the ASVAB under a Microscope
IN THIS CHAPTER
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) consists of ten tests that cover subjects ranging from general science principles to vocabulary. Your ASVAB test results determine whether you qualify for military service and, if so, which jobs you qualify for. The ASVAB isn’t an IQ test. The military isn’t trying to figure out how smart you are. The ASVAB specifically measures your ability to be trained to do a specific job.
The famous Chinese general Sun Tzu said, “Know your enemy.” To develop an effective plan of study (check out Appendix B) and score well on the ASVAB, it’s important to understand how the ASVAB is organized and how the military uses the scores from the subtests. This chapter describes the different versions of the ASVAB, the organization of the subtests, how the AFQT score is calculated, and the various service policies for retaking the ASVAB.
Knowing Which Version You’re Taking
The ASVAB comes in five versions, depending on where and why you take it. The varieties of the test are essentially the same; they’re just administered differently. Table 1-1 boils them down.
The vast majority of military applicants are processed through a MEPS, where they take the computerized format of the ASVAB (called the CAT-ASVAB, short for computerized-adaptive testing ASVAB), undergo a physical exam, and run through a security screening, many times all in one trip. The paper-and-pencil (P&P) version is most often given in high school and at Mobile Examination Test (MET) sites located throughout the United States. Most MET sites use paper versions of the test.
TABLE 1-1 Versions of the ASVAB
| Version | How You Take It | Format | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student | Given to juniors and seniors in high school; it’s administered through a cooperative program between the Department of Education and the Department of Defense at high schools across the United States | Paper | Its primary purpose is to provide a tool for guidance counselors to use when recommending civilian career areas to high school students (though it can be used for enlistment if taken within two years of enlistment). For example, if a student scores high in electronics, the counselor can recommend electronics career paths. If a student is interested in military service, the counselor then refers her to the local military recruiting offices. |
| Enlistment | Given through a military recruiter at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) or at a satellite testing site | Usually computer, may be paper | This version of the ASVAB is used by all the military branches for the purpose of enlistment qualification and to determine which military jobs a recruit can successfully be trained in. |
| Enlistment Screening Test (EST) | Given at the discretion of a military recruiter for a quick enlistment qualification screening | Computer | These mini-ASVABs aren’t qualification tests; they’re strictly recruiting and screening tools. The EST contains about 50 questions similar but not identical to questions on the AFQT portion of the ASVAB. The test is used to help estimate an applicant’s probability of obtaining qualifying ASVAB scores. |
| Pre-screening, internet-delivered Computerized Adaptive Test (PiCAT) | Online, on your own time after receiving an access code from your recruiter | Computer | The PiCAT is an unproctored, full version of the ASVAB. You take it on your own time, but you must take a verification test at a MEPS to validate your score. The verification test typically takes 25 to 30 minutes to complete. |
| Armed Forces Classification Test (AFCT) | Given at installation educational centers to people already in the military through the Defense Manpower Data Center | Computer | At some point during your military career, you may want to retrain for a different job. If you need higher ASVAB scores to qualify for such retraining, or if you’re a commissioned officer who wants to become a warrant officer, you can take the AFCT. The AFCT is essentially the same as the other versions of the ASVAB. |
Mapping Out the ASVAB Subtests
The computerized format of the ASVAB contains ten separately timed subtests, with the Auto & Shop Information subtest split in two. The paper format of the test has nine subtests (the Auto & Shop Information subtests are combined). The two formats differ in the number of questions in each subtest and the amount of time you have for each one. Table 1-2 outlines the ASVAB subtests in the order that you take them in the enlistment (computerized or paper) and student (paper only) versions of the test; you can also see which chapters to turn to when you want to review that content.
The CAT-ASVAB now often contains tryout questions. These questions haven’t been used on an officially scored ASVAB; test-makers use your responses to them to ensure the questions are good enough to use on future versions of the test. Each tester sees 15 tryout questions in two, three, or four of the subtests. These questions don’t count toward your score, but you still have to answer them. The tryout questions are only on the computerized version of the test; they’re not on the paper version. When you get tryout questions in a subtest, you get extra time to complete it.
TABLE 1-2 The ASVAB Subtests in Order
| Subtest | Questions/Time without Tryout Questions (CAT-ASVAB) | Possible Questions/Time with Tryout Questions (CAT-ASVAB) | Questions/Time (Paper Version) | Content | Chapter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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General Science (GS)
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