the Mechanical Comprehension subtest, you don’t need to invest a lot of time studying for it. As you’re preparing for the ASVAB, remember to plan your study time wisely. If you don’t need to worry about the Assembling Objects subtest, don’t bother with that chapter in this book. Spend the time on Word Knowledge or Arithmetic Reasoning. Keep in mind, though, if you don’t have a desired job or aren’t sure about your options, it’s best to study this book and take the practice tests, focusing on all areas of the ASVAB. Doing well on each subtest will broaden your available job choices and make you a more desirable candidate.
Calculating the AFQT score
The military brass (or at least its computers) determines your AFQT score through a very particular process:
1 Add the value of your Word Knowledge score to your Paragraph Comprehension score.
2 Convert the result of Step 1 to a scaled score, ranging from 20 to 62.This score is known as your Verbal Expression or VE score.
3 To get your raw AFQT score, double your VE score and then add your Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) score and your Mathematics Knowledge (MK) score to it.The basic equation looks like this:Raw AFQT Score = 2VE + AR + MK
4 Convert your raw score to a percentile score, which basically compares your results to the results of thousands of other ASVAB test-takers.For example, a score of 50 means that you scored as well as or better than 50 percent of the individuals the military is comparing you to.
Looking at AFQT score requirements for enlistment
AFQT scores are grouped into six main categories based on the percentile score ranges in Table 1-3. Category III and Category IV are divided into subgroups because the services sometimes use this chart for internal tracking purposes, enlistment limits, and enlistment incentives. Based on your scores, the military decides how trainable you may be to perform jobs in the service.
TABLE 1-3 AFQT Scores and Trainability
| Category | Percentile Score | Trainability |
|---|---|---|
| I | 93–99 | Outstanding |
| II | 65–92 | Excellent |
| III A | 50–64 | Above average |
| III B | 31–49 | Average |
| IV A | 21–30 | Below average |
| IV B | 16–20 | Below average |
| IV C | 10–15 | Below average |
| V | 1–9 | Not trainable |
The U.S. Congress has directed that the military can’t accept Category V recruits or more than 4 percent of recruits from Category IV. No more than 10 percent of new recruits may have a high school equivalency certificate rather than a diploma. The military also requires at least 60 percent of all new recruits to fall into Categories I, II, or III A. If your score falls into Category III B or anywhere in Category IV, your chances of being able to enlist are smaller (especially if other Category IV recruits beat you to it).
Depending on whether you have a high school diploma or a passing score on your state’s approved high school equivalency test (such as the GED), the military has different AFQT score requirements. Check out Table 1-4.
The minimum scores required in each branch can — and do — change frequently because the military has different needs at different times. For example, at the height of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Army accepted recruits with GEDs who scored 31 on the AFQT.
TABLE 1-4 AFQT Score Requirements
| Branch of Service | Minimum AFQT Score with High School Diploma | Minimum AFQT Score with High School Equivalency Test Certificate | Special Circumstances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 36 | 50 | In very rare cases, if you possess special skills (such as speaking a foreign language that the Air Force considers critical), the minimum AFQT score can be waived. The Air Force allows less than 1 percent of its enlistees each year to have a high school equivalency test certificate instead of a high school diploma. |
| Army | 31 | 50 | The Army sometimes approves waivers for applicants with high school equivalency test certificates and AFQT scores below 31. |
| Coast Guard | 36 | Varies | If you have a high school equivalency certificate, the minimum AFQT score doesn’t apply. If your ASVAB line scores qualify you for a specific job and you’re willing to enlist in that job, the recruiter may be able to put in a waiver. Very few people (about 5 percent) each year are allowed to enlist with a high school equivalency certificate. |
| Marine Corps | 31 | 50 | You must have at least 15 college credits to enlist with a high school equivalency certificate. |
| Navy | 31 | 50 | If you enlist with a high school equivalency certificate, you must have 15 college credits. |
Checking out the military’s AFQT requirements for special programs
Achieving the minimum required AFQT score established by an individual branch gets your foot in the door, but the higher you score, the better. For example, if you need a medical or criminal history waiver in order to enlist, the military personnel who make those decisions are more likely to take a chance on you if they think you’re a pretty smart cookie than they would be if you barely made the minimum qualifying score.
Individual branches of the military tie many special enlistment programs to minimum AFQT scores:
Army: The Army requires a minimum AFQT score of 50 to qualify for most of its incentive programs, such as a monetary enlistment bonus, the college-loan
