Chapter 1
The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is the most widely used multiple-aptitude test battery in the world. It measures a test taker’s suitability to enlist in the United States Armed Forces and assesses his or her abilities to be trained in specific civilian or military jobs.
When you take the ASVAB officially, you will be given either a paper-and-pencil version of the test or a computer version (also referred to as a Computer Adaptive Test ASVAB, or CAT-ASVAB). Almost 90 percent of prospective recruits take the CAT-ASVAB, so that’s likely to be the version you’ll encounter.
In this book, you’ll learn how the ASVAB is structured and what it tests. You’ll also learn strategies and methods that will help you improve your score significantly in each section.
In addition to evaluating math and reading skills, the ASVAB also assesses performance in categories such as science, electronics, auto repair, and the ability to assemble objects. While the section topics and question types are the same on both the paper-and-pencil and CAT-ASVAB versions of the test, the amount of time and number of questions will differ slightly on each version. In the table below, you’ll see the order in which the ASVAB subtests are ordered, the material tested in each section, and the differences between the paper-and-pencil and CAT-ASVAB versions. Additionally, note the sections that are highlighted in gray. These subtests make up the AFQT, which is discussed in more depth in the following table. In this table, the subtests are listed in the order in which you’ll take them on Test Day.
| Subtest | Questions / Time Limit in Minutes (CAT-ASVAB) | Questions / Time Limit in Minutes (Paper & Pencil) | What’s Tested |
| General Science (GS) | 16 questions / 8 minutes | 25 questions / 11 minutes | Knowledge of general concepts from life, earth and space, and physical sciences |
| Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) | 16 questions / 39 minutes | 30 questions / 36 minutes | Ability to answer word problems that involve basic arithmetic calculations |
| Word Knowledge (WK) | 16 questions / 8 minutes | 35 questions / 11 minutes | Ability to recognize synonyms of words |
| Paragraph Comprehension (PC) | 11 questions / 22 minutes | 15 questions / 13 minutes | Ability to answer questions based on short passages (of 30-120 words) |
| Mathematics Knowledge (MK) | 16 questions / 20 minutes | 25 questions / 24 minutes | Knowledge of math concepts, including applied arithmetic, algebra, and geometry |
| Electronics Information (EI) | 16 questions / 8 minutes | 20 questions / 9 minutes | Knowledge of electronic principles and terminology and of basic electronic circuitry |
| Auto and Shop Information (AS)* | 11 questions / 7 minutes; and 11 questions / 6 minutes | 25 questions / 11 minutes | Knowledge of automobiles, and of tool and shop practices and terminology |
| Mechanical Comprehension (MC) | 16 questions / 20 minutes | 25 questions / 19 minutes | Knowledge of basic mechanical and physical principles |
| Assembling Objects (AO) | 16 questions / 16 minutes | 25 questions / 15 minutes | Ability to determine how a disassembled object will look when it is put back together |
| Totals | 145 questions / 154 minutes | 225 questions / 149 minutes |
*On the CAT-ASVAB, Auto and Shop Information is split into two parts (Auto Information [AI] and Shop Information [SI]), but one score is reported.