2022 / 2023 ASVAB For Dummies. Angie Papple Johnston

years; the last time was in 2004, and the sample group used for the norm was those folks who took the test in 1997.)

       Composite scores (line scores): Composite scores are individually computed by each service branch. Each branch has its own particular system when compiling various standard scores into individual composite scores. These scores are used by the different branches to determine job qualifications. Find out much more about this topic in Chapter 2.

      Understanding the big four: Your AFQT scores

      The ASVAB doesn’t have an overall score. When you hear someone say, “I got an 80 on my ASVAB,” that person is talking about their percentile on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score, not an overall ASVAB score. The AFQT score determines whether you even qualify to enlist in the military, and only four of the subtests are used to compute it:

       Word Knowledge (WK)

       Paragraph Comprehension (PC)

       Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)

       Mathematics Knowledge (MK)

      Each job in the military, from food service positions to specialty jobs in the medical field, requires a certain combination of line scores that can include the scores you get on the AFQT. The subtests that aren’t part of the AFQT are used only to determine the jobs you qualify for. (See Chapter 2 for information on how the military uses the individual subtests.)

       Figure out which areas to focus on based on your career goals. If you’re not interested in a job that requires a great score on the Mechanical Comprehension subtest, you don’t need to invest a lot of time studying for it. As you’re preparing for the ASVAB, remember to plan your study time wisely. If you don’t need to worry about the Assembling Objects subtest, don’t bother with that chapter in this book. Spend the time on Word Knowledge or Arithmetic Reasoning. Keep in mind, though, if you don’t have a desired job or aren’t sure about your options, it’s best to study this book and take the practice tests, focusing on all areas of the ASVAB. Doing well on each subtest will broaden your available job choices and make you a more desirable candidate.

      Calculating the AFQT score

      The military brass (or at least its computers) determines your AFQT score through a very particular process:

      1 Add the value of your Word Knowledge score to your Paragraph Comprehension score.

      2 Convert the result of Step 1 to a scaled score, ranging from 20 to 62.This score is known as your Verbal Expression or VE score.

      3 To get your raw AFQT score, double your VE score and then add your Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) score and your Mathematics Knowledge (MK) score to it.The basic equation looks like this:Raw AFQT Score = 2VE + AR + MK

      4 Convert your raw score to a percentile score, which basically compares your results to the results of thousands of other ASVAB test-takers.For example, a score of 50 means that you scored as well as or better than 50 percent of the individuals the military is comparing you to.

      Looking at AFQT score requirements for enlistment

AFQT scores are grouped into six main categories based on the percentile score ranges in Table 1-3. Category III and Category IV are divided into subgroups because the services sometimes use this chart for internal tracking purposes, enlistment limits, and enlistment incentives. Based on your scores, the military decides how trainable you may be to perform jobs in the service.

TABLE 1-3 AFQT Scores and Trainability

Category	Percentile Score	Trainability
I	93–99	Outstanding
II	65–92	Excellent
III A	50–64	Above average
III B	31–49	Average
IV A	21–30	Below average
IV B	16–20	Below average
IV C	10–15	Below average
V	1–9	Not trainable

      The U.S. Congress has directed that the military can’t accept Category V recruits or more than 4 percent of recruits from Category IV. No more than 10 percent of new recruits may have a high school equivalency certificate rather than a diploma. The military also requires at least 60 percent of all new recruits to fall into Categories I, II, or III A. If your score falls into Category III B or anywhere in Category IV, your chances of being able to enlist are smaller (especially if other Category IV recruits beat you to it).

Depending on whether you have a high school diploma or a passing score on your state’s approved high school equivalency test (such as the GED), the military has different AFQT score requirements. Check out Table 1-4.

      The minimum scores required in each branch can — and do — change frequently because the military has different needs at different times. For example, at the height of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Army accepted recruits with GEDs who scored 31 on the AFQT.

TABLE 1-4 AFQT Score Requirements

Branch of Service	Minimum AFQT Score with High School Diploma	Minimum AFQT Score with High School Equivalency Test Certificate	Special Circumstances
Air Force	36	50	In very rare cases, if you possess special skills (such as speaking a foreign language that the Air Force considers critical), the minimum AFQT score can be waived. The Air Force allows less than 1 percent of its enlistees each year to have a high school equivalency test certificate instead of a high school diploma.
Army	31	50	The Army sometimes approves waivers for applicants with high school equivalency test certificates and AFQT scores below 31.
Coast Guard	36	Varies	If you have a high school equivalency certificate, the minimum AFQT score doesn’t