How is ASVAB scored?
Candidates must understand all aspects of an examination, before they start preparing or even registering for it. If you are considering a military career, and want to take the ASVAB, you must have a thorough knowledge of scores and the procedure used to score the examination.The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is a test that will evaluate your capacity to become successful military personnel. However, the USA Military Service has a number of wings. Score requirement for each section of the Military Department is different. Hence, understanding your scores is essential, if you want to know, which department of the military you should apply to. ASVAB Scoring SystemThe test scores alone decide whether or not you are qualified to become military personnel. The scores are calculated with the help of a statistical method called equating. The scoring techniques are as follows:
- Standard scores: The battery consists of a set of 9 to 10 sub-tests, depending on whether you are taking the paper format or the computerized format of the test. The score that you receive for each of the sub-test is reported separately and the sum of these scores is reported as a standard score. If you take the paper format of the test, then the maximum total standard score that you can get is 225. If you take the CAT-ASVAB, then the highest standard score achievable is 145.
- AFQT (Armed Force Qualification Test) score: This score is reported in the form of a percentile rank and is calculated by adding the scores that you have received for the 4 sub-tests, viz, Mathematics Knowledge, Arithmetic Reasoning, Paragraph Comprehension and Word Knowledge. The total score that you receive for these sub-tests is then compared to the scores that other candidates taking a similar format of the test have received. Then you receive a percentile rank that can range anywhere from 1 to 99. For example, if you receive a rank of 45 percentile then you have scored more than 45 students, but 55 students have scored more than you.
- Other scores that are taken into account: Although, your high school passing scores or GED scores do not technically form a part of the scores, yet they will be taken into account while your application is being evaluated. For example, if you want to be recruited by the Air Force, then you must have a high school diploma (which you have achieved with a high scores) and an percentile score of 65.
Once you have understood the scoring procedure, you must be able to interpret and analyze your scores. The following section of this article will help you understand what constitutes a good, average, and bad score.Understanding the ScoresThe test scores represent which wing of the Defense Department you should apply to. Based on that, the scores can be divided as follows:
- Good score: If your percentile rank is at least 65 then you have a good chance of being able to make decisions, regarding which branch of the Defense department that you wish to join.
- Average score: If your AFQT score is anywhere between 31 and 60 then you have a fair chance of getting recruited by the Army. This percentile range represents average score.
- Bad score: Any score below 30 will be considered a bad score. Such score will not allow you to take any decision regarding which department you can join. This decision will not depend completely on your recruiters.
The above-mentioned list outlines the basic interpretation of scores. While assigning departments, the recruiters take many other things into account like individual scores that you have received in each sub-test, number of credits you have received in high school etc. If you require more information, then click on the following link:http://official-asvab.com/understand_coun.htmOn studying the scoring system, you will understand that the key to a worthwhile examination is hard work and preparation. This will also ensure that you do not have to retake the examination and increase your chances of working in the department that you want. So study hard and prepare well before you take the examination.