(apply) for the specific job within a year of graduating boot camp.SEMPER SUPRA: THE ASVAB AND THE ALL-NEW SPACE FORCEThe sky isn’t the limit anymore. The United States Space Force, the sixth military branch, operates under the U.S. Air Force (like the way the Marines are a department of the Navy). Right now, the branch is only accepting current airmen who transfer from the regular Air Force, soldiers from the Army, sailors from the Navy, and Marines. Eventually, when the Space Force begins to accept new enlistees, it’ll come up with its own AFQT and line score requirements. If you’re reading this book with the intention of eventually transferring to the USSF, you should set your sights on Air Force Specialty Code 1C6 (Space Systems Operations) or a job in acquisitions, engineering, intelligence, or cyber operations. Your recruiter can give you the most up-to-date information.
Space Force: You can’t yet enlist directly into the U.S. Space Force (USSF). As of this writing, you can only transfer in from your current position in the Air Force, Army, Navy, or Marine Corps. The USSF expects to accept transfers from the Army and Navy by fiscal year 2022/2023 and may open enlistment to new applicants after that.
All enlistment contracts for the National Guard and reserve forces (regardless of branch) contain guarantees for a specific job. Why? Because reserve recruiters recruit for vacancies in specific reserve units, usually located within 100 miles of where a person lives.
Understanding How Each Branch Computes Line Scores
A line score combines various standard ASVAB scores to see which jobs or training programs you qualify for. The standard scores are your scores on the individual ASVAB subtests (with Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension combined as a Verbal Expression score):
General Science (GS)
Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
Auto & Shop Information (AS)
Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
Electronics Information (EI)
Assembling Objects (AO)
Verbal Expression (VE), the sum of Word Knowledge (WK) and Paragraph Comprehension (PC)
Each of the military services computes its line scores differently. Some calculations even include dummy scores — average scores received by thousands of test-takers — for Numerical Operations (NO) and Coding Speed (CS), subtests that are no longer part of the ASVAB. The following sections outline how each branch comes up with its line scores.
Line scores and the Army
To compute line scores for job qualification, the Army combines the various scores into ten separate areas by simple addition of the ASVAB standard scores. Table 2-1 shows the line scores and the ASVAB subtests that make them up.
TABLE 2-1 The U.S. Army’s Ten Line Scores
| Line Score | Standard Scores Used | Formula Used |
|---|---|---|
| Clerical (CL) | Verbal Expression (VE), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), and Mathematics Knowledge (MK) | VE + AR + MK |
| Combat (CO) | Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Coding Speed (CS), Auto & Shop Information (AS), and Mechanical Comprehension (MC) | AR + CS + AS + MC |
| Electronics (EL) | General Science (GS), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), and Electronics Information (EI) | GS + AR + MK + EI |
| Field Artillery (FA) | Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Coding Speed (CS), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), and Mechanical Comprehension (MC) | AR + CS + MK + MC |
| General Maintenance (GM) | General Science (GS), Auto & Shop Information (AS), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), and Electronics Information (EI) | GS + AS + MK + EI |
| General Technical (GT) | Verbal Expression (VE) and Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) | VE + AR |
| Mechanical Maintenance (MM) | Numerical Operations (NO), Auto & Shop Information (AS), Mechanical Comprehension (MC), and Electronics Information (EI) | NO + AS + MC + EI |
| Operators and Food (OF) | Verbal Expression (VE), Numerical Operations (NO), Auto & Shop Information (AS), and Mechanical Comprehension (MC) | VE + NO + AS + MC |
| Surveillance and Communications (SC) | Verbal Expression (VE), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Auto & Shop Information (AS), and Mechanical Comprehension (MC) | VE + AR + AS + MC |
| Skilled Technical (ST) | General Science (GS), Verbal Expression (VE), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), and Mechanical Comprehension (MC) | GS + VE + MK + MC |
Line scores and the Navy and Coast Guard
The Navy and Coast Guard use the standard scores directly from the ASVAB: the individual subtest scores and Verbal Expression (VE) score, which is the sum of Word Knowledge (WK) and Paragraph Comprehension (PC).
Although the Navy and Coast Guard don’t use their line scores for officially determining jobs, the scores provide recruiters, job counselors, and recruits with a snapshot of which broad career areas recruits may qualify for. For example, the Navy regulation that lists the qualifications to become an Air Traffic Control Specialist states that an ASVAB score of VE + AR + MK + MC = 220 (or higher) is required for that job.
Table 2-2 shows the Navy and Coast Guard line scores that show up on the ASVAB score sheet.
TABLE 2-2 The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard’s Line Scores
| Line Score | Standard Scores Used | Formula Used |
|---|---|---|
| Engineman (ENG) | Auto & Shop Information (AS) and Mathematics Knowledge (MK) | AS + MK |
| Administrative (ADM) | Mathematics Knowledge (MK) and Verbal Expression (VE) | MK + VE |
| General Technical (GT) |
Arithmetic
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