How the ASVAB Score Is Computed

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) exam is used to determine enlistment eligibility for potential recruits, assign recruits to military jobs, and aid students in career exploration. It consists of 10 subtests, and the scores on those subtests are used to determine the best jobs for those entering a branch of the military. Scores from four of the subtests are used to determine an Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score, which determines eligibility for enlistment. Each branch of the military has different standards.

The Subtests

The 10 subtests are each part of one of four domains: math, science/technical, spatial, and verbal.

The math domain includes:

• Arithmetic Reasoning (AR): Word problems using arithmetic.
• Mathematics Knowledge (MK): High school-level math.

The science/technical domain includes:

• General Science (GS): Physical and biological sciences.
• Electronics Information (EI): Electricity and electronics.
• Auto Information (AI): Automobile technology; one part of the AS* score.
• Shop Information (SI)*: Tools and shop terminology and practices; one part of the AS* score.
• Mechanical Comprehension (MC): Mechanical and physical principles.

The verbal domain includes:

• Word Knowledge (WK): Definitions and synonyms in a given context.
• Paragraph Comprehension (PC): Reading for comprehension.

The spatial domain includes:

• Assembling Objects (AO): Seeing how objects will look when assembled.

*Note: AI and SI are separate tests, but they are combined into one score labeled AS.

Two Types of Tests

A computerized version of the test (CAT-ASVAB) is available at all testing locations. Some locations also offer a paper and pencil (P&P-ASVAB). The tests are similar and designed to result in similar scores for tests takers, regardless of which version they choose. The key difference is that the CAT-ASVAB is adaptive, which means the software chooses questions based on previous responses. On the P&P-ASVAB version, AI and SI are combined into a single AS section.

AFQT

The AFQT is a combination of the four scores from the math and verbal domains, which consists of AR, MK, WK, and PC. 

AFQT scores are reported as percentiles between 1-99. An AFQT percentile score indicates the percentage of examinees in a reference group that scored at or below that particular score. Thus, an AFQT score of 95 indicates that the examinee scored as well as or better than 95% of a nationally representative sample of 18- to 23-year-olds. An AFQT score of 60 indicates that the examinee scored as well as or better than 60% of the nationally representative sample.

AFQT scores are divided into separate categories, based on percentile rank:

AFQT Category	Score Range
I	93-99
II	65-92
IIIA	50-64
IIIB	31-49
IVA	21-30
IVB	16-20
IVC	10-15
V	1-9

The percentile score is based on a raw score calculated using the formula AFQT=2VE+AR+MK. The first step is to determine the Verbal Expression (VE) score by adding together the WK and PC scores and using the chart below:

WK+PC	VE Score
0-3	20
4-5	21
6-9	22
8-9	22
10-11	25
12-13	27
14-15	29
16-17	31
18-19	32
20-21	34
22-23	36
24-25	38
26-27	40
28-29	42
30-31	44
32-33	45
34-35	47
36-37	49
38-39	50
40-41	52
42-43	54
44-45	56
46-47	58
48-49	60
50	62

After determining the VE score, multiply it by two, then add the AR and MK scores. The raw score is then compared to the reference group to determine the percentile rank. ASVAB uses the results of a 1997 study of examinees aged 18-23 as its reference group. Match a raw score to the percentile rank below to determine the overall AFQT score:

Standard Score	Percentile (AFQT)
80-120	1
121-124	2
125-127	3
128-131	4
132-134	5
135-137	6
138-139	7
140-142	8
143-144	9
145-146	10
147-148	11
149-150	12
151-153	13
154	14
155-156	15
157-158	16
159-160	17
161-162	18
163-164	19
165	20
166-167	21
168-169	22
170-171	23
172	24
173-174	25
175	26
176-177	27
178	28
179-180	29
181	30
182	31
183-184	32
185	33
186	34
187-188	35
189	36
190	37
191	38
192	39
193	40
194	41
195-196	42
197	43
198	44
199	45
200	46
201	47
202	48
203	49
204	50
205	51
206	52
207-208	53
209	54
210	55
211	56
212	57
213	58
214	59
215	61
216	62
217	63
218	64
219	65
220	66
221	67
222	68
223	69
224	70
225	71
226	72
227	73
228	74
229	75
230	76
231	77
232	78
233	79
234	80
235	81
236	82
237	83
238-239	84
240	85
241	86
242	87
243	88
244	89
245	90
246	91
247	92
248	93
249	94
250	95
251	96
252	97
253	98
254-320	99

Minimum AFQT Scores for Enlistment

The minimum scores each branch of the military requires depends on whether a potential recruit has a high school diploma or a GED. Those with GEDs need higher AFQT scores.

For high school graduates, the requirements are:

Branch	Diploma	GED
Air Force	36	65
Army	31	50
Coast Guard	40	50
Marines	32	50
National Guard	31	50
Navy	35	50