Another hint -- remember, only four areas of the ASVAB are used to compute the overall ASVAB Score. If your concern is scoring high enough to qualify for the service of your choice, you should concentrate your study areas on those areas. Also, don't waste too much time studying areas of the ASVAB that are used for job qualification for jobs you have no interest in. For example, if you're not interested in a maintenance job, don't waste too much time studying up on Auto & Shop information.
Retesting
ASVAB results are valid for two years. After taking an initial ASVAB Test (any ASVAB test taken in school doesn't count as an "initial test"), one can retake the ASVAB after 30 days. After the re-test, one must wait at least six months before they can take the test again. The military services use the latest ASVAB scores, not the highest, for service and job qualifications. (Note: In extreme circumstances, such as suspected test-compromise, the MEPS commander can direct a re-test before the 30 day/six month window).
While each of the services have their own policies governing when or if a retest will be given, in general a retest is not allowed for the mere purpose of improving your scores (unless the overall score is below the minimum acceptable by that service). In the Army and Air Force, if one scores high enough to qualify, then one is only allowed to retest if something unusual happened during the test, and there is substantial evidence to show that the score(s) do not reflect the applicant's true potential. An example would be a high school honor student who accidentally mis-marked the answer sheet, resulting in an extremely low score. The fact that the individual is an honor student would be evidence that the low score is below their actual potential.
In the Navy, a retest can be authorized only if the following two conditions are met:
- There is evidence of substantial improvement in education or language ability, such as earning a high school diploma or GED, or completion of the Navy Functional Skills Course, since the last ASVAB was taken; and
- There is a positive reason for the retest, such as to qualify for a specific job program.
The Marine Corps allows re-tests only under specific conditions. Per MCO P1100-72B (Marine Enlisted Recruiting), Part F, Paragraph 2c(3), the Corps will allow a re-test one month after the initial test, and six months after the second test, if evidence shows that due to the applicant's education, experience, and maturity, the acheived score is significantly below the applicant's capabilities.
Re-testing cannot be done for the sole purpose of increasing scores to qualify for certain enlistment options. There must be clear evidence that the test scores are below the applicant's potential (reference MCO P1100-72B, table 3-7, note #2).
Job Qualification
The AFQT score is used solely to determine whether or not a person is eligible to join a particular branch of the military. The AFQT score is not used to determine whether or not someone is qualified to be trained in a specific military job. Military job qualification is determined based on "Composite Scores," which are made up of individual ASVAB sub-test scores.
Air Force. The Air Force has four composite score areas made up from the individual ASVAB sub-tests, known as MAGE. The four composite score areas that make up MAGE are:
- Mechanical Aptitude Score - Determined from General Science (GS), Mechanical Comprehension (MC), and Auto/Shop (AS).
- Administrative Aptitude Score - Numerical Operations (NO), Coding Speed (CS), and Verbal Expression (VE). (Note: With the elimination of NO and CS from the ASVAB, a "dummy score" is now inserted there, so the Administrative Score is actually determined directly from the VE Score).
- General Aptitude Score - Determined from Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) and and Verbal Expression (VE).
- Electronics Aptitude Score - Determined from General Science (GS), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), and Electronics Information (EI).
See our Air Force Enlisted Job Description & Qualifications pages to see what composite scores are required for each Air Force enlisted AFSC (job).
Army. The Army determines job qualification from ten separate composite scores made up from various sub-tests of the ASVAB. The Army Composite Scores are:
- Clerical (CL) - Determined from Verbal Expression (VE), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), and Mathematics Knowledge (MK).
- Combat (CO) - Determined from Verbal Expression (VE), Coding Speed (CS), Auto & Shop (AS) and Mechanical Comprehension (MC). Note: Because CS has been removed from the ASVAB, a "dummy score" is inserted for this area.
