I've seen a lot about AFQT scores while researching my options post-high school. I know they're important in joining the military, but can anyone explain what they are, how they're scored, and any minimum requirements for different branches?
Absolutely, happy to help clarify this for you.
AFQT stands for Armed Forces Qualification Test. It's essentially part of the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery), a test used by the United States military to evaluate the aptitude and skills of prospective recruits.
The AFQT score specifically is derived from four sections of the ASVAB: Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Math Knowledge (MK), Word Knowledge (WK), and Paragraph Comprehension (PC). The formula used to calculate the AFQT score is: AR + MK + (2(WK + PC)).
AFQT scores are provided on a percentile basis, which means they show how you performed relative to a representative sample of American youth who took the test. For example, if you scored in the 75th percentile, you performed better than 75% of the reference group.
As for minimum requirements, each branch of the military has its own separate AFQT minimum requirements, which can vary:
- Army: a minimum AFQT score of 31.
- Navy: a minimum AFQT score of 35.
- Marines: a minimum AFQT score of 32.
- Air Force: a minimum AFQT score of 31.
- Coast Guard: a minimum AFQT score of 40.
Note that these scores are raw minimums and more competitive jobs within each branch may require higher scores. Always strive for the highest score you can achieve to open up as many opportunities as possible.
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.