With thousands of different jobs for enlisted personnel and officers, there’s a lot to do in the Military. The Military uses the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery)  to identify the occupations that best suit your abilities.  

The ASVAB consists of the following eight individual tests:

General Science 
A 25-item test measuring knowledge of life science, earth and space science, and physical science

Arithmetic Reasoning 
A 30-item test measuring ability to solve basic arithmetic word problems

Word Knowledge 
A 35-item test measuring ability to understand the meaning of words through synonyms

Paragraph Comprehension 
A 15-item test measuring ability to obtain information from written material

Mathematics Knowledge 
A 25-item test measuring knowledge of mathematical concepts and applications

Electronics Information 
A 20-item test measuring knowledge of electrical current, circuits, devices, and electronic systems

Auto and Shop Information 
A 25-item test measuring knowledge of automotive maintenance and repair, and wood and metal shop practices

Mechanical Comprehension 
A 25-item test measuring knowledge of the principles of mechanical devices, structural support, and properties of materials

The battery takes approximately three hours to complete, and test results are returned to schools in a few weeks. 

Junior, senior and postsecondary school students can use their ASVAB scores for enlistment for up to two years after taking the test. For more information about the ASVAB please click here

Interpreting Test Scores

The ASVAB Summary Results sheet shows ASVAB test and career exploration scores, as well as a military entrance score. ASVAB test scores correspond to the eight ASVAB test areas. Career Exploration Scores are comprised of a combination of some of the individual ASVAB tests. The Verbal Skills score includes Word Knowledge and Reading Comprehension. The Math Skills score includes Arithmetic Reasoning and Math Knowledge. The Science and Technical Skills score includes General Science, Electronics Information, and Mechanical Comprehension.

Percentile scores indicate how well students do in relation to others in their grade.  Standard scores show how well students do in relation to the average scores of others who have taken the ASVAB tests.  Notice how the standard scores are displayed using gray score bands.  Students need to know that test scores are never an exact measure of skills and abilities.  In this example, score bands show the range that this student’s scores would probably fall in if she took the test again.

Military entrance scores are appropriate for students wishing to explore opportunities in the Armed Services