IN THIS CHAPTER

Choosing your weapon: Pencil or keyboard

Developing multiple-choice strategies

Making educated guesses

Getting some studying and test tips

Preparing down to the last detail

How many times have you heard someone say (or may have even said yourself), “I just can’t take tests”? Well, of course you can’t do well on tests if you keep telling yourself that! In basic training, your drill sergeant will convince you that the words “I can’t” simply don’t exist in the military. If you don’t believe me, try telling your drill sergeant, “I just can’t do push-ups.” You’ll find that with sufficient practice (and your drill sergeant will ensure you get a lot of practice), you can do push-ups just as well as the next person. (Actually, I don’t recommend testing this, for reasons that should be obvious.) The truth is that those who do well on tests are those who’ve figured out how to study efficiently and how to use a dash of test-taking psychology.

This chapter includes information on how to prepare for the test — how you study and how and why you should take the practice exams. In addition, you get some inside info, such as secrets for guessing when you don’t know the answer to a question (although if you study for the test, that will never happen, right?). The tips and techniques provided in this chapter can help you get a jump on the ASVAB and your military career.

Taking the Test: Paper or Computerized?

Many versions of the ASVAB exist (although you probably won’t get a choice of which one to take), but they primarily boil down to two basic differences: the paper version and the computerized version. Each version has advantages and disadvantages, which I discuss in the following sections.

If you’re taking the ASVAB as part of the student program in high school, or if you’re already in the military and are retaking the ASVAB to qualify to retrain into a different job, you may take the paper version.

If you’re taking the ASVAB to enlist in the military, you’ll take the enlistment ASVAB. This version is available in paper format and via computer. There’s a great chance that you’ll take the computerized version (CAT-ASVAB), because to save time and money, the recruiting services often send applicants to the nearest Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) for testing, medical examination, and enlistment (one-stop shopping). MEPS only uses the computerized version, so you know you won’t take the paper version if you’re scheduled to take the ASVAB at MEPS.

If you have your heart set on taking the test in paper format, ask your recruiter whether a Mobile Examination Test (MET) site is nearby. Roughly 685 MET sites are located throughout the United States (generally located in National Guard Armories). Your recruiter can schedule you to take the enlistment paper version at any one of these MET sites, which may offer testing sessions anywhere from once a month to several times per week.

Tackling Multiple-Choice Questions

Both the paper-based and the computerized versions of the ASVAB are multiple-choice tests. You choose the correct (or most correct) answer from among the available (usually four) choices. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you tackle the choices:

• Read the directions carefully. Most ASVAB test proctors agree — the majority of the time when there’s an issue with an applicant’s scores, misreading directions is a prime offender. Each subtest has a paragraph or two describing what the subtest covers and instructions on how to answer the questions. If the directions on the Paragraph Comprehension subtest inform you that a paragraph applies to questions 3, 4, and 5 and you misread it as 4, 5, and 6, you’re probably going to get at least one of those questions wrong.
• Make sure you understand the question. If you don’t understand the question, you’re naturally not going to be able to make the best decision when selecting an answer. Understanding the question requires attention to three particular points:
  • Take special care to read the questions correctly. Most questions ask something like, “Which of the following equals ?” But sometimes, a question may ask, “Which of the following does not equal ?” You can easily skip right over the word not when you’re reading, assume that the answer is 6, and get the question wrong.

  • On the math subtests, be especially careful to read the symbols. When you’re in a hurry, the + sign and the sign can look very similar. And blowing right by a negative sign or another symbol is just as easy.

  • Make sure you understand the terms being used. When a math problem asks you to find the product of two numbers, be sure you know what finding the product means (you have to multiply the two numbers). If you add the two numbers, you arrive at the wrong answer.

• Take time to review all the answer options. On all the subtests, you almost always select the correct answer from only four possible answer options. On the ASVAB, you’re supposed to choose the answer that is most correct. (Now and then you do the opposite and choose the answer that’s least correct.) Sometimes several answers are reasonably correct for the question at hand, but only one of them is the best answer. If you don’t stop to read and review all the answers, you may not choose the one that’s most correct. Or if you review all the answer options, you may realize that you hastily decided on an incorrect answer because you misread it.

  Often, a person reads a question, decides on the answer, glances at the answer options, chooses the option that agrees with his or her answer, marks it on the answer sheet, and then moves on. Although this approach usually works, it can sometimes lead you astray.

• If you’re taking a paper test, mark the answer carefully. A machine scores the paper-based ASVAB answer sheets. You have to mark the answer clearly so the machine knows which answer you’ve selected. This means carefully filling in the space that represents the correct letter. You’ve done this a million times in school, but it’s worth repeating: Don’t use a check mark, don’t circle the answer, and don’t let your mark wander into the next space. If you must erase, make sure all evidence of your prior choice is gone; otherwise, the grading machine may credit you with the wrong choice or disregard your correct answer and give you no credit at all.

  Incorrectly marking the answer sheet — answering Question 11 on the line for Question 12, Question 12 on the line for Question 13, and … you get the idea — is a very real possibility. Be especially careful if you skip a question that you’re going to return to later.

  Incorrectly marking the answers can cause a real headache. If you fail to get a qualifying score, the minimum amount of time you must wait before retaking the ASVAB is one month. Even then, your journey to military glory through ASVAB torment may not be over. If within six months of a previous test, your retest AFQT score increases by 20 points or more, you’ll be required by MEPCOM regulation to take an additional ASVAB test, called a confirmation test. (Confirmation tests can be taken only at MEPS facilities, by the way.) So if you’re not careful, you’ll be taking three ASVABs when all you really needed to take was one. Sound fun? Chapter 1 discusses how and when you can retake the ASVAB.

When You Don’t Know an Answer: Guessing Smart

On the ASVAB, guessing is okay. In fact, it’s encouraged — within reason. Guessing is encouraged because of how the test is scored. Here’s how the point system breaks down:

• If you choose the correct answer, you get one point (or more, depending on how the question is weighted).
• If you don’t answer a question, you get nada.
• If you guess on a question and get the question wrong, you get nada — no worrying about losing points or getting any sort of penalty!

You should try not to guess your way through a bunch of questions at the end of a subtest if you’re taking the CAT-ASVAB. You’re likely to do this when time is running out. If you answer a bunch of questions incorrectly at the end of a subtest, you may be penalized for mismanaging your time, and that penalty can hurt your score.

Because most questions have four possible answers, you generally have a 25 percent chance of guessing correctly, which means that you have chances to increase your score by guessing. Here are some guessing tips:

• There’s always at least one answer that isn’t even close to the correct answer. By using simple deduction, you can often narrow your choices down to two answers or fewer.
• Don’t eliminate an answer based on how frequently that answer comes up. For example, if Choice (B) has been the correct answer for the last five questions, don’t assume that it must be the wrong answer for the question you’re on just because that would make it six in a row.
• Usually, an answer that has always, all, everyone, never, none, or no one is incorrect.
• The longer the answer, the more likely that it’s the correct answer. The test-makers have to get all those qualifiers in there so you can’t find an example to contradict the correct answer. If you see phrases like “in many cases” or “frequently,” that’s a clue that the test-makers are trying to make the answer most correct.
• If two choices are very similar in meaning, neither of them is probably the correct choice. On the other hand, if two answer options contradict each other, one of them is usually correct.

• Don’t change an answer after you select it. If you have to guess, never, ever go back and change the answer, unless you’re absolutely, 100 percent, positively convinced that you’re changing it to the correct answer and you only answered incorrectly because you had sweat in your eyes and didn’t read the choices properly.

  The United States Air Force Senior NCO Academy conducted an in-depth study of several Air Force multiple-choice test results, taken over several years, and found that when students changed answers on their answer sheets, they changed from a right answer to a wrong answer more than 72 percent of the time!

In each of the chapters in Parts III, IV, and V, you find more hints for making educated guesses that are specific to those topics.

If you guess on more than one question throughout the test, choosing the same answer for every guess is a smart way to go. For example, all your guesses could be Choice (B). This technique slightly increases your chances of getting more answers correct. However, if you can eliminate Choice (B) as a wrong answer, then, by all means, choose a different answer option for that question.

Studying and Practicing for the ASVAB

The practice tests that come with this book are valuable study aids. Before you begin studying, take one of the tests. Try to duplicate the testing environment — take the entire exam at one time, time yourself, and don’t allow interruptions.

The military has a saying, “Train as you fight.” The same is true of the ASVAB. If you plan to take the pencil-and-paper version of the ASVAB, concentrate most of your efforts on the written practice tests in this book. If you’ll be taking the CAT-ASVAB, spend most of your time practicing with online tests.

Get a sense of how long it takes you to complete each subtest so you know how much time you have to spend on educated guessing. After you complete the first practice test, check your answers to see where you need improvement.

When you study for the ASVAB, fall in line with these study habits to make the most of your time:

• Focus on the subtests that matter to you. If you have a clear interest in pursuing a career in electronics, the Electronics Information subtest should be at the top of your list to ace. Although you’ll want to make sure all your line scores are good (in case you retrain or your desired job isn’t available), focusing on your expertise in certain areas of interest makes you a more desirable candidate. (See Chapter 2 and Appendix A for lists of the subtests that affect your acceptance into the job areas you’re pursuing.)
• Concentrate on subject areas that need improvement. It’s human nature to find yourself spending your study time on subject areas that you have an interest in or that you’re good at. If you’re a whiz at fixing cars, don’t waste your time studying auto information. You’re already going to ace that part of the test, right? On the other hand, if you had a hard time in math during your high school years, you need to spend extra time brushing up on your arithmetic skills.
• Be a loner. You may want to study with a partner now and then so the two of you can brainstorm answers and quiz each other, but most of your studying should be done on your own.
• Try to reduce distractions. Always study in a well-lit, quiet area away from pets, screaming babies, and the TV.
• Study in long blocks of time. Studying for an hour or two once or twice a day is much more effective than 15 minutes six times a day.
• Keep study breaks short. A few minutes every hour is sufficient. Don’t ignore breaks completely, however. Studies show that taking short breaks improves how well you’re able to remember information.
• Practice the actual act of test-taking. Practice marking answers correctly on the answer key and time yourself to see how long it takes you to answer questions.

If you’re unsure of how to begin studying for the ASVAB, check out Appendix B. There you’ll find a 12-week study strategy.

After you do some additional studying, take the second practice exam. Again, try to duplicate testing conditions. Check your answers. Compare your scores to the scores from your first test. Have you improved? If so, continue studying as you have been. If not, reconsider how you’re studying or whether you’re setting aside enough time to study. A school counselor or teacher can give you additional study pointers. Continue practicing with the next few tests.

A couple of weeks before the ASVAB, take the next-to-last practice test. Brush up on any of those nagging areas that still give you fits. Check to see which areas you need help with and spend more time studying those areas.

A week before your test date, take the last test. This test helps you calm your nerves before taking the ASVAB — how the test works will be fresh in your mind.

Don’t waste time memorizing the practice questions in this guide or any other ASVAB study guide. You won’t see the same questions on the ASVAB. Use this guide and the sample tests for two purposes:

• To determine the subject areas in which you need to improve: Use the tips and techniques, along with standard study materials (like high school textbooks), to improve your knowledge of that specific subject.
• To familiarize yourself with the types of test questions and the way they’re presented on the test: Getting a good idea of what all the subtests look like will improve your test-taking speed. You won’t have to spend time trying to figure out how a question looks. You can spend your time answering the question.

Making Last-Minute Preparations: 24 Hours and Counting

You want some good advice? On the night before the test, get some sleep — at least eight hours. Don’t drink alcohol the night before — headaches and the ASVAB don’t work well together. And don’t pull an all-night cram session. If you don’t know the material the night before the test, it’s too late. Staying up all night only guarantees that you’ll do poorly on the test, because you’ll be too tired in the morning. Here are some other suggestions:

• On the morning of the test, eat a light meal. Anything too heavy will make you drowsy, but not eating enough will make it hard for you to concentrate.

  Try to avoid a breakfast high in carbohydrates. Although the carbs will initially make you feel energetic, a couple of hours into the test, you may come crashing down. Select foods high in protein instead.

• Get exercise the day before and even the morning of the test. Doing so gets your blood pumping and helps you remain mentally sharp.
• If you’re sick, upset, or injured, consider rescheduling the test. Right before the test starts, the proctor will ask if there’s anything, such as sickness or injury, that may affect your test performance. After the test actually starts, it’s considered an “official test,” and you’ll have to wait a certain time period before any possibility of a retest. See Chapter 1 for details.
• Don’t bring personal supplies to the test. Your test administrator will provide you with pencils and scratch paper. Don’t bring calculators, personal electronic devices (smartphones, tablets), backpacks, or a cooler of munchies to the testing site. You won’t be allowed to have them with you. (But if you wear eyeglasses, bring them. If you wear contacts, bring your glasses as a backup.)
• Bring a watch to help you keep track of time if you’re taking the paper version. The computerized version has a clock on the screen.
• Don’t drink a lot of liquids just before the test. You don’t want to waste valuable test time in the bathroom!
• Make sure you arrive at the test site with plenty of time to spare. In the military, arriving on time means you’re five minutes late. You should plan to be in your seat at least 15 minutes before the scheduled testing time. Unless your recruiter is driving you (which is often the case), you may want to do a test run a day or two before your testing date to make sure you know where the test is, the availability of parking, and how to find the testing room.