AFQT, Line Scores, Rules
Not publishedof exam
Math: AR and MK
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Verbal: WK and PC
Not publishedof exam
Science and Technical
Not publishedof exam
Spatial: Assembling Objects
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Quick Facts
- Exam
- AFCT
- Full name
- Armed Forces Classification Test
- What it is
- In-service ASVAB retake
- Who takes it
- Active-duty service members
- Form
- Retired ASVAB form
- Structure
- 9 subtests, 225 items
- Time
- 149 minutes total
- AFQT
- Percentile 1-99
- AFQT formula
- AR + MK + 2VE
- Retake wait
- 6 months, most services
- Cost
- Free at education center
- Score of record
- Newest score counts
AFQT Formula
AFQT = AR + MK + 2VE
AR: word problemsMK: math rulesVE: from WK, PCVerbal counts twice
AFCT vs ASVAB
AFCT
- Already in service
- Base education center
- Improves reclassification scores
ASVAB
- Before enlisting
- MEPS or MET site
- Gates enlistment eligibility
Same content, different audience
What To Study First
- Need higher AFQT→AR, MK, WK, PC(Only these four)
- Need GT 110→VE and AR(Officer programs)
- Need ST score→GS, VE, MK, MC
- Need EL score→GS, AR, MK, EI
- Need MM score→AS, MC, EI
- Need CL score→VE, AR, MK
- Navy rating cutoff→Named subtests only(Check rating sheet)
AFCT Rules
- AFCT
- In-service ASVAB retake
- Who
- Active-duty service members
- Where
- Base education center
- Cost
- Free to service members
- Approval
- Commander authorization required
- Score of record
- Newest replaces previousTrap
- Lower score
- Still becomes official
- Whole battery
- All subtests, one sitting
- Army request
- DA Form 4187
- Retake wait
- 6 months, most services
- Marine exception
- CMC approval, 90 days
- Purpose
- Reclassify, reenlist, commission
GT Score Focus
GT = VE + AR
VE: from WK, PCAR: word problems110 unlocks officer programs
AFQT vs Line Scores
AFQT
- Percentile 1-99
- Four subtests only
- Enlistment eligibility
Line scores
- Standard score sums
- Uses all subtests
- Job qualification
Get in vs get job
Test Day Strategy
- Running out of time→Guess every remaining item(No penalty)
- Unsure between two→Eliminate, then choose
- Section finished early→Review that section
- Stuck on one item→Mark, move on
- New section starts→Cannot return later
Test Format
- Origin
- Retired ASVAB form
- Subtests
- 9 separately timed sections
- Items
- 225 questions
- Total time
- 149 minutes
- Adaptive
- No, fixed form
- Guessing
- No penalty, answer allKey
- Review
- Allowed within a section
- Section order
- Cannot return later
- Delivery
- Paper or computer
- Calculator
- Not permitted
Percentile vs Percent Correct
Percentile
- Compares you to others
- 1997 norm sample
- AFQT reports this
Percent correct
- Raw items right
- Never reported
- No 70% pass line
Ranking, not a grade
Subtest Lengths
- GS
- 25 questions, 11 minutes
- AR
- 30 questions, 36 minutes
- WK
- 35 questions, 11 minutes
- PC
- 15 questions, 13 minutes
- MK
- 25 questions, 24 minutes
- EI
- 20 questions, 9 minutes
- AS
- 25 questions, 11 minutes
- MC
- 25 questions, 19 minutes
- AO
- 25 questions, 15 minutes
Fixed Form vs Adaptive
AFCT fixed form
- Same items for everyone
- Review within section
- Guessing not penalized
CAT-ASVAB
- Difficulty adapts
- No going back
- Guessing penalized
AFCT rewards filling blanks
AFQT Scoring
- AFQT
- Percentile 1-99
- Formula
- AR + MK + 2VE
- VE
- Scaled from WK, PC
- Verbal weight
- Counted twice
- Standard score
- Mean 50, SD 10
- Norm group
- 1997 youth sample
- AFQT subtests
- Only four count
- Category I
- 93-99
- Category II
- 65-92
- Category IIIA
- 50-64
- Category IIIB
- 31-49
- Category IV
- 10-30
- Category V
- 1-9, cannot enlist
Army Line Scores
- GT
- VE + ARKey
- CL
- VE + AR + MK
- EL
- GS + AR + MK + EI
- ST
- GS + VE + MK + MC
- GM
- GS + AS + MK + EI
- MM
- AS + MC + EI
- SC
- VE + AR + AS + MC
- FA
- AR + MK + MC
- CO and OF
- Combat; operators, food
- GT 110
- Officer, warrant programs
- GT 107
- Many technical MOS
Other Branch Composites
- Air Force
- MAGE composites
- AF General
- VE + AR
- AF Electronics
- AR + MK + EI + GS
- AF Administrative
- VE + MK
- AF Mechanical
- Mechanical, shop, science mix
- Marine Corps
- GT, EL, MM, CL
- Navy
- Rating-specific subtest sums
- Coast Guard
- Direct subtest sums
Order of Operations
Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
ParenthesesExponentsMultiply, divideAdd, subtract
AR vs MK
Arithmetic Reasoning
- Word problems
- Set up the equation
- 30 questions
Math Knowledge
- Direct computation
- Formulas and rules
- 25 questions
Story vs symbols
Math Problem Picker
- Problem tells a story→Arithmetic Reasoning skills
- Bare equation given→Math Knowledge rules
- Speed, time, distance→d = rt
- Two workers together→Add hourly rates
- Right triangle side→Pythagorean theorem
- Area of circle→A = πr²
- Percent increase asked→Change ÷ original
- Variable on both sides→Isolate the variable
Arithmetic Reasoning Formulas
- Distance
- d = rt
- Average
- Sum ÷ count
- Percent of
- Percent × whole
- Percent change
- Change ÷ original
- Simple interest
- I = Prt
- Profit
- Revenue − cost
- Combined work
- Add rates, invert total
- Proportion
- Cross-multiply both sides
- Mixture
- Track pure amounts
- Unit rate
- Divide to compare
Math Knowledge Formulas
- Circle area
- A = πr²
- Circumference
- C = 2πr
- Triangle area
- A = ½bh
- Rectangle area
- A = lw
- Pythagorean
- a² + b² = c²
- Box volume
- V = lwh
- Cylinder volume
- V = πr²h
- Sphere volume
- V = 4/3πr³
- Slope
- Rise ÷ run
- Order of operations
- PEMDAS
- Multiply powers
- Add the exponents
- Divide powers
- Subtract the exponents
- Triangle angles
- Sum 180 degrees
- Quadrilateral angles
- Sum 360 degrees
WK vs PC
Word Knowledge
- Single word meaning
- Synonyms in context
- 35 questions
Paragraph Comprehension
- Short passages
- Main idea, inference
- 15 questions
Words vs passages
Roots and Prefixes
- bene
- Good, well
- mal
- Bad, wrong
- circum
- Around
- trans
- Across, through
- sub
- Under, below
- super
- Above, beyond
- anti
- Against, opposite
- dict
- Say, speak
- spec
- Look, see
- port
- Carry
- scrib
- Write
- chron
- Time
- terr
- Earth, land
- ology
- Study of
Paragraph Comprehension Strategy
- Main idea
- What passage mostly says
- Detail
- Answer stated in text
- Inference
- Supported, not stated
- Purpose
- Why author wrote it
- Tone
- Author attitude
- Word in context
- Substitute each choice
- Extreme wording
- Usually a wrong answer
- Outside knowledge
- Never needed
Four-Stroke Cycle
Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow
IntakeCompressionPowerExhaust
Series vs Parallel
Series
- One path
- Current stays same
- Resistance adds
Parallel
- Many paths
- Voltage stays same
- Resistance drops
One path vs many
Circuit Question Picker
- One path only→Series rules
- Multiple branches→Parallel rules
- Voltage and resistance given→V = IR
- Volts and amps given→P = VI
- Bulb brightness compared→Compare current draw
- One bulb removed→Series dies, parallel lives
General Science Facts
- Mitochondria
- Cell energy, ATP
- Photosynthesis
- Light into glucose
- Atom parts
- Proton, neutron, electron
- Proton charge
- Positive
- States of matter
- Solid, liquid, gas, plasma
- Newton first law
- Objects resist motion change
- Rock types
- Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
- Inner planets
- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
- Red blood cells
- Carry oxygen
- Adult bones
- 206
- DNA
- Double helix, genetic code
- Water boils
- 100 Celsius, sea level
Ohm Law Triangle
V on top, I times R
V = IRI = V/RR = V/I
Mechanical vs General Science
Mechanical Comprehension
- Levers, pulleys, gears
- Applied physics
- Diagrams common
General Science
- Biology, chemistry, earth
- Recall of facts
- Rarely diagrams
Apply vs recall
Machine Advantage Picker
- Rope over fixed wheel→Pulley, MA 1
- Wheel moves with load→Pulley, MA 2
- Fulcrum between forces→First-class lever
- Load between fulcrum, effort→Second-class lever
- Ramp used→Inclined plane
- Fluid multiplies force→Hydraulic system
- Gear drives smaller gear→Faster, less torque
Electronics Principles
- Ohm law
- V = IRKey
- Power
- P = VI
- Series resistance
- Add the resistors
- Series current
- Same everywhere
- Parallel voltage
- Same across branches
- Parallel resistance
- Below smallest resistor
- Resistor
- Limits current
- Capacitor
- Stores charge, farads
- Inductor
- Opposes current change
- Diode
- One-way current
- Transistor
- Amplify or switch
- Transformer
- Changes AC voltage
- Fuse
- Breaks on overcurrent
- Ground
- Safe return path
- Units
- Volt, amp, ohm, watt
- Conductors
- Silver, copper, aluminum
- Insulators
- Rubber, glass, plastic
Six Simple Machines
Lever, pulley, wheel, plane, wedge, screw
All multiply forceNone create energyTrade force for distance
Electronics vs Auto Shop
Electronics Information
- Circuits and components
- Ohm law math
- 20 questions
Auto and Shop
- Engines and tools
- No electrical math
- 25 questions
Circuits vs machines, tools
Mechanical Principles
- Simple machines
- Six force multipliers
- Mechanical advantage
- Output ÷ input force
- Work
- Force × distance
- Power
- Work ÷ time
- Fixed pulley
- Changes direction only
- Movable pulley
- Doubles the force
- First-class lever
- Fulcrum in middle
- Second-class lever
- Load in middle
- Third-class lever
- Effort in middle
- Pascal principle
- Pressure transmits equally
- Hydraulic press
- Small area, big force
- Meshed gears
- Turn opposite directions
- Smaller driven gear
- Faster, less torque
- Crossed belt
- Reverses driven pulley
- Hooke law
- F = kx
- Torque
- Force × lever arm
- Friction
- Opposes sliding motion
Planet Order
My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles
Mercury, Venus, EarthMars, Jupiter, SaturnUranus, Neptune
Auto and Shop Basics
- Four-stroke cycle
- Intake, compression, power, exhaust
- Spark plug
- Ignites fuel mixture
- Alternator
- Charges the battery
- Radiator
- Cools engine coolant
- Thermostat
- Regulates coolant flow
- Clutch
- Disconnects engine, transmission
- Differential
- Wheels turn different speeds
- Master cylinder
- Sends brake fluid
- Micrometer
- Precise thickness measurement
- Torque wrench
- Sets bolt tightness
- Tap and die
- Cuts internal, external threads
- Plane
- Shaves wood smooth
- Ball-peen hammer
- Metalworking hammer
- Chisel
- Cuts wood or metal
Assembling Objects Strategy
- Two item types
- Connector and jigsaw
- Connector item
- Dots must match points
- Jigsaw item
- Parts form one shape
- Dot location
- Exact point, not near
- Mirror image
- Flipped shapes are wrong
- Piece count
- All must be used
- Piece size
- Proportions must match
- Rotation
- Allowed, flipping is not
Common Traps
Percentile vs percent correct
AFQT is percentile rank ≠ Not percent answered right
Newest vs best score
Newest AFCT counts ≠ Not your highest ever
AFQT vs line score
AFQT gates eligibility ≠ Line scores gate jobs
Four vs nine subtests
AFQT uses four ≠ Line scores use nine
VE vs WK
VE combines WK, PC ≠ WK alone is subtest
Guessing rules differ
AFCT: answer everything ≠ CAT-ASVAB penalizes guessing
Retake wait differs
AFCT: about 6 months ≠ Enlistment ASVAB: 1-1-6
Series vs parallel
Series resistance adds ≠ Parallel resistance drops
Fixed vs movable pulley
Fixed changes direction ≠ Movable doubles force
Rotate vs flip
Rotation is allowed ≠ Mirror images are wrong
Last Minute
- 1.AFQT = AR + MK + 2VE
- 2.VE is scaled from WK, PC
- 3.AFQT is percentile, not percent
- 4.AFCT = 9 subtests, 225 items
- 5.Total time = 149 minutes
- 6.Fixed form: no guessing penalty
- 7.Newest AFCT score always counts
- 8.Most services: 6-month retake wait
- 9.Commander approval needed to test
- 10.GT = VE + AR
- 11.GT 110 unlocks officer programs
- 12.AFQT ignores GS, EI, AS, MC
- 13.Ohm law: V = IR
- 14.Series adds resistance; parallel lowers
- 15.Fixed pulley 1; movable pulley 2
- 16.Four-stroke: intake compression power exhaust
- 17.Distance = rate × time
- 18.Circle area = πr²
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