Because the ASVAB is made up of multiple-choice questions and each question has four choices, you must understand that, to begin with, you have a 25 percent chance of guessing correctly, merely by closing your eyes and selecting an answer. However, if you understand how multiple-choice questions are constructed, it will be somewhat easier to approach these questions. For each question, there is only one correct answer. The other three choices are incorrect. There are levels of incorrectness. Some choices are more wrong than others. In test-development language, these incorrect answers are called distractors, because they distract you from the correct answer. You may find one choice that is almost correct, but not quite right. Another choice may be completely incorrect. And the third choice may be almost right, almost wrong, or totally incorrect.
If you think you know the correct answer without even looking at the other choices, you're probably right. Most studies have shown that your first instinct is usually correct. Those who do poorly on multiple-choice tests are those who overanalyze the question. They think they know the answer, but then start to question their choice.
For example, if you were asked the following question, what would you select?
The Washington Monument is located in
A. the state of Washington.
B. New York City.
C. Washington, D.C.
D. Chicago.
The correct choice would be C, Washington, D.C. However, the overthinker starts to get concerned and thinks, "This question is too easy. I wonder if it's asking about some other Washington Monument-maybe there's another one in Washington state."
Now, this is a very simplistic example, but it is actually what happens to you if you analyze a question too much. Read the question for what it is. The questions are not tricky. The trick is in choosing the answers.
Because you don't lose any points for guessing, understanding how to guess and improve your odds is helpful. The multiple-choice questions on this test have four choices, so your odds are 1 out of 4 that you can pick correctly. To put it another way, you have a 25 percent chance of guessing correctly.
These aren't great odds, so you have to find a way to increase them. To do so, you use the process of elimination. Start by eliminating any answers that you know are completely incorrect. In the earlier question, you might be reasonably sure that the Washington Monument isn't located in Chicago, so you can eliminate choice D. Now you have to select the correct answer out of only three choices-1 out of 3, or 33 percent. You've just increased your odds from 25 percent to 33 percent.
How do you get to the next level? Suppose that you know that the Washington Monument is on the East Coast. You can eliminate Washington state. You only have two choices-1 out of 2, 50 percent. The odds are getting better. You may be confused as to whether the Washington Monument is in New York City or Washington, D.C., but you can take a guess, and you have a reasonable chance of guessing correctly. Of course, if you knew the answer immediately, you got it right-and that's 100 percent.
How can you use this technique to increase your score on the entire test? For example, there are 225 questions on the pencil/paper ASVAB. If you know the answers to 150 questions, you've already reached a score of 66 percent. That leaves only 100 questions for which you don't know the answers immediately. It is important, however, that you answer all of the questions on the test, and now you can make educated guesses. If you can increase your odds to 50 percent on each of the questions you're not sure about, you've now answered another 50 questions correctly-a total of 185 out of 225 questions-a score of 82 percent. Not bad.
Therefore, it makes sense to guess. Whether it's an educated guess or just a blind guess, you increase your odds of improving your score on every question.
FAQs
ASVAB Standard Scores
These scores are relative to the national average of young adults who took the test in your grade level. With ASVAB Standard scores, most students score between 30 and 70. This means that a standard score of 50 is an average ASVAB score, and a score of 60 would be an above-average score.
What are the 3 most important tests of the ASVAB? ›
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a standardized test on science, math, and language that helps identify which careers may be a fit for you when you join.
Are the ASVAB questions multiple-choice? ›
Because the ASVAB is made up of multiple-choice questions and each question has four choices, you must understand that, to begin with, you have a 25 percent chance of guessing correctly, merely by closing your eyes and selecting an answer.
What is the most accurate ASVAB practice test? ›
Official practice ASVABs are the absolute best practice tests to take. Since they're developed by the same people who create the real ASVAB you'll be taking, you can be sure official practice tests have the same format, content, and difficulty level as the real ASVAB.
Can you score a 110 on the ASVAB? ›
Knowing the ASVAB scores for Army jobs can help you decide on your career path. The required scores for various jobs in the Army vary. For instance, a Criminal Investigations Special Agent must earn a 107 for the Skilled Technical (ST) line score and a 110 for the General Technical (GT) line score.
Can you score a 97 on the ASVAB? ›
MATCHING STRENGTHS TO A CAREER
The scores are represented as a percentage between 1 and 99 but are not based on the number of questions you answered correctly.
Which ASVAB is the hardest? ›
The P&P-ASVAB is a paper and pencil test with a fixed number of questions. You can read more about the CAT-ASVAB here. So, which version of the ASVAB is harder? The CAT-ASVAB is generally considered to be more difficult than the P&P-ASVAB.
How to pass the ASVAB easily? ›
How to Study for the ASVAB Test
- Take a solid core of science, English, and mathematics classes.
- Check out sample questions.
- Look for other online resources.
- Utilize your local library.
- Ask your recruiter for help studying.
- Seek advice from your guidance counselor.
- Take a practice test.
Read the question carefully and pick the option that is different from or does not belong with the other options. Sometimes the correct response is longer than the others. When more time is put into developing a response, chances are it is correct.
What are the odds of passing a test by guessing? ›
The probability of guessing all 20 questions correctly = (1/4)^20 = 1/1,099,511,627,776. Therefore, the odds of doing so are 1 to 1,099,511,627,775, or about 1 to 1.1 trillion. This is true of every question you answer. Every question has a 1/4 chance of being correct.
Key Statistics on ASVAB Failures
| Group | Failure Rate |
|---|
| High School Graduates | 17% |
| GED Holders | 50% |
| High School Dropouts | 80% |
AFQT stands for Armed Forces Qualification Test. This score is what the military uses to determine your eligibility for enlistment. The AFQT score is derived from four of the ASVAB subtests, including Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Word Knowledge Subtests.
Is a 70 on a practice ASVAB good? ›
ASVAB Standard Scores
These scores are relative to the national average of young adults who took the test in your grade level. With ASVAB Standard scores, most students score between 30 and 70. This means that a standard score of 50 is an average ASVAB score, and a score of 60 would be an above-average score.
Is ASVAB harder than SAT? ›
The ASVAB test is similar to the SAT or ACT, but harder. This test, more than the SAT and ACT, is designed to show the whole skillset of a person. Reading, math, and science are part of the test, but other things like electronic, automotive, and mechanical questions are included as well.
How good is a 78 on the ASVAB? ›
Standard Scores are on a scale of 0-100. On this scale, 50 is the mean, or average, and every 10 points from the mean represents one standard deviation. This means that a Standard Score of 60 would be above average. Most test takers score between 30 and 70.
Is 75 a good ASVAB score? ›
The score a person receives indicates what percentage of those sample test-takers he or she did better than. Therefore, earning a score of 75 means that you did better than 75% of the sample group.
What is a perfect ASVAB score? ›
The highest ASVAB score that a candidate can achieve is 99.
Given the minimum ASVAB scores – which fall into the 30s – it is not necessary to achieve a score of 99.
