The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is one of the most widely used, multiple aptitude tests in the world, developed and maintained by the Department of Defense. More than half of all high schools nationwide administer the ASVAB test to students in grades 10, 11 and 12 (sophomores cannot use their scores for enlistment eligibility). Students may also take the test at another school or through a recruiter and may retake the test at any time.
With thousands of different jobs for enlisted personnel and officers, there’s a lot to do in the Military. The ASVAB Career Exploration Program can help young adults identify and explore potentially satisfying occupations and develop effective strategies to realize career goals.
The ASVAB consists of nine sections: General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Auto & Shop, Mathematics Knowledge, Mechanical Comprehension, Electronics Information, and Assembling Objects. The ASVAB test measures your trainability and can help determine a career path that would best set you up for success in the military.
Your weighted ASVAB AFQT score — a percentile reflecting your combined verbal and mathematical aptitude — determines your eligibility to join a certain branch of the military. Composite scores from individual sub-tests are also used to determine specific job qualifications.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has provided the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), a nationally-normed, multi-aptitude test battery, to high school and post-secondary school students since 1968.
The ASVAB is a multiple-choice test designed to evaluate your skills in ten areas:
- General Science
- Arithmetic Reasoning
- Word Knowledge
- Paragraph Comprehension
- Numerical Operations
- Coding Speed
- Auto and Shop Information
- Mathematics Knowledge
- Mechanical Comprehension and
- Electronics
Other ASVAB Information:
- The ASVAB has a total number of 200 items
- The Test Time is 134 minutes
- Administrative Time is 46 minutes
- The Total Test Time is 180 minutes
Note: “Numerical Operations” and “Coding Speed” were formerly addressed on the ASVAB, but have been discontinued.
TEST SUBJECTS:
General Science covers the material generally taught in junior and senior high school science courses. Most of the questions deal with life and physical science. There are also a few questions on earth science. The life science items deal with basic biology, human nutrition, and health. The physical science items are concerned with elementary chemistry and physics. Fundamentals of geology, meteorology, and astronomy may be included in the earth science area.
Arithmetic Reasoning covers basic mathematical problems generally encountered in everyday life. These questions are designed to measure general reasoning and the ability to solve mathematical problems.
Word Knowledge tests ability to understand the meaning of words through synonyms – words that have the same or nearly the same meaning as other words. The test questions may appear in either of two forms: (1) the key word appears in the stem and is followed by “most nearly means,” or (2) the key word is used in a sentence.
Paragraph Comprehension consists of reading paragraphs that vary in length from one paragraph to several, and they are followed by one or more questions.
Numerical Operations contains simple, two-number computations in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. All numbers are one- or two-digit whole numbers.
Auto Shop Information covers the material generally taught in automobile mechanics in vocational-technical schools and in shop instruction. The automotive information may also be acquired as a hobby or by working with automobiles. The questions generally pertain to diagnosing malfunctions of a car, the use of particular parts on a car, or meaning of terminology. The shop information may also be acquired as a hobby or through shop experience using a variety of tools and materials.
Mathematics Knowledge measures general mathematical knowledge. It is a test of your ability to solve problems using high school mathematics, including algebra and some basic geometry.
Mechanical Comprehension measures your understanding of mechanical and physical principles. Many of the questions use drawings to illustrate specific principles. Understanding of these principles comes from observing the physical world, working with or operating mechanical devices, or reading and studying.
Electronics Information deals with electricity, radio principles, and electronics. This information can be learned through working on radios, working on electrical equipment, reading books, or taking courses.
Assembling Objects is only provided on the computer-based test and requires the test taker to determine how parts of an object might logically fit together.
TEST RESULTS:
ASVAB test results are reported to students and counselors on the ASVAB Summary Results sheet. This report shows grade-specific, gender-specific, and combined standard scores and score bands for all eight tests and three Career Exploration Scores. It also provides students with percentile-based interpretations of those scores. The ASVAB Summary Results sheet provides students with appropriate explanations of the scores, as well as suggestions for their use.