ASVAB Practice and Study Tips
The ASVAB test is used to provide a scoring system for the many branches of military service that a prospective serviceman or woman may enter. The score designates which branches you are eligible to sign up for by testing your aptitude for a variety of academic and practical topics alike.
ASVAB stands for Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and is the name given to the full testing process. An important subsection of this process is the AFQT or Armed Forces Qualification Test.
An easy way to understand the difference between the AFQT and ASVAB is to think of the AFQT as the preliminary test. Generally, the AFQT tests decide whether or not you are eligible for the military, whereas the overall ASVAB decide which higher positions you may be qualified for.
The AFQT is made up of four significant categories of testing. They are:
Some of the above can seem a little daunting at first, but that’s exactly why ASVAB study guides and flashcards exist. It’s important that before you begin the testing process you feel comfortable with the above topics, as scoring highly in the AFQT will affect your overall ASVAB score and improve your chances of entering your military branch of preference.
Before you start the process of ASVAB testing, it’s helpful to know what scores you’re aiming for if you already have a branch of military service in mind. The result scores you need to achieve to be considered eligible change depending on the level of military service and whether you have a high school diploma or a GED. Generally, if you have a high school diploma, you don’t need to score as highly in the ASVAB to be eligible as you would have to if you had a GED.
For instance, if the branch of military service you wanted to enter was the Air Force, if you had a high school diploma you would need to score 31 on your ASVAB test, but if you had a GED you would need to score 50. However, this doesn’t mean that having a GED instead of a high school diploma is always going to impact you negatively.
For example, if you had a high school diploma and wanted to serve in the US Coast Guard, you have to achieve the highest ASVAB score out of all the tests: 36. You would think that having a GED would mean you would need a much higher ASVAB score, but in actuality, you would only need to score eleven points higher: 47. It is all variant based upon which service you are aiming for.
It’s important to consider these factors before beginning your ASVAB prep so you can be fully prepared and go into the tests with a clear goal in mind.
As mentioned above, there are four sub-categories that you’re going to be tested on when you undergo the AFQT test, which means that focusing your study efforts equally across these four sections will provide the best results. Flashcards have been used for studying for decades, and there’s a reason they’ve stood the test of time: they are a fantastic way to cement specific knowledge into your memory.
Here’s how we recommend you break each of the four categories up into helpful ASVAB practice flashcards:
This section of the AFQT test will test your knowledge of numeric operations, such as addition, division, multiplication among others. Many of the questions featured in this section will ask you to identify which numeric operation is taking place or will present an equation in which you must then deconstruct and identify a particular element. These questions will vary in complexity, which is why thorough studying is key.
When creating your arithmetic reasoning ASVAB flashcards, try writing out equations with one operation blanked out, and then try to name the missing operation without looking at the answer on the other side. By doing this, you will familiarize yourself with the varying operations and their functions.
Though similar to the arithmetic knowledge portion of the ASVAB test, the math test differs in that it seeks to score your knowledge on the answers to equations as opposed to their forms and operations. Instead of answering how the equation works, you will instead be required to answer exactly what the equation is asking.
ASVAB math flashcards for this section should include a variety of equations, both basic and complex, with the answers written on the opposite side. Make sure you create flashcards that cover a lot of bases, this way you will build your overall knowledge of mathematics and their function instead of just strengthening a single peak.
This section of the test is all about understanding the written word in bulk and deconstructing the key parts. Questions will often involve complex sentences and you will be tasked with identifying particular parts of the sentence. For example, identifying a word meaning or its form, such as verb, noun, adjective, among others. An easy way to think of it is the language form of the arithmetic test section.
When making your own flashcards for this section, try finding example paragraphs online that are heavy in different word types and sentence structures. You can then remove particular points of these sentences and write the answer on the back of the flashcard, requiring you to identify it. By doing this repeatedly you will increase your linguistic knowledge.
Having paragraph comprehension ASVAB flashcards will significantly increase your chances of obtaining a passing score.
The word knowledge portion of the ASVAB test is exactly what it sounds like it would be: a test of your vocabulary. Arguably one of the easiest to prepare for, as you aren’t being tested on grammar rules or mathematics formulas, but rather simply how many word meanings you can accurately recall.
ASVAB flashcards for word knowledge are perfect for this scenario, as they are all about building your ability to recall information. A good way to challenge your vocabulary is to write a sentence that features a word you aren’t familiar with and writing the definition on the back of the card.
Being prepared for your ASVAB has never been made easier. Aside from ASVAB test flashcards, there are numerous varieties of online prep available. We encourage you to buy the study guide, ASVAB practice tests, and online courses to boost your chances of passing the qualification exam. Good luck!
ASVAB Boot Camp is an online exam preparation site that helps students quickly prepare for the ASVAB. Leading subject matter and e-learning experts have worked together to analyze every detail of preparing for the test in order to create the best ASVAB practice and study materials available online. Further, well-qualified Instructional Designers created highly illustrated and interactive online modules that are easy to understand.
