Have you ever wondered how lean uniformed fighting men are chosen for the army? Well, before participating and surviving military training, army recruits must first pass the ASVAB.
So what is the average ASVAB score? The ASVAB, or Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, is a series of tests designed by the military and government to assess an individual’s abilities and psychological well-being. A person’s ASVAB score helps the military to identify a person’s Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), that is, if they should be in the navy, air force, special operations, etc.
The ASVAB has 200 multiple-choice questions on general science, arithmetic reasoning, word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, number operations, automobile and workshop information, math knowledge, and mechanical understanding. In 134 minutes, the examinee must not only achieve the average on each individual exam section, but must also achieve certain “cumulative scores” (verbal, mathematical, and academic) that describe the overall competence of the examinee.
What is the average ASVAB score needed to be fit for the military? First, a good ASVAB score will ebb and flow, depending on what branch of the military it is focused on. Second, the ASVAB is scored on a percentile basis. Therefore, the highest score is 99 while the lowest score is 1. The average ASVAB score nationwide and across all branches is between 42 and 50.
A “genius” rating on the ASVAB is close to 92 or higher. A huge score higher than the aforementioned “explosive” ASVAB score will help ensure access to the best MOS available: special operations, nuclear work for the navy, or work as a Ranger in the military.
It is worth mentioning, however, that the military is not required to place a person in a specific program on a high school basis. Most of the time, when a branch of the military is in great need in a particular area, they will fill the vacancy despite one’s MOS capabilities.
In fact, it is not an easy task to be part of the elite team of men and women who defend the country. Not only do they need to survive hellish training camps and missions, but first and foremost, they must survive hell in the selection process – the frontier of that process is occupied by obtaining the average score on the ASVAB. So it is understandable for them to ask, “What is the average ASVAB score?”
That is because we are talking about the honor and privilege of being heroes of the country here.