Appendix B
Countdown to Taking the ASVAB
IN THIS APPENDIX
Figuring out how much time you have to prepare
Planning your study strategy
The ASVAB isn’t an intelligence test, although you’ll need to tap into your knowledge reserves when you take it. It’s actually designed to tell the military where you’ll shine as a service member based on your current knowledge and your aptitude for learning more. The military uses carefully calculated line scores to determine which jobs will be a good fit for you within the branch you choose.
This appendix gives you a study plan to prepare for the ASVAB based on how many weeks you have until you take the test.
How Much Time Do You Have to Prepare?
Your recruiter will call MEPS to find out when they can fit you in, but ultimately, you control when you take the ASVAB. Let your recruiter know if you feel rushed. Landing the military job you want depends on your scores, so if you need more time to prepare, ask for it. It’s important that you study at your own pace so you can absorb all the information you need.
Knowing math and English concepts is an important prerequisite to taking the ASVAB — but it’s also important that you learn and/or review these topics over time. You can’t put off studying until the night before you take the test; you’ll end up being frazzled on test day, and it’ll show in your scores.
Outline Your ASVAB Study Strategy
Use the tables in Appendix A to determine what scores you need to get the job you want. If your dream job involves working on helicopter engines, you’ll need to devote extra time to brushing up on your Auto & Shop Information (AS), Mechanical Comprehension (MC), and Electronics Information (EI) knowledge.
Each branch has a baseline AFQT score (see Chapter 1 for each branch’s current minimum AFQT score) that you must meet or exceed to enlist.
It’s a good idea to have a backup job in mind, just in case your first choice isn’t available. The military’s needs change on an almost-daily basis, so even if your recruiter is fairly certain your dream job will be available when you sign on the dotted line, it’s best to get used to adapting to the unexpected; you’ll face it often during the course of your military career.
Every section of the ASVAB is important because each branch gauges your overall ability based on various combinations of your scores (and if you want to switch jobs after you get some rank on your chest, you won’t have to retake the ASVAB to improve your scores).
If you don’t have three months to prepare, which the following schedule outlines, you can accelerate your pace so it corresponds to how much time you do have. Simply count how many weeks (or days) you have between today and test day, and then try to schedule the plan at even intervals.
12 weeks out: Identify your weak spots
Take Practice Exam 1 in Chapter 13 so you get a good idea of which areas need a little spit-and-polish (that’s an old military term that refers to shining boots, and while you don’t need to know it now, you’ll find it useful once you’ve joined the ranks). Make sure you’re in a quiet place where others are unlikely to disturb you, and keep a stack of scratch paper handy.
Score each subtest according to the answers in Chapter 14. Take an objective look at your scores and determine which subtests you performed well on. If they correspond with the job you want in the military, that’s great — but as the military always says, don’t become complacent. You still need to study, right up to the day before the test, to make sure you’re on the right track to ace the ASVAB.
If you didn’t perform very well on some of the subtests, you’ll know exactly where to focus. However, at this point, it’s most important to determine how you stack up against military standards on the AFQT portion of the test. The scores that matter most include:
- Word Knowledge
- Paragraph Comprehension
- Arithmetic Reasoning
- Mathematics Knowledge
It’s usually helpful to create your own flashcards using blank index cards. Studies have shown that flashcards help people memorize new information, and even the act of writing down information can go a long way toward helping you remember.
10 weeks out: Dust off your strengths
When you took the first practice test, you were able to see where you need improvement and where you’re already strong. The good news is that you don’t have to learn anything new at this point. Instead, keep strengthening your grasp on your weak spots and revisit your strongest areas.
You can use this opportunity to take the practice exam in Chapter 15 to find out how much all your hard work has paid off in those not-so-spectacular areas. Before you take it, review Chapter 24 and apply the strategies outlined there — you might be surprised at the progress you’ve made.
8 weeks out: Studying with your recruiter
Find out which subjects you need to devote your attention to and, if possible, rule out everything that counts toward your AFQT score. You can see how far you’ve come by taking the AFQT Practice Exam 1 in Chapter 19.
Determine which subjects you need to improve based on your results this time around.
Talk to your recruiter about scheduling time to study together. Many recruiting stations will set up study sessions for groups of enlistees if enough people are interested in participating. (Here’s a little secret: The better you do on the test, the better you make your recruiter look to his or her superiors.)
Continue working on the weaknesses you identified when you took the first two practice tests.
6 weeks out: Retest yourself
Take the third practice exam in Chapter 17. It’s time to reevaluate where you are, so once you grade the exam, rank the subtests based on your performance. Pay special attention to your scores on the AFQT subtests (Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge, and Arithmetic Reasoning).
Spend most of your time over the next two weeks studying for the two subtests you need to improve most.
Alternate studying your two subjects so you don’t become overwhelmed. If you get tired of studying one, switch to the other — and make sure you let your recruiter know where you need the most help.
4 weeks out: Zeroing in on your targets
Retake the first practice exam from Chapter 13. At this point, you should be able to see major progress in your weakest areas (and if you’ve been staying on top of studying, you’ll see improvement on the AFQT subtests, too).
Rank your scores again, just like you did two weeks ago. Test day is just a month away, so focus on
- Strengthening your abilities in Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension.
- Pushing yourself in Mathematics Knowledge and Arithmetic Reasoning.
- Studying the subtest area that will help you get the job you want, even if you’re already confident in your ability.
2 weeks out: Flashcards, practice tests, and more flashcards
Ask a friend to quiz you with your flashcards, and determine what’s most important for you to study. It’s crunch time, so you don’t want to spend too much time learning new material; focus on a well-rounded study plan that reinforces everything you’ve already learned.
Review the online cheat sheet (www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/asvab) to make sure you understand the strategies it outlines, including its tips on what to do when you’re unsure about an answer.
The day before the test
Tomorrow’s the big day, and you’re as prepared as you’ll ever be. Before you settle in for one last study session, pack up everything you need to bring to MEPS: your ID card, your glasses, and anything else your recruiter has told you to bring.
Don’t be too hard on yourself during your last study session. Break up your time into two one-hour blocks, and during the first hour, focus on the subjects you need to ace to get your dream job.
During the second hour, review all the notes you’ve taken, flip through this book to look for highlights, and make sure you’re familiar with the time constraints you’ll face when you’re sitting in front of the computer at MEPS (see Chapter 1).
It’s going to be tough to relax the day before you take the test, but give it your best shot. You’ll perform best if you
- Hydrate. Shoot for eight glasses of water, and steer clear of energy drinks, coffee, and soda.
- Relax. You don’t need built-up stress interfering with your test-taking abilities, so do what you need to do to relax. Curl up with Relaxation For Dummies by Shamash Alidina (Wiley), watch a funny movie, or spend time with family and friends — whatever works for you.
- Sleep. Get at least eight hours of sleep the night before the test so you’re on your toes when you arrive at MEPS. That means going to bed early because the military starts operating at zero-dark-thirty (zero-dark-thirty translates to “all the civilians are still snug and warm in their beds … and will be for two more hours”).