Paragraph Comprehension Practice Test: What ASVAB PC Covers

Paragraph Comprehension (PC) is the reading section of the ASVAB. The official description is short: the "ability to obtain information from written passages." You read a passage, then answer a question about it. It sounds simple — and on the computer version, it's also the section with the most time per question. Here's how to use that time well.

How PC is timed

("Questions" are the ones that count toward your score, plus any tryouts. "Per question" is the time limit divided by the number of questions.)

PC comes fourth, right after Word Knowledge. Most people take the computer version at a MEPS or testing site, where it has fewer scored questions than any other AFQT section — 10 — which means each question carries real weight.

Why PC matters for your AFQT

PC is combined with Word Knowledge into the verbal score VE, and the official AFQT formula counts VE twice:

AFQT sum = AR + MK + 2 × VE

According to the DoD's technical report on the score scale, Word Knowledge has more weight than PC inside VE — but PC still feeds the part of the AFQT that counts double. How Is the AFQT Calculated? has the details.

What reading questions usually ask

The official site doesn't publish a list of question types, but reading-comprehension questions generally fall into a few kinds. Knowing which one you're facing tells you where to look:

A method that fits the clock

1. Read the question first. Know whether you're looking for a main idea or a detail before you read the passage.
2. Read the passage once, carefully. On the computer version you have about 2.7 minutes per question — enough to read properly, not enough to read three times.
3. Answer from the passage, not from what you know. A choice can be true in real life and still be wrong because the passage doesn't say it.
4. Check the extremes. A choice with always, never or all is only right if the passage is just as absolute.
5. Go back to the text for every detail question. Don't rely on memory of what you just read.
6. Commit and move on. On the computer version you can't change your answer after moving to the next question, so check before you continue.

How to get better at PC

• Read every day, and summarize. After any article, say the main idea in one sentence. That's the core skill.
• Build vocabulary at the same time. Unknown words slow your reading and blur meaning; the same study helps Word Knowledge. See Word Knowledge Practice Test.
• Practice under time. On paper, PC gives under a minute per question; even on the computer version, rereading costs time you'll want later.

Practice it

Our free practice test includes Paragraph Comprehension with the computer version's numbers — 10 questions in 27 minutes in the full version — plus the other three AFQT sections, and ends with an AFQT estimate (a practice estimate, not an official score). The passages and questions are our own, in the style of the test.

Quick answers

How many questions are on ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension?

On the computer version, 10 questions count, with a 27-minute limit (75 minutes if tryout questions are added). On paper, 15 questions in 13 minutes.

Does Paragraph Comprehension count toward the AFQT?

Yes. It's combined with Word Knowledge into VE, which counts twice in the AFQT formula.

Should I read the question or the passage first?

Reading the question first tells you what to look for, so you read the passage with a purpose.

Can I go back to a passage on the computer ASVAB?

You can't change an answer after moving to the next question. Check your answer against the passage before you continue.

Sources

• What to Expect When You Take the ASVAB — officialasvab.com
• Development and Evaluation of the 1997 ASVAB Score Scale (PDF) — officialasvab.com
• The CAT-ASVAB — officialasvab.com