Subtests

• The ASVAB consists of nine subtests covering a broad range of subject matter. Two subtests, Word Knowledge (WK) and Paragraph Comprehension (PC), cover verbal skills; two subtests, Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) and Mathematics Knowledge (MK), cover math skills; one, General Science (GS), covers knowledge in areas such as chemistry, biology, and physics; the remaining four, Electronics Information (EI), Auto and Shop Information (AS), Mechanical Comprehension (MC), and Assembling Objects (AO), cover practical applications. The scores for these subtests do not combine to give a single "ASVAB score." Instead, the various branches of the Armed Services use the scores and combine the scores many different ways to help determine an applicant's suitability for the career fields within that service.
  
  

AFQT

• One combination of subtest scores used by all the Armed Services is the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score. This score determines whether the applicant is qualified to join the service to which he is applying. The AFQT percentile scores fall into one of six ranking categories. Each service determines its own AFQT requirements. The US Air Force, for example, requires a minimum AFQT percentile score of 36, which is Category IIIB for highs school graduates to enlist. For GED recipients, the Air Force requires a 65, which is Category II. The AFQT consists of the four subtest scores, which cover verbal expression and math skills.
  
  

Vocational Aptitude

• In addition to determining enlistment eligibility, the ASVAB subtest scores also supply the various armed services with information concerning the applicant's career aptitude. The Armed Services share some of these career aptitude scores but many are unique to the services. For example, all services use the same score combination for general technical career fields, but only the Army has a classification score for the Field Artillery career field.
  
  

CAT-ASVAB

• While some applicants take the traditional pencil and paper ASVAB, more and more are taking the computer administered version of the test (CAT-ASVAB). While the scoring methods are the same, the CAT-ASVAB has ten subtests rather than nine. This is because the CAT-ASVAB splits the AS subtest into Auto Information (AI) and Shop Information (SI) subtests. The major difference, however, comes in how the questions are asked. A pencil and paper test limits the applicant to the questions already on the paper. The CAT-ASVAB, however, is adaptive, which means it chooses the next question based on the answer to the previous. In other words, if you answer a question correctly, your next question will be more difficult but if you answer incorrectly, the next question will be less difficult.
  
  

Career Exploration Program

• Much of the ASVAB scoring has just as much application in the civilian workplace as the military. In the ASVAB Career Exploration Program, high school students take the ASVAB to help determine their occupational strengths and weaknesses. School counselors use the same type of combination scoring of the subtests that the Armed Forces use to help students make better informed decisions about their future careers.