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Short answer: guess when you've read the question and can rule something out. The official advice is to eliminate what you can and make an educated guess. What hurts on the computer-based CAT-ASVAB is filling in random answers as time runs out: it applies "a relatively large penalty" for several wrong answers at the end of a subtest, and questions you never reach are scored as though you'd answered them at random. On the paper test there's no penalty for guessing, so answer everything.
Why the computer test is different
Most applicants take the CAT-ASVAB, the computer-adaptive version. It doesn't give everyone the same questions. Everyone starts with a question of medium difficulty; get it right and the next one is harder, miss it and the next one is easier. Your score comes from which questions you answered and how hard they were, which lets the test measure you accurately with fewer questions than the paper version.
Press the buttons to answer for yourself, or watch the replay.
Everyone starts with a question of medium difficulty.
Two things follow for test day:
- There's no going back. Once you move on, your answer is final, so check it before you confirm. The official site notes that most test takers don't mind, since it's good test-taking practice anyway.
- Hard questions are usually a good sign. If the questions feel tough, it's often because you've been getting them right. Don't let a hard one rattle you.
Scores from the computer and paper versions are statistically equated, so neither version is easier. A score means the same thing on both.
What happens to questions you leave blank
Each subtest has its own time limit. If time runs out before you finish, the CAT-ASVAB applies a penalty: the questions you didn't reach are scored as though they were answered at random. The official site adds that this is almost never needed, because the time limits are generous enough that nearly everyone finishes every subtest.
That's why the official advice for a short clock is to keep reading and genuinely answering instead of clicking through. Several wrong answers toward the end of a subtest bring a relatively large penalty. A few careful answers are worth more than a burst of random ones.
Know your pace, and the clock is on your side
The time you get per question varies a lot between subtests. Arithmetic Reasoning gives you more than three and a half minutes a question; Word Knowledge gives you 36 seconds.
- ARArithmetic Reasoning3:40
- PCParagraph Comprehension2:42
- MKMathematics Knowledge2:04
- MCMechanical Comprehension1:28
- AOAssembling Objects1:12
- GSGeneral Science0:48
- AIAuto Information0:42
- EIElectronics Information0:40
- SIShop Information0:36
- WKWord Knowledge0:36
Some time doesn't count against you at all:
- Instructions are untimed. Time spent reading them doesn't come off any subtest's clock.
- The HELP key stops the clock. If you need more scratch paper or another pencil, press HELP; the subtest timer pauses until you go back to the questions.
- The screen shows what's left. Time and questions remaining for the current subtest appear in the lower right corner.
- Tryout questions come with extra time. In 2 to 4 subtests you'll also see unscored questions being tested for future use. You can't tell which they are, so answer every question as if it counts.
How to make an educated guess
Ruling out one choice turns a 1-in-4 guess into a 1-in-3; ruling out two makes it a coin flip. Some ways in, by subtest:
- Arithmetic Reasoning: estimate first. A sale price must be less than the original price, and a combined work time must be shorter than either worker's time alone.
- Mathematics Knowledge: plug the answer choices back into the equation. One of them has to work.
- Word Knowledge: use roots and prefixes. "Pre-" means before, "mal-" means bad, "-ology" means the study of.
- Paragraph Comprehension: the answer is in the passage. Cross out choices that bring in facts the passage never states.
- Mechanical Comprehension: picture the extreme case. If a ramp were vertical, how much force would lifting the load take?
- Science and technical subtests: check the units. A question about power wants watts, not volts; one about frequency wants hertz.
Try it on five questions. Before you answer, look for the choices you can rule out.
Your score
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Practice scores from original questions, not official ASVAB scores. ASVAB Test is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense.
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WKWord KnowledgeAFQT1 of 5
Prohibit most nearly means:
Show answer
Answer: A. Forbid
To prohibit is to forbid by rule or law: smoking is prohibited near the fuel point. Its opposite is permit.
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WKWord KnowledgeAFQT2 of 5
Hazardous most nearly means:
Show answer
Answer: C. Dangerous
Hazardous means posing danger or risk: hazardous materials, hazardous duty. A hazard is the danger itself.
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MKMathematics KnowledgeAFQT3 of 5
Simplify: x³ · x⁴
Show answer
Answer: A. x⁷
Multiplying powers with the same base adds the exponents: x³ · x⁴ = x³⁺⁴ = x⁷. Multiplying the exponents (x¹²) is the rule for a power of a power, not a product.
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EIElectronics Information4 of 5
Electrical resistance is measured in:
Show answer
Answer: B. Ohms
Resistance is measured in ohms (Ω). Volts measure electrical pressure, amperes measure current flow, and watts measure power.
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GSGeneral Science5 of 5
Why can't sound travel through the vacuum of space?
Show answer
Answer: D. Sound waves need matter to travel through
Sound is a vibration passed between particles, so it needs a medium such as air, water or steel. A vacuum has essentially no particles to vibrate. Light, by contrast, is an electromagnetic wave and crosses empty space easily.
On the paper test, answer everything
A handful of test sites still give the paper-and-pencil ASVAB, and its rules are the opposite. There's no penalty for guessing, so the official advice is to answer every question, filling in random guesses if you run out of time. You can skip ahead and come back within a subtest, and review your answers if time is left. Ask your recruiter which version you'll take, since the best strategy depends on it.
What about the at-home PiCAT?
The PiCAT is the unproctored version for first-time testers, taken online with a code from a recruiter. Its subtests have no time limits, so the time-out penalty doesn't come into it. If your PiCAT scores look eligible, you'll take a short proctored verification test at a MEPS or test site within 45 days. That only works if your PiCAT showed your own ability, so don't look anything up or use a calculator: an honest guess is the right guess.
Quick answers
Is there a penalty for wrong answers on the ASVAB?
On the paper test, no: a guess can only help. On the computer test, wrong answers steer you toward easier questions, and several wrong answers at the end of a subtest bring a relatively large penalty, so careful answers beat rapid guesses.
Can you go back and change answers on the ASVAB?
Not on the computer version: once you move on, your answer is final. On the paper version you can review and change answers within the subtest you're working on, but not go back to an earlier one.
How many questions are on the ASVAB?
The computer test has 135 scored questions across ten subtests, plus unscored tryout questions in 2 to 4 of them. The paper version has 225.
Do most people run out of time?
No. The official site says the time limits are liberal enough that nearly everyone finishes every subtest.
Sources
- Official ASVAB: the CAT-ASVAB (adaptive item selection, the penalty for unfinished subtests)
- Official ASVAB: preparing for the ASVAB (educated guessing, the end-of-subtest penalty, paper test strategy)
- Official ASVAB: the CAT-ASVAB for recruiters (no changing answers, the HELP key, untimed instructions, equating)
- Official ASVAB: what to expect (time limits, tryout questions, the PiCAT and verification test)