If you are a potential military recruit hoping to join the United States Armed Services, you will be required to pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery or ASVAB.
In this article I will give you a quick breakdown on the different test sections and how to prepare for each one.
The major sections that appear on the exam are General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information, Automotive and Shop information, Mechanical Comprehension, Assembling Objects and Verbal Expression.
Below is a quick break-down of what to expect for each section General Science The general science section tests you on the basics that you have learned including biology, chemistry, physics, earth science or geology.
In order to prepare for this section, you will have to go through each of these subjects topic by topic to ensure that you have at least a general understanding.
While the questions may be one or two per concept, you still have to study it all to ensure that you don't miss this single question.
Arithmetic Reasoning The arithmetic reasoning section is almost like a mathematics puzzle section.
In this section, you will be given word problems that have mathematical underlying questions.
You will have to solve not only the mathematical equations but actually learn to pick it out from the story given.
The best way to practice this topic is to do math reasoning or math word problems.
You have to practice not only applying the formulas and concepts but also pulling out the mathematical question from the given story.
Word Knowledge For the word knowledge section, you will be given different words, perhaps in a sentence or in a definition, and asked to explain what the word means or to say something about the word.
The best way to prepare for this section is to study vocabulary.
One way to learn vocabulary words is by studying ASVAB flashcards or even SAT flashcards.
Practice not only studying the words but actually using these words in sentences.
This will help you get a better grasp of vocabulary in general.
Paragraph Comprehension Paragraph comprehension is simply reading comprehension.
This is perhaps slightly easier than what you will see on an SAT exam.
You will be given a paragraph or a story and asked to pick out either the main idea or a concept mentioned in the story.
When studying for this section, practice paragraph comprehension problems.
Another way to improve your reading skills is by doing just that.
READING.
When you read, ideally you want to skim the paragraph, get a basic idea of what they're talking about, see the question and then go back and find the answer in the paragraph so you don't waste time reading every single word when it's not needed.
Mathematics Knowledge Mathematics knowledge tests you on straightforward mathematical equations.
You will be given a formula and you will be told to solve.
You will be given a problem and told to solve.
The best way to practice for this section is to do math problems without a calculator.
Electronics Information For the electronics information section, you will be tested a mixture of electronics and electrical physics.
The best way that I find to prepare for this section is to find an ASVAB book and learn the information out of this book.
This is preferred over a physics or electronics textbook as the latter wiill have too much information that will overwhelm rather than help you.
Auto and Shop The best way to prepare for this section is to visit your local mechanic and ask him or her if they can teach you a bit about the different parts of cars and how the different pieces work together.
Bring an ASVAB book along with you so you will know which sections or pieces to focus on.
The same applies for mechanical comprehension.
However, this relates to machines.
Assembling Objects Assembling objects tests your ability to visualize two-dimensional drawings and put them together in a three-dimensional way.
This is the type of section that you are either naturally good at it, or you are naturally lost.
Don't worry about it though.
This score does not impact your overall ASVAB score nor the ability to apply for nearly every job in the service.