The Armed
Forces Vocational Appitude Battery (ASVAB) is the test the military uses
to determine whether or not one has the mental appitude to join the military,
and -- if so -- what job(s) they may qualify for. There are many study
guides available on the market which proport to help individuals improve
their ASVAB test results. However, not all of these study guides are created
equally, and few of them are cheap. Some things you should consider to
get the best bang for your buck:
ASVAB Test Score
The ASVAB consists of ten individual tests, but only four of the tests
(Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning, and Mathematics
Knowledge) are used to compute the overall ASVAB Score (also known as
the AFQT Score). This is the score that determines whether or not you
are qualified to join the military. If your goal is to improve your overall
score, you should choose a study guide which extensively covers the math
and reading/vocabulary portions of the test.
• Top 10 ASVAB Study Guides
Individualized Tests
On the other hand, the other six areas of the ASVAB Test (General Science,
Auto & Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension, Electronics Information,
Numerical Operations, and Coding Speed) are used (in addition to the above
four areas) to determine job qualification(s). If your goal is to qualify
for a specific job, you should choose a study guide which covers the specific
areas of the ASVAB which are used for that particular job qualification.
Types of Test
There are three versions of the ASVAB; High School Version, Production
Version, and Computerized Version. If you are taking the Computerized
Version, which is given at most Military Entrance Processing Stations
(MEPs), you should consider one of the study guides which include a CD-ROM,
so that you can practice exactly as you will be taking the test.
Coverage
Some ASVAB study guides are simply practice versions of the test, while
others go out of their way to explain the various subject areas, and give
tips and examples on how to arrive at the correct answer. In general,
the more pages the study guide has, the better the chances that the guide
will provide detailed explanations.
