Chapter 15
Practice Exam 2
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) includes four subtests that make up the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score: Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Mathematics Knowledge.
The military branches use the AFQT score as an initial qualifier to determine whether the military considers you to be “trainable.” Each service has established its own minimum score. You can find much more information about how the AFQT is scored, and how the services use those scores, in Chapter 2.
You can’t take the AFQT by itself. You have to take the entire ASVAB exam, which includes nine total subtests. All the subtests of the ASVAB are used to determine military job qualifications, while the four subtests that make up the AFQT score are used to determine military qualification.
After you complete the entire sample test, check your answers against the answers and explanations in Chapter 16. On the actual AFQT, hard questions are worth more points than easy questions, so you can’t score your test by a simple number correct or number wrong. (Chapter 2 explains how the AFQT is scored.)
Consider using this test as a progress check after your first week or two of study. Adjust your study plan accordingly.
Answer Sheet for Practice Exam 2
Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning
Part 2: Word Knowledge
Part 3: Paragraph Comprehension
Part 4: Mathematics Knowledge
Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning
1. Marty is building a rectangular fence in his backyard and has 200 feet of fencing he can use. If the yard is to be 15 feet wide and he uses all the fencing, how long will the yard be?
(A) 27 ft
(B) 72 ft
(C) 85 ft
(D) 87 ft
2. Henry is 48 inches tall. His older brother is 25 percent taller. How tall is Henry’s brother?
(A) 60 in.
(B) 64 in.
(C) 63 in.
(D) 73 in.
3. Janet, Alice, and Gabriel are collecting cans for recycling. Altogether, they collected 473 cans. Janet collected 124 cans, and Alice collected 205 cans. How many cans did Gabriel collect?
(A) 329
(B) 142
(C) 144
(D) 167
4. The floor of Mr. Gilbert’s office is in the shape of a rectangle with an area of 168 square feet. The length of the floor is 12 feet. What is the width?
(A) 12 ft
(B) 14 ft
(C) 9 ft
(D) 16 ft
5. There are 10 decimeters in a meter and 10 meters in a decameter. How many decimeters are there in 3 decameters?
(A) 3,000
(B) 0.03
(C) 300
(D) 30
6. At 9:00 a.m., the outside temperature was –14° Fahrenheit. By noon, the temperature increased by 21° Fahrenheit. What was the outside temperature at noon?
(A) 7°
(B) 6°
(C) –7°
(D) –35°
7. An airplane flew a distance of 180 miles in an hour and a half. What was the speed of the plane?
(A) 120 mph
(B) 110 mph
(C) 180 mph
(D) 270 mph
8. The ratio of cars to trucks is 3:4. There are 15 cars. How many trucks are there?
(A) 24
(B) 10
(C) 12
(D) 20
9. A grocery store sells raisins for $3.50 per pound and almonds for $4 per pound. Keith bought just enough raisins and almonds to make a 2-pound mixture that is 40 percent raisins. How much did he pay for the raisins?
(A) $2.85
(B) $3.50
(C) $3.20
(D) $2.80
10. Patricia’s age is one-third Ms. Chang’s age. The sum of their ages is 56 years. What is Ms. Chang’s age?
(A) 38
(B) 44
(C) 42
(D) 14
11. Ed worked 10 hours and earned $125. John also worked 10 hours, but his hourly rate is $0.50 less than Ed’s hourly rate. How much did John earn for 10 hours of work?
(A) $118.50
(B) $60.00
(C) $119.50
(D) $120.00
12. A game board is in the shape of a square with a perimeter of 60 inches. What is the length of one side of the game board?
(A) 1 ft
(B) 1.25 ft
(C) 1.5 ft
(D) 1.75 ft
13. A recipe calls for 
cups of milk, but you have only 
cups of milk available. How much more milk do you need for the recipe?
(A) 
cups
(B) 
cups
(C) 
cups
(D) 
cup
14. Maria invests $2,500 into a savings account. After 1 year, she has earned $100 in interest. What is the annual interest rate for the account?
(A) 4.5 percent
(B) 0.4 percent
(C) 4 percent
(D) 2.5 percent
15. What is the area of the region in this figure?
Illustration by Thomson Digital
(A) 72 cm2
(B) 36 cm2
(C) 90 cm2
(D) 30 cm2
16. Martha is teaching her first cooking class. 60 percent of the class — or 21 students — burned their quiche. How many total students are in the class?
(A) 27
(B) 31
(C) 35
(D) 39
17. Keisha walked a distance of 4.5 miles at a rate of 3 miles per hour. She started her walk at 3:40 p.m. What time did she finish her walk?
(A) 4:10 p.m.
(B) 3:55 p.m.
(C) 4:20 p.m.
(D) 5:10 p.m.
18. You earn $9.75 an hour and need to earn at least $150. Which inequality shows the number of hours, h, you must work?
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
19. Carlos has a model of his father’s new truck. The model truck is 32 centimeters long. If the scale of the model is 
, what is the approximate length of his father’s truck?
(A) 4 m
(B) 8 m
(C) 10 m
(D) 12 m
20. Joan is selling 3 paintings. She places them in a row so the cost increases by $15 from left to right. The painting on the far left costs $29. What is the cost of the painting on the far right?
(A) $59
(B) $15
(C) $44
(D) $75
21. Megan is in a hurry to get to her grandmother’s Thanksgiving dinner in Wyoming. If she is traveling a constant 50 miles per hour, how many hours will it take her to make the 600-mile trip?
(A) 30 hours
(B) 12 hours
(C) 60 hours
(D) 15 hours
22. On the expressway, where the speed limit is 60 miles per hour, the formula for calculating a speeding fine, F, is 
, where x is the speed of the car in miles per hour. If Steve was fined $230 for speeding down the highway, how fast was he driving?
(A) 70 mph
(B) 75 mph
(C) 85 mph
(D) 80 mph
23. Nick recorded the odometer reading of 65,034 before filling his car with gas. The next time he filled his car with gas, the odometer reading was 65,322. He needed 12 gallons of gas to fill his tank. What is the best estimate of the car’s gas mileage in miles per gallon (mpg)?
(A) 12 mpg
(B) 24 mpg
(C) 18 mpg
(D) 32 mpg
24. A can of beans is in the shape of a cylinder. The can has a diameter of 8 centimeters and a height of 10 centimeters. What is the volume of the can?
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
25. Matt must pay a $15 co-pay for each of his visits to a chiropractor. Then the insurance company pays 60 percent of the remaining cost of the visit. He made 10 visits to the chiropractor, each costing $305. How much did Matt pay for his chiropractor visits in total?
(A) $2,900
(B) $1,310
(C) $1,160
(D) $1,180
26. Marco can replace a truck tire in 20 minutes. His brother takes 10 minutes longer to do the same job. How long will replacing a truck tire take them if they work together?
(A) 18 minutes
(B) 16 minutes
(C) 12 minutes
(D) 25 minutes
27. Each squeeze of a spray bottle’s trigger emits 0.024 ounces of water. Ten squeezes of the trigger emit 2 percent of the total amount of water the bottle holds. How many ounces of water can the bottle hold?
(A) 16 oz
(B) 20 oz
(C) 24 oz
(D) 12 oz
28. A shoe box has a length of 30 centimeters, a width of 15 centimeters, and a height of 10 centimeters. What is the surface area of the shoe box?
(A) 3,600 cm2
(B) 4,500 cm2
(C) 1,800 cm2
(D) 900 cm2
29. Two runners start in the same place and run in opposite directions. The first runner averages 5 miles per hour, and the second runner averages 6 miles per hour. After how many hours will they be 11 miles apart?
(A) 1 hour
(B) 2 hours
(C) 1.5 hours
(D) 1.1 hours
30. The coach bought pepperoni pizzas for the entire soccer team, including himself. Each pizza cost $12. When they were all finished eating, 
pizzas were left over. Each of the 15 players on the team ate a quarter of a pizza, and the coach ate half of a pizza. How much did the coach pay for the pizzas, before tax?
(A) $72
(B) $180
(C) $84
(D) $88
Part 2: Word Knowledge
1. The word most opposite in meaning to savor is
(A) deny.
(B) enjoy.
(C) detest.
(D) keep.
2. Lackluster most nearly means
(A) exuberant.
(B) benign.
(C) mediocre.
(D) sharp.
3. The word most opposite in meaning to participate is
(A) abstain.
(B) join.
(C) contribute.
(D) shove.
4. The word most opposite in meaning to organize is
(A) arrange.
(B) mess up.
(C) juggle.
(D) disturb.
5. Unkempt most nearly means
(A) clean.
(B) orderly.
(C) disastrous.
(D) messy.
6. I knew the preliminary interview was merely to get my foot in the door.
(A) falling
(B) first
(C) closing
(D) binding
7. The clash between Mary and her mother-in-law was inevitable because of their different values.
(A) unlikely
(B) unavoidable
(C) unrelenting
(D) unusual
8. Toby took the sunset as a good omen for his new life in Florida.
(A) fact
(B) letter
(C) decree
(D) sign
9. The frigid wind on the chairlift was enough to give someone frostbite.
(A) stale
(B) warm
(C) cold
(D) boring
10. No one voted for Michael, because he was such a tyrant last semester.
(A) leader
(B) oppressor
(C) guide
(D) teacher
11. Counterfeit most nearly means
(A) authentic.
(B) soiled.
(C) phony.
(D) credible.
12. The word most opposite in meaning to burden is
(A) relieve.
(B) bother.
(C) trouble.
(D) support.
13. The word most opposite in meaning to animate is
(A) deflect.
(B) stir.
(C) enliven.
(D) subdue.
14. Plausible most nearly means
(A) impossible.
(B) factual.
(C) reasonable.
(D) perishable.
15. Pliable most nearly means
(A) dormant.
(B) flexible.
(C) stiff.
(D) spontaneous.
16. Resignation most nearly means
(A) approval.
(B) acceptance.
(C) denial.
(D) disbelief.
17. Obliterate most nearly means
(A) pamper.
(B) wound.
(C) destroy.
(D) control.
18. Heed most nearly means
(A) betray.
(B) abide.
(C) ignore.
(D) escape.
19. Sean felt immense pride as he accepted the gold medal.
(A) massive
(B) contained
(C) minute
(D) similar
20. Jenny made a choice to pursue her dream of dancing despite her parents’ disapproval.
(A) follow
(B) ignore
(C) mediate
(D) bring forth
21. I was impressed by how tactful my father was regarding my recent breakup.
(A) cruel
(B) oblivious
(C) sensitive
(D) doting
22. I loved watching my jock brother endure my sister’s ballet recitals.
(A) tolerate
(B) approve
(C) deny
(D) abstain
23. Charli’s longevity during the marathon training was better than she expected.
(A) brevity
(B) distance
(C) number
(D) endurance
24. The girl had to console her friend, who couldn’t stop crying.
(A) compartment
(B) comfort
(C) hide
(D) push away
25. When the coach claps his hands, we’re supposed to disperse to our positions in the field.
(A) run
(B) gather
(C) scatter
(D) formulate
26. Enshrouded most nearly means
(A) illuminated.
(B) enclosed.
(C) revealed.
(D) covered.
27. Repudiate most nearly means
(A) disown.
(B) waver.
(C) reclaim.
(D) adjust.
28. Oblique most nearly means
(A) forward.
(B) cordial.
(C) indirect.
(D) candid.
29. Acquiesce most nearly means
(A) agree with.
(B) argue with.
(C) hide from.
(D) move into.
30. Tenuous most nearly means
(A) stable.
(B) flimsy.
(C) firm.
(D) buoyant.
31. The children were unbridled during playtime, looking more like wild animals than 5-year-olds.
(A) organized
(B) relieving
(C) rampant
(D) joyous
32. I won’t ostracize the new girl just because the other kids are jealous.
(A) ridicule
(B) befriend
(C) exclude
(D) restrict
33. Replete most nearly means
(A) full.
(B) barren.
(C) meager.
(D) coarse.
34. Enigma most nearly means
(A) accessible.
(B) mystery.
(C) transparent.
(D) profound.
35. Carlton stepped in to assuage the patron’s fury after a waiter spilled soup on the man.
(A) pacify
(B) replace
(C) order
(D) determine
Part 3: Paragraph Comprehension
Questions 1 and 2 refer to the following passage.
Dog training isn’t for the faint of heart. You have to be tough and let the dog know who’s boss, or it’ll never listen to anything you say. Sometimes, you have to punish it, and it’ll cry or look at you in anger or surprise. If your dog is a puppy, you may have to put it in a crate when you leave the house, which will cause the puppy to whine and become anxious. All these actions can be difficult when you’re looking into the face of an adorable dog, so you have to be firm in your resolve even when you feel bad.
1. What is the main point of the passage?
(A) Crate training is the best way to train a dog.
(B) Dogs are easy to train.
(C) All dogs require training.
(D) Trainers should avoid becoming emotional.
2. In this passage, resolve means
(A) determination.
(B) indecision.
(C) prowess.
(D) fear.
The sudden death of Dale Earnhardt was a shock to not only the NASCAR community but also the world. His aggressiveness on the track and success behind the wheel made him a well-known figure and a household name. He started his career in 1975, racing as part of the Winston Cup Series in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before his fatal crash in 2001 during the Daytona 500, he won more than 76 races, including one Daytona 500 race in 1998. He shares the record for the most NASCAR Premier Series Championships with Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson at seven apiece.
3. How many Daytona 500 races did Dale Earnhardt win?
(A) 7
(B) 76
(C) 1
(D) None of the above
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that involves acute swings in mood, ranging from a heightened state of mania and an extreme state of depression. More than 4 percent of the population lives with bipolar disorder, which can be a debilitating factor in day-to-day functioning. The cause is still a topic of research for scientists, although they suspect that genetics and environment are responsible, at least in part, for the onset of the illness.
4. As used in this passage, acute most nearly means
(A) pointed.
(B) severe.
(C) sensitive.
(D) mild.
Questions 5 and 6 refer to the following passage.
For a sport to get into the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee must first recognize the activity as an official sport, and the sport must have a governing agency that isn’t politically affiliated. In 2014, 12 sports were added to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, but many more have come and gone over the years. For instance, rugby was added and dropped from the games three times between 1900 and 1928. However, the sport was added again to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, due to a gap in the roster created by the elimination of softball and baseball from the 2012 Summer Games in London, England.
5. How many times has rugby been added to the roster of Olympic sports?
(A) 3
(B) 12
(C) 4
(D) 1
6. According to the passage, what country hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics?
(A) Holland
(B) England
(C) Russia
(D) Brazil
Making bread and cooking are different beasts. You can easily substitute ingredients and improvise the recipe as you go in cooking, but you must use exact ingredients and measurements for breadmaking. For example, if you want to use whole-grain flour instead of bread flour, you have to change the ratio of wet ingredients to get the same texture. Cooking is much more flexible than breadmaking.
7. What is the author trying to convey in this paragraph?
(A) Making bread is easier than cooking.
(B) Anyone can measure ingredients.
(C) Breadmaking is more exact than cooking.
(D) Whole grains are better for cooking.
Questions 8 and 9 refer to the following passage.
The history of the bald eagle in the United States is an interesting tale; the national bird came very close to extinction in the mid-20th century. An act of Congress in 1940 barred the trapping and killing of the eagles in the United States, but their numbers continued to decline. It was discovered that the pesticide DDT caused a calcium breakdown in bald eagles, resulting in sterilization or fragile eggshells and therefore low reproduction rates. With the ban of DDT use in 1972, the slow regrowth of the species began. In 1995, the eagles were removed from the endangered species list; in 1998, they were removed from the threatened species list. The bald eagles now live in abundance in North America.
8. In the passage, barred means
(A) promoted.
(B) outlawed.
(C) approved.
(D) disowned.
9. In what year did the action that eventually led to the growth of the bald eagle population begin?
(A) 1972
(B) 1998
(C) 1995
(D) 1940
Jill has danced her best many times in front of audiences, but this performance is the most important one of her life. Her audition for the famed Joffrey Ballet company is the end of a long journey of schooling and competitions, all of which were in preparation for this moment. She has spent the last 15 years improving her skills, and she is confident in her ability to achieve her goal. Dancing with the Joffrey Ballet would be a dream come true for Jill.
10. What is the main point of this passage about Jill?
(A) Jill is a skilled ballet dancer.
(B) Ballet is Jill’s preferred form of exercise.
(C) Joining the Joffrey Ballet is Jill’s life’s goal.
(D) Jill is overly determined.
A good quilt was once simply fluffy, decorative, and cozy, creating the image of a grandmother lovingly sewing patches of material together by hand. Today, however, the art of quilting is more lucrative than just a hobby. National and international quilting contests are regular annual events with hundreds of entrants. The quilts depict a variety of scenes, from landscapes to skylines, and the prizes for best in show can reach up to $10,000. Quilting has become a serious activity for many, and the results are impressive.
11. According to the passage, quilt makers
(A) have plenty of time on their hands.
(B) have opportunities to make a lot of money.
(C) are in short supply.
(D) make quilts only with squares.
For sale: Inflatable lifeboat for use in calm, shallow water. Has some puncture holes on the surface. Water typically fills the bottom, and air must be pumped periodically to avoid sinking. This boat isn’t good for water deeper than four feet or for people who don’t swim. Asking market price of $200.
12. According to this advertisement, the lifeboat would be safe to use in
(A) a lake.
(B) the ocean.
(C) a river.
(D) None of the above
Questions 13 and 14 refer to the following passage.
A new study indicates that childhood obesity begins in the early years of life. Researchers followed more than 7,500 obese students between kindergarten (age 5) and eighth grade. The findings indicated that two-thirds of the children who were obese in kindergarten remained obese in eighth grade. The study also showed that children who were obese in eighth grade were likely to remain that way into adulthood. The researchers measured the children seven times for height and weight over the period of the study, and determinations of “obese” or “overweight” were made using body mass index levels.
13. Based on the information in the passage, which step might reduce adolescent obesity?
(A) promoting extracurricular activities
(B) removing a child from school
(C) forming a support group for obese children
(D) preventing a child from becoming overweight before the age of 5
14. According to the passage, approximately how many children who participated in the study fell out of the obese range?
(A) one-third
(B) 7,500
(C) two-thirds
(D) 25 percent
Crispin Glover is a cult actor famous for his dark and brooding characters. Finding success first in the thriller The River’s Edge, he became the most famous nerd in the world with his portrayal of outcast bookworm George McFly in the box-office hit Back to the Future. He is often referred to as a shape shifter for his ability to fully become his characters. His role as the slick samurai in the movie adaptation of the TV series Charlie’s Angels was no exception.
15. In this passage, adaptation can best be defined as
(A) version.
(B) copy.
(C) continuation.
(D) screenplay.
Part 4: Mathematics Knowledge
1. Which number is prime?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 10
(D) 51
2. Which decimal is equal to eleven thousandths?
(A) 1.1
(B) 0.11
(C) 0.011
(D) 0.101
3. 
(A) 1.100
(B) 1.182
(C) 1.281
(D) 1.11
4. An equilateral triangle has a perimeter of 54 feet. What is the length of one side of the triangle?
(A) 18 ft
(B) 16 ft
(C) 27 ft
(D) 162 ft
5. What is 40 percent of 220?
(A) 8.8
(B) 55
(C) 44
(D) 88
6. What is 
expressed as a decimal?
(A) 4.25
(B) 3.5
(C) 2.75
(D) 3.25
7. Which of the following is equal to 
?
(A) p2
(B) 2p2
(C) p–3
(D) p
8. 
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
9. For which value of y is the inequality 
true?
(A) –9
(B) –8
(C) 7
(D) 9
10. Simplify: 
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
11. The longest side of a right triangle has a length of 17 feet, and the shortest side has a length of 8 feet. What is the length of the remaining side?
(A) 10 ft
(B) 12 ft
(C) 15 ft
(D) 16 ft
12. What is the result when the quotient of 40 and 20 is decreased by the sum of 1 and 5?
(A) –5.5
(B) 2
(C) 14
(D) –4
13. 
(A) –21
(B) 576
(C) 3
(D) 48
14. What is the least common multiple of 12 and 20?
(A) 2
(B) 60
(C) 120
(D) 240
15. What is the product of 
and 
?
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 1
(D) 
16. 
(A) –24
(B) 12
(C) 18
(D) 24
17. 
(A) 8 and –8
(B) 4 and –4
(C) 8 only
(D) 4 only
18. 
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
19. The length of one side of the square is 20 meters. Find the area of the region that is inside the square but outside the circle.
Illustration by Thomson Digital
(A) 314 m2
(B) 86 m2
(C) 856 m2
(D) 234 m2
20. The sum of three consecutive odd integers is 63. What is the middle number?
(A) 21
(B) 23
(C) 25
(D) 27
21. Solve the equation 
for x.
(A) 16 only
(B) 8 and –8
(C) 4 only
(D) 4 and –4
22. The measure of the supplement of an angle is equal to twice the measure of the angle. What is the measure of the angle?
(A) 60°
(B) 30°
(C) 120°
(D) 90°
23. Solve for x: 
(A) 90
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
24. Simplify: 
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
25. The measures of the angles of a given quadrilateral are 55, 90, 111, and 2n. What is the value of n?
(A) 45°
(B) 90°
(C) 110°
(D) 52°