Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

Trends in recruiting 1975–2001 showing total numbers of enlisted recruits in all branches of U.S. armed forces in light blue and percentage of recruiting goals met in dark blue. The percentage of recruits with at least a high school diploma is shown in gold, percentage with an above-average AFQT in orange, and the percentage called "high quality", with both a diploma and above-average AFQT score, is in purple.

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple choice test, administered by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, used to determine qualification for enlistment in the United States Armed Forces. It is often offered to U.S. high school students when they are in the 10th, 11th and 12th grade, though anyone eligible for enlistment may take it.

History

The ASVAB was first introduced in 1968 and was adopted by all branches of the military in 1976. It underwent a major revision in 2002. In 2004, the test's percentile rank scoring system was renormalized, to ensure that a score of 50% really did represent doing better than exactly 50% of the test takers.

Categories

Format

The ASVAB contains nine sections and takes three hours to complete. The duration of each section varies between 7 and 39 minutes, the longest being for Arithmetic Reasoning. The test is typically administered in a computerized format at Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) or in a written format at satellite locations called Military Entrance Test (MET) sites. Testing procedures vary depending on the mode of administration.

Computerized test format

• General Science (GS) – 15 questions in 8 minutes
• Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) – 15 questions in 39 minutes
• Word Knowledge (WK) – 15 questions in 8 minutes
• Paragraph Comprehension (PC) – 10 questions in 22 minutes
• Mathematics Knowledge (MK) – 15 questions in 20 minutes
• Electronics Information (EI) – 15 questions in 8 minutes
• Automotive and Shop Information (AS) – 10 questions in 7 minutes
• Mechanical Comprehension (MC) – 15 questions in 20 minutes
• Assembling Objects (AO) – 15 questions in 40 minutes
• Verbal Expression (VE) Score = (WK) (PC)

Written test format

• General Science (GS) – 45 questions in 20 minutes
• Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) – 30 questions in 36 minutes
• Word Knowledge (WK) – 35 questions in 11 minutes
• Paragraph Comprehension (PC) – 15 questions in 13 minutes
• Mathematics Knowledge (MK) – 25 questions in 24 minutes
• Electronics Information (EI) – 20 questions in 9 minutes
• Automotive and Shop Information (AS) – 25 questions in 11 minutes
• Mechanical Comprehension (MC) – 25 questions in 19 minutes
• Assembling Objects (AO) – 25 questions in 15 minutes
• Verbal Expression (VE) Score = (WK) (PC)

Navy applicants also complete a Coding Speed (CS) test.

Previous

• "Numerical Operations" (NO)
• "Space Perception" (SP)
• "Tool Knowledge" (TK)
• "General Information" (GI)
• "Attention to Detail" (AD)
• "Coding Speed" (CS)

Armed Forces Qualification Test

An Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score is used to determine basic qualifications for enlistment.

The AFQT scores are divided into the following categories

• Category I: 93–99
• Category II: 65–92
• Category III A: 50–64
• Category III B: 31–49
• Category IV A: 21–30
• Category IV B: 16–20
• Category IV C: 10–15
• Category V: 0–9

- The formula for computing an AFQT score is: AR MK (2 × VE).

- The VE (verbal) score is determined by adding the raw scores from the PC and WK tests and using a table to get the VE score from that combined PC and WK raw score.

- AFQT scores are not raw scores, but rather percentile scores indicating how each examinee performed compared with the base youth population. For example, if someone receives an AFQT score of 55 that means they scored higher than 55 percent of all other members of the base youth population. The highest possible percentile score is 99.

- The minimum score for enlistment varies according to branch of service and whether the enlistee has a high school diploma.

Minimum AFQT

	Tier I	Tier II
Branch	≥ HS Diploma	= GED
Army	31	50
Marines	31	50
Air Force	31	50
Navy	31	50
Coast Guard	40	50 with 15 college credits
*Army National Guard	31	50
*Air National Guard	50	50

GED holders who have earned 15 college credits in courses at the 100 level or higher are considered equivalent to those holding high school diplomas, so they need only the Tier I score to enlist. However, eligibility is not determined by the score alone. Depending on current recruitment goals an applicant may be required to achieve a higher score than the required minimum AFQT score in order to be considered for enlistment. Up-to-date information about eligibility requirements can be obtained from local recruiting centers.

Applicants in Category V are legally ineligible for enlistment. Applicants in Category IV must be high school diploma holders (unless they are needed to satisfy “established strength” requirements). The law limits the percentage of accessions who can fall between Categories IV and V (currently, the limit is 20% of all persons originally enlisted in a given armed force in a given fiscal year).

Composite scores

In addition to the ASVAB's AFQT, each branch has military occupational specialty, or MOS, scores. Combinations of scores from the nine tests are used to determine qualification for a MOS. These combinations are called "aptitude area scores", "composite scores", or "line scores". Each of the five armed services has its own aptitude area scores and sets its own minimum composite scores for each MOS.

Army/Army National Guard Composite Scores

CL	Clerical	VE AR MK
CO	Combat Operations	VE AS MC
EL	Electronics	GS AR MK EI
FA	Field Artillery	AR MK MC
GM	General Maintenance	GS AS MK EI
GT	General Technical	WK PC AR
MM	Mechanical Maintenance	AS MC EI
OF	Operators and Food	VE AS MC
SC	Surveillance and Communications	VE AR AS MC
ST	Skilled Technical	VE GS MC MK
* SF	Special Forces	GT≥110 CO≥100

Navy Line Scores

GT	General Technical	AR VE
EL	Electronics	AR EI GS MK
BEE	Basic Electricity and Electronics	AR GS 2*MK
ENG	Engineering	AI EI MK
MEC	Mechanical Maintenance	AR AI SI MC
MEC2	Mechanical Maintenance 2	AO AR MC
NUC	Nuclear Field	AR MC MK VE
OPS	Operations Specialist	WK, PC, AR, MK, AO
HM	Hospital Corpsman (medical)	GS MK VE
ADM	Administrative	MK VE
* SEALs	Special Operations	GS MC EI≥165 or VE MK MC CS≥220 (minimum for BUD/S)

Coast Guard Line Scores

AET	Aviation Electrical Technician	MK EI GS≥172 & AR≥52 or AFQT≥65
AMT	Aviation Maintenance Technician	AR MC AS EI≥220 & AR≥52 or AFQT≥65
AST	Aviation Survival Technician	VE MC AS≥162 & AR≥52 or AFQT≥65
BM	Boatswain's Mate	VE AR≥100
DC	Damage Controlman	VE MC AS≥155
EM	Electrician's Mate	MK EI GS≥153 & AR≥52
ET	Electronics Technician	MK EI GS≥172 & AR≥52 or AFQT≥65
FS	Food Service Specialist	VE AR≥105
GM	Gunner's Mate	AR MK EI GS≥209
HS	Health Services Technician	VE MK GS AR≥207 & AR≥50
IS	Intelligence Specialist	VE AR≥109
IT	Information Systems Technician	MK EI GS≥172 & AR≥52 or AFQT≥65
ME	Maritime Enforcement Specialist	VE AR≥100
MK	Machinery Technician	AR MC AS≥154 or VE AR≥105
MST	Marine Science Technician	VE AR≥114 & MK≥56
OS	Operational Specialist	VE AR≥105
PA	Public Affairs Specialist	VE AR≥109 & VE≥54
SK	Storekeeper	VE AR≥105 & VE≥51
YN	Yeoman	VE AR≥105

Air Force/Air National Guard Composite Scores (Standard AFQT score AR MK (2 x VE))

M	Mechanical	GS MC AS
A	Administrative	VE
G	General	VE AR
E	Electrical	AR MK EI GS

Marine Corps Line Score:

CL	Clerical	VE AR MK
EL	Electronics	GS AR MK EI
GT	General Technical	VE AR
MM	Mechanical Maintenance	NO AS MC EI
ST	Skilled Technical	GS VE MK MC
* MARSOC	Special Operations	GT=105

See also

• Intelligence and public policy
• Project 100,000

Further reading

• Gregory, Robert J. (2011). Psychological Testing: History, Principles, and Applications (Sixth ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 978-0-205-78214-7.
• Hogan, Thomas P.; Brooke Cannon (2007). Psychological Testing: A Practical Introduction (Second ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-73807-7.
• Marks, D.F. (2010). "IQ variations across time, race, and nationality: an artifact of differences in literacy skills". Psychological Reports, 106, 643-664. doi:10.2466/pr0.106.3.643-664
• Kaufman, S.B. (2010). "The Flynn Effect and IQ Disparities Among Races, Ethnicities, and Nations: Are There Common Links?" [1]

External links

• ASVAB test description: Includes structure of the test, time allotted per section of the test and which sections are counted towards the Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT) score.
• What is the ASVAB test?, GoArmy.com.
• ASVAB Practice Test, ASVABAdvantage.com.