What is the ASVAB?

When you apply to join a branch of the military, you must take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. The ASVAB not only evaluates what you know now but also your propensity to learn different subject areas to help find the right career for you. Using nine general subtests, it measures your aptitude in four domains: verbal, math, science and technical, and spatial.

The ASVAB measures your aptitude across four main categories (mechanical, administrative, general and electronic). To assess these four categories, the ASVAB given at high schools is divided into eight timed subtests, as follows:

· Test 1: General Science (GS), 25 questions, 11 minutes

· Test 2: Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), 30 questions, 36 minutes

· Test 3: Word Knowledge (WK), 35 questions, 11 minutes

· Test 4: Paragraph Comp (PC), 15 questions, 13 minutes

· Test 5: Mathematics Knowledge (MK), 25 questions, 24 minutes

· Test 6: Electronics Information (EI), 20 questions, 9 minutes

· Test 7: Auto & Shop Information (AS), 25 questions, 11 minutes

· Test 8: Mechanical Comprehension (MC), 25 questions, 19 minutes

Note that the ASVAB given at the Military Entrance Processing Station includes an additional subtest called “Assembling Objects.” This 20-question, 20-minute subtest assesses your ability to envision how a flat object will look once assembled (ex: choose an image representing what a flat box would look like once put together).

***If you’re unsure of what you want to do after you graduate, the ASVAB can help you determine your own interests and aptitude, even if you are not planning to enter the military or are undecided.