Mapping Out the ASVAB Subtests
The computerized format of the ASVAB contains ten separately timed subtests, with the Auto & Shop Information subtest split in two. The paper format of the test has nine subtests (the Auto & Shop Information subtests are combined). The two formats differ in the number of questions in each subtest and the amount of time you have for each one. Table 1-2 outlines the ASVAB subtests in the order that you take them in the enlistment (computerized or paper) and student (paper only) versions of the test; you can also see which chapters to turn to when you want to review that content.
The CAT-ASVAB now often contains tryout questions. These questions haven’t been used on an officially scored ASVAB; test-makers use your responses to them to ensure the questions are good enough to use on future versions of the test. Each tester sees 15 tryout questions in two, three, or four of the subtests. These questions don’t count toward your score, but you still have to answer them. The tryout questions are only on the computerized version of the test; they’re not on the paper version. When you get tryout questions in a subtest, you get extra time to complete it.
TABLE 1-2 The ASVAB Subtests in Order
| Subtest | Questions/Time without Tryout Questions (CAT-ASVAB) | Possible Questions/Time with Tryout Questions (CAT-ASVAB) | Questions/Time (Paper Version) | Content | Chapter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Science (GS) | 15 questions, 10 minutes | 30 questions, 20 minutes | 25 questions, 11 minutes | General principles of biological and physical sciences | Chapters 10, 11, and 12 |
| Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) | 15 questions, 55 minutes | 30 questions, 113 minutes | 30 questions, 36 minutes | Word problems involving high school math concepts that require calculations | Chapter 9 |
| Word Knowledge (WK) | 15 questions, 9 minutes | 30 questions, 18 minutes | 35 questions, 11 minutes | Correct meaning of a word; occasionally antonyms (words with opposite meanings) | Chapter 4 |
| Paragraph Comprehension (PC) | 10 questions, 27 minutes | 25 questions, 75 minutes | 15 questions, 13 minutes | Questions based on passages (usually a couple of hundred words) that you read | Chapter 5 |
| Mathematics Knowledge (MK) | 15 questions, 23 minutes | 30 questions, 47 minutes | 25 questions, 24 minutes | High school math, including algebra and geometry | Chapters 6, 7, and 8 |
| Electronics Information (EI) | 15 questions, 10 minutes | 30 questions, 21 minutes | 20 questions, 9 minutes | Electrical principles, basic electronic circuitry, and electronic terminology | Chapter 16 |
| Auto & Shop Information (AS) | 10 Auto Information questions, 7 minutes; 10 Shop Information questions, 6 minutes | 25 Auto Information questions, 18 minutes; 25 Shop Information questions, 17 minutes | 25 questions, 11 minutes | Knowledge of automobiles, shop terminology, and tool use | Chapters 13 and 14 |
| Mechanical Comprehension (MC) | 15 questions, 22 minutes | 30 questions, 42 minutes | 25 questions, 19 minutes | Basic mechanical and physical principles | Chapter 15 |
| Assembling Objects (AO)* | 15 questions, 17 minutes | 30 questions, 36 minutes | 25 questions, 15 minutes | Spatial orientation | Chapter 17 |
* The Assembling Objects subtest isn’t part of the student version of the test.
Deciphering ASVAB Scores
The Department of Defense is an official U.S.