Chapter 19
Practice Exam 4
When you’ve taken all four practice AFQT exams in this book, you should be ready to tackle the actual Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and impress all those military recruiters by acing the four subtests that make up the AFQT. If you still want some more practice after this exam, or you want to study for the other ASVAB subtests as well, might I humbly suggest ASVAB For Dummies (Wiley)?
The four sections that follow represent the four subtests of the ASVAB that make up your all-important AFQT score. This is the score that determines whether you’re qualified to join the military branch of your choice (see Chapter 2). The four subtests are Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Mathematics Knowledge.
Use the answer key and explanations in Chapter 20 to score the following sections. Remember: On the actual ASVAB, harder questions are worth more points than easier questions when you determine your AFQT score.
Consider taking this final practice exam a day or two before the ASVAB to make sure you’re ready and to boost your confidence. If you don’t score well, you may want to consider asking your recruiter to reschedule your ASVAB test for a later date to give you more time to study.
Ready to get started? Okay, hold your No. 2 pencil in the air. (Not really — your friends might start talking about you.) Ready, set, go!
Answer Sheet for Practice Exam 4
Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning
Part 2: Word Knowledge
Part 3: Paragraph Comprehension
Part 4: Mathematics Knowledge
Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning
1. One pound is equal to 16 ounces. How many ounces are in 5 pounds?
(A) 21 ounces
(B) 3.2 ounces
(C) 80 ounces
(D) 64 ounces
2. Jason is reading a book that is 180 pages long. He is 40 percent of the way through the book. What page is he on?
(A) page 40
(B) page 72
(C) page 45
(D) page 76
3. If you toss two coins, what is the probability that both coins show tails?
(A) 33 percent
(B) 30 percent
(C) 25 percent
(D) 50 percent
4. In a triangle, one angle has a measure of 40°, and the other two angles have measures equal to each other. What is the measure of one of the two other angles?
(A) 30°
(B) 40°
(C) 80°
(D) 70°
5. Jake’s truck gets 22 miles per gallon on the highway. How many miles on the highway can he travel on 4 gallons of gasoline?
(A) 88 miles
(B) 44 miles
(C) 22 miles
(D) 26 miles
6. Sergeant Williams cut a 24-foot rope into smaller ropes, each with a length of 4 feet. How many times did he cut the rope?
(A) 4
(B) 6
(C) 3
(D) 5
7. The refrigerator’s temperature dropped from 32° Fahrenheit to 28° Fahrenheit. What is the percent decrease in temperature?
(A) 15 percent
(B) 4 percent
(C) 25 percent
(D) 12.5 percent
8. Carter has $6.70. Dirk has 4 times as much money as Carter. Harriet has half as much money as Dirk. How much money does Harriet have?
(A) $26.80
(B) $13.40
(C) $5.35
(D) $10.70
9. The ages of a group of adults are 24, 26, 37, 23, and 40. What is the average age for this group?
(A) 26
(B) 32
(C) 30
(D) 28
10. A pitcher has 2.5 gallons of juice. Twenty-five people share all the juice equally. How much juice does each person get?
(A) 0.1 gallon
(B) 0.25 gallon
(C) 0.01 gallon
(D) 0.2 gallon
11. Timothy’s age is one more than twice Sam’s age. The sum of their ages is 31. What is Sam’s age?
(A) 21
(B) 10
(C) 11
(D) 16
12. The value of a new car depreciates 10 percent each year after it was purchased. What is the car’s value two years after it is purchased new if the initial value is $14,000?
(A) $11,340
(B) $11,200
(C) $11,034
(D) $10,955
13. The formula 
gives the percent of women (W) in a certain country who owned a laptop computer n years after the year 2000. In what year did 50 percent of women in this country own a laptop computer?
(A) 2004
(B) 2006
(C) 2011
(D) 2008
14. A rhombus has two interior angle measurements of 87° and 93°. Which of the following can be a measure of one of the remaining angles?
(A) 6°
(B) 90°
(C) 93°
(D) 180°
15. To make a certain type of juice, the ratio of water to juice concentrate is 8 to 1. How much concentrate should be added to 6 gallons of water?
(A) 
(B) 2 gallons
(C) 
(D) 
16. Lillian invests $5,000 into a savings account. After one year, she had earned $100 in interest. What is the annual interest rate for the account?
(A) 0.2 percent
(B) 0.5 percent
(C) 2 percent
(D) 5 percent
17. The number of members in a club has doubled every 2 years. The club started in 2002 with 42 members. How many members were in the club in 2008?
(A) 672
(B) 1,344
(C) 336
(D) 168
18. The high temperature (H) was ten degrees less than twice the low temperature (L). Which equation shows this relationship?
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
19. What is the area of the triangle?
Illustration by Thomson Digital
(A) 136 cm2
(B) 96 cm2
(C) 102 cm2
(D) 45 cm2
20. The table shows how many men and women live in different regions of a town. How many more women live in the West region than men?
Illustration by Thomson Digital
(A) 110
(B) 372
(C) 262
(D) 152
21. Francis has two jobs. Last week, he earned a total of $314 from both jobs, working 16 hours at the first job and 14 hours at the second job. He earns $10 an hour at his first job. What is his hourly rate at his second job?
(A) $12
(B) $11
(C) $9
(D) $8
22. A bag has a total of 270 red, blue, and green marbles. The ratio of red to blue to green marbles is 1:3:5. How many blue marbles are in the bag?
(A) 30
(B) 90
(C) 150
(D) 50
23. A truck and a car leave from the same place at the same time. The truck takes a road that goes directly north, and the car takes a road that goes directly east. The truck travels at an average speed of 30 miles per hour, and the car travels at an average speed of 40 miles per hour. How far apart are the vehicles 2 hours after departure?
(A) 10 miles
(B) 1,000 miles
(C) 100 miles
(D) 70 miles
24. Evan is twice as old as Joe. In two years, the sum of their ages will be 85. How old is Evan now?
(A) 27
(B) 29
(C) 54
(D) 56
25. Gregory started the day with $45.10 in his wallet. The first thing he did was buy breakfast for himself, which cost $8.50. He left a 20 percent tip. How much did Gregory have left after he paid for breakfast?
(A) $10.20
(B) $34.80
(C) $34.90
(D) $36.60
26. Kendra’s first three quiz scores were 7, 6, and 10. On the fourth quiz, she earned twice as much as she did on the fifth quiz. Her average score on the first five quizzes was 7. What was her score on the fourth quiz?
(A) 6.5
(B) 7.5
(C) 4
(D) 8
27. The floor plan of a laboratory is shown. Its area is 126 square meters. What is the length of x?
Illustration by Thomson Digital
(A) 6 m
(B) 4 m
(C) 5 m
(D) 10 m
28. The company truck weighs 3.5 tons when carrying forty 20-pound cylinder blocks. What is the weight of the truck when it isn’t carrying a load?
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 4 tons
29. Carla has $4 in quarters and dimes. She has 5 fewer quarters than dimes. How many quarters does she have?
(A) 8
(B) 10
(C) 15
(D) 20
30. A secret building has a front and a rear entrance. The front entrance requires a three-character code, where the first character must be an odd number but the next two characters can be any number 0 through 9. The rear entrance requires a two-character code, where the first character is a letter and the second character can be any number 0 through 9. How many possible entrance codes are there for the rear entrance?
(A) 260
(B) 361
(C) 760
(D) 500
Part 2: Word Knowledge
1. Condescend most nearly means
(A) share.
(B) conjoin.
(C) belittle.
(D) soften.
2. He’s a legend in the bluegrass community, with a career spanning 35 years.
(A) star
(B) fairytale
(C) myth
(D) antagonist
3. Lavish most nearly means
(A) soapy.
(B) thick.
(C) meek.
(D) extravagant.
4. Retraction most nearly means
(A) withdrawal.
(B) application.
(C) memory.
(D) solitude.
5. Decoy most nearly means
(A) message.
(B) trap.
(C) plan.
(D) scheme.
6. Obsession most nearly means
(A) pastime.
(B) piece.
(C) fixation.
(D) apathy.
7. Brawny most nearly means
(A) obese.
(B) scrawny.
(C) meager.
(D) hefty.
8. The word most opposite in meaning to relocate is
(A) rearrange.
(B) move.
(C) continue.
(D) remain.
9. Lisa found washing dishes therapeutic because it allowed her to free her mind.
(A) astounding
(B) healing
(C) obstructing
(D) injurious
10. Jason was poised to take over as captain this year.
(A) perched
(B) proper
(C) ready
(D) unqualified
11. The meaning of the poem was obscure and created a lot of debate.
(A) clear
(B) vague
(C) obvious
(D) pointed
12. Paolo wasn’t ready to deal with the ramifications of his car accident.
(A) consequences
(B) prizes
(C) presentations
(D) rewards
13. The eccentric minister made the ceremony more enjoyable than your average church wedding.
(A) foolish
(B) conventional
(C) peculiar
(D) standard
14. The word most opposite in meaning to meander is
(A) wander.
(B) hurry.
(C) dawdle.
(D) discourage.
15. Volatile most nearly means
(A) speedy.
(B) steady.
(C) unlawful.
(D) unpredictable.
16. The skaters had obviously done the work to hone their jumps since the last competition.
(A) tarnish
(B) maintain
(C) polish
(D) contain
17. Cary wanted to broach the topic, but Jeffrey wasn’t paying attention.
(A) mention
(B) conclude
(C) kill
(D) belabor
18. The family was worried when the dog’s behavior became erratic.
(A) irrational
(B) random
(C) constant
(D) even
19. Obsolete most nearly means
(A) absent.
(B) old.
(C) prominent.
(D) innovative.
20. Decorum most nearly means
(A) design.
(B) festivities.
(C) servitude.
(D) respectability.
21. My editing style tends to favor brevity over long-winded explanations.
(A) rudeness
(B) briefness
(C) lengthy
(D) continuous
22. The word most opposite in meaning to mayhem is
(A) gathering.
(B) confusion.
(C) havoc.
(D) stability.
23. Hiatus most nearly means
(A) gap.
(B) inequality.
(C) mismatch.
(D) shift.
24. Cynical most nearly means
(A) friendly.
(B) hopeful.
(C) pessimistic.
(D) depressed.
25. Riddled most nearly means
(A) mysterious.
(B) inquisitive.
(C) full of.
(D) covered with.
26. Sean was finally released after his larceny conviction four years ago.
(A) gift
(B) theft
(C) help
(D) skill
27. The word most opposite in meaning to proposition is
(A) demand.
(B) suggestion.
(C) offer.
(D) plan.
28. The movie gave a poignant portrayal of the fallen soldier.
(A) lackluster
(B) traumatic
(C) moving
(D) composed
29. I had to take a respite from work or I was never going to rest.
(A) interval
(B) start
(C) end
(D) continuation
30. The celebrity had to debunk the rumors of his death.
(A) chide
(B) shoot down
(C) alarm
(D) conceal
31. Adamant most nearly means
(A) erratic.
(B) flexible.
(C) fickle.
(D) resolute.
32. The word most opposite in meaning to malarkey is
(A) drivel.
(B) nonsense.
(C) justification.
(D) wisdom.
33. The bobsledder won the bronze medal despite the adversity he had to overcome.
(A) hardship
(B) strength
(C) death
(D) fortune
34. The defunct band still sold records years after its split.
(A) rising
(B) extinct
(C) promising
(D) useless
35. Origin most nearly means
(A) section.
(B) closure.
(C) beginning.
(D) new.
Part 3: Paragraph Comprehension
Questions 1 through 3 refer to the following passage.
“November had come; the crops were in, and barn, buttery, and bin were overflowing with the harvest that rewarded the summer's hard work. The big kitchen was a jolly place just now, for in the great fireplace roared a cheerful fire; on the walls hung garlands of dried apples, onions, and corn; up aloft from the beams shone crook-necked squashes, juicy hams, and dried venison — for in those days deer still haunted the deep forests, and hunters flourished. Savory smells were in the air; on the crane hung steaming kettles, and down among the red embers copper saucepans simmered, all suggestive of some approaching feast.”
—Louisa May Alcott
1. In this passage, flourished most nearly means
(A) failed.
(B) prospered.
(C) congregated.
(D) killed.
2. Where is the scene described in the passage taking place?
(A) the kitchen
(B) the forest
(C) the barn
(D) at a feast
3. What is happening in the passage?
(A) The season is changing.
(B) Hunters are looking for deer.
(C) Farmers are harvesting their crops.
(D) A feast is being prepared.
The topic of creating a high-speed rail system in the United States is the focus of the annual High-Speed Rail Summit in Washington, D.C. The purpose of this summit is to determine the most optimal and logical maneuvers that would allow a rail system to succeed on American soil. Critics have long contested the system as an expensive endeavor lacking the appropriate ridership numbers. Regardless, the summit participants will spend two full days hashing out the details to work toward a high-speed rail system in the future.
4. What is the main point of the passage?
(A) to define what a high-speed rail system is
(B) to explain why critics are against a high-speed rail system
(C) to explain the purpose of the High-Speed Rail Summit
(D) to suggest ways to improve ridership on a high-speed rail system
Questions 5 and 6 refer to the following passage.
California is often the location for devastating natural events, such as earthquakes or droughts. However, the aftermath of those events can often be worse than the events themselves. For instance, the near-record drought in 2013 led to a wildfire season that began in May and continued until the end of the year. Fire season typically lasts from September to October, but in 2013, a fire in central California burned thousands of acres of land right before the Christmas holiday. Without rain, the number and severity of wildfires increased in 2013.
5. According to the passage, which of the following is a true statement?
(A) California gets an average amount of rain.
(B) Forest fires are rare.
(C) Firefighters are often able to reduce the damage caused by forest fires.
(D) The 2013 fire season was much longer than normal.
6. What caused the increase in forest fires in 2013?
(A) careless campers
(B) a lack of rain
(C) lightning
(D) heavily vegetated areas
Richard had never had rhythm and didn’t enjoy dancing. He only went to the ballroom dance class to watch his wife perform. Then the instructor grabbed Richard’s hands, pulling him onto the floor and showing him exactly what to do and how to do it. After that, Richard was dancing like a pro. He realized the secret to dancing wasn’t rhythm; it was enjoying moving and being free.
7. According to this passage, Richard’s lack of rhythm is
(A) unimportant.
(B) his downfall.
(C) an embarrassment.
(D) hilarious.
Making a good war movie is a tricky business. The subject matter is very dear to the hearts of many people, and accuracy is key. The combat scenes, soldiers, accommodations, and relationships among and throughout the different ranks must all be portrayed well to avoid negative backlash and ensure a profitable film.
8. According to the passage, which of the following is likely to make a war movie profitable?
(A) length
(B) emotional acting
(C) historical accuracy
(D) violence
Anyone can be a world-record holder if he or she has the wits and determination to do so. Guinness World Records has been making record holders out of ordinary citizens since 1955. All that’s required is filling out an application stating which record you want to break or make and sending in the evidence of your achievement. If the judges approve of your evidence, you become a world-record holder, and the sky is now the limit.
9. According to the passage, what do you have to do to be recognized by Guinness World Records?
(A) break a record in front of a Guinness judge
(B) file an application and ask to be accepted
(C) prove that you have broken a record
(D) both B and C
Questions 10 and 11 refer to the following passage.
The fervor that each side brings to the Mac versus PC debate is so extreme that you’d think people had a personal stake in the matter. Despite the obvious popularity of Apple products, recent studies have shown that only a small fraction (about 15 percent) of the computers sold each year are Macs. Of course, there’s only one Apple company and a multitude of PC manufacturers. Perhaps that’s why many feel the Mac operating system is superior to Microsoft Windows. So how do you choose? Price and need are usually the best factors to consider. Why spend a lot of money if all you need is a word processor?
10. As used in this passage, the word fervor most nearly means
(A) passion.
(B) illness.
(C) cruelty.
(D) refreshments.
11. According to the passage, when choosing a new computer, you should consider
(A) a brand’s popularity and reliability.
(B) price and need.
(C) popularity and price.
(D) None of the above
If you get a flat tire while driving, stay calm. As long as you have a spare that’s full of air, you can fix the problem in no time. The most important thing is to pull off the road to a safe location away from passing cars and with the flat side away from the road, if possible. Use a tire iron to loosen the lug nuts before jacking the car up. Next, place the jack under the vehicle in the appropriate spot and crank it so the car is just a foot or two off the ground. Remove the lug nuts, replace the flat tire with the spare, and put the nuts back on. After you’ve released the car to the ground, tighten the lug nuts. If you try to tighten the nuts while the wheel is suspended, you won’t have the proper resistance to get them as tight as you want. Now you’re ready to drive off into the sunset.
12. The author is giving advice on
(A) jack safety.
(B) proper lug nut resistance.
(C) appropriate places to pull off the road.
(D) changing a flat tire.
Questions 13 and 14 refer to the following passage.
The face of tennis was never the same after 14-year-old Venus Williams hit the scene in 1994. After she claimed the distinction of being the first African American woman to rank number one in the world, she and her sister Serena took over. Between the two of them, they dominated the Grand Slam circuit between 2000 and 2012, with 24 Grand Slam singles titles between them and doubles gold medals as a team in the 2000, 2008, and 2012 Summer Olympics. Their athleticism and aggressive playing style have been credited for changing the way women play tennis. They will forever be considered two of the greatest tennis players in history.
13. What year did the Williams sisters not win an Olympic gold medal?
(A) 2004
(B) 2000
(C) 2008
(D) 2012
14. How did the Williams sisters change the way women’s tennis is played?
(A) by ranking number one
(B) with their uniforms
(C) by being sisters
(D) with their aggressive style
The work of cobblers is very time-consuming. They have to not only find the perfect materials but also size them perfectly, soften the leather for shaping, and attach the leather to the sole. Cobblers use more than 15 techniques when making shoes by hand. Most shoe shoppers have no idea how hard a cobbler’s job is.
15. What is the main point of the passage?
(A) Cobblers use many techniques to make shoes.
(B) More people should become cobblers.
(C) Being a cobbler is hard work.
(D) Leather is the only material used to make shoes.
Part 4: Mathematics Knowledge
1. A circle has a diameter of 15 inches. What is its approximate circumference?
(A) 47.1 inches
(B) 30 inches
(C) 55.3 inches
(D) 64.7 inches
2. 
(A) 17 xy
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
3. Which is 8 inches less than 3 feet?
(A) 28 in.
(B) 3.5 ft
(C) 32 in.
(D) 2.8 ft
4. Which inequality represents all numbers m that are at least 14?
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
5. An angle has a measure of 37°. What is the measure of its complementary angle?
(A) 63°
(B) 53°
(C) 143°
(D) 163°
6. Round 120,459 to the nearest hundred.
(A) 120,400
(B) 120,460
(C) 120,000
(D) 120,500
7. 
(A) 
(B) 14
(C) 
(D) 58
8. What is the least common multiple (LCM) of 12 and 14?
(A) 26
(B) 168
(C) 2
(D) 84
9. 
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
10. 
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
11. Solve the equation 
.
(A) 4 only
(B) 4 and –4
(C) 32 only
(D) 8 and –8
12. Fifteen is what percent of 75?
(A) 20 percent
(B) 15 percent
(C) 25 percent
(D) 5 percent
13. 
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 6x
14. Eighty-five percent of 320 is
(A) 85
(B) 262
(C) 305
(D) 272
15. Given that 
, what is the ratio of n to m?
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
16. Two angles of a triangle measure 40° and 100°. What is the name of this kind of triangle?
(A) isosceles
(B) obtuse
(C) equilateral
(D) right
17. What is the length a in the right triangle?
Illustration by Thomson Digital
(A) 48.6 cm
(B) 41.5 cm
(C) 35 m
(D) 40 m
18. Which fraction has the greatest value?
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
19. What is the product of 
and 
?
(A) 9,801
(B) 40
(C) 20
(D) 99
20. What is the value of 
if 
?
(A) 64
(B) 125
(C) –124
(D) –64
21. The height of a right cylinder is 8x, and the cylinder’s radius is 
. What is the volume of the cylinder?
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
22. If 
, then 
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
23. Square A has a perimeter of 8 feet. Square B has an area of 64 square feet. What is the ratio of the area of square A to the area of square B?
(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
24. If 
, then 
(A) x4
(B) x15
(C) x9
(D) x6
25. What is the value of m?
Illustration by Thomson Digital
(A) 155°
(B) 125°
(C) 95°
(D) 80°