Army ASVAB - Requirements and Positions

The Army is known for its elite units, including the Army Rangers, Green Berets (Special Forces), SOAR, ISA, AWG, and the National Guard, which also fall under the Army's jurisdiction. If you aim to join, understanding the Army ASVAB requirements is crucial.

Kemi, ASVAB Test Expert at JobTestPrep
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What is the Army ASVAB Test?

The Army ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is a standardized test taken by everyone who hope to join the Army. It assesses your mental aptitude in different topics, such as arithmetic reasoning, word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, and mathematics knowledge. Your ASVAB test score for Army placement will determine the available options for your service. 


How the Army ASVAB Affects Your Military Career

A higher ASVAB Test Army score opens more opportunities for advanced, specialized, and technical roles. For example, recruits looking to join roles in intelligence or technology departments and units will require higher ASVAB line scores, which we will soon discuss.

Learn how to increase your score, access elite positions, and gain a competitive edge.


ASVAB Army Scores

To enlist in the Army, you will need to receive an Army ASVAB score of at least 31, which is determined by your performance in various subtests. Each Army position requires a different test score.

Check the table below to find out the required ASVAB scores for Army positions based on different qualification areas:

Qualification AreaASVAB Sub-testsLine Score Formula
Clerical (CL)Verbal Expression (VE)*, Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK)VE + AR + MK
Combat (CO)Verbal Expression (VE)*, Auto & Shop Information (AS), Mechanical Comprehension (MC)VE + AS + MC
Electronics (EL)General Science (GS), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Electronics Information (EI)GS + AR + MK + E
Field Artillery (FA)Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Mechanical Comprehension (MC)AR + MK + MC
General Maintenance (GM)General Science (GS), Auto & Shop Information (AS), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Electronics Information (EI)GS + AS + MK + EI
General Technical (GT)Verbal Expression (VE)*, Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)VE + AR
Mechanical Maintenance (MM)Auto & Shop Information (AS), Mechanical Comprehension (MC), Electronics Information (EI)AS + MC + EI
Operators and Food (OF)Verbal Expression (VE)*, Auto & Shop Information (AS), Mechanical Comprehension (MC)VE + AS + MC
Surveillance and Communication (SC)Verbal Expression (VE)*, Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Auto & Shop Information (AS), Mechanical Comprehension (MC)VE + AR + AS + MC
Skilled Technical (ST)General Science (GS), Verbal Expression (VE)*, Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Mechanical Comprehension (MC)GS + VE + MK + MC

*Verbal Expression (VE) = Word Knowledge (WK) + Paragraph Comprehension (PC)

Understand your AFQT and Score lines in our ASVAB Scores guide.


Is It Critical to Prepare for the Army Asvab?

If you want to bring out the most of yourself in your designated field, you must show the army your capabilities. This requires scoring well on the Army ASVAB according to your duty line of interest. 

JobTestPrep provides targeted ASVAB practice tests to help you strengthen areas for improvement, ensuring you're ready to perform at your best on test day.

Army ASVAB Test Requirements

In order to join the Army, you need to meet the pre-qualifications:

  • Citizenship: You must be a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, or have a green card.
  • Age: You must be between 17 and 35 years old.
  • Criminal Record: You must never have been convicted of a felony or domestic abuse.
  • Education: You must be in high school and have a high school diploma, GED, or higher.
  • Physical Condition: You must be in fair physical condition.
  • Tattoos: You may not have any offensive or visible tattoos above the neckline or below the wrist.
  • Body Mutilation: You may not have any willful body mutilation.
  • Single Parent: You may not be a single parent.

Make sure you meet these ASVAB test Army requirements before proceeding.


Prepare for the ASVAB

Proper preparation for the Army ASVAB is crucial to achieving the score you need to enlist in the Army. JobTestPrep provides Army practice tests and study guides to prepare you for the exam. 


An Alternative for the ASVAB

If you are concerned by the format of the ASVAB, there is a solution!
Instead of taking the ASVAB, you can choose to take the PiCAT, short for Pending Internet Computerized Adaptive Test.
It can be done from your home and with no time limit.
Read more about how the PiCAT scores system works and enjoy free practice questions.