There are multiple versions of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery or ASVAB exam. While the ASVAB was initially developed as a means to measure the qualifications of potential military recruits, this exam is used for other purposes today. In this article I will discuss the purpose of the Student ASVAB and it’s use as a test to determine career options for graduating high schools students.
Many high schools offer the ASVAB to their students, not as a means to qualify for a career in the armed services, but rather as a means to help students explore different career options to help them choose a path to pursue in college and in their future in general.
The Student-ASVAB is structured much like the standard ASVAB offered to potential military recruits. The exam consists of 8 major subtests and can take up to 3 hours to complete. After taking this exam you may not receive your scores directly. Instead they will be sent to your schools guidance counselor or adviser who will likely schedule a counseling session with you. You will have the opportunity to discuss your results with your counselor with the goals of mapping out your potential path and future.
The 8 sections on the exam are as follows:
General Science GC
This section will test your overall understanding of the basic sciences including biology, chemistry, physics, earth science and some astrology.
Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
This section will test your ability to solve word problems with a mathematical question base. Think of this as math-based reading comprehension.
Word Knowledge (WK)
This section tests your understanding of basic vocabulary words by asking you to identify similar words, synonyms, antonyms, and related words.
Paragraph Comprehension (PC)
Similar to reading comprehension, this section tests your ability to pull concepts and solutions out of a given passage. You will be asked questions based on the deeper meaning of the passage rather than straight-forward ‘what did the passage say’ questions.
Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
This section will test you on the various math topics you have learned including basic operations, laws of operations, algebra, geometry and some trigonometry.
Electronics Information (EI)
This section will test your ability to identify electrical concepts and answer electricity and current based mathematical questions.
Auto & Shop Information (AS)
This section tests your understanding of basic tools, parts, concepts and procedures related to vehicles and shop information.
Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
This section tests your basic understanding of concepts and related mathematical equations as they pertain to machines and their use in word reduction.
You may also be given a ‘Find Your Interest’ section to help you identify different career options and possibilities that suit your abilities and personality.
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