What Your ASVAB Scores Mean: Generally, this is the knowledge you would have acquired in high school. However, there are sections of the test that you may not have been specifically taught in class, but measure your knowledge of necessary skills for certain positions, such as mechanical comprehension and more.
I will take you in to learn more about standard scores, composite scores, and many more. But before then, take note of what you will be reading about.
You are given multiple scores–a standard score for each of the subtests, an AFQT score, and composite scores. So, what do all these scores mean? This article will walk you through each of these scores, what they mean, and how they’re calculated.
About Standard Scores
Standard scores are given for each of the nine sections of the ASVAB. Here are the sections in order and they’re commonly referred to as abbreviations:
- General Science (GS)
- Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
- Word Knowledge (WK)
- Paragraph Comprehension (PC)
- Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
- Electronics Information (EI)
- Auto & Shop Information (AS)
- Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
- Assembling Objects (AO)
If you remember the words “mean” and “standard deviation” from your statistics class, you’re one step ahead. For those who don’t, the mean is the average of a set of numbers.
The ASVAB subtests use a one to 100 score range, so the mean is set to 50. This is based on a national sample of 18 to 24-year-olds.
A standard deviation is a measurement of the distance from the mean. The ASVAB standard deviation is set to 10. Therefore, if you receive a score of 60, you have scored one standard deviation above the mean.
If you receive a score of 70, you have scored two standard deviations above the mean, and so on. So, your score isn’t the number of questions you answered correctly, but how many questions you answered correctly in comparison to others who have taken the test.
Your standard scores don’t determine anything specific on their own but are used to calculate other scores that determine your eligibility, branch, and rank in the military.
About AFQT Scores
Your AFQT score specifically determines if you are eligible for enlistment in the military. Each branch of the military has a different minimum AFQT score requirement, listed below:
- Air Force – 36
- Army – 31
- A minimum score of 50 to qualify for certain enlistment incentives
- Marine Corps – 32
- Navy – 35
- Coast Guard – 40
*Note that if you do not have a high school diploma but have passed the GED test, minimum score requirements may be higher. Check with your recruiter for more details on this in regards to your desired branch.
The AFQT score is calculated by combining the standard scores of four subject tests: Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Paragraph Comprehension (PC), and Word Knowledge (WK).
The scores are shown as percentiles, which is a similar concept to the standard score scoring method. The score you see is based on the number of questions you answered correctly compared to other test takers and ranges from a percentile score of one to 99.
About Composite Scores
Composite scores, also called line scores, help determine which military job is right for you, and some composite scores are required for certain jobs and branches. This is part of the classification process, which matches recruits to specific jobs and branches they may perform well in.
According to the official ASVAB website, “each service develops and validates its own set of composites based on the combination of subtests that are most highly correlated with an on-the-job performance for clusters of occupations.”
To break this down, each branch of the military determines which skills are most important in the branch. Specific subtests are chosen to evaluate a candidate’s knowledge of these particular skills. A computational formula is applied that combines the standard scores of these chosen subtests.
You will receive ten of these scores calculated from the computational formulas on your score report. Composite score categories, their acronyms, and formulas used to compute them are listed below:
- Clerical (CL) = Word Knowledge (WK) + Paragraph Comprehension (PC) + Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) + Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
- Combat (CO) = Word Knowledge (WK) + Paragraph Comprehension (PC) + Auto & Shop Information (AS) + Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
- Electronics (EL) = General Science (GS) + Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) + Mathematics Knowledge (MK) + Electronic Information (EI)
- Field Artillery (FA) = Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) + Mathematics Knowledge (MK) + Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
- General Maintenance (GM) = General Science (GS) + Auto & Shop Information (AS) + Mathematics Knowledge + Electronics Information
- General Technical (GT) = Word Knowledge (WK) + Paragraph Comprehension (PC) + Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
- Mechanical Maintenance (MM) = Auto & Shop Information (AS) + Mechanical Comprehension (MC) + Electronic Information (EI)
- Operators and Food (OF) = Word Knowledge (WK) + Paragraph Comprehension (PC) + Auto & Shop Information (AS) + Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
- Surveillance and Communications (SC) = Word Knowledge (WK) + Paragraph Comprehension (PC) + Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) + Auto & Shop Information (AS) + Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
- Skilled Technical (ST) = Word Knowledge (WK) + Paragraph Comprehension (PC) + General Science (GS) + Mechanical Comprehension (MC) + Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
Understanding how your ASVAB scores are calculated will help you be strategic when studying, so you can focus on specific areas you want to do well in, and feel especially ready to tack the AFQT sections. Overall, knowing how your ASVAB scores apply to your potential enlistment, position, and rank will make the testing process much less confusing and more productive.
ASVAB Scores – How They Are Calculated
The ASVAB test is a timed, multiple-choice aptitude test administered in paper or computerized form to armed forces applicants. Each multiple-choice question has four answers of which only one answer could be correct.
Preparing for the ASVAB exam is like using or . Unlike standardized tests taken in schools and college entrance exams, however, you want to answer every question even if you have to guess at some of the answers to the questions.
You are not penalized for wrong answers but you are penalized for questions left blank, as these are counted as incorrect answers. Each question counts as 1 point, so if you left 15 questions blank, you automatically have reduced your ASVAB score to 85.
Since the test is timed, you do not want to spend too much time on any one question. If you feel like you’re running out of time, don’t
just bubble in answers at the end of the test. The computerized version of the ASVAB does apply a penalty if a large amount of the questions near the end of the test are answered incorrectly.
The ASVAB test consists of multiple-choice questions in ten distinct categories (subtests) listed below:
- Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
- Word Knowledge (WK)
- Paragraph Comprehension (PC)
- Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
- General Science (GS)
- Electronics Information (EI)
- Auto Information (AI)
- Shop Information (SI)
- Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
- Assembling Objects (AO)
Students are given a Standard Score for each of the subtests. Standard Scores are derived from your Raw Scores (total number of points you receive on each subtest). The Standard Scores are a statistically derived score that typically ranges from 30 and 70 for each subtest.
The Standard Scores are created such that a 50 represents a mean (average) score and there is a standard deviation of 10 (implying that 95% of test-takers are within two standard deviations, 20 pts, of the mean of 50).
An applicant’s Standard Scores on each of the individual subtests are used to calculate two separate types of scores: Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) scores and Composite Scores. These are the important scores that are used to determine enlistment eligibility and MOS/Job qualifications.
AFQT Scores – Eligibility For Enlisted
AFQT scores are a critical component of your ASVAB scores. AFQT scores are based on your scores from the following four subtests:
- Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
- Word Knowledge (WK)
- Paragraph Comprehension (PC)
- Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
AFQT scores are represented as percentiles in the range of 1 to 99. The percentile score indicates how a candidate’s score compares to a reference group of test-takers. If an ASVAB candidate has an AFQT score of 65, this implies that their score is higher than 65% of the test-takers in the reference sample group.
The formula for AFQT scores is:
AFQT = MK + AR + 2xVE, where
MK = Your Mathematics Knowledge Scores
AR = Your Arithmetic Knowledge Scores
VE = PC + WK = Your Paragraph Comprehension (PC) scores + Your Word Knowledge Scores (WK)
This score is then converted to a percentile by comparing it to scores from the representative sample group. Once the AFQT score is computed as a percentile, it is then categorized as follows:
| Category | AFQT Range |
| I | 93 – 99 |
| II | 65 – 92 |
| III A | 50 – 64 |
| III B | 31 – 49 |
| IV A | 21 – 30 |
| IV B | 16 – 20 |
| IV C | 10 – 15 |
| V | 1 – 9 |
Composite Score – MOS/JOB Assignment
Composite Scores are sometimes referred to as “line scores”, “aptitude area scores”, or “MOS scores”. These scores are derived by adding different combinations of the sub-test standard scores. Composite scores are used by the different branches of the U.S. Armed Services to determine which military jobs (or Military Occupational Specialities/MOS) may be the best fit for you.
These composite scores are only one factor in determining which military job is right for you. The recruiter will also use job availability, physical and medical qualifications, and eligibility for security clearance as additional factors. Each branch of the service also defines its composite scores and eligibility requirements.
The minimum score requirements and composite scores of the different branches of the U.S. Armed Services are listed below:
Air Force AFQT Score Requirements
- Minimum AFQT Score (with High School Diploma): 36
- Minimum AFQT Score (with GED): 65
The Air Force uses the ASVAB to determine an applicant’s eligibility for admission to the Air Force and the specific types of jobs in the Air Force that they would be best suited for.
The Air Force uses the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) to qualify applicants. The Air Force requires an AFQT score of at least 36 and a High School diploma to be eligible to enlist for Air Force active duty.
How the Air Force uses ASVAB scores to find out what specific Air Force jobs a person qualifies for can be confusing. There is no single test score that determines whether someone is qualified to be a pilot or a mechanic or some other job. Every Air Force job has certain skills and knowledge required to do that job successfully.
The Air Force took each job within the Air Force and broke it down into which skills and knowledge were necessary to do each job, which is now referred to as Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSC).
From those codes, they were able to devise a battery of tests that would indicate what jobs and individuals were capable of doing within the Air Force.
The Air Force utilizes a combination of the ASVAB subtests referred to as MAGE (Mechanical, Administrative, General Aptitude, and Electronics) scoring to determine what specific occupational Air Force specialties an individual is qualified for. MAGE is based on eight ASVAB subtests, which are grouped into four different “Qualification Areas”.
- Mechanical = Mechanical Comprehension, General Science, Auto & Shop Information
- Administrative = Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension
- General = Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning
- Electrical = Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematical Knowledge, Electronics Information, General Science
MAGE Scores are percentile scores that range from 0-99.
For example, an Aerospace Control & Warning Systems Technician would have had to score at least a MAGE of 55 from combined test scores
Air Force Composite Score:
| Composite Score | Standard Scores | Formula |
| Mechanical | Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Verbal Expression (VE), Mechanical Comprehension (MC), Auto and Shop Information (AS) | AR + 2xVE + MC + AS |
| Administrative | Verbal Expression (VE), Mathematics Knowledge (MK) | VE + MK |
| General | Verbal Expression (VE), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) | VE + AR |
| Electronics | Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Electronics Information (EI), General Science (GS) | AR + MK + EI + GS |
Army AFQT Score Requirements:
- Minimum AFQT Score (with High School Diploma): 31
- Minimum AFQT Score (with GED): 31
The Army uses the ASVAB to determine an applicant’s eligibility for admission to the Army and the specific types of jobs in the Army that they would be best suited for.
The Army uses the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) to
qualify applicants. The Army requires an AFQT score of at least 31 to be eligible to enlist for Army active duty. The Army does not make a distinction between High School graduates and those that hold a GED.
How the Army uses ASVAB scores to find out what specific Army jobs a person qualifies for can be complicated. There is no single test score that determines whether someone is qualified to be a combat instructor or a small arms mechanic or some other job. Every Army job has certain skills and knowledge required to do that job successfully.
The Army took each job within the Army and broke it down into which skills and knowledge were necessary to do each job, which is now referred to as Occupational Specialties (OS).
From those Occupational specialties, they were able to devise a battery of tests that would indicate what jobs an individual was capable of doing within the Army.
| Occupational Specialty | ASVAB Scores Looked at |
| Clerical | Word Knowledge, Comprehension, Math Knowledge, Arithmetic Reasoning |
| Combat | Word Knowledge, Comprehension, Math Knowledge, Arithmetic Reasoning |
| Electronics | Science, Math Knowledge, Arithmetic Reasoning, Electronic Information |
| Field Artillery | Math Knowledge, Arithmetic Reasoning, Mechanical Comprehension |
| General Maintenance | Science, Auto & Shop Information, Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information |
| Basic Technical | Word Knowledge, Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning |
| Mechanical Maintenance | Auto & Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension, Electronics Information |
| Food & Operators | Word Knowledge, Comprehension, Auto & Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension |
| Surveillance & Communications | Word Knowledge, Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning, Auto & Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension |
| Skilled Technical | Word Knowledge, Comprehension, Science, Mathematics Knowledge, Mechanical Comprehension |
The Army utilizes the subtest test scores from the ASVAB to determine what specific occupational specialty an individual is qualified for. They convert an individual’s score on ASVAB subtests into composite score areas referred to as line scores.
Lines scores are grouped in various ways to identify an individual’s job selection. For example, a Tank Turret Mechanic would have had to score at least 100 from the combined line scores from the Mechanical Maintenance subtests.
ARMY COMPOSITE SCORES:
| Composite Score | Standard Scores | Formula |
| General | Verbal Expression (VE), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) | VE + AR |
| Technical, Clerical, Combat, Electronics Repair, Field Artillery, General Maintenance, Mechanical Maintenance, Operators/Food, Surveillance/Communication Skilled Technician | Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Word Knowledge (WK), Paragraph Comprehension (PC), Mathematics Knowledge (MK). General Science (GS), Electronics Information (EI), Auto Information (AI), Shop Information (SI), Mechanical Comprehension (MC), Assembling Objects (AO) | Weighted combinations of all ASVAB Subtests |
Marine Corps AFQT Score Requirements:
- Minimum AFQT Score (with High School Diploma): 32
- Minimum AFQT Score (with GED): 50
The Marine Corps uses the ASVAB to determine an applicant’s eligibility for admission to the Marines and the specific types of jobs in the Marines that they would be best suited for.
The Marines use the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) to qualify applicants. The Marine Corps requires an AFQT score of at least 32 and a High School Diploma. The Marine Corps does not accept any non-high school graduates, however, a person with an AFQT of 50 or better and a GED could be considered eligible to enlist for Marine Corps active duty.
How the Marines use ASVAB scores to find out what specific Marine Corps jobs a person qualifies for can be confusing. There is no single test score that determines whether someone is qualified to be a Combat Engineer or a tank mechanic or some other job. Every Marine Corps job has certain skills and knowledge required to do that job successfully.
The Marines took each job within the Marines and broke it down into which skills and knowledge were necessary to do each job, which is now referred to as Military Occupational Specialties (MOS). From those codes, they were able to devise a battery of tests that would indicate what jobs and individuals were capable of doing within the Marine Corps.
The Marines use the MCCS (Marine Corp Composite Scores) to determine the specific MOS an individual is qualified for. The MCCS is based on seven ASVAB subtests, which are grouped into three different sections:
Section 1: Electronics Repair, Missile Repair, Electronics & Communications (EL) – Based on General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, and Electronic Information ASVAB subtests.
Section 2: General Maintenance, Construction, Utility and Chemical Maintenance (MM) – Based on General Science, Auto & Shop, Mathematics Knowledge and Electronics Information ASVAB subtests.
Section 3: General Technical, Special and Officer Programs (GT) – Based on Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and Arithmetic Reasoning ASVAB subtests
Marine Corps Composite Scores:
| Composite Score | Standard Scores | Formula |
| Mechanical | Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mechanical Comprehension (MC), Auto and Shop Information (AS), Electronics Information (EI) | AR + MC + AS + EI |
| Clerical | Verbal Expression (VE), Mathematics Knowledge (MK) | VE + MK |
| General Technician | Verbal Expression (VE), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mechanical Comprehension (MC) | VE + AR + MC |
| Electronics | Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Electronics Information (EI), General Science (GS) | AR + MK + EI + GS |
Navy AFQT Score Requirements:
- Minimum AFQT Score (with High School Diploma): 35
- Minimum AFQT Score (with GED): 50
The Navy uses the ASVAB to determine an applicant’s eligibility for admission to the Navy and the specific types of jobs in the Navy that they would be best suited for.
The Navy uses the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) to qualify applicants. The Navy requires an AFQT score of at least 35 and a High School diploma. While the Navy does accept people who only hold a GED, those individuals must score a 50 or higher on the AFQT to be eligible to enlist for Navy active duty.
The Navy does not use line scores. They utilize the actual scores from the ASVAB subtests grouped into 10 different Rating categories to determine what specific occupational Navy specialty an individual is qualified for.
For example, a Submarine Electronics Technician would have had to score at least 222 from the combined scores from the Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge
, Electronics Information, and General Science subtests.
Navy Composite Scores:
| Composite Score | Standard Scores | Formula |
| General Technician | Verbal Expression (VE), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) | VE + AR |
| Electronics | General Science (GS), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Electronics Information (EI) | GS + AR + MK + EI |
| Basic Electricity and Electronics | General Science (GS), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK) | GS + AR + 2xMK |
| Engineering | Auto and Shop Information (AS), Mathematics Knowledge (MK) | AS + MK |
| Mechanical 1 | Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Auto and Shop Information (AS), Mechanical Comprehension (MC) | AR + AS + MC |
| Mechanical 2 | Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mechanical Comprehension (MC), Assembling Objects (AO) | AR + MC + AO |
| Nuclear | Verbal Expression (VE), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Mechanical Comprehension (MC) | VE + AR + MK + MC |
| Operations | Verbal Expression (VE), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Assembling Objects (AO) | VE + AR + MK + AO |
| Hospitalman | Verbal Expression (VE), General Science (GS), Mathematics Knowledge (MK) | VE + GS + MK |
| Administrative | Verbal Expression (VE), Mathematics Knowledge (MK) | VE + MK |
ASVAB Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Question: What are ASVAB Scores?
Answer: ASVAB scores stand for Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery scores. They are the result of ASVAB testing, which measures an individual’s aptitude in science, math, English language and comprehension, mechanics and electronics.
It is not an IQ test score; it is a measure of an individual’s strengths, weaknesses, and potential for success in the armed forces.
Question: What are ASVAB Scores Used for?
Answer: ASVAB scores are used for a variety of purposes. Most high schools administer to the ASVAB to students in grades 10-12 and can use the resulting ASVAB scores to guide students in their choice to attend college, technical or vocational school or enlist in the armed forces. High School career counselors also utilize the test to identify and specific career paths for the student to explore.
ASVAB testing is used extensively in all branches of the military. Armed Forces Recruiters will send applicants to Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) or Military Entrance Test sites (MET) to take the ASVAB test to determine whether the applicant is eligible for active military duty in a specific branch of the military.
Each branch of the armed forces uses the ASVAB not only to determine if an individual meets minimum entrance requirements but also to determine the individual’s aptitude for specific occupations within that military branch.
For instance, from the ASVAB, the Air Force can determine an individual’s aptitude for avionic mechanics, while the Navy can determine an individual’s aptitude for sonar electronics, the Army can determine an individual’s aptitude for Field Artillery Maintenance, and the Marines can determine an individual’s aptitude for Combat Engineering and so forth.
Question: What is a good ASVAB score?
Answer: A good ASVAB score would be a passing score, which would be anything above the minimum required score for the branch of the military that you are seeking to enlist in. For the Army, that would be any score above 31.
For the Air Force, that would be any score above 36. For the Navy, that would be any score above 35. For the Marines, that would be any score above 32.
Military Branch Min. Score (HS Diploma) Min. Score (GED) Air Force 36 65 Army 31 31 Coast Guard 40 50 Marine Corps 32 50 Navy 35 50
Question: What is the highest ASVAB score?
Answer: If you take the paper form of the ASVAB, the highest total score is 225; whereas the highest score on the computerized version is 145.
Each branch uses the AFQT, which is based on the ASVAB, as the base enlistment test and the highest score, which is a percentile score, is 99.
Question: How many times can you take the ASVAB?
Answer: If you are not happy with the score you received on the initial ASVAB test you took, you can retake the ASVAB up to two more times. There is a required waiting period, however, between each test retake.
To take the ASVAB a second time, the required waiting period is one month from the initial test date. To take the ASVAB a third time, the required waiting period is six months from the time you took the ASVAB the second time.
Question: How long are ASVAB scores good for?
Answer: If you take the ASVAB but don’t plan to enlist right away, the scores from your ASVAB test are good for up to two years.
Understanding ASVAB scores is critical if you want to enlist in the U.S. Military and get the military career of your dreams. The ASVAB test is an aptitude test but is not a perfect measure of your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Your scores do not guarantee whether you will be successful in a future occupation. Your ASVAB scores, however, need to be good enough to get you into the military branch of your choice.
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StudentsandScholarship Team.
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