Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is conducted by United States Military Entrance Processing Command, for the selection of candidates in the armed forces. It is a battery of tests which examines suitability of a candidate for defense services. The ASVAB practice test also helps determining the type of job in armed forces that fit for a candidate.
Eligibility-
The test is normally taken by high school students of grade 11. However, it is in the power of military recruiter to decide who is eligible for taking the exam.
Test Overview-
ASVAB consists of four tests-
Science and Technical: – ASVAB practice test covers topics from general science, Electronics, shop information, auto information and mechanical comprehension. The content areas covered under this test include physical sciences, biology, automobile terminology, shop terminology, electronics, electricity basics and mechanical.
Mathematics: – The content of this test is derived from high school mathematics and mathematical reasoning.
Verbal: – This test examines reading comprehension and vocabulary. It examines ability to understand and interpret information from given passages and questions related to word meanings, synonyms, and antonyms.
Spatial: – It examines ability to visualize an object after it is assembled together.
Test Format-
The test is available in two formats- paper & pencil test and computer adaptive test. In paper based testing, there are 225 questions that are to be solved in 149 minutes. It is divided into 9 sub-tests. Each sub-test is timed. These sub-tests are general science, arithmetic reasoning, word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, mathematics knowledge, electronic information, auto & shop information, mechanical comprehension, and assembling objects consisting of 25, 30, 35, 15, 25, 20, 25, 25, and 25 questions to be solved in 11, 36, 11, 13, 24, 9, 11, 19, and 15 minutes respectively. In computer adaptive testing, there are 145 questions in 10 sub-tests and total time allotted is 154 minutes. These sub-tests are general science, arithmetic reasoning, word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, mathematics knowledge, electronic information, auto information, shop information, mechanical comprehension, and assembling objects consisting of 16, 16, 16, 11, 16, 16, 11, 11, 16, and 16 questions to be solved in 8, 39, 8, 22, 20, 8, 7, 6, 20, and 16 minutes respectively. In computer adaptive testing, one question appears on the screen at a time, which can not be reviewed once answered. The difficulty level of the next question is increased as the previous question is answered correctly, while the difficulty level decreases if previous question is answered incorrect. The test has to be completed within the allotted time, otherwise it results into penalty of scores.
Schedule-
The test is conducted at two types of accommodation- Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) and Military Entrance Test (MET) site. The candidates aspiring to take the test require contacting a military recruiter. The recruiter interviews the candidate and selects for taking the ASVAB.
Marking Scheme-
Each sub-test is scored individually. The most important score of these scores is Armed Force Qualification Test (AFQT) score. The AFQT score is composite of scores in arithmetic reasoning, mathematics knowledge and verbal subsections. The services take into account AFQT for recruitment.
Retesting-
The ASVAB practice test can be retaken two times in gaps of one month. Thereafter, it can be retaken in six months periods.