Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 3/24/2009

Question
Is it true that they are changing the qualifying score from 36 to like 65 on the ASVAB for the Air Force? I heard this and it is making me a little bit more nervous about taking the ASVAB. I have been wanting to get into the Air Force for a long time now and i don't know what to do. What's the hardest subject on the ASVAB?

Answer
Kevin,
The Air Force still requires a 36 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB).  Sometimes called an aptitude test, the real reason it's called a "battery" and not a "test" is because it's impossible to pass it or fail it.  It's not a test like you take in school where 70% is passing, etc.  It's just a group of questions arranged together that help an expert determine what kind of work you're most likely qualified for.  The ASVAB is the most widely used aptitude evaluation in the world. It is designed to ASVAB measure your strengths, weaknesses, and potential for future success.  The ASVAB provides you with career information for various occupations and is an indicator for success.   To find the jobs you qualify for, the Air Force breaks down your ASVAB subtest scores into groups known as "qualification areas."

The ASVAB subtests are: General Science (GS); Arithmetic Reasoning (AR); Word Knowledge (WK); Paragraph Comprehension (PC); Numerical Operations (NO); Coding Speed (CS); Auto and Shop Information (AS); Mathematics Knowledge (MK); Mechanical Comprehension (MC); Electronics Information (EI); and Sum of Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension (VE).

What's the hardest subject on the ASVAB?  That depends on what is your weakness.  That's what the ASVAB is designed to show.  For example, if you scored very high in AS and MC and poorly in CS and NO, that's a good indication that you'd do better as a mechanic than you would as a computer programmer.  Everybody is good at something, the ASVAB just helps determine what it is you'll probably do best.  Nothing is more miserable than being stuck in a job that you can't do, or hate.  They don't want to make you a cop when you'd really be happier and more productive being a jet engine mechanic.  The score of 36 just means you do indeed have some ability and the Air Force would like to hire you.  If you actually ended up with a score of 12 or 15, it probably means you have no useful ability other than begging for change on a street corner.

So the bottom line is, don't fear the ASVAB.  There's no way you can really study for it. The ASVAB is multiple choice, with four possible answers to every question.  There are several web sites on-line that lets you take a "practice" ASVAB so you can see what it's like.

Good luck and thanks for considering the Air Force.
Let me know how you do on the ASVAB.
Colonel H