| The U.S. Armed Forces have high standards
for enlistment. An important part of a recruiter’s job
is to screen applicants to ensure they measure up. Even
before a recruiter will send you to take the ASVAB,
he/she will ask about your marital status, health, education,
drug use, and arrest record. It’s very important that
you answer these questions openly and honestly. Once
the recruiter has determined that you are qualified
for further processing, you will be scheduled to take
the ASVAB. A physical exam may also be conducted at
that time. For more information about military entrance
processing, visit the Military Entrance Processing Command
website at http://www.mepcom.army.mil/
ASVAB testing for applicants is conducted at Military
Entrance Processing Stations, known as MEPS. The MEPS
are a Department of Defense joint-service organization
staffed with military and civilian professionals. There
are 65 MEPS located across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
If you do not live near a MEPS, the ASVAB can be administered
at a satellite location called a Military Entrance Test
(MET) site. MET sites are often located in Federal government
office buildings, National Guard armories, or Reserve
centers.
You’ll need to bring valid identification to be admitted
into the ASVAB testing room. Don’t be late — you'll
be turned away and required to reschedule if you are.
Your recruiter may give you a ride to and from the session,
but he/she is not permitted in the testing room.
ASVAB test questions are treated as controlled testing
materials. You should neither accept nor give information
about specific test questions to other individuals.
Applicants who either give or receive information about
test questions are subject to severe penalties.
The ASVAB is administered by computer at the MEPS while
a paper-and-pencil version is given at most MET sites.
Testing procedures will vary depending on the mode of
administration.
Paper and Pencil Administration
As soon all examinees are checked in and seated, the
test administrator will provide some general instructions
and pass out the test booklets and answer sheets. Listen
carefully and do not proceed unless instructed to do
so. The total time required, including administrative
tasks and instructions, is three to four hours. Each
subtest has a fixed number of questions and time limit,
as shown in the table below.
When you complete the items in a subtest, you may review
your answers. However, you cannot go back to an earlier
subtest, nor proceed to the next subtest until instructed
to do so. After the test session, answer sheets are
sent to the MEPS to be scanned and scored. This process
usually takes a few days. Your recruiter will be notified
when your test scores are verified and available. A
preliminary Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) Score
is usually calculated by the test administrator and
made available to your recruiter immediately after the
test session.
Computer Administration
The computer version of the ASVAB, called the CAT-ASVAB,
is an adaptive test. This means that the test adapts
to the ability level of each individual examinee. Thus,
it is possible to administer a shorter test than is
used in the paper and pencil administration.
Each examinee completes the CAT-ASVAB at his/her own
pace. That is, when you complete a subtest, you can
immediately move onto the next subtest without waiting
for everyone else in the testing room to finish. There
are time limits imposed on each subtest in the CAT-ASVAB,
but almost all examinees complete the individual subtests
before the time expires. As you take each subtest, the
amount of time and number of items remaining for that
subtest is displayed in the lower right hand corner.
On average, it takes about 1½ hours to complete the
CAT-ASVAB. The number of questions and time limits for
the subtests on the CAT-ASVAB are shown in the table
below.
All examinees receive training on using the computer
keyboard and mouse, answering test questions, and obtaining
help. In addition, each subtest has specific instructions
plus a practice question.
Unlike the paper and pencil ASVAB, you will not be
able to review or change an answer once you submit it.
Your test scores will be available immediately after
the test session. You may leave the test room as soon
as you are finished with the entire battery.
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