THE ASVAB
GETTING A GOOD STORE
THE ASVAB
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, or ASVAB, tests individuals' knowledge and skill in multiple areas.
Your test scores determine your eligibility to enlist in each of the military services as well as the MOS contracts you're eligible for.
The minimum score to qualify for the Marines is a 32, but you'll want to do better to have more MOS options available.
The ASVAB
Getting a Good Score
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, or ASVAB, tests individuals' knowledge and skill in multiple areas.
Your test scores determine your eligibility to enlist in each of the military services as well as the MOS contracts you're eligible for.
The minimum score to qualify for the Marines is a 32, but you'll want to do better to have more MOS options available.
SCORE
TESTING FORMAT AND PREP
The ASVAB is offered at MEPS, however it may be administered at high schools and a few other locations as required.
It is a three hour long multiple choice test. Your recruiters should help you prepare by providing practice tests.
Scores earned on this test are critical to the Military Occupational Specialty, or MOS, future Marines will be eligible to select.
To prepare for the ASVAB, follow these steps:
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Take a practice test and see how you score
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If you don't get the scores you need for your desired MOS, grab an ASVAB Prep Book
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Work through the book to identify areas for improvement
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If you are struggling with a section, schedule a tutoring session to get up to speed on the subject
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Repeat process from Step 1 until you get the score you need for your goals
HOW DOES IT GET SCORED?
The ASVAB consists of several different subject areas or subtests. The nine subtests are:
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General Science (GS)
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Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
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Word Knowledge (WK)
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Paragraph Comprehension (PC)
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Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
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Electronics Information (EI)
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Auto and Shop Information (AS)
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Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
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Assembling Objects (AO)
When candidates complete the ASVAB, they will receive a raw score for each of the subtests.
These raw scores are added together to create various composite scores. These composite scores show your potential in each potential functional area.
The first and most important composite score is the Armed Forces Qualification Test, or AFQT. This score is calculated by adding combining your scores in math and verbal disciplines; AR, MK, WK, and PC.
The AFQT calculation is displayed on a 1-99 scale.
To enlist in the Marines you must score at least 32 points. Individuals who posses a GED instead of a High School Diploma must score a minimum of 50 points.
THE ASVAB AND MOS SELECTION
The additional composite scores are known as Line Scores. These Line Scores are utilized to identify eligibility for specific MOSs. Marine Corps Line Score computations are composed as follows:
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CL - Clerical: VE + AR + MK
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EL - Electronics: GS + AR + MK + EI
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GT - General Technical: VE + AR
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MM - Mechanical Maintenance: NO + AS + MC + EI
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ST - Skilled Technical: GS + VE + MK + MC
Each Marine Corps MOS has a required minimum Line Score requirement to qualify for enlistment into that MOS. The ASVAB Requirement list below provides you with the required Line Score for each entry-level MOS available from Marine Recruiters.
An example for how to use this guide is on the bottom of the page.
The following example will show you how to use the above listings:
AAVs
1833 - Assault Amphibious Vehicle Operator GT=90
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AAVs: Occupational Field
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1833: MOS number referred to by Marines and Recruiters.
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Assault Amphibian Vehicle Operator: Descriptive MOS title/name
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GT=90: Candidates require a score of 90 on the General Technical portion of the ASVAB to qualify for this MOS
