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Reading & Interpreting ASVAB Scores

When taking the ASVAB test, it will be important to interpret and understand your scores. By knowing your scores and what they mean, you will be in better position to determine what opportunities are available to you in the military. They will also help you figure out what careers you have an aptitude in. In order to understand your ASVAB scores, you will need to know how to interpret the scores, what each score means and also what scores are required to get specific positions in the military. With this knowledge, you will be able to have a clear understanding of your potential career path in the military. 

The first way to interpret your scores is by knowing the Armed Forces Qualification Test results. With this score, you will be given a score of 1-99 which is the percentile of other test takers. With a higher score, your performance will be rated better. The AFQT score evaluates your scores on the subtests of paragraph comprehension, word knowledge, Arithmetic reasoning and mathematics knowledge. If you get a high score on these sections, then you will have a better chance of getting into certain branches as well as particular jobs in the military. 

Anyone who takes the ASVAB will want to know what their scores mean so that they can see where they stand. The first thing you will need to keep in mind is the AFQT score that measures how you compare to other test takers. For example, if you earned an AFQT score of 90, that means that you scored as well or better than 90% of all test takers. All of the scores on each subtest are also rated from 1-99. One of the most important scores on this test is the General Technical score. This is the combination of the score you receive on the word knowledge, arithmetic reasoning and paragraph comprehension subtests. As stated earlier, the higher score you get, the better you performed on the test. With a higher score, you will likely have more career opportunities available to you in the military. 

For those who are interested in joining the military, your AFQT score does not have to be very high. In most cases, you will often need to earn an overall score of 35 to get into branches such as the Army, Navy and Marines. You will need an overall score of 36 to enter the Air Force. This score will usually be sufficient if you have a high school diploma. However, if you earned a GED then the required scores for enlisting will be higher. It will be necessary to earn a score of 50 or higher to enlist in the Army, Navy and Marines and a score of 65 to enlist in the Air Force. Some occupations in the military require high ASVAB scores. If you are interested in joining the Army Special Forces and Navy SEALS, you will need to score well above average on the test. Most technology and engineering jobs in the military require ASVAB scores of 75 or higher.