Learn the ABCs of ASVAB AFQT Scores

Learn the ABCs of ASVAB AFQT Scores Learn the ABCs of ASVAB AFQT Scores The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a series of tests that everyone who enlists in the U.S. military has to take. It allows the military to determine what job an enlisted person is suited for. The Armed Services Qualification Test (AFQT) score is derived from four of the nine subtests of the ASVAB: Paragraph Comprehension (PC), Word Knowledge (WK), Mathematics Knowlege (MK), and Arithmetic Reasoning (AR).   History of the ASVAB When Congress passed the Selective Service Act in 1948, it required the Department of Defense to develop a uniform screening test to be used by all of the services.This was the first iteration of the AFQT, 100 multiple choice questions, with each branch of the service setting its own standards for minimum required scores.   The DoD refined the test, standardizing it across all the branches during the 1960s. The ASVAB was officially introduced in 1976 as the test used across the U.S. military.   Why the AFQT Is Important The present-day AFQT score is the most important  ASVAB score,  because it determines whether you can join the military service of your choice. Each of the services branches has set its own  minimum AFQT scores. The AFQT score is a percentile score. What does that mean? In 1997, a study  known as the Profile of American Youth was conducted by the Department of Defense in cooperation with the Department of Labor. DOD administered the ASVAB to around 12,000 individuals, ranging in age from 16 to 23. Your AFQT score is a comparison of how well you scored on the four subtests, compared to those who took the ASVAB as part of the 1997 survey. In other words, if you have an AFQT score of 70, that means you scored as well or better than 70 percent of those 12,000 folks. AFQT Categories The military divides AFQT scores into the following categories. The lower your category number, the more attractive candidate you are to the military for enlistment: Category I - 93-99Category II - 65-92Category IIIA - 50-64Category IIIB - 31-49Category IVA - 21-30Category IVB - 16-20Category IVC - 10-15Category V - 0-9 In the early 1990s, Congress passed a law stating that no Category V recruits could be accepted for enlistment in any of the military services, and no more than 20 percent of accessions could be in Category IV. Additionally, Congress required that any Category IV accessions had to be high school diploma graduates (no GEDs). However, the military services have even stricter standards for enlistment. Computing an AFQT Score To compute your AFQT score, the military takes your Verbal Expression (VE) score  and doubles it. They then add it to your Mathematics Knowledge (MK) and Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) raw scores. The Formula is 2VEMKAR. The then compare the result to a table to derive your AFQT percentile score. Note that a raw score is not the same as the standard scores you see on your ASVAB score sheet. On the ASVAB, harder questions are worth more points than easier questions. The raw score is the total number of points you earned on that particular ASVAB subtest. You wont know what your raw score is  because the military doesnt include that information on the ASVAB score sheet. 2VE+MK+AR AFQT Percentile 2VE+MK+AR AFQT Percentile 80-120 1 204 50 121-124 2 205 51 125-127 3 206 52 128-131 4 207-208 53 132-134 5 209 54 135-137 6 210 55 138-139 7 211 56 140-142 8 212 57 143-144 9 213 58 145-146 10 214 59 147-148 11 215 61 149-150 12 216 62 151-153 13 217 63 154 14 218 64 155-156 15 219 65 157-158 16 220 66 159-160 17 221 67 161-162 18 222 68 163-164 19 223 69 165 20 224 70 166-167 21 225 71 168-169 22 226 72 170-171 23 227 73 172 24 228 74 173-174 25 229 75 175 26 230 76 176-177 27 231 77 178 28 232 78 179-180 29 233 79 181 30 234 80 182 31 235 81 183-184 32 236 82 185 33 237 83 186 34 238-239 84 187-188 35 240 85 189 36 241 86 190 37 242 87 191 38 243 88 192 39 244 89 193 40 245 90 194 41 246 91 195-196 42 247 92 197 43 248 93 198 44 249 94 199 45 250 95 200 46 251 96 201 47 252 97 202 48 253 98 203 49 254-320 99