ASVAB Practice Test

ASVAB test guide – which is the right one for you?  Some of the most popular are very outdated – not good since the ASVAB test is somewhat changed each year.  And some are just a plain waste of time – too hard to study with these.

Below are five books (and one set of flashcards) that you can choose from to prepare for the ASVAB military test.  Which one you choose depends on what your situation is or what you need.

If you have never taken the ASVAB, this is the best book for you, OR If you want to know what scores = what jobs, get this book:
McGraw-Hill’s ASVAB, Second Edition by Dr. Janet Wall

This book is loaded with good information, like details on how sections are scored, and what kinds of jobs you can get with those scores.  It has a diagnostic test (a preliminary test) for you to see how well you’d do if you took the test today, and then has very detailed, thorough study guides for each of the sections.  Out of all the books, this one offers the most help and information on the General Science section, scores and scoring of the test, branches of the military and what scores mean what to each one; what jobs are out there and the pay and benefits for the jobs.  Good tips on how to study for the ASVAB as well.  Includes a CD.

Order the hardcopy and CD HERE. OR
You can download this entire book right now! HERE

If you have taken the ASVAB and need to improve scores, check this ASVAB study guide out:
Master the ASVAB by Scott A. Ostrow and Therese DeAngelis

This book has a whole chapter that talks about how you can tell where your strengths and weaknesses are compared to each section of the test.  So if you want to improve scores in only certain areas, this book will help you decide where you should spend most of your time studying.  Then, like all the books, it reviews what you need to know for each section of the test.  The bonus is that not only do you get a pretest and three practice tests, but there are exercises to do after you read and study about each section of the test.  This book has the most information specifically about the ASVAB and each section of the test.  There are even separate books about each section of the ASVAB.  But, you need to know what area you have to improve first.  This book gets the highest ratings by readers of all of them.   Includes a CD.

Order the hardcopy and CD HERE

If you don’t have much time and need a fast guide, this one’s for you, OR
If you just want a good enough score to get into the military:
ASVAB For Dummies by Rod Powers and Jennifer Lawler

This ASVAB guide is a quick read that skips a lot of extra information and gets you right to studying for each section of the ASVAB.  There is no preliminary diagnostic test, but if you don’t have much time and need to dive right in, this book’s the one for you.  It quickly goes over what you’ll need to know for each area of the test.  If you decide that you’re not getting enough information, then you can purchase one of the other books as well, or buy flashcards in addition.  One note of caution, however.  This book does not include a pretest or diagnostic practice test so you can see how you’d do on the real ASVAB.  It does, however, include three full practice tests, like all the other books listed here.

Order the hardcopy HERE. OR
You can download this entire book right now! HERE

Need help in how to study for the ASVAB step by step? OR
Important that it’s a 2011 edition of the book?:
Kaplan ASVAB 2011 Edition by Kaplan

Actually, Kaplan generally has the most up-to-date information, and therefore the best practice tests.  Is this important?  The basic structure of the ASVAB hasn’t changed in several years, but some people say that a few of the practice questions on the Kaplan 2010 study guide were exactly the same as what was on the test.  In addition, no one does it better than Kaplan when it comes giving a step by step guide on how to study for tests, the ASVAB included.  They will walk you through how to study for the ASVAB.  Note: This book doesn’t get top reviews, probably because it’s a little more intellectual than the others.  Kind of a bum rap because Kaplan is good at walking you through everything you’ll need to know.

Order the hardcopy HERE

If you learn better through repeating something over and over, rather than reading and taking it in on your own, then this book/flashcards combo is for you:
ASVAB Flashcards by Mometrix
ASVAB Secrets by Mometrix

Some people just learn better if they are given exact information to study.  If this is you, then flashcards might work the best for you.  However, you might also consider getting the book that’s made to go with the flashcards – the cards on their own might not be enough.  Mometrix puts out both the ASVAB flashcards and Secrets to the ASVAB, and they’ve been doing it a long time.  They take all the information you’ll need to know and break it down into small pieces and put them on flashcards.  Question and answer – hundreds of them.

Order the flashcards HERE. OR
Order the book! HERE

Every ASVAB study guide is different and every person who takes the ASVAB learns differently.  There are 7 most purchased ASVAB practice test books, but of these you only need to consider two. 

Here’s a quick rundown of the two best ASVAB study guides: 

McGraw Hill’s ASVAB: By the way, this ASVAB study guide was written by a former manager of the Career Exploration Program of the ASVAB team at the Department of Defense.  It has an awesome chapter on Opportunities in the Army, Air Force, Marines, etc. and what kind of scores you’ll need to get each of these jobs.  This way, you’ll know what sections you need to study the ardest in order to get the job you might want.  A nice thing about this book is that it teaches you tips and strategies for doing well on each section of the test, as well as overall info on each section of the test.

Download it here!    

ASVAB for Dummies: If you’re in a hurry, don’t have a lot of time to study, don’t really care about what jobs you can get in the military – you just want to get in…  This is the book you should download.  This study guide is complete, but basic.  You won’t get a test in the beginning to see where you stand, but you will get three practice tests.  This book lumps together sections of the test for easier studying: Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension are put together for studying; the arithmatic and math sections are together, and all the sciences are together.  It helps you study quickly and smart!

Download it here!

Be very clear on one point: YOUR ASVAB SCORES DO MATTER.  While there are those who would try and tell you that you should just go in, take the ASVAB test, and “let the chips fall where they may” – they’re wrong! 

By now you probably understand that you want the best scores possible so that you will be given a choice of military jobs at the best, and at the very least, you will be slotted for Air Force jobs, Army jobs, Navy jobs, or Marine jobs  that really suit you and that you will like.

But you may not know that good ASVAB scores can also mean money – read on about how. This is important stuff!

So how is the ASVAB graded, anyway? 

There are actually 10 subtests in the ASVAB test.  The ASVAB test you take will first be graded for what’s called the AFQT score.  This is a total score of four of the 10 subtests:

Word Knowledge (WK)
Paragraph Comprehension (PC)
Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
Mathematics Knowledge (MK)

This AFQT score determines if you can get into the military.  If you get less than a 31, you can’t get in.  Another reason to take an ASVAB practice test before you take the real thing.

On the other hand, if you get, say, a 69, the military may want to consider you for some things that mean more money for you.  This score of 69 will mean that you scored higher on these four subtests than 69% of the other people who took it.
 
A good score (usually above 51 or so is considered good) can mean money:
-An enlistment bonus.
-Pay a college loan.
-Get you into one of the military academies, which means Officer Candidate school, which means you’ll earn more.

Another reason for you to do well is that even if you don’t go on to college and you enlist, you will have a better choice of jobs to take.  So if you choose a job to be trained for while you’re in the military, think what you can continue to do with that job (and all the free training and experience) once you leave the military!
 
Good ASVAB scores matter because they can lead to more money!

How to take a test.  Now there’s a question! ASVAB scores need to be high, but if you’re so worried about taking the ASVAB test, it won’t help your scores any.

Here are the top 10 test-taking strategies so you can do better on the ASVAB.  As you go through your ASVAB practice test, keep these 10 strategies in mind on how to take a test.  Between the two sets of information, those ASVAB scores should come right up!

1. On multiple choice questions, the answer with the most information is often the correct one.
2. On multiple choice questions, a positive answer is more likely than a negative answer.
3. On multiple choice questions, in a question with at least two correct statements, then “All of the above” is  probably the answer.
4. On multiple choice questions, in a question with an “All of the above” choice, if you see that at least two  correct statements, then “All of the above” is probably the answer.
5. On an essay question, the more details and facts that you write down, the better the grade.
6. On an essay question, be neat – neater papers usually receive higher grades.
7. On an essay question, focus on one main idea per each paragraph.
8. On an essay question, if you aren’t sure about an exact date or number, use approximations such as  approximately 100, or later in the year, etc. 
9. On true/false questions, if any part of the question is false, then the answer is false. 
10. On true/false questions, there are generally more true answers than false.
11. On true/false questions, if there is a qualifier such as “usually” or “most of the time”, generally the  answer will be true.
12. On true/false questions, if there is a qualifier such as “never” or “always” it means that the answer must  always be true so the answer is generally false.
13. If you don’t know an answer, skip it and come back to it later. Other parts of the test may have some  information that will help you out with that question.
14. After you’ve finished taking the test, go back through and check yourself.  Only change an answer if you  didn’t read the question right the first time.  The first answer you give is usually the right one.
15. On any test, make SURE you know if there’s a penalty for guessing.  If not, always give an educated answer  (based on the above tips).
16. On any test where you have to write in answers, don’t leave any area blank.  Generally you will receive at  least partial credit for writing down your thoughts and ideas.
17. On any test, read through the entire test quickly when you get it.  Figure out how much time you have on  average for each question.  Then answer the questions that are easiest for you first and come back to the  harder ones.
18. On any test, keeping in mind the above point, answer the questions with the greatest point values first.
19. On any test, read each question looking for keywords.  If you don’t know the answer, leave the question, but  keep in mind the keywords so you can see if another question or answer gives you clues to this answer.
20. Get at least three hours of sleep before a test, and eat foods that will give you lots of energy and  brainpower.  (Avoid heavy foods and sugar – both will make you very groggy quickly.)

Military jobs or military careers?  Safest bets?  Consider this: A significant amount of the U.S. budget is spent on defense.  And while anything can happen politically, the probability of the U.S. defense budget being drastically reduced in the next few years is pretty slim.  After all, right now it takes about 185,000 new people each year to keep military numbers at the current 2.4 million.  That’s a lot of people, and a lot of military jobs!

But first, you have to get into the military, which means passing the ASVAB test.  Second, in order to get a good job – one that you will like, and also have a few possible choices in your job, you must get good ASVAB scores.  A GOOD ASVAB practice test or ASVAB study guide can raise your scores significantly. 

The current goal of the Armed Forces (per the Bureau of Labor Statistics) is to maintain a force sufficient to fight and win two major regional conflicts at the same time.  Given the world political climate, the U.S. military is stretched pretty thin right now, which also means good job security.

All U.S. military jobs exist to perform one of four functions.  Every single job in the U.S. armed forces exists to either do one of these tasks, or to support those who carry them out:
1. To protect our freedom (and those of others in varied parts of the world).
2. To maintain peace.
3. To provide relief to people who are in need around the world.
4. To support policy around the world.

There are five branches in the U.S. military, (actually four, since the Coast Guard is part of Homeland Security) and each of these branches helps to carry out the above four overall functions:

-The Army: The U.S fighting force with approximately 522,400 full-time soldiers.  There are 189,000 Army Reserve soldiers and 325,000 Army National Guardsmen.  This is about 473,000 enlisted people in army jobs, and 80,000+ officers in army careers.

-The Marine Corps:  Generally the first on the ground in major conflicts, the Marine Corps has 184,000 Marines and an additional number in the Marine Corps Reserve.  This is about 182,000 enlisted people in Marine jobs, and about 20,000 officers in Marine careers.

-The Navy: The U.S. Navy forces are equipped to handle operations on land, in the air, and the sea, with a majority of active enlisted men and women being deployed at sea. There are approximately 330,000 personnel in the Navy and
approximately 130,000 Navy Reservists.  This is about 276,000+ enlisted people in Navy jobs, and 51,000+ officers in Navy careers.

-The Air Force: The U.S. Air Force has about 352,000 troops who are focused on air, space, and cyberspace.  The Air Force Reserve employs about 74,000 and a Guard Service with about 161,000 guards.  This is 261,000+ enlisted people in Air Force jobs, and about 65,000 officers in Air Force careers.

-The Coast Guard: The U.S. Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime and under the Navy during wartime.  The 39,000+ active-duty members of the Coast Guard perform search and rescue, law enforcement, and environmental clean-up operations.  There are about 33,000 enlisted people in the Coast Guard, and about 8,000 officers in Coast Guard careers.

So all totaled, these 2.4 million people who serve in one of these five branches of the military have a specific job to do.  Requirements to do these jobs vary by branch of service, but enlisted personnel need at least a high school diploma or its equivalent while officers need a bachelor’s or graduate degree.

Enlisted personnel, who make up about 82% of the Armed Forces, carry out the fundamental operations of the military in combat, administration, construction, engineering, healthcare, human services, and other areas.

Officers, who make up the remaining 18 percent of the Armed Forces, are the leaders of the military, supervising and managing activities in every military job.

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