Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a standardized test utilized by all branches of the U.S. military to assess the qualifications and aptitudes of potential recruits. Initially developed during World War I and formally introduced in its current form in 1968, the ASVAB evaluates a candidate's ability across various specialized sections, guiding both military enlistment and the selection of appropriate occupational specialties. The test serves a dual purpose, also being administered in high schools to aid guidance counselors in advising students on potential career paths.
The ASVAB comprises multiple subtests, including areas such as General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, and Mechanical Comprehension, with scores from certain subtests forming the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT). The AFQT score is critical in determining eligibility for military service, with different branches setting their own minimum score requirements. The ASVAB is available in two formats: a pencil-and-paper version and a computerized version, which provides a more adaptive testing experience. Importantly, taking the ASVAB does not obligate individuals to enlist, ensuring that candidates can make informed decisions about their futures. The Department of Defense regularly reviews the test to uphold its validity and fairness, aligning it with civilian standards.
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a test used by all US armed services. The purpose of the ASVAB is to determine if an individual qualifies to become a member of one of the services. Further, the test, which is divided into specialized sections, is used to determine if an individual qualifies for a desired specialty. It also provides insights into areas where a candidate might excel to help select an occupational specialty when that person enlists. The ASVAB has another, nonmilitary, purpose. The test is given in high schools with the intent of assisting guidance counselors in recommending areas of study or career specialties when students graduate.
Background
The US military first tested recruits for their general ability to learn basic tasks required of service members and for special skills in 1917, during World War I. Both the US Army and the US Navy began to use tests to ensure that potential soldiers and sailors could learn necessary skills and to identify individuals who could fill leadership positions. The army and navy had separate tests and the army used two tests, a text-based exam for recruits who were literate in English and a nonverbal test for recruits who were either completely illiterate or who did not know English.
During World War II the army and navy had separate but completely revised tests. The armed services developed additional tests to identify individuals who could be trained for specialized and technical training or as leaders. In 1950, a new, single test was introduced to be used by all three services (in addition to the army and navy, the US Air Force had come into existence as a separate branch in 1947) known as the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) The draft had been reintroduced in 1948 and the United States entered the Korean War in 1950. With a steady influx of recruits entering the service, it was necessary to identify those who could perform the minimum requirements as well as those with exceptional abilities. In addition to the AFQT, each service introduced its own tests in order to determine the aptitudes of recruits in a military that was becoming increasingly technical in nature.
In 1968, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) was introduced, being first adopted by the Air Force. By 1974 the Department of Defense policy for testing determined that the ASVAB should be used by all services, and by 1976, it had been adopted through the Department of Defense. The test has undergone changes since that time. In the 1990s, a computerized version of the test (CAT-ASVAB) was developed and successfully implemented. In 2002, the content of the test was revised and two years later scores were adjusted in order to ensure that the percentile rankings accurately reflected test takers’ abilities.
Overview
As of 2025, the ASVAB is given in two versions, the pencil and paper version (P&P-ASVAB), which is administered at Military Entrance Test sites, and the computer version (CAT-ASVAB), given at Military Entrance Processing Stations. The Department of Defense estimates that 70 percent of those taking the test choose to use the computer version. Aside from the difference in testing medium, the number of questions per testing section is different. Another important difference is that in the CAT-ASVAB the difficulty of a new question will vary depending on whether the last question was answered correctly or incorrectly. An incorrect answer results in the next question being easier. A correct answer will result in a more difficult question. Prospective recruits taking the CAT-ASVAB can answer questions at their own pace within a certain time limit and can advance to the next section when they have completed a section, but they cannot go back to previous questions. Those taking the P&P-ASVAB have a limited time in which to take each test section and cannot advance to the next section until the time is up for the entire group of test takers. P&P-ASVAB test takers can return to previous questions within a section during the time allotted but may not go back to questions for prior sections. According to the ASVAB Enlistment Testing Program, the CAT-ASVAB takes about half the time of the approximately three-hour P&P-ASVAB, on average. Another difference between the two versions is that Auto Information and Shop Information subtests are separate on the CAT-ASVAB but combined on the P&P-ASVAB.
The ASVAB is divided into separate subtests that are designed to measure knowledge or abilities in different areas. These are General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information, Auto Information, Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension, and Assembling Objects. The most essential score, the one that determines whether an individual qualifies to enter one of the services is the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT). The scores on four of the subtests form the basis of the AFQT. These are the Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning, and Mathematics Knowledge subtests. The first two subtest scores are combined and assigned a score. That score is doubled and added to the arithmetic and mathematics tests and then a percentile score is assigned, resulting in the AFQT. An average score, below which one will probably not be able to enlist, ranges from 31 percent to 49 percent; each service has a different minimum qualifying score. Even higher scores are required in order to be eligible for special programs. Those who do not receive passing scores are eligible to retake the test after a waiting period determined by each service.
Each of the services uses combinations of the subtests to determine whether an individual is qualified for a field they are enlisting for. At the same time, however, many individuals enlist without a preference and the results of the scores allow the service to place an individual into the field where they have the best chance of success. While the services all use subtest combinations to determine suitability in various areas, those areas differ by service both in type and in the specific subtest combinations. As an example, the US Army’s Clerical category test is a combination of Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning, and Mathematics Knowledge.
The Department of Defense constantly reviews the ASVAB to ensure that the results are valid as a predictor of success in military service, a consideration that has been extremely important since the Department of Defense implemented the all-volunteer force in the early 1970s. Reviews are conducted to ensure fairness. Although the ASVAB is used for military purposes, the Department of Defense adheres to civilian and academic standards and practices. These include those set in place by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the American Council on Education, and the Association of Test Publishers.
There is no obligation involved in taking the ASVAB. High schools are not obligated to provide test results to recruiters, and taking the test does not obligate an individual to enter the armed services.
Bibliography
Bailey, Beth L. America’s Army: Making the All-Volunteer Force. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2009. Print.
"Frequently Asked Questions." ASVAB, 2024, www.officialasvab.com/applicants/faqs/. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
Humble, Gregory V. Why Schools Do Not Release ASVAB Scores to Military Recruiters. MMAS Thesis. US Army Command and General Staff College, 2012. Digital file.
Official Site of the ASVAB Testing Program. ASVAB Enlistment Testing Program, n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2016.
Reeves, Kalinda. ASVAB Exam Cram. Indianapolis: Pearson, 2010. Print.
Sands, William A., Brian K. Waters, and James R. McBride. Computerized Adaptive Testing: From Inquiry to Operation. Washington: Amer. Psychological Assn., 1997. Print.
Sellman, W. S. Predicting Readiness for Military Service: How Enlistment Standards Are Established. N.p.: National Assessment Governing Board, 2004. Digital file.