What to Expect When You Take the ASVAB

The U.S. Armed Forces have high standards for enlistment.

An important part of a recruiter’s job is to screen applicants to ensure they measure up. Even before a recruiter signs you up to take the ASVAB, he/she will ask about your marital status, health, education, drug use, and arrest record. It’s very important that you answer these questions openly and honestly. Once the recruiter has determined that you are qualified for further processing, you will be scheduled to take the ASVAB. A physical exam may also be conducted at that time.

For more information about military entrance processing, visit the Military Entrance Processing Command website at http://www.mepcom.army.mil/.

ASVAB testing for applicants is conducted at Military Entrance Processing Stations, known as MEPS. The MEPS are a Department of Defense joint-service organization staffed with military and civilian professionals. There are 65 MEPS located across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

If you do not live near a MEPS, you can take the ASVAB at a satellite location called a Military Entrance Test (MET) site. MET sites are often located in federal government office buildings, National Guard armories, or Reserve centers.

For testing at a MEPS or MET site, you’ll need to bring valid identification to be admitted into the testing room. Don’t be late—you’ll be turned away and required to reschedule if you are. Your recruiter may give you a ride to and from the session, but he/she is not permitted in the testing room.

The ASVAB is administered by computer at the MEPS and at most MET sites. The paper-and-pencil version is given at only a handful of MET sites. Testing procedures will vary depending on the mode of administration. You cannot use a calculator when taking the ASVAB.

There is also an option to take an online, unproctored version of the ASVAB from home or from any location where you have access to a computer and the internet. This unproctored version is called PiCAT (short for Pending Internet Computerized Adaptive Test), and your recruiter can help you register to take it. To learn more about the PiCAT, visit our Unproctored Administrations of the ASVAB: PiCAT page.

ASVAB test questions are treated as controlled testing materials. You should neither accept nor give information about specific test questions to other individuals. Applicants who either give or receive information about test questions are subject to severe penalties.

The ASVAB subtests are designed to measure aptitudes in four domains: Verbal, Math, Science and Technical, and Spatial. The table below describes the content of the ASVAB subtests. The subtests are presented in the order in which they are administered.

* The ASVAB is administered via both paper-and-pencil and computer formats in the Enlistment Testing Program. AI and SI are administered as separate subtests in the computer administration but combined into one single score (labeled AS). AI and SI are combined into one single subtest (AS) in the paper-and-pencil administration. Scores on the combined subtest (AS) are reported for both the computer and paper-and-pencil administration.

The computer version of the ASVAB, called the CAT-ASVAB, is an adaptive test. This means that the test adapts to the ability level of each individual examinee. Thus, it is possible to administer a shorter test than the paper-and-pencil version. The CAT-ASVAB can be taken in a proctored setting (i.e., MEPS or MET site) or in an unproctored setting (e.g., at home).

Proctored Version of CAT-ASVAB

Examinees must take the proctored CAT-ASVAB at a MEPS or MET Site. Each examinee completes the test at his/her own pace. That is, when you complete a subtest, you can immediately move on to the next subtest without waiting for everyone else in the testing room to finish. There are time limits imposed on each subtest in the proctored CAT-ASVAB, but almost all examinees complete the individual subtests before the time expires. As you take each subtest, the amount of time and number of questions remaining for that subtest are displayed in the lower right-hand corner. On average, it takes about 2 hours to complete the proctored CAT-ASVAB. Your test scores will be available immediately following your testing session at the MEPS or MET site.

The number of questions and time limits for the subtests on the proctored CAT-ASVAB vary depending upon whether “tryout” questions are administered. Tryout questions are new questions that do not count toward your score. Each examinee receives tryout questions in 2 to 4 of the ASVAB subtests, with tryout questions randomly dispersed throughout each of the selected subtests. Extra time is given to complete a subtest when tryout questions are administered.

Unproctored Version of CAT-ASVAB

The unproctored version of CAT-ASVAB is called PiCAT (short for Pending Internet Computerized Adaptive Test). It differs from the proctored version in that it doesn’t need to be taken at a MEPS or MET site, there are no time limits for the individual subtests, and no tryout items are administered. If certain conditions are met, your PiCAT score becomes your official ASVAB score of record.

To take the PiCAT, you must contact a military recruiter who will provide you with an access code. This code will expire 30 days after it is issued. Once you begin taking the PiCAT, you must complete it within 48 hours. You should expect the PiCAT to take around 2 to 3 hours to complete. The PiCAT can be taken only once and is available only to those who have never taken the ASVAB before. You can use Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Firefox Mozilla, or Samsung Internet browsers. To obtain the best results, you should use a screen that is at least 7 inches diagonally (i.e., tablets, such as the iPad, Samsung Galaxy, and Microsoft Surface, are permissible).

After completing the PiCAT, you will not have access to your scores immediately. Instead, you must contact the military recruiter who registered you. If your scores on PiCAT suggest you may be eligible for military service, you will be required to go to a MEPS or MET site to take a proctored Verification Test (Vtest) to confirm the legitimacy of your PiCAT scores.

The Vtest must be taken within 45 days of when you took the PiCAT. It is much shorter than the PiCAT and generally takes 25 to 30 minutes to complete. You are not provided a score on the Vtest. Instead, it is simply used to validate the accuracy of your PiCAT scores. If the Vtest is successful, then your PiCAT scores will become your official ASVAB scores of record and can be used to determine your enlistment eligibility.

The paper-and-pencil version is given at only a handful of MET sites. As soon as you are checked in and seated, the test administrator will provide some general instructions and pass out the test booklets and answer sheets. You will need to listen carefully to all instructions and will not be able to proceed until instructed to do so.

Once you complete the questions in a subtest, you will be able to review your answers. However, you will not be able to go back to an earlier subtest or proceed to the next subtest until instructed. The total time required, including administrative tasks and instructions, is 3 to 4 hours. Each subtest has a fixed number of questions and time limit.

After the test session, completed answer sheets are sent to the MEPS to be scanned and scored. This process usually takes a few days. Your recruiter will be notified when your test scores are verified and available.