Learn›Start hereStart›Test day
Test day
Most of test day is decided before you sit down: sleep, ID, the time you leave home. Here is what the official sources say happens, and a short routine for the moment your mind goes blank.
Rested, on time, with your ID
The official site is direct about lateness: if you arrive late, you are turned away and have to reschedule. Plan to get there early.
Your recruiter is your source for the details
Your recruiter schedules the test, may give you a ride to and from it, and can tell you the rules of your site. Ask them which ID to bring and what to leave at home. They are not allowed in the testing room with you.
What happens that day
-
1
The night before
The official advice is simple: get plenty of rest the night before. This is not the night to learn new topics; a short flashcard review of words you already studied is enough.
Pack what you will take: your valid identification, which you need to be let into the testing room, and anything your recruiter told you to bring.
Next step: In the roomReady the night beforeWhat Bring Valid ID, and what your recruiter tells you Leave Your calculator: it is not allowed Ask Your recruiter which ID, and what time to leave home -
2
In the testing room
On the computer test at a MEPS or MET site, you get scratch paper and pencils. If you need more paper or help, press the red HELP key: the clock stops while you are in HELP. The time you spend reading instructions does not count either. No computer experience is needed.
The computer test at a MEPS or MET site takes about 2 hours on average. Each part has its own time limit, but when you finish one part you can start the next right away, without waiting for the other people in the room, and your scores are ready right after. The paper test takes 3 to 4 hours with instructions, and its scores usually take a few days.
Next step: At MEPSComputerAbout 2 hours
Scores right after the session
Paper3 to 4 hours
Scores usually in a few days
Key ideaWarning: do not talk about the questions
ASVAB questions are secret, controlled test material. Do not give or get information about specific questions: the official site says this brings severe penalties.
-
3
If you test at MEPS
At a MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station), the ASVAB can be part of a longer process. A physical exam may be done at the same time. For the Army, the MEPS process takes one to two days, with a place to sleep (lodging) and meals for those who need them, and it includes a medical evaluation, choosing a career field with a guidance counselor, and, at the end, the oath of enlistment (the promise you make when you join).
If you go to MEPS for the full Army process, goarmy.com says to bring your Social Security card, birth certificate and driver’s license, glasses or contacts with their prescription, and papers for any past medical conditions. Wear comfortable, presentable clothes, no hat, and remove piercings. Other branches may differ: your recruiter will tell you.
Next step: If you go blankMEPSMilitary Entrance Processing Station
The test, and a physical exam may be done the same day
MET siteMilitary Entrance Test site
A satellite site for people who do not live near a MEPS
-
4
If your mind goes blank
It can happen to anyone: you read a question and nothing comes. Have a routine ready before it happens.
A 4-step routineStep What you do 1. Breathe Put the pencil down. One slow breath in, a longer one out. 2. Re-read Read only the question part: in a word problem, the last sentence; in Word Knowledge, the word it asks about; in a passage, the question about it. 3. Rule out Cross out the choices that cannot be right. 4. Decide Computer: choose and move on. Paper: mark it, come back before that part ends, and never leave it blank. On the computer test you cannot come back to a question, so do not let one question eat the time of three. On paper you can return to it, but only before that part of the test ends, and you should answer every question because there is no penalty for guessing.
4 test-day mistakes
Each one has cost people their test date or their points.
Arriving just in time
When to get there:
WrongRight at the start time
RightEarly: late arrivals are turned away
Bringing a calculator
For the math tests:
WrongA basic calculator
RightNo calculator: work it out on scratch paper
Studying all night
The night before:
WrongStudy new topics late into the night
RightGet plenty of rest
Fighting one question
On the computer test, one question is stuck:
WrongKeep working on it for ten minutes
RightRule out, choose, move on
5 questions to check yourself
Pick an answer, then read why.
You arrive late to your ASVAB session. What happens, according to the official site?
Show the answer
B. The official site says late arrivals are turned away and must reschedule, so leave early. The answer: You are turned away and must reschedule.
On the computer test, you need more scratch paper. What do you do?
Show the answer
C. The red HELP key is there for this, and the clock for that part of the test stops while you are in HELP. The answer: Press the HELP key: the clock stops.
About how long does the computer ASVAB take on average?
Show the answer
B. The official site says about 2 hours on average for the computer test. 3 to 4 hours is the paper test with instructions. The answer: About 2 hours.
Can your recruiter come into the testing room with you?
Show the answer
D. The official site says your recruiter may give you a ride to and from the session but is not allowed in the testing room. The answer: No, but they may drive you to and from the session.
On the computer test, your mind goes blank on a question. What is the best move?
Show the answer
B. You cannot go back to a question on the computer test, and the official site warns that random guesses near the end of a part bring a large penalty. Reset, rule out what you can, and decide: Breathe, rule out choices, choose and move on.
9 flashcards
Tap a card to flip it. Keep the ones you miss until they stick.
All 9 cards known.
You finished this lesson: Test day.
Practice score: not taken yet Take the practice
End of Start here. Next part: Foundations Course mapSee this topic move.
In the course, every topic is drawn step by step on a whiteboard while a voice explains it, with timed practice tests and a plan for your test date. The first lessons of every module are free.