asvab?

ASVAB. Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. The military’s “How smart are you for this job?” test. I’ve taken this three times. Basically if you score 83 or above they usually give you the book and say “What do you want to do?” I scored an 84 then an 86. Don’t remember high school’s score, though. Anyway…

I hate the ASVAB with a passion. There are many study guides out there to help you “pass” it, but the way it’s scored depicts what jobs you are qualified to do.

The ASVAB contains nine sections:

* General Science (GS)
* Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
* Word Knowledge (WK)
* Paragraph Comprehension (PC)
* Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
* Electronics Information (EI)
* Auto Shop (AS)
* Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
* Assembling Objects (AO)

Each one containing its own score with the combined average giving you the overall score. Each branch, however, scores it differently. Usually the one with the highest score is the area they want to put you in.

Basically it boils down to this: you can study, that’s fine; but just because you studied for it and passed with higher scores in different areas doesn’t mean you’re actually qualified to DO the job. Example: You take your car to the mechanic. They put the new guy on the job of fixing your car and the only job experience he’s ever had was baking cakes. Never touched a car before. Do you want him working on your vehicle?

The ASVAB tests your qualification for enlistment in the United States armed forces. We, as a country, want to make sure that the right people are doing the right jobs. The military, however, doesn’t care if you’re happy doing what you’re doing. They just want to make sure you’re doing what they tell you to do. When you take this test they send the results over to the MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) classifiers for the branch of service you’re enlisting in. They sit you down with “Classifier” (a person that assignes your job) and they give you a few options of job availabilities. You, at that time, have the option to choose what YOU want to do that you would feel the most comfortable doing. If you don’t choose wisely, it’s your own damn fault.

Just take your time (even though it’s a timed test, I know) and think over each question. Give the best possible answer and go from there. The object is not to be the first person done, it’s to be the most thorough person. Make sure you end up doing what you want to do.

Hope this helps! Any other questions, let me know! 8D