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The ASVAB
explained
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The ASVAB was first administered in the 1960’s and
currently has eight subtests: word knowledge,
paragraph comprehension, mathematics knowledge,
arithmetic reasoning, general science, mechanical
comprehension, electronics information and auto and
shop information. More than a million people take
the ASVAB each year. The test is available in both
computer and paper form. It is a timed test and
takes about three hours. It can be taken at an ASVAB
testing site, through a military recruiter or in
your high school—more than half of the high schools
in the U.S. offer the test. |
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Why take the ASVAB?
There are three basic reasons to take the ASVAB:
* To find out if you qualify for a U.S. military
branch of service.
* To find out what job you may qualify for within a
particular branch of service.
* To explore what careers may interest you outside
of the military. |
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To qualify for the military, you must take the ASVAB.
After you have completed the test, you will receive
a score that is referred to as the AFQT (Armed
Forces Qualification Test). The AFQT is a score of 1
to 99 that is made up of four of the subtests:
paragraph compression, word knowledge, math
knowledge and arithmetic reasoning. Your raw scores
are run through a formula to determine your AFQT
score.
The military breaks these scores down into
categories. The primary categories that recruiters
are concerned with are: Category IIIA and above (50
to 99); IIIB (31-49), and IV and below (0 to 30).
Congress mandates how many of each category are
eligible to join the military. The Department of
Defense is mainly looking for Category IIIA, which
means that your AFQT score is 50 or above. As a
Category IIIA, you will qualify for education money
and/or bonuses that may be available. Check with
each branch of service for exact details. Don’t
stress about trying to score a 99. Most people will
qualify for any job that is open with a score below
99.
The subtest scores are used individually or in
combination to find out what specific job within the
branch of service you may qualify for. Remember that
not all jobs in the military are combat related. You
could work as an audiovisual and broadcast
technician, a welder, a metal worker or a medical
laboratory technician. The ASVAB is also used to
help you explore careers that don’t involve the
military.
What can you do to raise your score?
If you didn’t score a 50 or higher, you can take the
ASVAB again. If you want to change jobs once you are
in the military, you can request to take the ASVAB
again. You don’t have to base your future on your
current knowledge level. The ASVAB is a test of what
you know, not how smart you are. There are many
ASVAB study guides online and in books. Make sure
the ASVAB study guide that you choose focuses on the
AFQT specifically.
Discuss your other ASVAB questions with your school
counselor or military recruiter. Taking the ASVAB
can help guide you into a satisfying career. The
military offers many choices and can open up future
job opportunities. Taking the ASVAB can only help
guide your future.
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