I'm planning to take the ASVAB and want to understand how my scores might influence the jobs I qualify for in the military. Can someone explain how different scores open up various roles or career paths?
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a test used by the United States military to determine qualification for enlistment and which job fields, known as Military Occupational Specialties (MOS), you might be best suited for. The ASVAB is divided into several sections that test your knowledge and skills in different areas, such as Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematical Knowledge, and various aspects of science and technical knowledge.
Your performance on these sections results in line scores for each military branch. Different military jobs require certain combinations of line scores. For example, in the Army, if you're interested in becoming a Cryptographic Linguist, you would need to score a combined 106 in the Skilled Technical (ST) section; for Infantryman, on the other hand, you would need a combined 90 in the CO (Combat) section.
In the Navy, if you're hoping to be a Nuclear Power Program candidate, you would need to earn a 290 in the combined sections of Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Electronics Information (EI), and Mechanical Comprehension (MC).
Moreover, each branch of the military, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, has its own requirements, so you'll need to do some specific research depending on which branch you're planning on joining.
Keep in mind that although your ASVAB scores play a significant part, there are other variables involved, including physical requirements, security clearance, and vacancies in various job roles. Overall, doing well on the ASVAB allows you more job options and the possibility for more advanced training.
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.