ASVAB Prep
***Content Curtesy of 331 Recruiting Squadron Bravo Flight Recruit Center***
ASVAB Info
The ASVAB is the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and is used by all branches of the military to determine if you qualify to join as well as what jobs you can do. For the Air Force, the minimum to join is a 31 overall. That being said, your overall only determines if you qualify to join, the individual line scores will determine what jobs you can do. It is possible to make a 31 and not qualify for any Air Force jobs. We break your scores down in to four categories, Mechanical, Administrative, General, and Electronic (MAGE). Your overall score is the average of your Adminstration and General scores. Here are what test sections relate to each Air Force category so you can focus study efforts if you need to boost a specific area:
Mechanical - Auto Information (AI), Shop Information (SI), Mechanical Comprehension (MC), and Assembling Objects (AO)
Administrative - Word Knowledge (WK), Paragraph Comprehension (PC), and Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
General - Word Knowledge (WK), Paragraph Comprehension (PC), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
Electronic - Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Electronics Information (EI), and General Science (GS)
The ASVAB Tests
There are various ways to take the ASVAB and you should ask your recruiter about your options.
The paper and pencil version is given at schools.
The computerized version is given at MEPS and and Military Entrance Testing Sites (METS) and must be scheduled by a recruiter.
The ASVAB Predictor Test (APT) which is a practice test you can take at home or your recruiters office and it will let you know what your overall score should be on the full test. This one takes around 20-30 minutes. The test does not cover mechanical or electrical categories.
The final test is the Pending Internet Computerized Adaptive Test or PiCAT which is the online ASVAB and the full test. This can be taken at home or the recruiting office but is up to your recruiter. There are additional requirements for this test. For one thing, you can only take it if you have never taken the ASVAB before other than the APT. Also, this version requires a verification test at an official testing site within 30 days of completion to lock in your results. If you don't complete the verification test in the allotted time you will have to take the computerized version and cannot do the PiCAT again. Your scores can change on the verification test depending on how you do, plus there is a 5% chance you will have to retake the full test. Regardless of where or how you take the test, your scores are valid for each branch
YouTube Videos
Word Knowledge 34 Min
Mechanical Comprehension (22 minutes)
General Science
Paragraph Comprehension (54 minutes)
Automotive Information (1 hour 1 minute)
Assembling Objects (17 minutes)
Mathematic Knowledge
Electronics Practice (30 minutes)
Arithmetic Reasoning (1 hour 43 minutes)
ASVAB Retest Policy
Requires a one-month wait between administration of the initial ASVAB and a retest.
To retake the ASVAB a second time, another one-month wait is required. For any additional retests, a six-month wait is required between retests. The retest policy is the same, regardless of whether the initial test is a student test or an enlistment test.
Scenarios
1. Applicant has been administered first retest.
The applicant will be allowed a second retest any time after one month from the first retest. Second retests administered before the one month period will be invalidated. Example: If a first retest was administered on March 20th, a second retest can be administered on or after April 20th.
2. Applicant has been administered two retests (e.g., three total tests).
The applicant may be administered a third retest six months from the date of the second retest. Note that the six month rule applies to all retests after the second retest.
3. Applicant has obtained a Critical AFQT Gain (e.g., gain of 20 or more points on AFQT in a 6-month period).
In this case, the applicant is required to take a confirmation test (C-Test). The applicant may retest immediately and is NOT required to wait one month before administration of the C-Test. If the applicant is a C-Test No-Show, he/she may return for a standard retest six months from the date of the Critical Gain Retest.
4. Applicant has been administered a Confirmation Test (C-Test) to verify an AFQT retest score gain of 20 or more points in a 6-month period.
The applicant may return for another standard retest six months from the date of the C-Test.
5. An applicant’s initial test was invalidated for administrative reasons (e.g., fire drills, etc.)
The invalid initial test does NOT count as the first test. The applicant may return for another initial test based on MEPS scheduling.
6. An applicant’s initial test or first/second retest was invalidated for cheating.
The applicant must wait six months before retesting.
7. An applicant’s first/second retest was invalidated for administrative reasons (e.g., fire drills, etc.)
The invalid test does NOT count. The applicant may retest (on a different form) one month following the initial test/first retest.
General ASVAB Test-Taking Tips
When taking the ASVAB, being prepared and knowing how to approach the questions can go a long way. Use the following test-taking tips to improve your ASVAB score:
· Read the directions carefully.
· Know what a question is asking you to do before looking at the answer choices.
· Read all the answer options before selecting one.
· Skip questions you don’t know and then go back to them if you have time. Note: Skipping questions isn’t an option if you take the computer-based test, which forces you to answer each question before you can move on to the next one.
· Don’t leave any questions blank. The ASVAB doesn’t penalize you for guessing. On the computer-based ASVAB, you can’t leave any questions blank.
· If you’re taking the paper-and-pencil test, make sure that you mark each answer on the correct space on your answer sheet.
· Never change the answer to a question after you move on to another question unless you’re positive the answer’s wrong. This doesn’t apply for the computerized version — after you submit your answer, you can’t change it.
Pointers for Guessing on the ASVAB
No matter how hard you study for the ASVAB, you’ll likely come across a few questions where you don’t have a clue. Guess wisely, and you can score extra points on many ASVAB subtests. If you leave a question blank, you have a 0 percent chance of getting it right, but if you guess, you have at least a 25 percent chance. Here are a few quick pointers on guessing:
Eliminate answers that you know are wrong and then guess among the remaining answers. If you eliminate one answer, your chances of getting the question right go up to 33 percent. Eliminate two, and you’re up to 50/50. Here are some tips on narrowing down your choices:
Answers that include always or never types of statements are usually wrong.
If two answer options have opposite meanings, one of them is probably correct.
If two answer options are very close in meaning, neither of them is probably correct.
Don’t guess based on the frequency of previous answers. Just because the answer to the last ten questions has been (C) doesn’t mean the next answer can’t be (C), too.
If you can’t eliminate any choices, always choose the same letter for your guess. For example, if you have to guess on ten questions, always guess (C). Choosing the same letter every time increases your odds of selecting the right answer for at least one or two of those questions.
ASVAB Reading Comprehension Tips
The Paragraph Comprehension passages on the ASVAB are usually pretty short. These tips can help you better comprehend the ASVAB reading passages and the questions that follow them:
Understand what the question wants from you. Does it ask for the main point, specific information, or a conclusion based on the information presented?
Reread the paragraph to make sure you answer the question correctly. If you’re a really slow reader, you may not have time to do so. However, if you’re not sure of an answer, quickly read the paragraph again.
Look for key vocabulary words. Paragraph Comprehension questions may test your vocabulary. Use the context — the surrounding words — to help you understand the meaning of a word.