AFQT Practice Test

What the real test usually looks like

The AFQT (Armed Forces Qualification Test) is not a separate test you sit on its own. It is a score taken from four of the subtests of the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery), the aptitude test taken by people applying to join the US military. The ASVAB program's scores page says the AFQT is computed from the standard scores of Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Paragraph Comprehension (PC) and Word Knowledge (WK) (ASVAB program).

On the computer version, the CAT-ASVAB, the ASVAB program lists these scored questions and time limits for the four AFQT subtests, without tryout questions (ASVAB program):

• Arithmetic Reasoning: 15 questions in 55 minutes. Word problems on rates, percentages and costs.
• Word Knowledge: 15 questions in 9 minutes. Which word most nearly means a given word.
• Paragraph Comprehension: 10 questions in 27 minutes. Short passages, each followed by a question about what it says or means.
• Mathematics Knowledge: 15 questions in 31 minutes. Algebra, number rules and basic geometry.

Together that is 55 scored questions with 122 minutes of time limits. The program lists the subtests in the order they are given, and these four come in the order above, after General Science and before the technical subtests.

The rest of the ASVAB. On test day you take the whole ASVAB, not only these four. For the other subtests, see our ASVAB practice test.

No calculator. The ASVAB program states that you cannot use a calculator when taking the ASVAB.

Tryout questions. The program says each examinee receives tryout questions in 2 to 4 subtests. They do not count toward your score, and they are outside the counts above.

One question at a time. On the computer version it is commonly reported that you answer each question before you see the next, and that you cannot go back to change an answer once it is given. Plan your time inside each subtest rather than planning to return.

What our practice covers. Our full mocks are the four AFQT subtests in their computer-version order, each at the commonly reported time limit, one question at a time with no going back. They do not include the other ASVAB subtests.

Question types with worked examples

One worked example for each AFQT subtest, with the trap to avoid.

1. Arithmetic Reasoning: a rate problem. A crew paints 3 rooms in 2 days. At the same rate, how many days do 12 rooms take? Find the rate first: 12 rooms is 4 times 3 rooms, so it takes 4 x 2 = 8 days. Trap: setting up the ratio upside down and answering 18. Ask yourself whether the answer should be bigger or smaller than what you started with.

2. Arithmetic Reasoning: percentages. A paycheck of $900 has 20% withheld for taxes. How much is left? 20% of $900 is $180, and $900 - $180 = $720. Trap: stopping at $180, the amount withheld, when the question asks what is left.

3. Word Knowledge: vocabulary. Prudent most nearly means: wise or careful. If you do not know a word, look for a part you do know: "prudent" is related to "prudence", good judgement. With 15 questions in 9 minutes, spend no more than about half a minute on each.

4. Paragraph Comprehension: the main idea. Passage: "Regular stretching keeps muscles flexible. Flexible muscles are less likely to be strained during sudden movements, which is why many coaches build stretching into every practice." Question: what is the passage mainly about? Answer: stretching helps prevent muscle strain. Trap: picking a detail ("coaches run practices") instead of the point the whole passage makes.

5. Mathematics Knowledge: an equation. If 5x - 3 = 2x + 9, what is x? Move the x terms to one side: 3x - 3 = 9. Add 3: 3x = 12. Divide by 3: x = 4. Always check by putting the answer back in: 5 x 4 - 3 = 17 and 2 x 4 + 9 = 17.

6. Mathematics Knowledge: geometry. A rectangle has an area of 48 square feet and a width of 6 feet. What is its perimeter? The length is 48 / 6 = 8 feet, so the perimeter is 2 x 8 + 2 x 6 = 28 feet. Know the core formulas: area and perimeter of a rectangle, area of a triangle (half base times height), the angles of a triangle (180 degrees in total) and the area (π r squared) and circumference (2 π r) of a circle.

How to prepare

1. Learn the pace of each subtest. The four time limits are very different. Arithmetic Reasoning allows about 3 minutes 40 seconds a question, Paragraph Comprehension about 2 minutes 40 seconds, Mathematics Knowledge about 2 minutes, and Word Knowledge only about 36 seconds (ASVAB program). Practice each at its own speed.
2. Do every problem by hand. Calculators are not allowed on the ASVAB, so practice mental math and long division.
3. Read word problems twice. Most Arithmetic Reasoning mistakes come from answering a different question than the one asked. Underline what is being asked before you calculate.
4. Build vocabulary every day. Ten new words a day, each used in a sentence of your own, does more than one long session before the test.
5. Answer from the passage alone. In Paragraph Comprehension, the right answer is supported by the text. Read the question first, then the passage, so you know what to look for.
6. Commit and move on. On the computer version you are commonly reported not to be able to go back. If you are stuck, rule out what you can, choose the best of what is left, and keep moving.
7. Take full timed mocks. The four subtests together run about two hours of time limits. Sitting them in order once or twice helps you hold your focus and your pace to the last question.

How scoring usually works

How the AFQT is reported. The ASVAB program says AFQT scores are reported as percentiles between 1 and 99. A percentile shows the percentage of examinees in a reference group who scored at or below that score, so a percentile of 60 means you scored as well as or better than 60% of that group (ASVAB program). The same page groups percentiles into categories, from I at the top to V.

Where it comes from. The program says the AFQT is computed from the standard scores of the four subtests: Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and Word Knowledge.

What score you need. Each service sets its own requirements, and they can change. Ask your recruiter for the current ones.

Tryout questions. Tryout questions do not count toward your score, but you will not know which ones they are. Treat every question as if it counts.

Our practice score is the number of our own questions you got right, with a breakdown by subtest. It is a practice score, not an AFQT score, and it does not predict a percentile or a category.

Common mistakes on the AFQT subtests

• Spending too long on Word Knowledge. With about 36 seconds a question, you either know a word or make a fast, reasoned guess.
• Rushing Arithmetic Reasoning. It has the most time per question. Use it to set the problem up carefully and check the answer makes sense.
• Doing two steps when the problem needs three. Discounts, then tax; full tank, then fraction, then drain. Write each step down.
• Reading into a passage. In Paragraph Comprehension, choose what the text supports, not what you would expect to be true.

How this practice compares with the real test

What we match. The four AFQT subtests, in the computer version's order, timed at the commonly reported limits, one question at a time with no going back. Every answer is explained.

What we do not include. The other ASVAB subtests, adaptive questions and tryout questions.

What we cannot match. The ASVAB's questions and scoring belong to the program that runs it. Our questions are original and written in a similar style. We cannot give you an AFQT score or a percentile, and Intellect Council is not affiliated with the US Department of Defense or the ASVAB program.

A one-week AFQT study plan

• Day 1: Take the free sample above. Note which subtest cost you the most, in time or in wrong answers.
• Day 2: Arithmetic Reasoning. Ten word problems by hand, writing each step, then check them.
• Day 3: Word Knowledge. New words in your own sentences, plus common roots and prefixes.
• Day 4: Mathematics Knowledge. Equations, fractions and geometry formulas, without a calculator.
• Day 5: A full timed mock of the four subtests. Review every question you missed and why.
• Day 6: Paragraph Comprehension and your weakest subtest from the mock.
• Day 7: A second mock in the morning, then rest. Check where you are testing and what to bring.