Named tests
ASVAB and AFQT scores, explained
In short
The ASVAB is the U.S. military’s aptitude battery, used mainly to decide enlistment eligibility. The AFQT score comes from four of its subtests: Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and Word Knowledge. It is a percentile from 1 to 99, compared with 18 to 23 year olds in a 1997 national sample. It is not an IQ score.
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What the ASVAB is
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is the aptitude test taken by people applying to enlist in the U.S. military. Its scores are used primarily to determine enlistment eligibility (Official ASVAB: scores). The battery covers both academic skills and technical knowledge:
| ASVAB subtest | Counts toward the AFQT? |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic Reasoning | Yes |
| Math Knowledge | Yes |
| Paragraph Comprehension | Yes |
| Word Knowledge | Yes |
| General Science | No |
| Electronics Information | No |
| Auto and Shop Information (one combined score) | No |
| Mechanical Comprehension | No |
| Assembling Objects | No |
The subtest list comes from the ASVAB program's what-to-expect page (Official ASVAB: what to expect), and the four AFQT subtests from its scores page (Official ASVAB: scores).
Format and timing
There are two versions. The computer version, CAT-ASVAB, is adaptive, meaning the questions adjust to your answers, and takes about 2 hours on average. The paper version takes 3 to 4 hours including instructions (Official ASVAB: what to expect).
How the AFQT score works
The Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score is computed from four ASVAB subtests: Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and Word Knowledge. It is reported as a percentile from 1 to 99. The reference group is 18 to 23 year olds who took the ASVAB in a 1997 national norming study, and a score of 50 means the examinee did as well as or better than 50 percent of that sample (Official ASVAB: scores).
That makes the AFQT a percentile against one fixed group of young adults, not against people your own age today. If you want to understand what a percentile means in general, the percentile entry explains it.
Why the AFQT is not an IQ score
People often search for an "ASVAB IQ". There is no such score, and we do not offer a conversion. The AFQT measures arithmetic, math knowledge, reading and vocabulary on four subtests and compares you with a 1997 sample of 18 to 23 year olds. An IQ test samples a broader set of reasoning tasks and compares you with a large sample of your own age group. The two numbers answer different questions, and turning one into the other would add a precision that is not there.
Mensa's rules are relevant here. American Mensa does not accept the ASVAB, and it accepts an AFQT score of 98 only if the test was taken before October 1980 (American Mensa: qualifying scores). The Mensa admission page lists the tests it does accept.
ASVAB vs other aptitude tests
Like the CCAT and other hiring tests, the ASVAB is an aptitude test used to make a selection decision. It mixes learned knowledge, such as mechanical and electronics information, with reasoning. For how aptitude tests differ from IQ tests in purpose and scoring, see IQ test vs aptitude test, and for an overview of test families, types of IQ tests.
How to practice
ASVAB items are not reproduced here. For practice with the reasoning side, our free number sequence test and logical reasoning test use original items. They do not cover the ASVAB's knowledge subtests, they are not ASVAB items, and no IQ Octopus score predicts an ASVAB or AFQT result.
IQ Octopus is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense, Mensa or any other organization named here. Test names are used only to identify and describe the tests. Our free practice tests are not copies of any published test, and no score on IQ Octopus predicts a score on another test.
Try one · Pattern Recognition
Which tile comes next?
Tap the option you think is right, or show the answer.
Show the answer
The missing tile shows a tiny outlined arrow pointing up and to the left (option 4).
How to solve it
- Compare neighboring tiles and name what changes each time.
- From tile to tile, the arrow turns an eighth of a turn clockwise.
- From tile to tile, the arrow gets smaller.
- Everything else stays the same from tile to tile.
- The last tile shows a small outlined arrow pointing left. Apply each change once more.
- So the missing tile shows a tiny outlined arrow pointing up and to the left.
That was 1 puzzle. The full test has 25.
Sources
- Official Site of the ASVAB (Department of Defense). Understanding ASVAB scores. www.officialasvab.com/applicants/scores/
- Official Site of the ASVAB (Department of Defense). What to expect. www.officialasvab.com/applicants/what-to-expect/
- American Mensa. Qualifying test scores. www.us.mensa.org/join/testscores/qualifying-test-scores/