The ASVAB is a test battery used by the US military to determine the suitability of potential recruits. It consists of tests in knowledge, cognitive reasoning skills, and stress reactions, and is used to determine eligibility and aptitude for civilian careers. The AFQT score is used to determine eligibility for enlistment, while other tests can qualify individuals for specific military occupation specialties. The ASVAB can also be useful in determining aptitude for civilian careers.
The Armed Service Professional Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a series of tests that the US military uses to judge the suitability of potential recruits. This test battery is usually taken by high school students, mostly in junior and senior years. Anyone else who can enlist can take the battery as well. The battery consists of tests that determine knowledge, cognitive reasoning skills, and stress reactions. Each branch of the US Armed Forces uses a different metric based on the ASVAB to determine eligibility, and the tests can also be used to determine aptitude for civilian careers.
Since 1976, all branches of the US military have used the ASVAB to judge suitability for enlistment. Battery components include tests in areas such as vocabulary, math, reading comprehension, and technical knowledge. Scores from four of the tests in the battery make up the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT), which each of the US military branches actually uses to determine suitability.
Both the ASVAB and AFQT use normalized scores so that the AFQT number indicates an individual’s performance relative to others taking the test. Those who score below the 10th percentile are prohibited by law from enlisting, although, in addition, each branch has its own minimum AFQT score. In practice, the actual numbers required range from around 30 to 65, depending on the branch and whether the enlistee has a high school diploma or a general education development (GED) diploma. Enlistees with GEDs are generally held to a higher standard unless they have completed a certain number of higher level courses.
In addition to the AFQT score that determines eligibility for enlistment, the other tests on the ASVAB can be used to qualify an individual for a specific military occupation specialty (MOS). Each soldier, airman, or MOS of a Marine is essentially his job, which can include a variety of positions such as desk work, mechanical maintenance, and combat operations. For each branch of the military and the MOS, there is a different requirement for a line score, composition, or area of aptitude. These different scores refer to various configurations of ASVAB test results.
The various tests that make up the ASVAB can also be useful in determining aptitude for civilian careers. Most people who take the test battery are interested in a career in the military, although anyone who wants to take the test is normally allowed. The battery tests a wide range of theoretical and applied knowledge, so that the results can be useful in choosing the best career to follow.
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