ASVAB Scores Explained: AFQT vs. Line Scores

The official ASVAB program says AFQT scores are computed from your standard scores on four subtests: Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Paragraph Comprehension (PC) and Word Knowledge (WK). Two of the four are verbal, so vocabulary and reading practice pay off directly.

It’s a percentile, not a percent correct. An AFQT of 90 means you scored as well as or better than 90% of the reference group, a national sample of 18- to 23-year-olds from a 1997 norming study. An AFQT of 50 means you did as well as or better than half of them. It doesn’t mean you got half the questions right.

Each service sets its own minimum AFQT, and minimums can change with recruiting needs. The Army’s recruiting site, for example, currently says you need at least 31. For the branch you’re considering, check with a recruiter or its official site, and aim well above the minimum. More jobs open up as your scores rise.

Every subtest gets a standard score. These are also compared with the 18- to 23-year-old reference group. The official ASVAB site says about half of that group scores 50 or higher on a subtest, and about 16% scores 60 or higher.

Your AFQT comes from four of these standard scores. Your line scores come from various combinations of all of them, including the technical subtests that don’t count toward the AFQT at all.

*Time without tryout questions. If your test includes unscored tryout items, limits are longer. Source: officialasvab.com.

Each branch defines its own composites. The Army publishes its ten line-score areas, the subjects each one leans on, and a sample job:

“Verbal Expression” is the verbal score in the Army’s list. Notice how often it shows up: verbal skills matter for your AFQT and for most Army line scores.

The other branches use their own composites, and a score that qualifies you for a job in one branch doesn’t automatically carry over to another. Ask your recruiter which composite your target job uses and what score it needs.

Most people take the ASVAB at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), where it’s given by computer. People who live far from a MEPS can test at a Military Entrance Test (MET) site, where it’s mostly paper and pencil. The official ASVAB site says that whichever version you take, your scores should be very similar.

The experience is different, though. The computer version adapts to your answers, so you can’t plan on going back to earlier questions. Practice the way you’ll test.

1. Get a baseline. Take our free ASVAB practice test under real timing and note your weakest AFQT subtests.
2. Lock in the AFQT first. Arithmetic Reasoning and Mathematics Knowledge reward drills. Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension reward daily vocabulary and reading practice.
3. Then aim at your job’s composite. If your target job needs Mechanical Comprehension or Electronics Information, those subtests are worth real study time even though they don’t touch the AFQT.
4. Review every practice test properly. Our review method turns misses into a plan.

Retesting: the official retest policy requires one month after your first test, another month before a second retest, and six months between any retests after that.