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.
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.
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Can you call home from Recruit Training?Recruits are guranteed only one call home. This call takes place during Receiving, and it is intended purely to ensure the recruit's family they have arrived safely on the Depot. Additional calls after are rare, but not unheard of. On occasion training staff may allow a recruit a call home, either as motivation or as a reward for exemplary performance. In some platoons, an SDI may see a recruit struggling and allow a recruit to call their recruiter to receive a little push. In other, an SDI may allow the high PFT or high shooter from the range a call home. In some other situations, if a recruit has a severe issue at home which has arisen, company staff may permit a recruit to handle that business such as with a family member or bank.
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What is the hardest part of Recruit Training?This will be different for every Recruit. Some will struggle with PT while others will struggle with academics. Certain Recruits might face difficulties with Swim Week as others will find Marksmanship training to be problematic. No matter your strengths or weaknesses, the best things to do are to pay attention to your DIs and other instructors, practice when you are provided time to remediate, and last, Never Quit!
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What happens if you get hurt at Recruit Training?This is a question begets an answer which is multilayered. In all cases, Marines and Medical staff at each Depot will do their best to keep every recruit in training so they may earn the title of Marine. The decision to continue or drop a recruit folllowing injury depends on the severity of the injury, the individual recruit's medical history, and when in the training cycle the injury occurs. For example, an ankle sprain during Range Week may be allowed light duty and some time to heal, but the same injury the day before the Crucible may proclude a recruit from beginning the event. If a recruit is found unfit to continue training, he or she will find themselves in Support Battalion, and they will no longer continue to matriculate through training with their orginal platoon. Males will be assigned to Medical Rehabilitation Platoon (MRP) and female recruits are assigned to Female Rehabiltation Platoon (FRP). When a recruit is with FRP or MRP, their time will be dedicated to rehabilitation. Doctors appointmenrs, physical therapy, and plain old rest will fill the majority of their days. Recruits will still be responsible to conduct themselves in a professional manner as future Marines, but many of the stressors involved during training will not be present.
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Do we get shots at Recruit Training?Yes, every recruit will recieve a number of immunizations dependant on their medical history. Recruits will have up to three rounds of immunizations given by Navy medical staff aboard the Depot.
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What is dental like at Recruit Training?Every recruit will have a screening completed during their receiving process. Based on findings from this initial appoinment, Navy and civilian dental professionals may conduct fillings, caps, wisdom teeth removal, or other procedures as required. Recruits will be allowed time to recuperate from any procedures conducted.
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What happens if I get hurt at Recruit Training?There are generally three types of injuries, which we will call: 1) Minor 2) Medium 3) Major A minor injury is something like a rolled ankle or broken finger, where you can continue in the current training cycle with some minor modifications. You might not be able to fully PT with the platoon, but you won't miss any graduation requirements and can stay on track. These are typically handled by athletic trainers with taping, compression socks, etc. A medium injury is something like a broken leg, or badly sprained knee. Treating the injury will require physical therapy or a few weeks of recovery. In this case, you will be sent to the Male or Female Rehabilitation Platoon that is part of Support Battalion. You will spend your days doing rehab work and generally waiting to go back to recruit training. When you do, you will typically pick up at the start of whichever phase you left at (i.e. if you were dropped in the middle of second phase, you'll resume training with a company when they are starting second phase). A major injury is one that requires surgery and long rehabilitation processes, such as a torn ACL. The Marine Corps will fix the injury and put you through rehab. A Medical Review Board will determine if you can still serve in the Marine Corps based on the length of time it will take for you to recover and also the severity of the injury. Some injuries will disqualify you from military service, in which case you will be discharged from the Marines. In other rare instances, you may spend up to a year rehabilitating and then resuming training.
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