Form 18/19 ASVAB each year. The second version of the ASVAB is Forms 20-22. This version is given by the Armed Forces for enlistment purposes only. While the questions on the two versions are different, they are equal in difficulty. The third version of the test is the CAT-ASVAB, which is a computerized version of the Forms 20-22 ASVAB. Results from any three of the ASVABs may be used for enlistment in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The ASVAB is not an IQ test. It does not measure intelligence. The battery of tests were designed specifically to measure an individual's aptitude to be trained in specific jobs.

History of the ASVAB

The Army began general testing of draftees during World War I. In order to provide a means of classifying draftees, the Army developed the Army Alpha Test, which consisted of 212 multiple-choice and true/false questions on the following subjects: vocabulary, sentence structure, arithmetic problems, number series, general knowledge, and "common sense."

When it became apparent that many draftees could not read or write, and therefore could not be properly classified using the Army Alpha Test, the army developed the Army Beta Test, which minimized verbal knowledge and used only pictures and diagrams. In all, nearly 2 million men were given the Army Alpha and Beta tests during World War I.

During World War II, the Army replaced the Alpha & Beta Tests with the Army General Classification Test. This test consisted of 150 questions on the following topics: vocabulary, arithmetic problems, and block counting. More than 9 million recruits took this test during World War II. Interestingly, the tests showed that only 63 percent could read/write above a third grade level.

During this time, a completely separate "aptitude test" was being administered by the Navy (The Air Force was still part of the Army).

When Congress passed the Selective Service Act in 1948, they mandated that the Department of Defense develop a uniform screening test to be used by all of the services. In response, DOD developed the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT). The test consisted of 100 multiple-choice questions in the following subjects: vocabulary, arithmetic, spatial relations, and mechanical ability. This test was given to recruits from 1950 to the mid 1970s. The separate tests were used to form a composite AFQT score, and each service was allowed to set their own minimum score standards.

In the 1960s, DOD decided to develop a standardized military selection & classification test, and administer it throughout U.S. High schools. ASVAB tests were first used in high schools in 1968, but it wasn't used for military recruiting until a few years later. In 1973, the draft was ended and the nation entered the contemporary period in which all military recruits are volunteers. Three years later, in 1976, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) was introduced as the official mental testing battery used by all services.

ABCs of the ASVAB (Page 3)

AFQT and Education Level

Education level plays a large part in whether or not your particular AFQT score will qualify you for military service.

More than 30 years of research indicates that enlistees who are high school graduates are much more likely than non-graduates to complete their first term of enlistment (80 percent versus 50 percent). In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Services gave high school graduates, including those with alternative education credentials, higher priority for enlistment. In the mid- to late 1970s, the Army, Navy, and Air Force classified GED holders and high school graduates differently because evidence showed that persons with GED certification experienced higher first-term attrition.

Today, in all Services, applicants with GEDs need higher AFQT scores to enlist than do high school diploma graduates. Additional research indicates that those with other alternative credentials, such as adult education and correspondence school diplomas, also have attrition rates greater than regular high school graduates.

In 1987, DoD implemented a three-tier classification of education credentials. Tier 1 are recruits with a high school diploma or 15 or greater college credits. Tier 2 is the designation for recruits which hold alternative high school credentials. Tier 3 indicates recruits who have not completed high school. The services put strict limits on the number of Tier 2 and Tier 3 recruits it will accept, and require them to obtain a significantly higher AFQT score than individuals with a Tier 1 education. The following table shows the percentages of various education levels accepted in Fiscal Year 1996:

Education Level	Army	Navy	Marine Corps	Air Force	DoD	18-24 Year-Old Civilians*
Tier 1: Regular High School Graduate or Higher	95.2	95.0	95.9	99.1	96.0	78.7
Tier 2: GED, Alternative Credentials	4.8	3.1	2.6	0.7	3.3	78.7
Tier 3: No Credentials	0.0	1.9	1.4	0.2	0.8	21.3
Total	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
College Experience (Part of Tier 1)(1)	10.4	4.0	2.8	19.6	9.0	46.4
Columns may not add to total due to rounding. * Civilian numbers and percentages combine Tiers 1 and 2 as civilian data include GED certificates with high school graduate rates. (1) College experience data from the Services are defined as those individuals with the following credentials: associate degree, professional nursing diploma, baccalaureate, master's, post master's, doctorate, first-professional, or completed one semester of college. Source: Service data from OASD(FMP)(MPP)/Accession Policy -- submitted in accordance with DoD Instruction 7730.56. USMC college experience from DMDC's USMEPCOM Edit File. Civilian data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey File, October 1995 - September 1996.

Differences among Services in FY 1996 high school graduate accessions are small, from 99 percent in the Air Force to 95 to 96 percent in the other Services. The Army has the highest proportion of recruits with Tier 2 credentials (5 percent); the Air Force has the lowest (1 percent). In FY 1996, the Army did not enlist any applicants without education credentials; the other Services accepted from 0.2 to 1.9 percent recruits with no high school credentials.

AFQT Score Requirements

In order to join the Air Force, one needs a minimum AFQT score of 40. However, 0.2 percent of Air Force recruits can be Category IV each year (must be high school diploma holders). The Air Force will accept about 1 percent per year of non-high school diploma holders, but they must achieve at least a 50 AFQT score to even be considered.

Army recruits must score at least 31 on the AFQT, with no more than 10 percent per year being high school dropouts. The Army will allow between 2 and 3 percent per year to be Category IV AFQT recruits (must be high school diploma holders). GED holders must score a 50 percent or better to be eligible (although waivers are possible).

Marine Corps recruits must score at least 32, with no more than 5 percent being high school dropouts. GED holders must score at least 50 on the AFQT (although waivers are possible).

Navy recruits must score at least 31. Between 5 and 10 percent per year can be high school dropouts, but they must score a minimum of 50. Additionally, high school dropouts must be at least 19 years of age, and show a proven work history.

Job Requirements

While only four areas of the ASVAB are used to compute the AFQT score, that doesn't mean the other six areas are not important. The military services compute composite scores from various areas of the ASVAB to determine specific job qualifications.

For example, the Air Force has four composite areas to determine job qualifications, known as MAGE. The Air Force uses various areas of the ASVAB to compute a score for "Mechanical," a score for "Administrative," a score for "General," and a score for "Electronics."

Looking at the Air Force Job Qualifications Page, for example, one can see that one would have to achieve a score of 43 in the "General" area to qualify for a job as a medical technician.

The Army & Marine Corps composites are far more complex. They use the ASVAB scores to determine 10 separate composite scores. An explanation of which ASVAB scores are used to compute these composites can be found on the Army Job Qualifications Page and the Marine Corps Job Qualifications Page.

The Navy and the Coast Guard use a system similar to the Army & Marine Corps.

ABCs of the ASVAB (Page 3)

What's the ASVAB like?

The ASVAB contains 10 separately timed subtests. There are 8 power subtests (test for which speed of work has no influence on an examinee’s score) and two speeded subtests. The test parts are:

1. General Science (GS) – includes 25 items that are to be completed in 11 min that measure general knowledge of biological and physical sciences.

Example:

Water is an example of a

A. crystal.
B. solid.
C. gas.
D. liquid.

2. Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) – includes 30 items that are to be completed in 36 min and the items are simple word problems with simple calculations.

Example:

If 12 men are needed to run four machines, how many men are needed to run 20 machines?

A. 20.
B. 48.
C. 60.
D. 80.

3. Word Knowledge (WK) – includes 35 items that are to be completed in 11 min where the applicant must select the correct meaning, or synonym of a given word.

Example:

Small most nearly means

A. sturdy.
B. round.
C. cheap.
D. little.

Or:

The wind is variable today.

A. mild.
B. steady.
C. shifting.
D. chilling.

4. Paragraph Comprehension (PC) – includes 15 items, which are to be completed in 13 min where the applicant must read several paragraphs and then answer the 15 questions on what they just read.

Example:

From a building designer's standpoint, three things that make a home livable are the client, the building site, and the amount of money the client has to spend. According to this statement, to make a home livable

A. the prospective piece of land makes little difference.
B. it can be built on any piece of land.
C. design must fit the owner's income and site.
D. the design must fit the owner's income.

5. Numerical Operations (NO) – includes 50 items and the applicant is given 3 min in which to answer as many problems involving simple calculations as possible.(speeded)

3x4=

A. 1
B. 7
C. 12
D. 14

6. Coding Speed (CS) – includes 84 items and the applicant has 7 min in which to substitute numeric codes for verbal material.

Example:

Key

green ..... 2715 man ..... 3451 salt ..... 4586

hat ..... 1413 room ..... 2864 tree ..... 5972

Answers

1. room 1413 2715 2864 3451 4586

2. green 2715 2864 3451 4586 5972

3. tree 1413 2715 3451 4586 5972

4. hat 1413 2715 3451 4586 5972

5. room 1413 2864 3451 4586 5972

7. Auto and Shop information (AS) – includes 25 items that are to be completed in 11 min an they measure knowledge of automobiles, tools, shop terminology, and shop practices.

Example:

A chisel is used for

A. prying.
B. cutting.
C. twisting.
D. grinding.

8. Mathematical Knowledge (MK) – includes 25 items that are to be completed in 24 min and measure knowledge of high school level math (algebra, geometry, elementary trigonometry)

Example:

If 50 percent of X = 66, then X = (D. is the correct answer)

A. 33.
B. 66.
C. 99.
D. 132.

9. Mechanical Comprehension (MC) – includes 25 items to be completed in 19 min and measures knowledge of basic mechanical and physical principles.

Example:

If gear A makes 14 revolutions, gear B will make

A. 21.
B. 17.
C. 14.
D. 9.

10. Electronics Information (EI) – includes 20 items that are to be completed in 9 min and measure knowledge of electric principles and electronic terminology.

What does the abbreviation A.C. stand for?

A. additional charge.
B. alternating coil.
C. alternating current.
D. ampere current.

Retesting

ASVAB results are valid for two years. After taking an initial ASVAB Test (any ASVAB test taken in school doesn't count as an "initial test"), one can retake the ASVAB after 30 days. After the re-test, one must wait at least six months before they can take the test again. The military services use the latest ASVAB scores, not the highest, for service and job qualifications.

While each of the services have their own policies governing when or if a retest will be given, in general a retest is not allowed for the mere purpose of improving your scores (unless the overall score is below the minimum acceptable by that service). In the Army & Air Force, if one scores high enough to qualify, then one is only allowed to retest if something unusual happened during the test, and there is substantial evidence to show that the score(s) do not reflect the applicant's true potential. An example would be a high school honor student who accidentally mismarked the answer sheet, resulting in an extremely low score. The fact that the individual is an honor student would be evidence that the low score is below their actual potential.

In the Navy, a retest can be authorized only if the following two conditions are met:

(1) There is evidence of substantial improvement in education or language ability, such as earning a high school diploma or GED, or completion of the Navy Functional Skills Course, since the last ASVAB was taken; and

(2) There is a positive reason for the retest, such as to qualify for a specific job program.

Studying for the ASVAB

There are several study aids available to help prepare for the ASVAB. You may want to check out our Top 10 Picks for ASVAB Study Guides, and read Before You Buy an ASVAB Study Guide.

Remember, only four areas of the ASVAB are used to compute the AFQT composite. If your concern is scoring high enough to qualify for the service of your choice, you should concentrate your study areas on those areas.