Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
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The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple choice test, administered by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, used to determine qualification for enlistment in the United States armed forces. It is often optionally administered to American high school students when they are in the 11th grade, though anyone eligible to and interested in enlisting can take it. The ASVAB was first instituted in 1976, and it underwent a revision in 2002. In 2004, the test's percentile ranking scoring system was re-normalized, to ensure that a score of 50% really did represent doing better than exactly 50% of test-takers.
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[edit] Standard scores
The ASVAB contains nine sections:
- General Science (GS)
- Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
- Word Knowledge (WK)
- Paragraph Comprehension (PC)
- Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
- Electronics Information (EI)
- Auto Shop (AS)
- Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
- Assembling Objects (AO)
Until 2002, "Numerical Operations" was also administered on ASVAB, but has been dropped. "Assembling Objects" is new as of 2002.
[edit] Information use
The information collected through the ASVAB is used by the United States Department of Defense for recruiting and research purposes. Scores and personal information obtained during the test are released to the student's local school, and to United States armed forces recruiters, at the option of the school.
[edit] Armed Forces Qualification Test
An Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score is used to determine basic qualification for enlistment.
AFQT Scores are divided into the following categories:
- Category I - 93-99
- Category II- 65-92
- Category IIIA - 50-64
- Category IIIB - 31-49
- Category IVA - 21-30
- Category IVB - 16-20
- Category IVC - 10-15
- Category V - 0-9
The formula for computing this AFQT score is: AR + MK + (2 x VE). The VE (verbal) score is determined by adding the raw scores from the PC and WK tests (i.e., how many questions the aspiring recruit got right on each) and using a table to get the VE score from that combined PC and WK raw score.
AFQT scores are not raw scores, but rather percentile scores indicating how each examinee performed compared with all other examinees. Thus, someone who receives an AFQT of 55 scored better than 55 percent of all other examinees.
Law prohibits applicants in Category V from enlisting. In addition, there are constraints placed on Category IV recruits. Presently, all Category IV recruits must be high school diploma graduates. Further, the law constrains the percentage of accessions who can fall in Category IV (currently, the limit is 20%).
[edit] Composite scores
In addition to the VE, various combinations of scaled scores from the nine tests are used to determine qualification for particular specialties. These combinations are called "aptitude area scores," "composite scores," or "line scores". Each of the five armed services has its own aptitude area scores and sets its own minimum qualifying composite scores for each of its occupational specialties or ratings.
Army Line Scores:
- GT - General Technical: VE+AR
All other Army line scores--Clerical (CL), Combat (CO), Electronics (EL), Field Artillery (FA), General Maintenance (GM), Mechanical Maintenance (MM), Operators and Food (OF), Surveillance and Communications (SC), and Skilled Technical (ST)--are variably weighted composites of all nine ASVAB subtests.
Air Force Line Scores:
- M - Mechanical: Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Word Knowledge (WK), Paragraph Comprehension (PC), Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
- A - Administrative: Word Knowledge (WK), Paragraph Comprehension (PC), Math Knowledge (MK)
- G - General: Verbal Expression (WK plus PC) and Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
- E - Electrical: Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Electronics Information (EI), and General Science (GS)
Marine Line Scores:
- MM - Mechanical Maintenance, Construction, Utility and Chemical Maintenance (hazmat) - AR, EI, MC, AI, SI
- GT - General Technical, Special and Officer Programs - WK, PC, AR, MC
- EL -Electronics Repair, Missile Repair, Electronics and Communications -GS+AR+MK+EI
Navy Line Scores:
- GT - General Technical - AR+VE
- EL - Electronics - AR+EI+GS+MK
- BEE - Basic Electricity and Electronics - AR+GS+2*MK
- ENG - Engineering - AI+SI+MK
- MEC - Mechanical Maintenance - AR+AI+SI+MC
- MEC2 - Mechanical Maintenance 2 - AO+AR+MC
- NUC - Nuclear Field - AR+MC+MK+VE
- OPS - Operations Specialist - WK, PC, AR, MK, AO
- HM - Hospitalman - GS+MK+VE
- ADM - Administrative - MK+VE
[edit] Required scores
* United States Armed Forces:Required ASVAB Entrance score by service:As of(1/1/07)
- [1] Air Force/[2] Air National Guard 36 (GED Graduate is 65)
- [3] Coast Guard 36 (GED Graduate is 50)
- [4] Navy 35 (GED Graduate is 50)
- [5] Marines 32 (GED Graduate is 50)
- [6] Army 31 (GED Graduate is 50)
- [7]Army National Guard 31
[edit] External links
- ASVAB test description : includes structure of the test, time allotted per section of the test and which sections are counted towards the Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT) score.
