Asvab Score Requirements
The ASVAB, short for Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, is the entrance exam for all enlisted positions in the United States military branches. It is a measure of an individual's ability to comprehend mathematical concepts, English vocabulary, and written paragraphs as well as an evaluation of mechanical and electrical knowledge. The scores an applicant receives on the ASVAB not only determine eligibility for military service but also which job specialties they are eligible for. The overall test score is based off of a 99 point scale that is based off the percentile of individuals that you scored better than. This is known as the AFQT score, short for Armed Forces Qualifying Test. The scores for each section of the ASVAB are also scored by each subject. The overall score determines your eligibility for entrance into a branch of the military, and a combination of scores in differing sections determines eligibility in particular job fields.
Air Force Eligibility
The Air Force requires a minimum AFQT score of 36. Most applicants who actually join the Air Force score much higher than this however. To determine eligibility for particular AFSCs, short for Air Force Specialty Codes, four total scores, known as Qualification Scores, are used. The General score is a combination of Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Arithmetic Reasoning. This score is used for the sole determining factor in selecting applicants for positions that require little technical skills, such as security forces. The Mechanical score is a combination of the Mechanical Comprehension, General Science, and twice the Auto & Shop Information scores. The Administrative score is based on the Numerical Operations, Word Knowledge, and Paragraph Comprehension sections. The Electrical score is a combination of the Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information, and General Science scores.
Army Eligibility
The US Army requires a minimum AFQT score of 31, which is the lowest of all the service branches. Exception waivers may be made for some applicants, but recently this has ended for the most part as the military has become more selective as to who it takes. Most job bonuses require a minimum of a 50. The Army then uses ten different combinations of the scores known as Line Scores to determine your MOS, short for Military Occupational Specialty. The Line Scores are Clerical, Combat, Electronics, Field Artillery, General Maintenance, General Technical, Mechanical Maintenance, Operators and Food, Surveillance and Communications, and Skilled Technical. Most MOSs typically only have one Line Score that determines qualification.
Marine Corps Eligibility
The Marine Corps requires a minimum AFQT score of 32. Just like the Army, the Marine Corps jobs are known as Military Occupational Specialties. The Marine Corps uses only five Line Scores to determine eligibility. The Marine Corps Line Scores are, Clerical, Electronics, General Technical, Mechanical Maintenance, and Skilled Technical.
Navy Eligibility
The minimum score for a Navy applicant is 35. Navy jobs are known as Ratings, and qualification for each rating is determined by a combination of scores from each section, unlike the more generalized Qualification Scores and Line Scores used by the other services.
References
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/genjoin/a/asvabminimum.htm
http://www.military.com/ASVAB/0,ASVAB_MOS_USAF.html
http://www.military.com/ASVAB/0,ASVAB_MOS_Army.html
http://www.military.com/ASVAB/0,ASVAB_MOS_USMC.html
