Petersons - Master the ASVAB Basics

Copyright 2010 by Petersons, a Nelnet company All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Petersons a Nelnet Company 2000 Lenox Drive, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 Visit our website at www.petersons.com First eBook Edition: July 2010 ISBN: 978-0-7689-3296-6 Master the ASVABMaster the Officer Candidate TestsPetersons Master the ASVAB Basics has helped thousands of young men and women prepare to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. The format is clear and well organized, making the book easy to use. This revised edition contains up-to-date information necessary for success on the current version of the ASVAB.

You have made an excellent decision in choosing this book to help you prepare for the ASVAB. Petersons Master the ASVAB Basics offers you: Intensive practice in math and verbal skills Clear, easy-to-follow instructions General tips for taking tests Special preparation ideas for improving math and verbal skills Specific hands-on instruction

explains your ASVAB scores in detail. details enlistment opportunities in the U.S. Military. It contains a chapter on general enlistment qualifications, enlisting in the military, military training, descriptions of the different military branches, pay and benefits information, and a summary of employment benefits. introduces you to the ASVAB math subtests.

The Arithmetic Reasoning and Mathematics Knowledge sections guide you on how to work through concepts that are troublesome to many test takers. introduces you to the ASVAB verbal subtests. The materials used in the Paragraph Comprehension section are engaging and varied, with the inclusion of many contemporary topics designed to interest and motivate you to keep improving your language skills. The Word Knowledge section will help you develop a broader vocabulary. Weve included the types of words often found on the ASVAB, as well as explanations to help you further expand your vocabulary.

Petersons Master the ASVAB Basics is designed to be as user-friendly as it is complete. Petersons Master the ASVAB Basics is designed to be as user-friendly as it is complete.

To this end, it includes significant features to make your preparation more efficient.

Each chapter begins with a bulleted overview listing the topics covered in the chapter. This allows you to quickly target the areas in which you are most interested. Each chapter ends with a point-by-point summary that reviews the most important items in the chapter. The summaries offer a convenient way to review key points. Petersons Master the ASVAB Basics will help you increase your score and prepare you for everything youll need to know on the day of the ASVAB test. Petersons publishes a full line of resources to guide you through the armed services admission process. Petersons publishes a full line of resources to guide you through the armed services admission process.

Petersons publications can be found at your local bookstore, library, and high school or college guidance office. We welcome any comments or suggestions you may have about this publication and invite you to complete our online survey at www.petersons.com/booksurvey. Or, you can fill out the survey in the back of this book, tear it out, and mail it to us at: Publishing Department Petersons, a Nelnet Company 2000 Lenox Drive Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 Your feedback will help us make your educational dreams possible.

Congratulations on deciding to take the ASVAB! This is an important first step toward a career in the armed services. The job outlook for military personnel is excellent and should remain this well way into the future. Nearly 200,000 military personnel must be recruited each year to take the place of those who have retired or fulfilled their commitment.

Military personnel have the most important job in the worldkeeping our country safe. Because of this, our military must be comprised of the best young men and women available. ASVAB stands for Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. The ASVAB is divided into subtests. How you perform on these subtests will help you and the military determine your skills and talents and the type of job that bests suits you. Your test might indicate that you would be an outstanding aircraft mechanic or air traffic specialist.

Because the ASVAB can help you choose a suitable career, some high school students enrolled in a Career Exploration Program take it even though they do not plan to enlist in the military. Taking the ASVAB is not a commitment to enlist.

There are three different versions of the ASVAB: (1) the pencil-and-paper ASVAB, (2) the CAT-ASVAB (computer-based), and (3) the student ASVAB. The student ASVAB is given in high schools and is the same as the pencil-and-paper test, except it does not include the Assembling Objects (AO) subtest. Note: The Armed Forces Classification Test (AFCT), which is used when military personnel want to change jobs, also does not contain the AO subtest. ASVAB testing for applicants is conducted at Military Entrance Processing Stations, known as MEPS.

If a student does not live near a MEP station, the ASVAB can be administered at a satellite location called a Military Entrance Test (MET) site. The ASVAB tests given at METs are pencil-and-paper tests, so the pencil-and-paper test is often referred to as the MET-site ASVAB. The ASVAB subtests are designed to measure general abilities and information in specific areas covered in the general high school program or acquired through an interest or a hobby. Figure 1 presents an overview of the pencil-and-paper ASVAB, the time allowed for the administration of each subtest, the number of items in each subtest, and a description of the abilities or knowledge it measures. Figure 2 presents the CATASVAB, the time allowed for each subtest, the number of items in each subtest, and descriptions of the abilities or knowledge measured. The pencil-and-paper ASVAB and the CAT-ASVAB are slightly different.

The CATASVAB divides the Auto & Shop Information (AS) subtest into two separate subtests, which appear as Auto Information (AI) and Shop Information (SI). So, the CAT-ASVAB contains ten subtests (where as the pencil-and-paper exam contains only nine). The CAT-ASVAB has fewer questions, and consequently, less testing time available, but the two tests contain essentially the same information. For the purposes of this book, the Practice Tests will include the number of items and time allotment conducive to the pencil-and-paper exam. Since the content of the two ASVAB tests is virtually identical, these Practice Tests will also provide excellent preparation for the CAT-ASVAB. FIGURE 1

Pencil-and-Paper ASVAB
TEST	TIME	ITEMS	DESCRIPTION
General Science (GS)	11 minutes	25	Measures knowledge of physical and biological sciences.
Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)	36 minutes	30