ASVAB Core Review, 3rd Edition

NEW YORK

ASVAB

CORE REVIEW

Third Edition

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page i

States by LearningExpress, LLC, New York.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

ASVAB Core review.—3rd ed.

p.cm.

978-1-57685-666-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)

1. Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery—Study guides. I. LearningExpress (Organization)

U408.5.A84 2008

355.0076—dc22 2008034684

Printed in the United States of America

987654321

Third Edition

Regarding the Information in this Book

We attempt to verify the information presented in our books prior to publication. It is always a good idea, how-

ever, to double-check such important information as minimum requirements, application and testing proce-

dures, and deadlines with your local recruitment agency, as such information can change from time to time.

For information on LearningExpress, other LearningExpress products, or bulk sales, please write to us at:

LearningExpress

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Or visit us at:

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6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page ii

CHAPTER 1 What Is the ASVAB Core? 1

CHAPTER 2 Getting Into the Military 7

CHAPTER 3 The Score You Need to Enlist 15

CHAPTER 4 The LearningExpress Test Preparation System 21

CHAPTER 5 Practice ASVAB Core Test 1 37

CHAPTER 6 Math Review 61

CHAPTER 7 Math Practice 101

CHAPTER 8 Word Knowledge Review 111

CHAPTER 9 Word Knowledge Practice 121

CHAPTER 10 Paragraph Comprehension Review 129

CHAPTER 11 Reading Practice 139

CHAPTER 12 Practice ASVAB Core Test 2 151

CHAPTER 13 Practice ASVAB Core Test 3 173

Contents

iii

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6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page iv

he paper-and-pencil ASVAB is a multiple-aptitude test battery consisting of nine subtests. Five of these

subtests—General Science, Auto and Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension, Assembling

Objects, and Electronics Information—are designed to determine what your aptitudes are for different

jobs. However, only four of the ASVAB subtests—Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Compre-

hension, and Mathematics Knowledge—count toward your Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT) score, which

determines whether or not you can enlist in the military. This book will cover only the four subtests that count

toward your AFQT, referred to in this book as the ASVAB core.

CHAPTER

What Is the

ASVAB Core?

CHAPTER SUMMARY

In order to enlist in the military, you have to take the Armed Services

Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). But you have to pass only four of

the nine subtests on the paper-and-pencil ASVAB to qualify for enlist-

ment. This chapter explains those four subtests and shows you how

to use this book to score your best.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 1



The Four ASVAB Core Subtests

Following is a more detailed description of each of the

four subtests that counts towards the AFQT score.

Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning

The Arithmetic Reasoning subtest consists of 30 word

problems describing everyday life situations, which are

designed to measure your reasoning skills and under-

standing of:

■

operations with whole numbers

■

operations with fractions and decimals or money

■

ratio and proportion

■

interest and percentage

■

measurement of perimeters, areas, volumes, and

time and temperature

Chapter 6 will review math and Chapter 7 gives

you extra practice in math.

Part 2: Word Knowledge

The Word Knowledge subtest consists of 35 questions

that ask you to choose the correct deﬁnitions of verbs,

nouns, adjectives, and adverbs. These questions come

in two forms:

■

deﬁnitions presented alone, with no context

■

words in the context of a short sentence

The vocabulary skills you need for the Word

Knowledge subtest are presented in Chapter 8. Chap-

ter 9 gives you more practice using these skills.

Part 3: Paragraph

Comprehension

The Paragraph Comprehension subtest is 15 questions

based on several short passages written on a variety of

topics. No prior knowledge of the subject will be

required—all the information you will need to answer

the questions will be found in the passage. The ques-

tions test two different skills:

NUMBER OF ITEMS AND TESTING TIME FOR THE ASVAB

SUBTEST NUMBER OF QUESTIONS TIME (MINUTES)

General Science (GS) 25 11

Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) 30 36

Word Knowledge (WK) 35 11

Paragraph Comprehension (PC) 15 13

Mathematics Knowledge (MK) 25 24

Electronics Information (El) 20 9

Auto and Shop Information (AS) 25 11

Mechanical Comprehension (MC) 25 19

Assembling Objects (AO) 25 15

Total 225 items 149 minutes

Note: Bolded items count toward the Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT) score.

– WHAT IS THE ASVAB CORE?–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 2

■

Literal comprehension: your ability to identify

stated facts, identify reworded facts, and deter-

mine the sequence of events

■

Implicit, inferential, or critical comprehension:

your ability to draw conclusions; identify the

main idea of a paragraph; determine the author’s

purpose, mood, or tone; and identify style and

technique

Chapter 10 gives you the skills you need to do well

on this subtest. Chapter 11 gives you more instruction

on how to read well, and also gives you more practice

reading questions.

Part 4: Mathematics Knowledge

The Mathematics Knowledge subtest consists of 25

questions designed to measure your understanding of

mathematical concepts, principles, and procedures.

The emphasis is on your ability to recognize and apply

basic mathematical principles. The questions cover:

■

Number theory: factors, multiples, reciprocals,

number properties, primes, integers

■

Numeration: fractional parts, decimals, percent-

ages, and conversions; order of operations; expo-

nents; rounding; reducing fractions; roots and

radicals; signed numbers

■

Algebraic operations and equations: solving or

determining equations, factoring, simplifying

algebraic expressions, converting a sentence to an

equation

■

Geometry and measurement: coordinates and

slope, Pythagorean theorem, angle measurement,

properties of polygons and circles, perimeter,

area, volume, unit conversion

■

Probability: determining the likelihood of an

event occurring or not

These mathematical concepts are covered in

Chapter 6 of this book, and Chapter 7 presents more

problems for extra practice.



About the CAT-ASVAB

(Computer-adaptive Version)

About 70% of military applicants take the computer

version of the ASVAB, called the CAT-ASVAB. The

CAT-ASVAB is a computer-adaptive test, which means

that the test adapts to your ability level. The computer

will give you the ﬁrst question, and, if you answer cor-

rectly, it gives you another question on the same

subject—but this one is a bit harder than the ﬁrst. The

questions get harder as you progress, and, after you

answer a certain number correctly, the computer skips

to the next subtest. So, you could get eight questions

right, for example, and then the computer might go to

the next subtest instead of requiring you to answer all

16 questions in the previous subtest. It also differs from

the paper-and-pencil version in the following ways:

■

It consists of ten subtests, but the same four sub-

tests (Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge,

Paragraph Comprehension, and Mathematics

Knowledge) count toward your AFQT score.

■

Auto Information and Shop Information subtests

are administered separately, but the results are

combined into one score (labeled AS).

■

The test takes about 1



hours to complete.

■

Each subtest must be completed within a certain

timeframe, but most individuals complete the

subtest before the time limit.

■

Once you have completed a subtest, you do not

have to wait for everyone else to ﬁnish; you can

move on to the next subtest.

■

As you complete each subtest, the computer dis-

plays the number of items and amount of time

remaining for that subtest in the lower right-hand

corner.

■

Once an answer has been submitted, you cannot

review it or change it.

■

Test scores are available as soon as the test session

is complete.

– WHAT IS THE ASVAB CORE?–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 3

■

If you choose to take the CAT-ASVAB, you will be

trained on answering test questions, using the

computer keyboard and mouse, and getting help.

■

The number of subtests, number of questions,

and time limits of the CAT-ASVAB differ from

those of the paper-and-pencil version, as follows:

– WHAT IS THE ASVAB CORE?–

NUMBER OF ITEMS AND TESTING TIME FOR THE CAT-ASVAB

SUBTEST NUMBER OF QUESTIONS TIME (MINUTES)

General Science (GS) 16 8

Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) 16 39

Word Knowledge (WK) 16 8

Paragraph Comprehension (PC) 11 22

Mathematics Knowledge (MK) 16 18

Electronics Information (EI) 16 8

Auto Information (AI) 11 6

Shop Information (SI) 11 5

Mechanical Comprehension (MC) 16 20

Assembling Objects (AO) 16 12

Total 145 items 146 minutes

Note: Bolded items count toward the Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT) score.



Arranging to Take the ASVAB

If you are in high school, ask your guidance counselor

about taking the ASVAB. Many high schools offer the

ASVAB at a speciﬁc time during the school year.

If you are on your own, go to the nearest

recruiter of the branch of the armed services you’re

interested in. There is no charge to take the ASVAB.

Taking the exam does not obligate you to join the

military, although you can probably expect to receive

more detailed information about the many job

opportunities available through the Army, Air Force,

Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.



What the ASVAB Means

for You

If you want to enter the military, everything is riding on

your ASVAB score. Your scores on the four subtests of

the ASVAB covered in this book—the AFQT—deter-

mine whether you can get in at all. Once you are in,

scores on the other subtests determine for which jobs,

or Military Occupational Specialties, you will be

allowed to train. For instance, if you want to learn to be

a computer operator, you need good scores in Para-

graph Comprehension, Word Knowledge, Mathemat-

ics Knowledge, General Science, and Mechanical

Comprehension. But if you don’t meet a certain mini-

mum score in Paragraph Comprehension, Word

Knowledge, Arithmetic Reasoning, and Mathematics

Knowledge, you won’t even be able to enlist.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 4

If you are looking toward a career in the armed

forces, you need to score well on the ASVAB. Fortu-

nately, this book is here to help.



How to Use This Book

to Increase Your Score

The key to success in almost any ﬁeld is to prepare for

all you’re worth. One of the very best ways to prepare

for the ASVAB is to read and study this book, take the

practice tests, and measure how you are progressing.

To ensure you are clear on the basic information,

start by reading Chapter 2, which explains the recruit-

ment and enlistment process, and how the ASVAB ﬁts

into that process. To learn more about the score you

need to enlist, read Chapter 3.

Next, Chapter 4 takes you through the Learning-

Express Test Preparation System. The nine steps in this

chapter will ensure you are in top physical and mental

shape to do your best on test day.

Armed with the knowledge you have gained in

the ﬁrst four chapters, take the ﬁrst of three practice

tests in Chapter 5. By taking this test, you will be able

to see how you would perform if it were test day. Eval-

uating your score will enable you to identify your

strengths and weaknesses in order to tailor the rest of

your preparation before the actual test. Chapters 6

through 11 include targeted review and practice for

each of the four subtests that count toward the all-

important AFQT score.

Finally, Chapters 12 and 13 include two addi-

tional practice tests. Use these two tests to track your

progress from the time of the ﬁrst test. You can return

to the review and practice chapters as needed to ensure

that you are focusing on the material you ﬁnd most

difﬁcult.

Practice and preparation are the keys to doing

well on this or any exam. This book will give you every-

thing you need to score your best. Good luck!

– WHAT IS THE ASVAB CORE?–

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6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 6

our introduction to the enlistment process usually starts with a visit to your local recruiting ofﬁce.

A look in the yellow pages of your phone book under “Recruiting”should give you the phone num-

bers and addresses of the nearest ofﬁces, or you can look in the blue government pages for one of

the speciﬁc branches, if you have already decided on one.

Don’t narrow your options too soon, though. If you are thinking of a career in the military, try visiting a

recruiter from each of the ﬁve branches—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. There are lots of sim-

ilarities, but the subtle differences in what each branch of service has to offer you could make a world of differ-

ence in your career.

CHAPTER

Getting into

the Military

CHAPTER SUMMARY

You may find joining the military an appealing career choice. Once you

have made the decision that the military is where you are headed, you

will need to be armed with information about the enlistment process.

That is what this chapter addresses.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 7



Basic Requirements

There are certain requirements you will have to meet in

order to enlist in any branch of the military, and each

branch has different requirements. Generally speak-

ing, you must:

■

be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien

■

be between 17 and 42 years of age, with a parent

or guardian’s permission if you are

under 18

■

have a high school diploma or GED

■

be drug-free and in good physical condition

■

have a clean arrest record

It is important to be truthful with your recruiter

about any trouble you have had in the past with drugs

or with the law. Criminal history checks are conducted

on applicants. However, some kinds of problems can be

overcome, if they are really in the past and are not cur-

rent difﬁculties. Check with your recruiter.



Working with Your Recruiter

The recruiter is there to help you. In speaking with him

or her, you will have the opportunity to ask as many

questions as you want and to get a detailed picture of

what each branch has to offer if you shop around. All

recruiters will have brochures, videotapes, pamphlets,

and years of personal experience to offer as resources.

Don’t be afraid to bring along a parent or a trusted

friend to help you ask questions. A professional military

recruiter won’t mind the extra set of eyes and ears.

You can ask about the service and its beneﬁts—

salaries and fringe beneﬁts, postings, and educational

opportunities, including ﬁnancial aid for college once

you get out. (See the tables on pages 9 and 10 for the

basic salary for various grades of enlisted personnel in

all the services.) The recruiter will also ask about you:

your education, your physical and mental health, and

all sorts of in-depth questions about your goals, inter-

ests, hobbies, and life experience.

Before you take the Armed Services Vocational

Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), you will be given a brief test

designed to give the recruiter an idea of how well you

will perform on the real test. This pretest covers math

and vocabulary. Although the paper-and-pencil ASVAB

has nine different subtests, it’s the math and verbal

portions that determine whether or not you pass the

test. The other sections are designed to discover what

your aptitudes are for different jobs. There is no limit

to how many times you can take this brief test in the

recruiter’s ofﬁce.

Important Documents

Throughout the enlistment process, you will have to present certain documents. Have the following items avail-

able to ensure you are prepared:

■

birth certiﬁcate or other proof of citizenship and date of birth

■

valid Social Security card or two other pieces of Social Security identiﬁcation

■

high school diploma or GED certiﬁcate

■

letter or transcript documenting your midterm graduation from high school, if applicable

■

college transcript, if applicable, showing credits earned

■

parental or guardian consent form if you are under 18 years old

■

medical records if you have, or have a history of, a special medical condition(s)

■

marriage certiﬁcate, if applicable

■

divorce papers, if applicable

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 8

– GETTING INTO THE MILITARY–

EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2008

MONTHLY BASIC PAY TABLE

The 2008 Military Pay Chart

Pay

Grade <2 23468101214161820

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS

O-10 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $14137.20

O-9 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 12364.80

O-8 8748.90 9035.10 9225.60 9278.70 9516.00 9912.30 10004.70 10381.20 10488.90 10813.50 11282.40 11715.30

O-7 7269.60 7607.40 7763.70 7887.90 8112.60 8334.90 8591.70 8847.90 9105.00 9912.30 10594.20 10594.20

O-6 5388.30 5919.30 6307.80 6307.80 6331.80 6603.30 6639.00 6639.00 7016.40 7683.60 8075.10 8466.30

O-5 4491.60 5059.80 5410.50 5476.20 5694.60 5825.70 6113.10 6324.00 6596.40 7013.70 7212.00 7408.50

O-4 3875.70 4486.50 4785.60 4852.50 5130.30 5428.20 5799.00 6088.20 6288.90 6404.10 6471.00 6471.00

O-3 3407.40 3862.80 4169.40 4545.60 4763.10 5002.20 5157.00 5411.40 5543.40 5543.40 5543.40 5543.40

O-2 2943.90 3353.10 3861.90 3992.40 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30

O-1 2555.70 2659.80 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS WITH OVER 4 YEARS ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE AS AN ENLISTED MEMBER OR WARRANT OFFICER

O-3E 0.00 0.00 0.00 4545.60 4763.10 5002.20 5157.00 5411.40 5625.60 5748.60 5916.00 5916.00

O-2E 0.00 0.00 0.00 3992.40 4074.30 4204.20 4423.20 4592.40 4718.40 4718.40 4718.40 4718.40

O-1E 0.00 0.00 0.00 3215.10 3433.80 3560.40 3690.30 3817.80 3992.40 3992.40 3992.40 3992.40

WARRANT OFFICERS

W-5 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $6261.30

W-4 3521.10 3788.10 3896.70 4003.80 4188.00 4370.10 4554.60 4832.70 5076.00 5307.60 5496.90 5681.70

W-3 3215.40 3349.80 3486.90 3532.20 3676.20 3959.70 4254.90 4393.80 4554.30 4719.90 5017.50 5218.80

W-2 2845.50 3114.60 3197.40 3254.70 3439.20 3726.00 3867.90 4008.00 4179.00 4312.50 4434.00 4578.60

W-1 2497.80 2766.00 2838.00 2991.60 3172.50 3438.60 3562.80 3736.50 3907.50 4041.90 4165.50 4316.10

ENLISTED MEMBERS

E-9 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $4254.60 $4350.90 $4472.40 $4615.50 $4759.20 $4990.50

E-8 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 3482.70 3636.90 3732.30 3846.60 3970.20 4193.70 4306.80

E-7 2421.00 0310.40 2743.50 2877.90 2982.30 3162.00 3263.10 3443.10 3592.50 3694350 3803.10 3845.40

E-6 2094.00 2304.00 2405.70 2504.40 2607.60 2840.10 2930.40 3105.00 3158.70 3197.70 3243.30 3243.30

E-5 1918.80 2047.20 2145.90 2247.30 2405.10 2570.70 2705.40 2722.20 2722.20 2722.20 2722.20 2722.20

E-4 1758.90 1848.90 1949.10 2047.80 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10

E-3 1587.90 1687.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80

E-2 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90

E-1 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00

E-1<4 1245.90

E-1<4 refers to members who have served less than 4 months on active duty.

FY2008. 3.5% Pay Raise Increase. Public Law No. 110-181 National Defense Auth. Act, signed into law on January 28, 2008.

Level N and Level V of the Executive Schedule Increased by 2.5%

NOTE: Basic Pay for 07-010 is limited to level III of the executive schedule ($14,349.90)

NOTE: Basic Pay for 06 and below is limited to level V of the Executive schedule ($11,623.40)

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 9

– GETTING INTO THE MILITARY–

EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2008

MONTHLY BASIC PAY TABLE

THE 2008 MILITARY PAY CHART (CONTINUED)

Pay

Grade 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS

O-10 $14,206.20 $14,349.90 $14,349.90 $14349.90 $14349.90 $14349.90 $14349.90 $14349.90 $14349.90 $14349.90

O-9 12542.70 12800.10 13249.20 13249.20 13911.90 13911.90 14349.90 14349.90 14349.90 14349.90

O-8 12004.20 12004.20 12004.20 12004.20 12304.50 12304.50 12612.30 12612.30 12612.30 12612.30

O-7 10594.20 10594.20 10647.90 10647.90 10860.90 10860.90 10860.9 10860.9 10860.90 10860.90

O-6 8688.90 8914.50 9351.90 9351.90 9538.80 9538.80 9538.80 9538.80 9538.80 9538.80

O-5 7631.10 7631.10 7631.10 7631.10 7631.10 7631.10 7631.10 7631.10 7631.10 7631.10

O-4 6471.00 6471.00 6471.00 6471.00 6471.00 6471.00 6471.00 6471.00 6471.00 6471.00

O-3 5543.40 5543.40 5543.40 5543.40 5543.40 5543.40 5543.40 5543.40 5543.40 5543.40

O-2 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30 4074.30

O-1 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10 3215.10

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS WITH OVER 4 YEARS ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE AS AN ENLISTED MEMBER OR WARRANT OFFICER

O-3E $5916.00 $5916.00 $5916.00 $5916.00 $5916.00 $5916.00 $5916.00 $5916.00 $5916.00 $5916.00

O-2E 4718.40 4718.40 4718.40 4718.40 4718.40 4718.40 4718.40 4718.40 4718.40 4718.40

O-1E 3992.40 3992.40 3992.40 3992.40 3992.40 3992.40 3992.40 3992.40 3992.40 3992.40

WARRANT OFFICERS

W-5 $6579.00 $6815.40 $7077.60 $7077.60 $7431.60 $7431.60 $7803.30 $7803.30 $8193.60 $8193.60

W-4 5953.50 6176.40 6431.10 6431.10 6559.50 6559.50 6559.50 6559.50 6559.50 6559.50

W-3 5339.10 5466.90 5640.90 5640.90 5640.90 5640.90 5640.90 5640.90 5640.90 5640.90

W-2 4674.00 4749.90 4749.90 4749.90 4749.90 4749.90 4749.90 4749.90 4749.90 4749.90

W-1 4316.10 4316.10 4316.10 4316.10 4316.10 4316.10 4316.10 4316.10 4316.10 4316.10

ENLISTED MEMBERS

E-9 $5185.80 $5391.60 $5705.70 $5705.70 $5705.70 $5705.70 $5705.70 $5705.70 $5705.70 $5705.70

E-8 4499.40 4606.20 4869.60 4869.60 4967.10 4967.10 4967.10 4967.10 4967.10 4967.10

E-7 3986.70 4062.60 4351.20 4351.20 4351.20 4351.20 4351.20 4351.20 4351.20 4351.20

E-6 3986.70 4062.60 4351.20 4351.20 4351.20 4351.20 4351.20 4351.20 4351.20 4351.20

E-5 2722.20 2722.20 2722.20 2722.20 2722.20 2722.20 2722.20 2722.20 2722.20 2722.20

E-4 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10 2135.10

E-3 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80 1789.80

E-2 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90 1509.90

E-1 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00 1347.00

E-1 with less than 4 months of service $1245.90

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 10

Your recruiter will talk to you about the beneﬁts of

enlisting: the pay, the travel, the experience, and the

training. You and your recruiter can also start to discuss

the kinds of jobs available to you in the military. But

before that discussion can go very far, you will have to

be tested to see ﬁrst, if you can enlist, and second, what

specialties you qualify for. That’s where your trip to the

Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) comes in.



Military Entrance

Processing Station (MEPS)

Your recruiter will schedule you for a trip to a MEPS in

your area—there is one in almost every state—for a day

of written and physical testing. You will travel as a

guest of Uncle Sam by plane, train, bus, or car, depend-

ing on how far away you live from the nearest facility.

MEPS schedules may vary a little from area to area, but

they all operate ﬁve days per week and are open a few

Saturdays during the year. If for any reason you are

required to stay overnight for testing, then the military

will pay for your hotel room and meals.

The MEPS is where all applicants for every branch

of the military begin the enlistment process. So, even if

the Marine Corps is your future employer, you can

expect to see staff wearing Navy blue, Army green, or

Air Force blue. When you walk through the door, you

will check in at the control desk and be sent to the liai-

son ofﬁce for your branch of the service.



Your MEPS Day at a Glance

During your day at MEPS you will go through three

phases:

■

mental (aptitude) testing

■

medical exam

■

administrative paperwork

Your schedule may vary from the one outlined

here, depending on how much of the process you have

completed in advance. Some applicants, for example,

may have already taken the ASVAB at a Mobile Exam-

ining Team (MET) site near their hometown recruiting

station.

Mental (Aptitude) Testing

Your day at MEPS will most likely begin with the

ASVAB, if you haven’t already taken it. (See Chapter 1,

“What Is the ASVAB Core?”) Don’t underestimate the

impact the ASVAB will have on your entry into the

military. Results of the ASVAB test and the physical and

mental exam you receive during the entrance process

are used to determine whether or not you can join the

branch of the military you prefer and which training

programs you are qualiﬁed to enter.

Some MEPS now conduct ASVAB testing by com-

puter. However, most MEPS do not have enough com-

puters to test everyone. If you notice that some

applicants are taken to a room with the computer test-

ing and the others are required to take the ASVAB with

pen and paper, don’t worry. Either way, the information

and skills you need remain the same.

Medical Exam

Next is the medical exam. All of the doctors you will see

at this point are civilians. You will see them at least three

times during the day. During the ﬁrst visit, you and the

medical staff will thoroughly pore over your medical

prescreening form, your medical history form, and all of

the medical records your recruiter has told you to bring.

This meeting will be one-on-one.

After this meeting, you will move on to the exam-

ining room. In the exam, you will strip down to your

underwear and perform a series of about 20 exercises that

will let the medical staff see how your limbs and joints

work. You may be with a group of other applicants of the

same sex during this examination, or you may be alone

with the doctor.

– GETTING INTO THE MILITARY–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 11

During your third meeting with the doctor, you

will receive a routine physical. Among the procedures

you can expect are:

■

blood pressure evaluation

■

pulse rate evaluation

■

heart and lung check

■

evaluation of blood and urine samples

■

eye exam

■

hearing exam

■

height-proportional-to-weight check

■

chest X-ray

■

HIV test

Female applicants will be given a pelvic/rectal

examination. Another woman will be present during

this procedure, but otherwise, the exam will be con-

ducted in private.

After these checks, you will ﬁnd out whether your

physical condition is adequate. If the medical staff

uncovers a problem that will keep you from joining the

service, they will discuss the matter with you. In some

cases, the doctor may tell you that you are being dis-

qualiﬁed at the moment, but that you can come back

at a later date to try again. For example, if you are over-

weight, you could lose a few pounds and then come

back to the MEPS for another try.

If the doctor wants to have a medical specialist

examine you for some reason, you may have to stay

overnight, or the doctor may schedule an appointment

for a later date—at the military’s expense, of course.

Unless you do need to see a specialist, the medical

exam should take no more than three hours.

Paperwork

The rest of your day will be taken up with administrative

concerns. First, you will meet with the guidance coun-

selor for your branch of the service. He or she will take

the results of your physical test, your ASVAB score, and

all the other information you have provided and enter

this information into a computer system. The computer

will show which military jobs are best suited to you.

Then, you can begin asking questions about your career

options. Before you leave the room, you will know:

■

for which jobs you are qualiﬁed

■

which jobs suit your personality, abilities, and

interests

■

which jobs are available

■

when that training is available

You will also be able to decide whether you pre-

fer to enter the military on that day or to go in under

the Delayed Entry Program. Some applicants raise their

right hand during swearing-in ceremonies at the end of

the processing day, while others prefer to go home and

decide what they want to do.

Either way, it’s critical that you ask as many ques-

tions as possible during this visit with the counselor.

Take your time, and be sure you know what you want

before you go any further in the process. Be aware,

though, that the seats in the popular training programs

go fast. The earlier you make your decision, the more

likely you will have a chance to get what you really

want.



Delayed Entry Program

The Delayed Entry Program allows you to enlist with

your chosen branch of the military and report for duty

up to 365 days later. This is a popular program for stu-

dents who are still in high school or for those who

have other obligations that prevent them from leaving

for basic training right away.



Basic Training

Everything you have done has been leading up to this

moment—the day you leave for Basic Training. You will

report back to the MEPS to prepare to leave for Basic

– GETTING INTO THE MILITARY–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 12

Training. If you have been in the Delayed Entry Pro-

gram, you will get a last-minute mini-physical to make

sure your condition is still up to par. You will also be asked

about any changes that might affect your eligibility since

the last time you were at MEPS. If you have been arrested

or had any medical problems, now is the time to speak up.

Your orders and records will be completed at MEPS,

and then you are on your way to Basic, by plane, bus, or

car—it will all be at military expense. Where you train will

depend on the branch of service. The Air Force, Navy, and

Coast Guard each has only one training facility. The

Marines has two, and the Army has quite a few because

where the Army sends you will depend on the specialized

training you signed up for at the MEPS.

The First Few Days

No matter which branch of service you join, the ﬁrst

few days of Basic are pretty much the same. You will

spend time at an intake facility, where you will be

assigned to a basic training unit and undergo a quick-

paced introduction to your branch of the service. Your

days will include:

■

orientation brieﬁngs

■

uniform distribution

■

records processing

■

I.D. card preparation

■

barracks upkeep training

■

drill and ceremony instruction

■

physical training (PT)

You will be assigned to a group of recruits rang-

ing from 35 to 80 people. The Navy and Coast Guard

call this training group a “company,” the Army and

Marine Corps call it a “platoon,” and the Air Force

calls it a “ﬂight.” And let’s not forget your supervisor for

these early days of your military career—the drill

instructor. This is your primary instructor throughout

the day.

The Following Weeks

From the intake facility, you will go to your Basic Train-

ing site. You can expect your training day to start

around 5:00 a.m. and ofﬁcially end around 9:00 p.m.

Most Saturdays and Sundays are light training days. You

won’t have much free time, and your ability to travel

– GETTING INTO THE MILITARY–

BASIC TRAINING (BY BRANCH)

BRANCH LOCATION OF BASIC TRAINING FACILITY LENGTH OF TRAINING

Army Fort Benning, Fort Benning, GA; 9 weeks

Fort Jackson, Columbia, SC;

Fort Knox, Louisville, KY;

Fort Leonard Wood, Waynesville, MO;

Fort Sill, Lawton, OK

Navy Great Lakes Recruit Training Depot in Great Lakes, IL 8 weeks

Air Force Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX 6



weeks

Marine Corps Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) Parris Island, 12 weeks

Parris Island, SC, or MCRD San Diego, San Diego, CA*

Coast Guard Cape May Coast Guard Training Center, Cape May, NJ 8 weeks

*All female Marines attend Basic at Parris Island. All men from the East Coast attend Parris Island. All men from

the West Coast attend San Diego.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 13

away from your unit on weekends will be very limited,

if you get this privilege at all. In most cases, you will not

be eligible to take leave (vacation time) until after Basic

Training, although exceptions can sometimes be made

in case of family emergency.

The subjects you learn in Basic Training include:

■

military courtesy

■

military regulations

■

military rules of conduct

■

hygiene and sanitation

■

organization and mission

■

handling and care of weapons

■

tactics and training related speciﬁcally to your

service

While you are in Basic Training, you can expect

plenty of physical training. Physical ﬁtness is critical

for trainees, and your drill instructor will keep tabs on

your progress throughout Basic Training by giving

you tests periodically. Your best bet is to start a run-

ning and weight-lifting program the instant you make

your decision to join the military. Recruits in all

branches of the service run mile after mile, perform

hundreds of sit-ups and push-ups, and become

closely acquainted with obstacle courses. These

courses differ in appearance from facility to facility,

but they all require the same things: plenty of upper

body strength and overall endurance, as well as the

will to succeed.

ENLISTMENT DURATIONS

BY BRANCH

BRANCH TERMS OF

OF SERVICE ENLISTMENT

Army 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 years

Navy 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8–10 years

Air Force 4 or 6 years

Marine Corps 4, 5, or 6 years

Coast Guard 4 or 6 years

Lifetime Opportunities

Basic Training, no matter which branch of the service

you choose, is a time in your life that you will never for-

get. No one is promising you it will be pleasant, but

during this time you will forge lifelong friendships, and

the opportunities you will have during and after your

military service will be unparalleled. You may choose a

lifetime career in the military, or you may use it as a

springboard to a rewarding career in the private sector.

Either way, your future starts now, and this book is

designed to prepare you for it.

– GETTING INTO THE MILITARY–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 14

hen you take the three practice tests in this book, you will want to know whether your scores

measure up. You will need some patience here. There are several different kinds of composite

scores you will need to compute from your raw scores on the individual parts of the ASVAB.



Calculating Your Score

Your ﬁrst step is to convert the raw scores you get on your ﬁrst practice exam (Chapter 5) to the scores the military

uses to compute the composite score that says whether or not you can enlist. This is the Armed Forces Qualifying

Test score, or AFQT.

In the table on page 16, write your scores on the Practice ASVAB Core Test 1 in the column that says “Raw

Score” under Practice Test 1. Your raw score is simply the number you got right on that subtest. For the raw score

in the last blank, Verbal Expression, add together your raw scores on both the Word Knowledge (WK) and Para-

graph Comprehension (PC) subtests.

CHAPTER

The Score You

Need to Enlist

CHAPTER SUMMARY

To get the most out of this book, you must know the score you need

to get into the service branch of your choice. This chapter walks you

step-by-step through the process of converting your scores on the

practice tests in this book into the scores the military uses, so you can

tell whether you make the grade.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 15

Note that blanks are also provided for Practice

ASVAB Core Test 2 and Practice ASVAB Core Test 3; you

can ﬁll in those blanks when you take those tests. This

table will help you keep track of your improvement as

you work through the practice tests in this book.

All of the score conversions throughout this chap-

ter are approximate. Different versions of the ASVAB

vary in their score conversions, and your scores on the

practice tests in this book will not be exactly the same

as your score on the real ASVAB. Use the exams in this

book to get an approximate idea of where you stand and

how much you are improving.

– THE SCORE YOU NEED TO ENLIST–

YOUR SCORES

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

TEST 1 TEST 2 TEST 3

Subtest Raw Scaled Raw Scaled Raw Scaled

Score Score Score Score Score Score

Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)

Word Knowledge (WK)

Paragraph Comprehension (PC)

Mathematics Knowledge (MK)

Verbal Expression (VE = WK + PC)

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 16

Now you need to ﬁll in the column on the “Your Scores” table labeled “Scaled Score.” The following table

shows you approximate correlations between raw scores and scaled scores for each subtest. On the left are raw

scores. The other columns show the equivalent scaled score for each test. Make sure you’re using the column for

the proper subtest. The subtests are labeled with the abbreviations shown in the left-hand column of the table on

page 16.

RAW TO SCALED SCORE CONVERSION

Raw Score AR WK PC MK VE

0–1 26 30 20 20 20

2–3 29 33 23 21 20

4–5 32 28 28 23 21

6–7 34 39 35 26 22

8–9 37 42 41 29 22

10–11 39 44 48 33 25

12–13 42 46 54 37 27

14–15 45 48 60 41 29

16–17 48 49 45 31

18–19 50 51 49 32

20–21 53 53 53 34

22–23 56 55 57 36

24–25 60 57 61 38

26–27 61 59 40

28–29 63 61 42

30–31 66 63 44

32–33 65 45

34–35 67 47

36–37 49

38–39 50

40–41 52

42–43 54

44–45 56

46–47 58

48–49 60

50 62

Find the subtest you want to score in the boxes on the top. Then, on the left column, ﬁnd your raw score for

that subtest. Follow the raw-score row to the right until you get to the proper subtest. That number is your scaled

score for this subtest.

– THE SCORE YOU NEED TO ENLIST–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 17



Do You Qualify?

Now that you have your scaled score for each subtest

ﬁlled in on the table on page 16, you are ready for the

next step: ﬁnding out if your score will get you into the

military. Remember to use only your scaled scores, not

your raw scores, for these conversions.

The Armed Forces Qualifying Test

(AFQT) Score

All branches of the military compute your AFQT

score—the one that determines whether or not you

can enlist—in the same way. Only the Verbal Expres-

sion (which you determined by adding Word Knowl-

edge and Paragraph Comprehension scores and then

converting to a scaled score), Arithmetic Reasoning,

and Mathematics Knowledge scaled scores count

toward your AFQT. The military just wants to know if

you have basic reading and arithmetic skills. The score

conversion goes like this:

2(VE) + AR + MK = AFQT

In other words, your AFQT (scaled score) is your

Verbal Expression scaled score, doubled, added to your

Arithmetic Reasoning and Mathematics Knowledge

scaled scores. Fill in the blanks below to find your

AFQT on Practice Test 1.

VE score _____  2 = _____

AR score _____

MK score + _____

AFQT Scaled Score _____

There’s one last step. Take the AFQT scaled score

and ﬁnd it in the column labeled “Standard Score” on

the next page. Look up the corresponding “Percentile”

score. This is approximately equivalent to the score the

military will use.

The Army requires a minimum AFQT score of 31

to qualify for enlistment. Marine Corps recruits must

score at least 32. Navy recruits must score at least 35 on

the AFQT; the Coast Guard and the Air Force require

a minimum of 36. Check with your recruiter for any

changes to this requirement.

If your AFQT on the ﬁrst practice test isn’t up to

31, don’t despair. You are using this book to help you

improve your score, after all, and you have just gotten

started. Remember, too, that your score on these prac-

tice exams may not be exactly the same as your score on

the actual test.

On the other hand, a higher score makes you

more attractive to recruiters, and depending on your

score on individual subtests, it may qualify you for

more of the occupational specialties you want.

Use the following table to convert your AFQT

scaled score to the AFQT percentile score. After you

have ﬁgured out your scaled score using the formula on

this page, ﬁnd it on the following table to see what

your AFQT percentile score is. This will tell you if you

have received the minimum score to enlist in the

branch of the military you’ve chosen.

– THE SCORE YOU NEED TO ENLIST–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 18

– THE SCORE YOU NEED TO ENLIST–

AFQT SCALED SCORE TO PERCENTILE CONVERSION

STANDARD STANDARD STANDARD

SCORE PERCENTILE SCORE PERCENTILE SCORE PERCENTILE

80–120 1 186 34 221 67

121–124 2 187–188 35 222 68

125–127 3 189 36 223 69

128–131 4 190 37 224 70

132–134 5 191 38 225 71

135–137 6 192 39 226 72

138–139 7 193 40 227 73

140–142 8 194 41 228 74

143–144 9 195 42 229 75

145–146 10 196 43 230 76

147–148 11 197 44 231 77

149–150 12 198 45 232 78

151–153 13 199 46 233 79

154 14 200 47 234–235 80

155–156 15 201 48 236 81

157–158 16 202 49 237 82

159–160 17 203 50 238 83

161–162 18 204 51 239 84

163–164 19 205 52 240 85

165 20 206 53 241 86

166–167 21 207–208 54 242 87

168–169 22 209 55 243 88

170–171 23 210 56 244 89

172 24 211 57 245 90

173–174 25 212 58 246 91

175 26 213 59 247 92

176–177 27 214 60 248 93

178 28 215 61 249 94

179–180 29 216 62 250 95

181 30 217 63 251 96

182 31 218 64 252 97

183–184 32 219 65 253 98

185 33 220 66 254–320 99

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 19

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 20



Getting Ready for the ASVAB

Fact: Taking the ASVAB isn’t easy, and neither is getting ready for it. Your future military career depends on you

passing the core section of the ASVAB—Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and

Mathematics Knowledge. By focusing on these four subtests, you have taken your ﬁrst step to getting into the mil-

itary. However, there are all sorts of pitfalls that can prevent you from doing your best on this all-important por-

tion of the exam. Here are some of the obstacles that can stand in the way of your success:

■

being unfamiliar with the format of the exam

■

being paralyzed by test anxiety

■

leaving your preparation to the last minute

■

not preparing at all!

■

not knowing vital test-taking skills: how to pace yourself through the exam, how to use the process of elimi-

nation, and when to guess

■

not being in tip-top mental and physical shape

■

planning poorly by arriving late at the test site, working on an empty stomach, or forgetting to dress in layers

and shivering through the exam because the room is cold

CHAPTER

The

LearningExpress

Test Preparation

System

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Taking the ASVAB can be tough. It demands a lot of preparation if you

want to achieve a top score. Whether or not you get into the military

depends on how well you do on the AFQT portion of the exam. The

LearningExpress Test Preparation System, developed exclusively for

LearningExpress by leading test experts, gives you the discipline and

attitude you need to be a winner.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 21

What is the common denominator in all these

test-taking pitfalls? One word: control. Who is in con-

trol, you or the exam?

Here is some good news: The LearningExpress

Test Preparation System puts you in control. In just

nine easy-to-follow steps, you will learn everything

you need to know to make sure that you are in charge

of your preparation and your performance on the

exam. Other test takers may let the test get the better of

them; other test takers may be unprepared or out of

shape, but not you. You will have taken all the necessary

steps to get a passing AFQT score.

Here’s how the LearningExpress Test Preparation

System works: Nine easy steps lead you through every-

thing you need to know and do to get ready to master

your exam. Each of the steps listed below includes read-

ing about the step and one or more activities. It’s

important that you do the activities along with the

reading, or you won’t be getting the full beneﬁt of the

system. Each step tells you approximately how much

time to allow for completion.

We estimate that working through the entire sys-

tem will take you approximately three hours, though

it’s perfectly OK if you work faster or slower than the

time estimates assume. If you can take a whole after-

noon or evening, you can work through the whole

LearningExpress Test Preparation System in one sit-

ting. Otherwise, you can break it up, and do just one

or two steps a day for the next several days. It’s up to

you—remember, you are in control.



Step 1: Get Information

Time to complete: 30 minutes

Activity: Read Chapter l,“What Is the ASVAB Core?”

Knowledge is power. The ﬁrst step in the LearningEx-

press Test Preparation System is ﬁnding out everything

you can about the ASVAB core. Once you have your

information, the next steps will show you what to do

with it.

– THE LEARNINGEXPRESS TEST PREPARATION SYSTEM–

Step 1: Get Information 30 minutes

Step 2: Conquer Test Anxiety 20 minutes

Step 3: Make a Plan 50 minutes

Step 4: Learn to Manage Your Time 10 minutes

Step 5: Learn to Use the Process of Elimination 20 minutes

Step 6: Know When to Guess 20 minutes

Step 7: Reach Your Peak Performance Zone 10 minutes

Step 8: Get Your Act Together 10 minutes

Step 9: Do It! 10 minutes

Total 3 hours

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 22

Part A: Straight Talk

about the ASVAB

Basically, the U.S. military invented the whole idea of

standardized testing, starting around the time of

World War I. The Department of Defense wanted to

make sure that its recruits were trainable—not that

they already knew the skills they needed to serve in

the armed forces, but that they could learn those

skills.

The ASVAB started as an intelligence test, but

now it is a test of speciﬁc aptitudes and abilities. While

some of these aptitudes, such as reading and math

problem-solving skills, are important in almost any

job, others, such as electronics or automotive princi-

ples, are quite specialized. These more specialized sub-

tests don’t count toward your Armed Forces Qualifying

Test (AFQT) score, which determines your eligibility to

enlist in the military. Only the four subtests covered in

this book count toward the AFQT score.

It’s important for you to realize that your score on

the AFQT does not determine what kind of person

you are. There are all kinds of things a written exam like

this can’t test: whether you can follow orders, whether

you can become part of a unit that works together to

accomplish a task, and so on. Those kinds of things are

hard to evaluate, while a test is easy to evaluate.

This is not to say that the exam is not important!

Your chances of getting into the military still depend on

your getting a good score on the subtests of the ASVAB

core. And that’s why you’re here—using the Learning-

Express Test Preparation System to achieve success on

the exam.

Part B: What Is on the Test

If you haven’t already done so, stop here and read

Chapter 1 of this book, which gives you an overview of

the ASVAB core.



Step 2: Conquer Test Anxiety

Time to complete: 20 minutes

Activity: Take the Test Stress Test

Having complete information about the exam is the

ﬁrst step in getting control of the exam. Next, you have

to overcome one of the biggest obstacles to test success:

test anxiety. Test anxiety not only impairs your per-

formance on the exam itself, but also keeps you from

preparing! In Step 2, you will learn stress management

techniques that will help you succeed on your exam.

Learn these strategies now, and practice them as you

work through the exams in this book, so they will be

second nature to you by exam day.

Combating Test Anxiety

The ﬁrst thing you need to know is that a little test anx-

iety is a good thing. Everyone gets nervous before a big

exam—and if that nervousness motivates you to pre-

pare thoroughly, so much the better. It’s said that Sir

Laurence Olivier, one of the foremost British actors of

the twentieth century, felt ill before every perform-

ance. His stage fright didn’t impair his performance; in

fact, it probably gave him a little extra edge—just the

kind of edge needed to do well, whether on a stage or

in an examination room.

On page 25 is the Test Stress Test. Stop and answer

the questions to ﬁnd out whether your level of test

anxiety is something you should be concerned about.

Stress Management before the Test

If you feel your level of anxiety getting the best of you

in the weeks before the test, here is what you need to do

to bring the level down again:

■

Be prepared. There is nothing like knowing what

to expect and being prepared for it to put you in

control of test anxiety. That’s why you’re reading

this book. Use it faithfully, and remind yourself

that you are better prepared than most of the

people taking the test.

– THE LEARNINGEXPRESS TEST PREPARATION SYSTEM–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 23

■

Practice self-conﬁdence. A positive attitude is a

great way to combat test anxiety. This is no time

to be humble or shy. Stand in front of the mirror

and say to your reﬂection, “I’m prepared. I’m full

of self-conﬁdence. I’m going to ace this test. I

know I can do it.” Say it into a tape recorder and

play it back once a day. If you hear it often

enough, you will believe it.

■

Fight negative messages. Every time someone

starts telling you how hard the exam is or how

difﬁcult it is to get a high score, start repeating

your self-conﬁdence messages. Don’t listen to the

negative messages. Turn on your tape recorder

and listen to your afﬁrmations.

■

Visualize. Imagine yourself reporting for duty on

your ﬁrst day as a military trainee. Think of your-

self wearing your uniform and learning skills you

will use for the rest of your life. Visualizing suc-

cess can help make it happen—and it reminds

you of why you are working so hard preparing for

the exam.

■

Exercise. Physical activity helps calm your body

and focus your mind. Besides, being in good

physical shape can actually help you do

well on the exam. Go for a run, lift weights, go

swimming—and do it regularly.

Stress Management on Test Day

There are several ways you can reduce your level of

anxiety on test day. They will work best if you practice

them in the weeks before the test, so you know which

ones work best for you.

■

Deep breathing. Take a deep breath while you

count to ﬁve. Hold it for a count of one, then let it

out for a count of ﬁve. Repeat several times.

■

Move your body. Try rolling your head in a circle.

Rotate your shoulders. Shake your hands from the

wrist. Many people ﬁnd these movements very

relaxing.

■

Visualize again. Think of the place where you are

most relaxed: lying on a beach in the sun, walking

through the park, or whatever you enjoy. Now

close your eyes and imagine you are actually

there. If you practice in advance, you will ﬁnd

that you only need a few seconds of this exercise

to experience a signiﬁcant increase in your sense

of well-being.

When anxiety threatens to overwhelm you during

the exam, there are still things you can do to manage the

stress level:

■

Repeat your self-conﬁdence messages. Yo u

should have them memorized by now. Say them

silently to yourself, and believe them!

■

Visualize one more time. This time, visualize

yourself moving smoothly and quickly through

the test answering every question correctly and

ﬁnishing just before the time is up. Like most

visualization techniques, this one works best if

you have practiced it ahead of time.

■

Find an easy question. Skim over the test until

you ﬁnd an easy question, and answer it. Getting

even one question ﬁnished gets you into the test-

taking groove.

■

Take a mental break. Everyone loses concentra-

tion once in a while during a long test. It’s nor-

mal, so you shouldn’t worry about it. Instead,

accept what has happened. Say to yourself, “Hey, I

lost it there for a minute. My brain is taking a

break.” Put down your pencil, close your eyes, and

do some deep breathing for a few seconds. Then

you’re ready to go back to work.

Try these techniques ahead of time, and see if

they work for you!

– THE LEARNINGEXPRESS TEST PREPARATION SYSTEM–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 24



Step 3: Make a Plan

Time to complete: 50 minutes

Activity: Construct a study plan

Maybe the most important thing you can do to get

control of yourself and your exam is to make a study

plan. Too many people fail to prepare simply because

they fail to plan. Spending hours on the day before the

exam poring over sample test questions not only raises

your level of test anxiety, it is simply no substitute for

careful preparation.

On the following pages are two sample sched-

ules, based on the amount of time you have to prepare

for the ASVAB. If you are the kind of person who

needs deadlines and assignments to motivate you for

a project, use them as is. If you are the kind of person

who doesn’t like to follow other people’s plans, you

can use the suggested schedules here to construct

your own.

Even more important than making a plan is mak-

ing a commitment. You can’t improve your skills in the

four areas tested on the ASVAB core overnight. You

Test Stress Test

You only need to worry about test anxiety if it is extreme enough to impair your performance. The following ques-

tionnaire will provide a diagnosis of your level of test anxiety. In the blank before each statement, write the num-

ber that most accurately describes your experience.

0 = Never 1 = Once or twice 2 = Sometimes 3 = Often

_____ I have gotten so nervous before an exam that I simply put down the books and didn’t study for it.

_____ I have experienced disabling physical symptoms such as vomiting and severe headaches because I was

nervous about an exam.

_____ I have simply not showed up for an exam because I was scared to take it.

_____ I have experienced dizziness and disorientation while taking an exam.

_____ I have had trouble ﬁlling in the little circles because my hands were shaking too hard.

_____ I have failed an exam because I was too nervous to complete it.

_____ Total: Add up the numbers in the blanks.

Your Test Stress Score

Here are the steps you should take, depending on your score. If you scored:

■

Below 3,

your level of test anxiety is nothing to worry about; it’s probably just enough to give you that little extra edge.

■

Between 3 and 6, your test anxiety may be enough to impair your performance, and you should practice the

stress management techniques listed in this section to try to bring your test anxiety down to manageable levels.

■

Above 6, your level of test anxiety is a serious concern. In addition to practicing the stress management tech-

niques listed in this section, you may want to seek additional, personal help. Call your community college and

ask for the academic counselor. Tell the counselor that you have a level of test anxiety that sometimes keeps

you from being able to take an exam. The counselor may be willing to help you or may suggest someone else

you should talk to.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 25

have to set aside some time every day for study and

practice. Try for at least 30 minutes a day. Thirty min-

utes daily will do you much more good than two hours

on Saturday.

Don’t put off your study until the day before the

exam. Start now. A few minutes a day, with half an hour

or more on weekends, can make a big difference in

your score.



Step 4: Learn to Manage

Your Time

Time to complete: 10 minutes to read,many hours of

practice!

Activities: Practice these strategies as you take the

sample tests in this book

Steps 4, 5, and 6 of the LearningExpress Test Prepara-

tion System put you in charge of your exam by show-

ing you test-taking strategies that work. Practice these

strategies as you take the sample tests in this book, and

then you will be ready to use them on test day.

First, you will take control of your time on the

exam. Each of the four subtests of the ASVAB core is

timed separately. Most allow you enough time to com-

plete the section, though none allows a lot of extra

time. You should use your time wisely to avoid making

errors. Here are some general tips for the whole exam:

■

Listen carefully to directions. By the time you get

to the exam, you should know how all the sub-

tests work, but listen just in case something has

changed.

■

Pace yourself. Glance at your watch every few

minutes, and compare the time to your progress

on the subtest. When one-quarter of the time has

elapsed, you should be one-quarter of the way

through the subtest, and so on. If you’re falling

behind, pick up the pace a bit.

■

Keep moving. Don’t waste time on one question.

If you don’t know the answer, skip the question

and move on. Circle the number of the question

in your test booklet in case you have time to come

back to it later.

■

Keep track of your place on the answer sheet. If

you skip a question, make sure you skip on the

answer sheet too. Check yourself every 5–10 ques-

tions to make sure the question number and the

answer sheet number match up.

■

Don’t rush. Though you should keep moving,

rushing won’t help. Try to keep calm and work

methodically and quickly.

– THE LEARNINGEXPRESS TEST PREPARATION SYSTEM–

Schedule A: The Two-Week Plan

If you have at least two weeks before you take the ASVAB, you have plenty of time to prepare—as long as you don’t

waste it! If you have less than two weeks, turn to Schedule B.

TIME PREPARATION

Day 1 Take the ﬁrst practice exam in Chapter 5. Score the exam and identify

two areas that you will concentrate on before you take the second

practice exam.

Days 2–5 Study the areas you identiﬁed as your weaknesses. Don’t forget, there

are review lessons and practice questions for Math, Reading, and

Vocabulary in Chapters 6–11. Review these chapters in detail to improve

your score on the next practice test.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 26

– THE LEARNINGEXPRESS TEST PREPARATION SYSTEM–

Day 6 Take the second practice exam in Chapter 12 and calculate your

score. Identify one area to concentrate on before you take the third

practice exam.

Days 7–9 Study the one area you identiﬁed for further review. Again, use the Math,

Reading, and Vocabulary chapters for help.

Day 10 Take the last practice exam in Chapter 13. Score the test. Note how

much you have improved!

Days 11–13 Take an overview of all your study materials, focusing on your

strengths and improving on your weaknesses.

Day before the exam Relax. Do something unrelated to the exam and go to bed at a

reasonable hour.

Schedule B: The One-Week Plan

If you have a week or less before you take the exam, use this seven-day schedule to help you make the most of

your time.

TIME PREPARATION

Day 1 Take the ﬁrst practice exam in Chapter 5 and review the answers and

explanations. Note which topics you need to review most.

Day 2 Review one area that gave you trouble on the ﬁrst practice exam. Use

the review lessons and practice questions in Chapters 6–11 to hone

your skills.

Day 3 Take the second practice exam in Chapter 12 and score it.

Day 4 If your score on the second practice exam doesn’t show improvement

on the two areas you studied, continue to use the review chapters to

improve some skills and reinforce others. If you did improve in those

areas, choose a new weak area to study today.

Day 5 Take the third practice exam in Chapter 13 and score it. See how much

you have improved since the ﬁrst practice test!

Day 6 Use your last study day to brush up on any areas that are still giving you

trouble. Use the review and practice chapters.

Day before the exam Relax. Do something unrelated to the exam and go to bed at a

reasonable hour.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 27



Step 5: Learn to Use the

Process of Elimination

Time to complete: 20 minutes

Activity: Complete worksheet on Using the Process of

Elimination

After time management, your next most important

tool for taking control of your exam is using the process

of elimination wisely. It’s standard test-taking wisdom

that you should always read all the answer choices

before choosing your answer. This helps you ﬁnd the

right answer by eliminating wrong answer choices.

You should always use the process of elimination

on tough questions, even if the right answer jumps out

at you. Sometimes the answer that jumps out isn’t right

after all. You should always proceed through the answer

choices in order. You can start with answer choice a and

eliminate any choices that are clearly incorrect.

Let’s say you’re facing a vocabulary question that

goes like this:

“Biology uses a b

inomial system of classiﬁcation.”

In this sentence, the word b

inomial most nearly

means

a. understanding the law.

b. having two names.

c. scientiﬁcally sound.

d. having a double meaning.

If you happen to know what binomial means, of

course, you don’t need to use the process of elimina-

tion, but let’s assume you don’t. So, you look at the

answer choices. “understanding the law” sure doesn’t

sound like something having to do with biology. So you

eliminate choice a—and now you only have three

answer choices to deal with. Mark an X next to choice

a so you never have to read it again.

Now, move on to the other answer choices. If you

know that the preﬁx bi- means two, as in bicycle, you will

ﬂag choice b as a possible answer. Mark a check mark

beside it, meaning “good answer, I might use this one.”

Choice c, “scientiﬁcally sound,” is a possibility. At

least it’s about science, not law. It could work here,

although when you think about it, having a “scientiﬁ-

cally sound” classiﬁcation system in a scientiﬁc ﬁeld is

kind of redundant. You remember the bi- in binomial,

and probably continue to like choice b better. But you’re

not sure, so you put a question mark next to c, mean-

ing “well, maybe.”

Now, choice d, “having a double meaning.” You’re

still keeping in mind that bi- means two, so this one

looks possible at ﬁrst. But then you look again at the

sentence the word belongs in, and you think, “Why

would biology want a system of classiﬁcation that has

two meanings? That wouldn’t work very well!” If you’re

really taken with the idea that bi- means two, you might

put a question mark here. But if you’re feeling a little

more conﬁdent, you’ll put an X. You already have a bet-

ter answer picked out.

Now your question looks like this:

“Biology uses a b

inomial system of classiﬁcation.”

In this sentence, the word b

inomial most nearly

means

x a. understanding the law.

✓ b. having two names.

? c. scientiﬁcally sound.

? d. having a double meaning.

You’ve got just one checkmark for a good answer.

If you’re pressed for time, you should simply mark

choice b on your answer sheet. If you have the time to

be extra careful, you could compare your check-mark

answer to your question-mark answers to make sure

that it’s better. (It is: The binomial system in biology is

the one that gives a two-part genus and species name

like homo sapiens.)

It’s good to have a system for marking good, bad,

and maybe answers. Here’s one recommendation:

x = bad

✓ = good

? = maybe

If you don’t like these marks, devise your own sys-

tem. Just make sure you do it long before test day—while

– THE LEARNINGEXPRESS TEST PREPARATION SYSTEM–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 28

you’re working through the practice exams in this book—

so you won’t have to worry about it during the test.

Even when you think you are absolutely clueless

about a question, you can often use the process of elim-

ination to get rid of one answer choice. If so, you are

better prepared to make an educated guess, as you will

see in Step 6. More often, the process of elimination

allows you to get down to only two possibly right

answers. Then, you’re in a strong position to guess.

And sometimes, even though you don’t know the right

answer, you can make a fairly certain guess by elim-

intating those that don’t ﬁt, as you did in the previous

example.

Try using your powers of elimination on the

questions in the worksheet “Using the Process of Elim-

ination” that follows. The answer explanations there

show one possible way you might use the process to

arrive at the right answer.

The process of elimination is your tool for the

next step, which is knowing when to guess.

– THE LEARNINGEXPRESS TEST PREPARATION SYSTEM–

Using the Process of Elimination

Use the process of elimination to answer the following questions.

1. Ilsa is as old as Meghan will be in ﬁve years.

The difference between Ed’s age and

Meghan’s age is twice the difference between

Ilsa’s age and Meghan’s age. Ed is 29. How

old is Ilsa?

a. 4

b. 10

c. 19

d. 24

2. “All drivers of commercial vehicles must carry

a valid commercial driver’s license whenever

operating a commercial vehicle.” According to

this sentence, which of the following people

does NOT need to carry a commercial driver’s

license?

a. a truck driver idling his engine while

waiting to be directed to a loading dock

b. a bus operator backing her bus out of the

way of another bus in the bus lot

c. a taxi driver driving his personal car to the

grocery store

d. a limousine driver taking the limousine to

her home after dropping off her last

passenger of the evening

3. Smoking tobacco has been linked to

a. increased risk of stroke and heart attack.

b. all forms of respiratory disease.

c. increasing mortality rates over the past

ten years.

d. juvenile delinquency.

4. Which of the following words is spelled

correctly?

a. incorrigible

b. outragous

c. domestickated

d. understandible

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 29



Step 6: Know When to Guess

Time to complete: 20 minutes

Activity: Complete worksheet on Your

Guessing Ability

Armed with the process of elimination, you are ready

to take control of one of the big questions in test-

taking: Should I guess? The main answer is Yes. Some

exams have what is called a “guessing penalty,” in which

a fraction of your wrong answers is subtracted from

your right answers, but the ASVAB isn’t one of them.

The number of questions you answer correctly yields

your raw score. So you have nothing to lose and every-

thing to gain by guessing.

The more complicated answer to the question

“Should I guess?” depends on you—your personality

and your “guessing intuition.” There are two things

you need to know about yourself before you go into

the exam:

■

Are you a risk-taker?

■

Are you a good guesser?

Answers

Here are the answers, as well as some suggestions as to how you might have used the process of elimination

to ﬁnd them.

Using the Process of Elimination

(continued)

1. d. You should have eliminated choice a off the

bat. Ilsa can’t be four years old if Meghan is

going to be Ilsa’s age in ﬁve years. The best

way to eliminate other answer choices is to try

plugging them in to the information given in

the problem. For instance, for choice b, if Ilsa

is 10, then Meghan must be 5. The difference

in their ages is 5. The difference between Ed’s

age, 29, and Meghan’s age, 5, is 24. Is 24 two

times 5? No. Then choice b is wrong. You

could eliminate choice c in the same way and

be left with choice d.

2. c. Note the word not in the question, and go

through the answers one by one. Is the truck

driver in choice a “operating a commercial

vehicle”? Yes, idling counts as “operating,” so

needs to have a commercial driver’s license.

Likewise, the bus operator in choice b is operat-

ing a commercial vehicle; the question doesn’t

say the operator has to be on the street. The

limo driver in choice d is operating a commercial

vehicle,

even if it doesn’t have passenger in it.

However, the cabbie in choice c is not operating

a commercial vehicle, but his own private car.

3. a. You could eliminate choice b simply because

of the presence of the word all. Such

absolutes hardly ever appear in correct

answer choices. Choice c looks attractive

until you think a little about what you know—

aren’t fewer people smoking these days,

rather than more? So how could smoking be

responsible for a higher mortality rate? (If you

didn’t know that mortality rate means the rate

at which people die, you might keep this

choice as a possibility, but you’d still be able

to eliminate two choices and have only two to

choose from.) Choice d is plain silly, so you

could eliminate that one, too. You’re left with

the correct choice, a.

4. a. How you used the process of elimination here

depends on which words you recognized as

being spelled incorrectly. If you knew that the

correct spellings were outrageous, domesti-

cated, and understandable, then you were

home free. You probably knew that at least

one of those words was wrong!

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 30

You will have to decide about your risk-taking

quotient on your own. To ﬁnd out if you’re a good

guesser, complete the “Your Guessing Ability” work-

sheet. Even if you’re a play-it-safe person with lousy

intuition, you are still safe in guessing every time. The

best thing would be if you could overcome your anxi-

eties and go ahead and mark an answer. But you may

want to have a sense of how good your intuition is

before you go into the exam.

– THE LEARNINGEXPRESS TEST PREPARATION SYSTEM–

Your Guessing Ability

The following are ten really hard questions. You are not supposed to know the answers. Rather, this is an assess-

ment of your ability to guess when you don’t have a clue. Read each question carefully, just as if you did expect

to answer it. If you have any knowledge at all about the subject of the question, use that knowledge to help you

eliminate wrong answer choices.

1. September 7 is Independence Day in

a. India.

b. Costa Rica.

c. Brazil.

d. Australia.

2. Which of the following is the formula for

determining the momentum of an object?

a. p = mv

b. F = ma

c. P = IV

d. E = mc

3. Because of the expansion of the universe, the

stars and other celestial bodies are all moving

away from each other. This phenomenon is

known as

a. Newton’s ﬁrst law.

b. the big bang.

c. gravitational collapse.

d. Hubble ﬂow.

4. American author Gertrude Stein was born in

a. 1713.

b. 1830.

c. 1874.

d. 1901.

5. Which of the following is NOT one of the Five

Classics attributed to Confucius?

a. the I Ching

b. the Book of Holiness

c. the Spring and Autumn Annals

d. the Book of History

6. The religious and philosophical doctrine that

holds that the universe is constantly in a

struggle between good and evil is known as

a. Pelagianism.

b. Manichaeanism.

c. neo-Hegelianism.

d. Epicureanism.

abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

ANSWER GRID

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 31

7. The third Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme

Court was

a. John Blair.

b. William Cushing.

c. James Wilson.

d. John Jay.

8. Which of the following is the poisonous

portion of a daffodil?

a. the bulb

b. the leaves

c. the stem

d. the ﬂowers

9. The winner of the Masters golf tournament in

1953 was

a. Sam Snead.

b. Cary Middlecoff.

c. Arnold Palmer.

d. Ben Hogan.

10. The state with the highest per capita personal

income in 1980 was

a. Alaska.

b. Connecticut.

c. New York.

d. Texas.

Answers

Check your answers against the correct answers

below.

1. c.

2. a.

3. d.

4. c.

5. b.

6. b.

7. b.

8. a.

9. d.

10. a.

How Did You Do?

You may have simply gotten lucky and actually known the answer to one or two questions. In addition, your

guessing was more successful if you were able to use the process of elimination on any of the questions.

Maybe you didn’t know who the third Chief Justice was (question 7), but you knew that John Jay was the ﬁrst.

In that case, you would have eliminated choice d and therefore improved your odds of guessing correctly from

one in four to one in three.

According to probability, you should get 2



answers correct, so getting either two or three right would be

average. If you got four or more right, you may be a really terriﬁc guesser. If you got one or none right, you may

be a really bad guesser.

Keep in mind, though, that this is only a small sample. You should continue to keep track of your guess-

ing ability as you work through the sample questions in this book. Circle the numbers of questions you are unsure

of as you make your guess; or, if you don’t have time while you take the practice exams, go back afterward and

try to remember which questions you guessed at. Remember, on an exam with four answer choices, your

chances of getting a correct answer is one in four. So keep a separate “guessing” score for each exam. How

many questions did you guess on? How many did you get right? If the number you got right is at least one-fourth

of the number of questions you guessed on, you are at least an average guesser, maybe better—and you should

always go ahead and guess on a real exam.

Your Guessing Ability (continued)

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 32



Step 7: Reach Your Peak

Performance Zone

Time to complete: 10 minutes to read;

weeks to complete!

Activity: Complete the Physical Preparation

Checklist

To get ready for a challenge like a big exam, you have to

take control of your physical, as well as your mental,

state. Exercise, proper diet, and rest will ensure that

your body works with, rather than against, your mind

on test day, as well as during your preparation.

Exercise

If you don’t already have a regular exercise program

going, the time during which you are preparing for an

exam is actually an excellent time to start one. You will

have to be pretty ﬁt to make it through the ﬁrst weeks

of Basic Training anyway. If you’re already keeping ﬁt,

don’t let the pressure of preparing for an exam fool you

into quitting now. Exercise helps reduce stress by

pumping wonderful good-feeling hormones called

endorphins into your system. It also increases the oxy-

gen supply throughout your body, including your

brain, so you will be at peak performance on test day.

A half hour of vigorous activity every day—

enough to raise a sweat—should be your aim. If you

are really pressed for time, every other day is OK.

Choose an activity you like and get out there and do it.

Jogging with a friend always makes the time go faster,

or take a radio.

But don’t overdo it; you don’t want to exhaust

yourself. Moderation is the key.

Diet

First of all, cut out the junk. Go easy on caffeine and

nicotine, and eliminate alcohol from your system at

least two weeks before the exam. Promise yourself a

treat the night after the exam, if need be.

What your body needs for peak performance is

simply a balanced diet. Eat plenty of fruits and vegeta-

bles, along with protein and complex carbohydrates.

Foods that are high in lecithin (a protective lipid), such

as ﬁsh and beans, are especially good brain foods.

The night before the exam, you might “carbo-load”

the way athletes do before a contest. Eat a big plate of

spaghetti, rice and beans, or whatever your favorite car-

bohydrate is.

Rest

You probably know how much sleep you need every

night to be at your best, even if you don’t always get it.

Make sure you do get that much sleep, though, for at

least a week before the exam. Moderation is important

here, too. Extra sleep will just make you groggy.

If you are not a morning person and your exam

will be given in the morning, you should reset your

internal clock so that your body doesn’t think you’re tak-

ing an exam at 3:00

A.M. You have to start this process

well before the exam. The way it works is to get up half

an hour earlier each morning, and then go to bed half

an hour earlier that night. Don’t try it the other way

around. You will just toss and turn if you go to bed early

without having gotten up early. The next morning, get

up another half an hour earlier, and so on. How long

you will have to do this depends on how late you’re

used to getting up.

Use the Physical Preparation Checklist on page 35

to make sure you are in tip-top form.

– THE LEARNINGEXPRESS TEST PREPARATION SYSTEM–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 33



Step 8: Get Your Act Together

Time to complete: 10 minutes to read;

time to complete will vary

Activity: Complete Final Preparations worksheet

You are in control of your mind and body; you are in

charge of test anxiety, your preparation, and your test-

taking strategies. Now it’s time to take charge of exter-

nal factors, like the testing site and the materials you

need to take the exam.

Getting to the MEPS

You will be the guest of the Department of Defense on

your trip to the Military Entrance Processing Station

(MEPS). You will probably be scheduled to spend a full

day at the MEPS, though if it’s far from your home-

town, you may have to go the night before. Your

recruiter will tell you when and where you will be

picked up for your trip to the MEPS. Make sure you

know how to get to that location, if it’s not your recruit-

ing station, and how long it will take to get there. Fig-

ure out how early you will have to wake up that

morning, and get up at that time every day for the

week before your MEPS day.

Gather Your Materials

The night before the exam, lay out the clothes you will

wear and the materials you have to bring with you to

the MEPS. Plan on dressing in layers; you won’t have

any control over the temperature of the examination

room. Have a sweater or jacket you can take off if it’s

warm. Use the checklist on the Final Preparations

worksheet on page 36 to help you pull together what

you will need.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

Even if you don’t usually eat breakfast, do so on exam

morning. A cup of coffee doesn’t count. Don’t choose

doughnuts or other sweet foods, either. A sugar high

will leave you with a sugar low in the middle of the

exam. A mix of protein and carbohydrates is best: cereal

with milk, or eggs with toast, will do your body a world

of good.



Step 9: Do It!

Time to complete: 10 minutes, plus test-taking time

Activity: Ace the ASVAB core!

Fast forward to exam day. You are ready. You made a

study plan and followed through. You practiced your

test-taking strategies while working through this book.

You are in control of your physical, mental, and emo-

tional state. You know when and where to show up and

what to bring with you. In other words, you are better

prepared than most of the other people taking the

ASVAB with you. You are psyched.

Just one more thing. When you’ve ﬁnished your

day at the MEPS, you will have earned a reward. Plan

a celebration. Call up your friends and plan a party, or

have a nice dinner for two—whatever your heart

desires. Give yourself something to look forward to.

Then, do it. Take the ASVAB, full of conﬁdence,

armed with the test-taking strategies you have mas-

tered. You are in control of yourself, your environ-

ment, and your performance on the exam. You are

ready to succeed. Go in there, ace the exam, and look

forward to your future military career!

– THE LEARNINGEXPRESS TEST PREPARATION SYSTEM–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 34

Physical Preparation Checklist

For the week before the test, write down: 1) what physical exercise you engaged in and for how long, and 2)

what you ate for each meal. Remember, you’re aiming for at least half an hour of exercise every other day (prefer-

ably every day), and a balanced diet that’s light on junk food.

Exam minus 7 days

Exercise: ______ for ______ minutes

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks:

Exam minus 6 days

Exercise: for minutes

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks:

Exam minus 5 days

Exercise: for minutes

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks:

Exam minus 4 days

Exercise: for minutes

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks:

Exam minus 3 days

Exercise: ______ for ______ minutes

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks:

Exam minus 2 days

Exercise: for minutes

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks:

Exam minus 1 day

Exercise: for minutes

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks:

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 35

Final Preparations

Getting to the MEPS Pickup Site

Location of pickup site:

Date:

Departure time:

Do I know how to get to the pickup site? Yes No

If no, make a trial run.

Time it will take to get to the pickup site:

Things to Lay Out the Night Before

Clothes I will wear

Sweater/jacket

Watch

Photo ID

Other

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 36

he ASVAB consists of nine subtests. Only four of these subtests count toward your Armed Forces Qual-

ifying Test (AFQT) score, which determines whether or not you are qualiﬁed to enlist in the military.

These four subtests—Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and

Mathematics Knowledge—are included in the practice test that follows.

The amount of time allowed for each subtest will be found at the beginning of that subtest. For now, don’t

worry too much about timing. Just take the tests, focusing on being as relaxed as you can. The answer sheet you

should use for answering the questions is on page 39. Complete answer explanations follow the test.

CHAPTER

Practice ASVAB

Core Test 1

CHAPTER SUMMARY

This is the first of three practice tests based on the sections of the

ASVAB that count towards your AFQT score. Use this test to see how

you would do if you were to take the exam today.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 37

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 38

– LEARNINGEXPRESS ANSWER SHEET–

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

16. abcd

17. abcd

18. abcd

19. abcd

20. abcd

21. abcd

22. abcd

23. abcd

24. abcd

25. abcd

26. abcd

27. abcd

28. abcd

29. abcd

30. abcd



Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

16. abcd

17. abcd

18. abcd

19. abcd

20. abcd

21. abcd

22. abcd

23. abcd

24. abcd

25. abcd

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

16. abcd

17. abcd

18. abcd

19. abcd

20. abcd

21. abcd

22. abcd

23. abcd

24. abcd

25. abcd

26. abcd

27. abcd

28. abcd

29. abcd

30. abcd

31. abcd

32. abcd

33. abcd

34. abcd

35. abcd



Part 2: Word Knowledge



Part 3: Paragraph Comprehension



Part 4: Mathematics Knowledge

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 39

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 40



Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning

Time: 36 minutes

1. If Ellen has $36.00 to spend at the ﬂower market,

and lilies cost $1.80 each, how many lilies can she

purchase?

a. 18

b. 20

c. 24

d. 36

2. An aquarium has a base length of 12 inches and

a width of 5 inches. If the aquarium is 10 inches

tall, what is the total volume?

a. 480 cubic inches

b. 540 cubic inches

c. 600 cubic inches

d. 720 cubic inches

3. A man turns in a woman’s handbag to the Lost

and Found Department of a large downtown

store. The man informs the clerk in charge that

he found the handbag on the ﬂoor beside an

entranceway. The clerk estimates that the hand-

bag is worth approximately $150. Inside, the

clerk ﬁnds the following items:

1 leather makeup case valued at $65

1 vial of perfume, unopened, valued at $75

1 pair of earrings valued at $150

cash $178

The clerk is writing a report to be submitted

along with the found property. What should he

write as the total value of the found cash and

property?

a. $468

b. $608

c. $618

d. $718

Use the following information to answer questions

4–6.

The cost of movie theater tickets is $7.50 for

adults and $5 for children ages 12 and under. On Sat-

urday and Sunday afternoons until 4:00 p.m., there is

a matinee price: $5.50 for adults and $3 for children

ages 12 and under. Special group discounts are available

for groups of 30 or more people.

4. Which of these can be determined from the

information given in the passage?

a. how much it will cost a family of four to buy

movie theater tickets on Saturday afternoon

b. the difference between the cost of two movie

theater tickets on Tuesday night and the cost

of one ticket on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

c. how much movie theater tickets will cost each

person if he or she is part of a group of 40

people

d. the difference between the cost of a movie

theater ticket for an adult on Friday night and

a movie theater ticket for a 13-year-old on

Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.

5. The Reaves family includes one adult, one 15-

year-old, one 12-year-old, and one 11-year-old.

How much would the Reaves family save by

going to a Saturday matinee at 3:30

P.M. instead

of a regularly priced movie at 7

P.M.?

a. $25.00

b. $22.50

c. $14.50

d. $8.00

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 1–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 41

6. Using the passage, how can you ﬁnd the differ-

ence in price between a movie theater ticket for

an adult and a movie theater ticket for a child

under the age of 12, if the tickets are for a show

at 3:00

P.M. on a Saturday afternoon?

a. subtract $3.00 from $5.50

b. subtract $5.00 from $7.50

c. subtract $7.50 from $5.50

d. add $5.50 and $3.00 and divide by 2

7. It takes a typist 0.75 seconds to type one word. At

this rate, how many words can be typed in 60

seconds?

a. 4.5

b. 8

c. 45

d. 80

8. If the average woman burns 8.2 calories per

minute while riding a bicycle, how many calories

will she burn if she rides for 35 minutes?

a. 286

b. 287

c. 387

d. 980

9. If Raindrop Rooﬁng gave an estimate of $6,000

to repair the Kleins’ roof, and Kendra’s Contract-

ing gave an estimate that was



of the estimate by

Raindrop Rooﬁng, how much was the estimate

given by Kendra’s Contracting?

a. $1,200

b. $2,000

c. $3,000

d. $3,600

10. Thirty percent of the students at a middle school

are involved in the vocal and instrumental music

programs. If 15% of the musicians are in the

choir, what percentage of the whole school is in

the choir?

a. 4.5%

b. 9.0%

c. 15%

d. 30%

Use the following information to answer questions

11 and 12.

Basic cable television service, which includes 16

channels, costs $15 a month. The initial labor fee to

install the service is $25. A $65 deposit is required, but

will be refunded within two years if the customer’s

bills are paid in full. Other cable services may be added

to the basic service: the movie channel service is $9.40

a month; the news channels are $7.50 a month; the arts

channels are $5.00 a month; the sports channels are

$4.80 a month.

11. A customer’s cable television bill totaled $20 a

month. Using the passage above, what portion

of the bill was for basic cable service?

a. 25%

b. 33%

c. 50%

d. 75%

12. A customer’s ﬁrst bill after having cable televi-

sion installed totaled $112.50. This customer

chose basic cable and one additional cable serv-

ice. Which additional service was chosen?

a. the news channels

b. the movie channels

c. the arts channels

d. the sports channels

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 1–

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13. Out of 100 shoppers polled, 80 said they buy

fresh fruit every week. How many shoppers out

of 30,000 could be expected to buy fresh fruit

every week?

a. 2,400

b. 6,000

c. 22,000

d. 24,000

Use the following information to answer questions

14 and 15.

Compact Discs Sold

14. If 400 compact discs were sold altogether, how

many of the compact discs sold were country

music?

a. 11

b. 28

c. 55

d. 110

15. Based on the graph, which types of music repre-

sent exactly half of the compact discs sold?

a. rock and jazz

b. classical and rock

c. rap, classical, and country

d. jazz, classical, and rap

16. Last year, 220 people bought cars from a certain

dealer. Of those, 60% reported that they were

completely satisﬁed with their new cars. How

many people reported being unsatisﬁed with

their new car?

a. 36

b. 55

c. 88

d. 132

17. Of 1,125 university students, 135 speak ﬂuent

Spanish. What percentage of the student body

speaks ﬂuent Spanish?

a. 7.3%

b. 8.3%

c. 12%

d. 14%

18. A rectangular community garden needs fencing

to keep deer from eating the vegetables. If 200

linear feet of fencing is needed to enclose the gar-

den space, which of the following could be the

length and width dimensions of the garden?

a. 100 feet long and 100 feet wide

b. 100 feet long and 20 feet wide

c. 80 feet long and 20 feet wide

d. 50 feet long and 40 feet wide

19. A piece of ribbon 3 feet 4 inches long was divided

into 5 equal parts. How long was each part?

a. 1 foot 2 inches

b. 10 inches

c. 8 inches

d. 6 inches

Country

27.5%

Rock

45.5%

Rap

15%

Jazz

7.5%

4.5%

Classical

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 1–

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20. A middle school cafeteria has three different

options for lunch.

For $2, a student can get either a sandwich

or two cookies.

For $3, a student can get a sandwich and

one cookie.

For $4, a student can get either two sand-

wiches, or a sandwich and two cookies.

If Jimae has $6 to pay for lunch for her and

her brother, which of the following is not a possi-

ble combination?

a. three sandwiches and one cookie

b. two sandwiches and two cookies

c. one sandwich and four cookies

d. three sandwiches and no cookies

21. A circular table is going to be covered with tile. If

the diameter of the table is 10 feet, approximately

how many square feet of tile must be purchased

to cover the table?

a. 10 square feet

b. 16 square feet

c. 20 square feet

d. 79 square feet

22. Mr. Beard’s temperature is 98˚ Fahrenheit. What

is his temperature in degrees Celsius?

C =



(F – 32)

a. 35.8

b. 36.7

c. 37.6

d. 31.1

23. All of the rooms on the main ﬂoor of an ofﬁce

building are rectangular, with 8-foot-high ceilings.

Keira’s ofﬁce is 9 feet wide by 11 feet long. What is

the combined surface area of the four walls of her

ofﬁce, including any windows and doors?

a. 99 square feet

b. 160 square feet

c. 320 square feet

d. 729 square feet

24. A recipe serves four people and calls for 1



cups

of broth. If you want to serve six people, how

much broth do you need?

a. 2 cups

b. 2



cups

c. 2



cups

d. 2



cups

25. Plattville is 80 miles west and 60 miles north of

Quincy. How long is a direct route from Plattville

to Quincy?

a. 100 miles

b. 120 miles

c. 140 miles

d. 160 miles

26. A builder has 27 cubic feet of concrete to pave a

sidewalk whose length is 6 times its width. The

concrete must be poured 6 inches deep. How

long is the sidewalk?

a. 9 feet

b. 12 feet

c. 15 feet

d. 18 feet

27. Which of the following brands is the least

expensive per ounce?

Brand W X Y Z

Price 0.21 0.48 0.56 0.96

Weight in ounces 6 15 20 32

a. W

b. X

c. Y

d. Z

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 1–

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28. Belicia drives a compact car that gets, on average,

28 miles per gallon of gas. If she must drive 364

miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and gas

costs on average $4.85 per gallon, approximately

how much will she spend on gas?

a. $63.00

b. $75.00

c. $96.00

d. $136.00

29. A cook spends $540 on silverware. If a place setting

includes one knife, one fork, and two spoons, and

if knives cost twice as much as forks or spoons,

how many place settings did the cook buy?

a. 90

b. 108

c. 135

d. 180

30. An ofﬁce uses two dozen pencils and 3



reams of

paper each week. If pencils cost ﬁve cents each

and a ream of paper costs $7.50, how much does

it cost to supply the ofﬁce for a week?

a. $7.55

b. $12.20

c. $27.45

d. $38.25



Part 2: Word Knowledge

Time: 11 minutes

Select the choice that best matches the under-

lined word.

1. Specious most nearly means

a. special.

b. wide open.

c. misleading.

d. aimless.

2. The attorney wanted to e

xpedite the process.

a. accelerate

b. evaluate

c. reverse

d. justify

3. The student gave a plausib

le explanation for his

lateness, so it was excused by the teacher.

a. unbelievable

b. credible

c. insufﬁcient

d. apologetic

4. C

oncurrent most nearly means

a. incidental.

b. simultaneous.

c. apprehensive.

d. substantial.

5. I

mpromptu most nearly means

a. tactless.

b. passive.

c. rehearsed.

d. spontaneous.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 1–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 45

6. R

escind most nearly means

a. withdraw.

b. increase.

c. oppose.

d. divide.

7. He based his conclusion on what he inf

erred

from the evidence, not on what he actually

observed.

a. intuited

b. imagined

c. surmised

d. implied

8. S

aturate most nearly means

a. deprive.

b. construe.

c. soak.

d. verify.

9. S

ynopsis most nearly means

a. summary.

b. abundance.

c. stereotype.

d. verify.

10. H

yperbole most nearly means

a. sincerity.

b. exaggeration.

c. understatement.

d. indignation.

11. D

elineate most nearly means

a. reverse.

b. count.

c. divide.

d. describe.

12. P

ropo

nent most nearly means

a. advocate.

b. delinquent.

c. idealist.

d. critic.

13. I

ntrepid most nearly means

a. belligerent.

b. consistent.

c. timid.

d. fearless.

14. Stat

te most nearly means

a. replica.

b. ordinance.

c. collection.

d. hypothesis.

15. The general public was apathe

tic about the

verdict.

a. enraged

b. indifferent

c. suspicious

d. saddened

16. Mindy’s father found her lies disc

oncerting.

a. upsetting

b. embarrassing

c. discouraging

d. revealing

17. R

efrain most nearly means

a. desist.

b. secure.

c. glimpse.

d. persevere.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 1–

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18. One of the duties of a captain is to d

elegate

responsibility.

a. analyze

b. respect

c. criticize

d. assign

19. Spur

ious most nearly means

a. prevalent.

b. false.

c. melancholy.

d. actual.

20. The spokesperson must ar

ticulate the philosophy

of an entire department.

a. trust

b. reﬁne

c. verify

d. express

21. A

ppease most nearly means

a. please.

b. anger.

c. annoy.

d. calm.

22. The hospital was an e

xpansive facility.

a. obsolete

b. meager

c. spacious

d. costly

23. U

rbane most nearly means

a. foolish.

b. vulgar.

c. sophisticated.

d. sentimental.

24. R

ationale

most nearly means

a. explanation.

b. regret.

c. denial.

d. anticipation.

25. Although Ivan had failed another test, he seemed

apathe

tic about it.

a. upset

b. indifferent

c. curious

d. enthusiastic

26. A

ccolade most nearly means

a. disbelief.

b. impression.

c. praise.

d. happiness.

27. V

erisimilitude most nearly means

a. deceit.

b. fanaticism.

c. similarity.

d. realism.

28. U

mbrage most nearly means

a. protection.

b. offense.

c. transition.

d. gathering.

29. She approached the work with ala

crity.

a. eagerness

b. sadness

c. bitterness

d. unconcern

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 1–

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30. They didn’t want to get bogged down in the

min

utiae

of the project.

a. microcosm

b. regiment

c. details

d. pattern

31. P

enury most nearly means

a. destitution.

b. punishment.

c. judgment.

d. agony.

32. F

orbearance most nearly means

a. poverty.

b. strength.

c. patience.

d. ancestry.

33. A

sperity most nearly means

a. harshness.

b. pettiness.

c. complexity.

d. fortune.

34. D

ecorum most nearly means

a. shy.

b. decoration.

c. coarse.

d. etiquette.

35. As he read about the tragedy, he was struck with

onsternation.

a. dismay

b. constellation

c. reservation

d. disbelief



Part 3:

Paragraph Comprehension

Time: 13 minutes

Read the passages and answer the questions that

follow.

Hearsay evidence, which is the secondhand report-

ing of a statement, is allowed in court only when the

truth of the statement is irrelevant. Hearsay that

depends on the statement’s truthfulness is inadmis-

sible because the witness does not appear in court

and swear an oath to tell the truth. Because his or her

demeanor when making the statement is not visible

to the jury, the accuracy of the statement cannot be

tested under cross-examination, and to introduce it

would be to deprive the accused of the constitu-

tional right to confront the accuser. Hearsay is

admissible, however, when the truth of the statement

is unimportant. If, for example, a defendant claims

to have been unconscious at a certain time, and a

witness claims that the defendant actually spoke to

her at that time, this evidence would be admissible

because the truth of what the defendant actually

said is irrelevant.

1. The main purpose of the passage is to

a. explain why hearsay evidence abridges the

rights of the accused.

b. question the probable truthfulness of hearsay

evidence.

c. argue that rules about the admissibility of

hearsay evidence should be changed.

d. specify which use of hearsay evidence is inad-

missible and why.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 1–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 48

2. Which of the following is NOT a reason given in

the passage for the inadmissibility of hearsay

evidence?

a. Rumors are not necessarily credible.

b. The person making the original statement was

not under oath.

c. The jury should be able to watch the gestures

and facial expressions of the person making

the statement.

d. The person making the statement cannot be

cross-examined.

3. How does the passage explain the proper use of

hearsay evidence?

a. by listing a set of criteria

b. by providing a hypothetical example

c. by referring to the Constitution

d. by citing case law

4. The passage suggests that the criterion used for

deciding that most hearsay evidence is inadmissi-

ble was most likely

a. the unreliability of most hearsay witnesses.

b. the importance of physical evidence to cor-

roborate witness testimony.

c. concern for discerning the truth in a fair

manner.

d. doubt about the relevance of hearsay

testimony.

During the next ten months, all bus operators with

two or more years of service will be required to have

completed twenty hours of refresher training on

one of the Vehicle Maneuvering Training Bus sim-

ulators.

Instructors who have used this new technology

report that trainees develop skills more quickly than

with traditional training methods. The new refresher

training system reinforces defensive driving skills

and safe driving habits. Drivers can also check their

reaction times and hand-eye coordination.

5. All bus operators are required to do which of the

following?

a. receive training in defensive driving and

operating a computer

b. complete ten months of refresher driver

training

c. train new drivers on how to operate a simulator

d. complete twenty hours of training on a

simulator

6. The main purpose of the refresher training

course on the simulator is to

a. make sure that all bus operators are maintain-

ing proper driving habits.

b. give experienced bus operators an opportu-

nity to learn new driving techniques.

c. help all bus operators to develop hand-eye

coordination.

d. reduce the city’s operating budget.

The city has distributed standardized recycling con-

tainers to all households with directions that read:

“We would prefer that you use this new container as

your primary recycling container. Additional recy-

cling containers may be purchased from the city.”

7. According to the directions, each household

a. may only use one recycling container.

b. must use the new recycling container.

c. should use the new recycling container.

d. must buy a new recycling container.

8. According to the directions, which of the follow-

ing is true about the new containers?

a. The new containers are better than other

containers.

b. Households may use only the new containers

for recyclable items.

c. The new containers hold more than the old

containers did.

d. Households may use other containers besides

the new ones if they wish.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 1–

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After a snow or ice fall, the city streets are treated

with ordinary rock salt. In some areas, the salt is

combined with calcium chloride, which is more

effective in below-zero temperatures and which

melts ice better. This combination of salt and cal-

cium chloride is also less damaging to foliage along

the roadways.

9. In deciding whether to use ordinary rock salt or

the salt and calcium chloride on a particular

street, which of the following is NOT a

consideration?

a. the temperature at the time of treatment

b. the plants and trees along the street

c. whether there is ice on the street

d. whether the street is a main or secondary road

10. According to the snow treatment directions,

which of the following is true?

a. If the temperature is below zero, salt and cal-

cium chloride is effective in treating snow- and

ice-covered streets.

b. Crews must wait until the snow or ice stops

falling before salting streets.

c. The city always salts major roads ﬁrst.

d. If the snowfall is light, the city will not salt

the streets as this would be a waste of the

salt supply.

On February 3, 1956, Autherine Lucy became the ﬁrst

African-American student to attend the University of

Alabama, although the dean of women refused to

allow Autherine to live in a university dormitory.

White students rioted in protest of her admission,

and the federal government had to assume com-

mand of the Alabama National Guard in order to

protect her. Nonetheless, on her ﬁrst day in class,

Autherine bravely took a seat in the front row. She

remembers being surprised that the professor of the

class appeared not to notice she was even in class.

Later she would appreciate his seeming indifference,

as he was one of only a few professors to speak out in

favor of her right to attend the university.

11. This passage is most likely from a book called

a. Twentieth Century United States History.

b. A Collection of Favorite Children’s Stories.

c. A History of the Civil War.

d. How to Choose the College That Is Right for You.

12. According to the passage, Autherine Lucy

a. lived in a dormitory.

b. sat in the front row of her class.

c. became a lawyer.

d. majored in history.

Photojournalists who cover tragic events, such as ter-

rorist attacks, extreme poverty, and death, are sus-

ceptible to stress disorders. As a result, newsroom

managers must be on the lookout for signs of such a

condition among their staff. Although studies have

shown that most photojournalists are resilient to

stress disorders, witnessing car automobile carnage

and human-induced trauma are most difﬁcult to

overcome. The more exposure a photojournalist has

to death and injury, the more likely he or she is to

develop stress disorders.

13. What is the main idea of the passage?

a. Newsroom managers must be on the lookout

for signs of stress disorders among their staff.

b. Witnessing a terrorist attack will most likely

cause a photojournalist to experience stress

disorders.

c. The more exposure a photojournalist has to

death and injury, the more likely he or she is

to develop stress disorders.

d. Photojournalists who cover tragic events

could develop stress disorders because of the

extreme trauma they witness.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 1–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 50

14. According to the passage, under which of the fol-

lowing circumstances should a newsroom manager

be most alert to a photojournalist’s state of mind?

a. after witnessing extreme poverty

b. when the photojournalist returns from cover-

ing a traumatic story

c. taking part in assembling relief funds for

tragic events

d. after exposure to a tragedy caused by humans

15. According to the passage, which of the following

would be the most advantageous action a news-

room manager could take to avoid stress disor-

ders among her staff?

a. Rotate the photojournalists who are exposed

to traumatic events.

b. Give extra time off to photojournalists who

cover war.

c. Have psychotherapists travel with

photojournalists.

d. Advise photojournalists to seek help after they

cover traumatic events.



Part 4:

Mathematics Knowledge

Time: 24 minutes

1. In the ﬁgure below, angle POS measures 90˚.

What is the measure of angle ROQ?

a. 45˚

b. 90˚

c. 180˚

d. 270˚

2. 4



+ 1



+ 3



a. 8



b. 9



c. 8



d. 8



is equivalent to which of the following?

a. 0.45



c. 8%

d. 80%

4. What is the decimal equivalent of



, rounded to

the nearest hundredth?

a. 0.13

b. 0.33

c. 0.50

d. 0.67

5. 4



+ 3



– 2



a. 4



b. 5



c. 10



d. 51



6. What is another name for 20,706?

a. 200 + 70 + 6

b. 2,000 + 700 + 6

c. 20,000 + 70 + 6

d. 20,000 + 700 + 6

7. What are the missing integers on this number line?

a. –4 and 1

b. –6 and 1

c. –6 and –1

d. 4 and 9

P R

S Q

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8. Which of the following is divisible by 3, 7, and 8?

a. 21

b. 24

c. 56

d. 168

9. What is another way to write 4 × 4 × 4?

a. 3 × 4

b. 8 × 4

c. 4

d. 3

10. Which of these is equivalent to 35˚ C?

(F =



C + 32)

a. 105˚ F

b. 95˚ F

c. 63˚ F

d. 19˚ F

11. What is the volume of a pyramid that has a rec-

tangular base 5 feet by 3 feet and a height of 8

feet? (V =



lwh)

a. 16 feet

b. 30 feet

c. 40 feet

d. 120 feet

12. How many inches are there in 3



yards?

a. 126

b. 120

c. 160

d. 168

13.



a. 3.40

b. 4.25

c. 3.75

d. 3.25

14. 125% is equivalent to

a. 0.125

b. 1.25

c. 12.5

d. 125

15. Triangle ABC is an isosceles triangle, with a base

length of 14 inches. If its perimeter is 3 feet, what

is the length of each of the legs of triangle ABC?

a. 36 inches

b. 18 inches

c. 22 inches

d. 11 inches

16. Which value of x will make the following number

sentence true?

x + 25 = 13

a. –13

b. –11

c. –12

d. 38

17. How many faces does a cube have?

a. 4

b. 6

c. 8

d. 12

18. What is the length of a rectangle if its width is 9

feet and its area is 117 square feet?

a. 1.3 feet

b. 10.5 feet

c. 12 feet

d. 13 feet

19. A square is a special case of all of the following

geometric ﬁgures EXCEPT a

a. parallelogram.

b. rectangle.

c. rhombus.

d. trapezoid.

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20. What is the value of x in the ﬁgure below?

a. 2

b. 3

c. 5

d. 9

21. 5



is closest to

a. 5.23

b. 5. 33

c. 0.523

d. 5.67

22. If the ﬁgure below is a regular decagon with a

center at Q, what is the measure of the indicated

angle?

a. 36˚

b. 45˚

c. 90˚

d. 108˚

23. Negative 2.07 is equal to

a. –2



b. –2



c. –2



d. –2.7

e. –2.70

24. 62.5% is equal to



c. 6



d. 6



25. A line intersects two parallel lines in the follow-

ing figure. If P measures 40˚, what is the

measure of Q?

a. 50°

b. 60°

c. 80°

d. 140°



– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 1–

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

Answers

Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning

1. b. Since Ellen has $36.00, divide the price per

lily by $36.00 in order to see how many lilies

she can purchase.



= 20, so Ellen can

buy 20 lilies at the market.

2. c. The volume of the aquarium can be found

by using the formula V = l × w × h. Since the

length is 12 inches, the width is 5 inches, and

the height is 10 inches, multiply V = 12 × 5 ×

10 to get a volume of 600 cubic inches.

3. c. The value of the handbag ($150) must be

included in the total.

4. d. Both choices a and b can be ruled out

because there is no way to determine how

many tickets are for adults or for children.

Choice c can be ruled out because the price

of group tickets is not given.

5. d. Since the 15-year-old is older than 12, her

admission cost will be the same as the adult

ticket price. The tickets for the 12- and 11-

year-old children will be at the reduced rate.

Therefore, the Saturday evening movie

would cost $7.50 × (2 tickets) + $5.00 × (2

tickets) = $25.00. The Saturday matinee

movie would cost $5.50 × (2 tickets) + $3.00

× (2 tickets) = $17.00. Since $25.00 – $17.00

= $8.00, the Reaves would save $8.00 by

going to the 3:30 p. m . matinee.

6. a. The adult price on Saturday afternoon is

$5.50; the child’s price is $3.00.

7. d. This problem is solved by dividing 60 by 0.75.

8. b. This is a simple multiplication problem that

is solved by multiplying 35 times 8.2.

9. d. Raindrop Rooﬁng gave an estimate of $6,000

and Kendra’s Contracting had an estimate

that was



of that, so $6,000 is multiplied by



. Next, it is found that



$6,

000



$18

,000



$3,600, the estimate given by Kendra’s

Contracting.

10. a. In this question, you need to ﬁnd 15% of the

30% of students that are in the music program.

To ﬁnd 15% of 30%, change the percents to

decimal form and multiply. Since 30% = 0.30

and 15% = 0.15, multiply

(0.30)(0.15) = 0.045. As a decimal, this is

equivalent to 4.5% which is choice a.

11. d. The basic cable service fee of $15 is 75%

of $20.

12. a. The labor fee ($25) plus the deposit ($65)

plus the basic service ($15) equals $105. The

difference between the total bill, $112.50, and

$105 is $7.50, the cost of the news channels.

13. d. Eighty out of 100 is 80%. Eighty percent of

30,000 is 24,000.

14. d. 27.5% of 400 is 110.

15. b. Rock is 45.5%; when we add 4.5% for classi-

cal, the total is 50%.

16. c. If 60% of the people were satisﬁed with their

new car, 40% were unsatisﬁed; 40% of 220

is 88.

17. c. Divide 135 Spanish-speaking students by

1,125 total number of students to arrive at

.12 or 12%.

18. c. Since the garden needs 200 feet of linear fenc-

ing to enclose it, the distance around the gar-

den (the perimeter) is 200 feet. The formula

for calculating the perimeter of a rectangle is

2 × length + 2 × width. 2 × 80 + 2 × 20 = 200,

so the dimensions of the garden could be 80

feet long and 20 feet wide.

19. c. Three feet 4 inches equals 40 inches; 40

divided by 5 is 8.

20. a. It will cost $3 for a sandwich and a cookie. To

get two additional sandwiches, it would cost

another $4. Therefore, it would cost $7 to get

three sandwiches and a cookie. Since she has

only $6 to spend, this combination is not

possible.

21. d. In order to know how many square feet of

tile are needed to cover the table, the area of

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the table must be calculated. The area of a

circle is calculated with the formula A = πr

The diameter of the table is 10 feet and

therefore the radius is 5 feet (half the diame-

ter). The area of the tabletop will be π×5

3.14 × 25 = 78.5 feet. The closest approxima-

tion of 78.5 is 79 square feet.

22. b. Use the formula beginning with the opera-

tion in parentheses: 98 – 32 = 66. Then multi-

ply 66 by



, ﬁrst multiplying 66 by 5 to get

330; 330 divided by 9 is 36.66667, which is

rounded up to 36.7.

23. c. Each 9-foot wall has an area of 9 × 8 or 72

square feet. There are two such walls, so

those two walls combined have an area of 72

× 2 or 144 square feet. Each 11-foot wall has

an area of 11 × 8 or 88 square feet, and again

there are two such walls: 88 × 2 = 176. To

ﬁnd the total surface area, add 144 and 176

to get 320 square feet.

24. b. 1



cups equals



cups. The ratio is 6 people

to 4 people, which is equal to the ratio of x



. By cross multiplying, we get 6(



)

equals 4x, or 9 equals 4x. Dividing both

sides by 4, we get



,or 2



cups.

25. a. The distance between Plattville and Quincy

is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with

sides of length 80 and 60. The length of the

hypotenuse equals the square root of (80

), which equals the square root of (6,400

+ 3,600), which equals the square root of

10,000, which equals 100 miles.

26. d. The volume of concrete is 27 cubic feet. Vol-

ume is length times width times depth, or

(l)(w)(d), so (l)(w)(d) = 27. We’re told that

the length l is 6 times the width w, so l equals

6w. We’re also told that the depth is 6 inches,

or 0.5 feet. Substituting what we know about

the length and depth into the original equa-

tion and solving for w, we get (l)(w)(d) =

(6w)(w)(0.5) = 27.3w

= 27; w

= 9, so w = 3.

To get the length, we remember that l equals

6w, so l equals (6)(3), or 18 feet.

27. c. Find the price per ounce of each brand, as

follows: Brand W is



or 3.5 cents per

ounce; Brand X is



or 3.2 cents per ounce;

Brand Y is



or 2.8 cents per ounce; Brand

Z is



or 3.0 cents per ounce. It is then easy

to see that Brand Y, at 2.8 cents per ounce, is

the least expensive.

28. a. The ﬁrst calculation needed to be made is to

ﬁgure out how many gallons of gas Belicia’s

car will consume in the 364-mile trip. The car

gets 28 miles per gallon of gas, so divide 364

by 28 to calculate this:



28 m

allon



= 13

gallons of gas needed. Since gas costs $4.85

per gallon, calculate the total cost by multi-

plying 13 gallons of gas by $4.85. 13 × $4.85 =

$63.05.

29. b. K + F + S = 540. Also, K = 2F and S = 2F,

which changes the original equation to 2F +

F + 2F = 540, so 5F = 540 and F = 108. Since

there is one fork per place setting, the cook

can buy 108 place settings.

30. c. First find the total price of the pencils:

(24 pencils)($0.05) = $1.20. Then find the

total price of the paper: (3.5 reams)($7.50

per ream) = $26.25. Next, add the two

totals together: $1.20 + 26.25 = $27.45.

Part 2: Word Knowledge

1. c. If something is specious, it is deliberately

deceitful or misleading.

2. a. To expedite a process is to hurry it up or

accelerate it.

3. b. If something is plausible, it is believable or

credible.

4. b. Concurrent means happening at the same

time; simultaneous means the same thing.

5. d. Impromptu means without preparation;

spontaneous means unpremeditated.

6. a. To rescind is to cancel or withdraw an offer.

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7. c. To infer something is to surmise it or deduce

it from the evidence.

8. c. To saturate is to ﬁll or to load to capacity; to

soak is to permeate.

9. a. A synopsis is an abbreviated version; a sum-

mary is a brief statement of facts or points.

10. b. A hyperbole is an extravagant statement; an

exaggeration is an overstatement.

11. d. To delineate is to explain something in detail

or describe it.

12. a. A proponent is a supporter of something; an

advocate is someone who supports some-

thing—for instance, a cause.

13. d. An intrepid person approaches a challenge

without fear; a fearless person behaves the

same way.

14. b. A statute is a law; an ordinance is a rule or law.

15. b. To b e apathetic is to show little or no interest,

or to be indifferent.

16. a. If something is disconcerting, it is disturbing

or upsetting.

17. a. To refrain is to hold back from doing some-

thing; to desist is to cease doing something.

18. d. To delegate a task is to assign it or to appoint

another to do it.

19. b. Something that is spurious is not genuine;

something that is false

is also not genuine.

20. d. To

articulate something is to give words to it

or express it.

21. d. To appease someone is to soothe them or

calm them down.

22. c. If something is expansive, it is broad, open,

or spacious.

23. c. To b e urbane is to show the reﬁned manners

of high society; to be sophisticated is to show

worldly knowledge or reﬁnement.

24. a. A rationale is a reason for something; an

explanation is a clariﬁcation or deﬁnition or

something.

25. b. To be apathetic is to be uninterested, uncon-

cerned, or indifferent.

26. c. An accolade is a great compliment or praise.

27. d. Verisimilitude is the appearance of being true

or realism.

28. b. Umbrage is to feel resentment about some-

thing or take offense to it.

29. a. Alacrity is enthusiasm and eagerness.

30. c. Minutiae are the ﬁner points or details.

31. a. Penury is poverty, pennilessness, or

destitution.

32. c. Forbearance means patience, willingness to

wait, or tolerance.

33. a. Asperity is rigor, severity, or harshness.

34. d. Decorum is having good manners, respect, or

etiquette.

35. a. C

onsternation is concern, alarm, or dismay.

Part 3: Paragraph

Comprehension

1. d. Although the last sentence expands on the

main point, the rest of the passage explains

why hearsay evidence is only admissible

when it doesn’t matter whether or not the

statement is true.

2. a. This statement may be true, but it isn’t in the

passage.

3. b. See the last sentence of the passage.

4. c. The passage mentions the truthfulness of tes-

timony several times.

5. d. The ﬁrst two sentences of the passage state

that bus operators must have twenty hours of

training on a simulator.

6. a. The second sentence in the second paragraph

states that the simulator reinforces safe

driving habits. Although choices b, c, and d

are possible beneﬁts of the program, these are

not the main purpose of the refresher course.

7. c. The directions indicate that the city prefers,

but does not require, use of the new con-

tainer. In addition, it appears the city charges

residents only for additional containers.

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8. d. The directions state that the city would like

households to use the new containers as their

primary containers; this means other con-

tainers are allowed.

9. d. The directions mention nothing about main

or secondary roads.

10. a. The other choices are not mentioned in the

directions.

11. a. The passage states that the events it described

happened in 1956; this rules out choice c.The

purpose of the passage is to explain a histori-

cal event, so choices b and d are clearly wrong.

12. b. See the ﬁrst paragraph. Choice a is contra-

dicted in the ﬁrst paragraph, and the passage

does not discuss Lucy’s later profession

(choice c) or major (choice d).

13. d. Choices a and c are details in the passage, not

the main idea of the passage. Choice b is

incorrect because the passage states that wit-

nessing a terrorist attack might cause stress

disorders, not that it will most likely cause

stress disorders.

14. d. According to the passage, witnessing human-

induced trauma, as well as automobile car-

nage, is most difﬁcult to overcome.

15. a. The more trauma photojournalists witness,

the more likely they are to develop stress dis-

orders, so it would be most advantageous for

newsroom managers to rotate the photojour-

nalists who are exposed to traumatic events,

ensuring that no one photojournalist is

exposed more than others.

Part 4: Mathematics Knowledge

1. b. P



and R



are intersecting lines. The fact

that POS is a 90-degree angle means that



and R



are perpendicular, indicating that

all the angles formed by their intersection,

including ROQ, measure 90˚.

2. a. Incorrect answers include adding both the

numerator and the denominator and not

converting ﬁfths to tenths properly.

3. d. To convert a fraction to a percent, change the

denominator to 100 with multiplication.

(Multiply the denominator and the numera-

tor by the same number, so that you do not

change the value of the original fraction).

For example,



, which is equiva-

lent to 80%. Another way to consider this

problem is to change it to a decimal ﬁrst by

dividing the numerator, 4, by the denomina-

tor, 5; 4.00 ÷ 5 = 0.80 = 80%.

4. b. Divide the numerator by the denominator;

1.000 ÷ 3 = 0.333



. Round the answer to the

hundredths place (two decimal places) to get

the answer 0.33.

5. a. First, consider the addition: 4



+ 3



. In order

to add or subtract fractions, they must have

common denominators. Since both of the

numerators (3 and 5), are factors of 15, use

15 as your common denominator.



, so 4



= 4



, so 3



= 3



Then, add the mixed numbers with common

denominators:



+ 3



= 7



Then, 7



– 2



must be calculated. Since the

numerator of the ﬁrst fraction, 11, is smaller

than the numerator of the second fraction,

14, borrow one whole number from the 7 in



, changing it to 6, and add



to get



. Therefore, 7



= 6



Lastly, 6



– 2



= 4



6. d. Choice a reads 276; choice b reads 2,706;

choice c reads 20,076.

7. a. The ﬁrst box is one greater than –5; the sec-

ond is one greater than 0.

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8. d. 168 is the only number that can be divided

by 3, 7, and 8. 168 ÷ 3 = 56, 168 ÷ 7 = 24,

168 ÷ 8 = 21.

9. c. The meaning of 4

is 4 times itself 3 times.

10. b. Use 35 for C; F = (



× 35) + 32. Therefore F

= 63 + 32, or 95˚.

11. c. 5(3)(8) = 120; 120 ÷ 3 = 40.

12. b. To solve this problem, you must ﬁrst convert

yards to inches. There are 36 inches in a

yard; 36(3



) = 120.

13. d. To change a fraction into decimal, divide the

numerator by the denominator: 13 ÷ 4 =

3.25. Another way to consider this problem

is to change



into a mixed fraction by

dividing 13 by 4 to get 3, with



left over:



= 3



= 3.25.

14. b. Percent means “out of 100.” In order to turn

a percent into a decimal, divide it by 100:

125% =



= 1.25. (When dividing a num-

ber by a power of 10 such as 10, 100, or

1,000, simply move the decimal point of the

numerator one place to the left for every zero

in the denominator.)

15. d. An isosceles triangle has two equal legs and

one base. The perimeter of the triangle is 3

feet, which is equivalent to 36 inches (12

inches in every foot). The base is 14 inches,

so the sum of the two legs is 36 inches – 14

inches = 22 inches. Since both legs are of

equal length, 22 ÷ 2 = 11 inches for each leg.

16. c. Since the solution to the problem x + 25 =

13, x = –12.

17. b. A cube has four sides, a top, and a bottom,

which means that it has six faces.

18. d. To solve this problem, you should use the

formula A = lw, or 117 = 9l. Next, you must

divide 117 by 9 to ﬁnd the answer.

19. d. A square is a special case of all of these ﬁg-

ures except the trapezoid. A square is a paral-

lelogram because its opposite sides are

parallel, a rectangle because it is a quadrilat-

eral with 90-degree angles, and a rhombus

because it is a parallelogram with all sides

equal in length. However, a square is not a

trapezoid because a trapezoid has only two

sides parallel.

20. b. The Pythagorean theorem states that the

square of the length of the hypotenuse of a

right triangle is equal to the sum of the

squares of the other two sides, so we know

that 1

+ x

= (10



)

, so 1 + x

= 10, so x

10 – 1 = 9, so x = 3.

21. d.



= 0.6666 repeating, so 5



is equivalent to

5.66666 or 5.67.

22. d. If the ﬁgure is a regular decagon, it can be

divided into ten equal sections by lines

passing through the center. Two such lines

form the indicated angle, which includes

three of the ten sections;



of 360˚ = 108˚.

23. b. The 7 is in the hundredths place, therefore,

0.07 is equal to



, and 2.07 = 2



.“Nega-

tive 2.07” is equal to –2



24. b. 62.5% is



. You should multiply both the

numerator and denominator by 10 to move

the decimal point, resulting in



, and

then factor both the numerator and denomi-

nator to ﬁnd out how far you can reduce the

fraction;



equals



(

)

(

)

(

)

(

)



. If you cancel

the three 5s that are in both the numerator

and denominator, you will get



25. d. A line that intersects two parallel lines forms

supplementary angles on either side of it.

Supplementary angles are angles whose

measures add up to 180˚; 180 – 40 = 140.

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– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 1–

Scoring

Write your raw score (the number you got right) for each test in the blanks below. Then turn to Chapter 3 to ﬁnd

out how to convert these raw scores into the scores the armed services use.

1. Arithmetic Reasoning: right out of 30

2. Word Knowledge: right out of 35

3. Paragraph Comprehension: right out of 15

4. Mathematics Knowledge: right out of 25

Here are the steps you should take, depending on your AFQT score on the ﬁrst practice test:

■

If your AFQT is below 29, you need more help in reading and/or math. You should spend plenty of time

reviewing the lessons and practice questions found in this book.

■

If your AFQT is 29–31, be sure to focus on your weakest subjects in the review lessons and practice ques-

tions that are found in this book.

■

If your AFQT is above 31, review the areas that give you trouble, and then take the second practice test in

Chapter 12 to make sure you are able to get a passing score again.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 59

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 60

wo subtests of the ASVAB—Arithmetic Reasoning and Mathematics Knowledge—cover math skills.

Arithmetic Reasoning is basically math word problems. Mathematics Knowledge tests your knowl-

edge of math concepts, principles, and procedures. You don’t have to do a lot of calculation in the

Mathematics Knowledge subtest; you need to know basic terminology (like sum and perimeter), formulas (such

as the area of a square), and computation rules. Both subtests cover the subjects you probably studied in school.

This chapter reviews concepts you will need for both Arithmetic Reasoning and Mathematics Knowledge.

Chapter 7 gives you more of these types of problems for extra practice.



Math Strategies

■

Don’t work in your head! Use your test book or scratch paper to take notes, draw pictures, and calculate.

Although you might think that you can solve math questions more quickly in your head, that’s a good way

to make mistakes. Write out each step.

CHAPTER

Math Review

CHAPTER SUMMARY

This chapter gives you some important tips for dealing with math ques-

tions and reviews some of the most commonly tested concepts. If you

need to learn or review important math skills, this chapter is for you.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 61

■

Read a math question in chunks, rather than

straight through from beginning to end. As you

read each chunk, stop to think about what it

means and make notes or draw a picture to repre-

sent that chunk.

■

When you get to the actual question, circle it.

This will keep you more focused as you solve the

problem.

■

Glance at the answer choices for clues. If they are

fractions, you probably should do your work in

fractions; if they are decimals, you should proba-

bly work in decimals; and so on.

■

Make a plan of attack to help you solve the

problem.

■

If a question stumps you, try one of the back-

door approaches explained in the next section.

These are particularly useful for solving word

problems.

■

When you get your answer, reread the circled

question to make sure you have answered it.

This helps avoid the careless mistake of answering

the wrong question.

■

Check your work after you get an answer. Test-

takers get a false sense of security when they get an

answer that matches one of the multiple-choice

answers. Here are some good ways to check your

work if you have time:

■

Ask yourself if your answer is reasonable, if

it makes sense.

■

Plug your answer back into the problem to

make sure the problem holds together.

■

Do the question a second time, but use a

different method.

■

Approximate when appropriate. For example:

■

$5.98 + $8.97 is a little less than $15. (Add:

$6 + $9)

■

.9876 × 5.0342 is close to 5. (Multiply: 1 × 5)

■

Skip hard questions and come back to them later.

Mark them in your test book so you can ﬁnd them

quickly.

Backdoor Approaches for

Answering Tough Questions

Many word problems are actually easier to solve by

backdoor approaches. The two techniques that follow

are time-saving ways to solve multiple-choice word

problems that you don’t know how to solve with a

straightforward approach. The ﬁrst technique, nice

numbers, is useful when there are unknowns (like x) in

the text of the word problem, making the problem too

abstract for you. The second technique, working back-

ward, presents a quick way to substitute numeric answer

choices back into the problem to see which one works.

Nice Numbers

1. When a question contains unknowns, like x,

plug nice numbers in for the unknowns. A nice

number is easy to calculate with and makes

sense in the problem.

2. Read the question with the nice numbers in

place. Then solve it.

3. If the answer choices are all numbers, the choice

that matches your answer is the right one.

4. If the answer choices contain unknowns, substi-

tute the same nice numbers into all the answer

choices. The choice that matches your answer is

the right one. If more than one answer matches,

do the problem again with different nice num-

bers. You will have to check only the answer

choices that have already matched.

Example:

Judi went shopping with p dollars in her pocket.

If s shirts cost d dollars, what is the maximum

number of shirts Judi could buy with the money

in her pocket?

a. psd



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To solve this problem, let’s try these nice numbers: p =

$100, s = 2; d = $25. Now reread it with the numbers in

place:

Judi went shopping with $100 in her pocket. If 2

shirts cost $25, what is the maximum number of

shirts Judi could buy with the money in her

pocket?

Since 2 shirts cost $25, that means that 4 shirts cost $50,

and 8 shirts cost $100. So our answer is 8. Let’s substi-

tute the nice numbers into all four answers:

a. 100 × 2 × 25 = 5,000



100

× 2



= 8



100

× 25



= 1,250



The answer is b because it is the only one that matches

our answer of 8.

Working Backward

You can frequently solve a word problem by plugging

the answer choices back into the text of the problem to

see which one ﬁts all the facts stated in the problem. The

process is faster than you think because you will prob-

ably have to substitute only one or two answers to ﬁnd

the right one.

This approach works only when:

■

All of the answer choices are numbers.

■

You are asked to ﬁnd a simple number, not a sum,

product, difference, or ratio.

Here’s What to Do

1. Look at all the answer choices and begin with the

one in the middle of the range. For example, if

the answers are 14, 8, 2, 20, and 25, begin by

plugging 14 into the problem.

2. If your choice doesn’t work, eliminate it. Deter-

mine if you need a bigger or smaller answer.

3. Plug in one of the remaining choices.

4. If none of the answers works, you may have

made a careless error. Begin again or look for

your mistake.

Example:

Juan ate



of the jellybeans. Maria then ate



the remaining jellybeans, which left 10 jellybeans.

How many jellybeans were there to begin with?

a. 60

b. 80

c. 90

d. 120

Starting with the middle answer, let’s assume there

were 90 jellybeans to begin with:

Since Juan ate



of them, that means he ate 30

(



× 90 = 30), leaving 60 of them (90 – 30 =

60). Maria then ate



of the 60 jellybeans, or

45 of them (



× 60 = 45). That leaves 15 jelly-

beans (60 – 45 = 15).

The problem states that there were 10 jellybeans

left, and we wound up with 15 of them. That indicates

that we started with too big a number. Thus, 90 and 120

are incorrect. With only two choices left, let’s use com-

mon sense to decide which one to try. The next lower

answer is only a little smaller than 90 and may not be

small enough. So, let’s try 60:

Since Juan ate



of them, that means he ate 20

(



× 60 = 20), leaving 40 of them (60 – 20 =

40). Maria then ate



of the 40 jellybeans, or 30

of them (



× 40 = 30). That leaves 10 jellybeans

(40 – 30 = 10).

The result of 10 jellybeans agrees with the prob-

lem, so the correct answer is a.

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

Word Problems

Many of the math problems on tests are word problems. A word problem can include any kind of math, includ-

ing simple arithmetic, fractions, decimals, percentages, even algebra and geometry.

The hardest part of any word problem is translating English into math. When you read a problem, you can fre-

quently translate it

word for word

from English statements into mathematical statements. At other times, however, a key

word in the word problem hints at the mathematical operation to be performed. Here are the translation rules:

EQUALS key words: is, are, has

English Math

Bob is 18 years old. b = 18

There are seven hats. h = 7

Judi has ﬁve cats. c = 5

ADDITION key words: sum; more, greater, or older than; total; altogether

English Math

The sum of two numbers is 10. x + y = 10

Karen has $5 more than Sam. k = 5 + s

The base is 3" greater than the height. b = 3 + h

Judi is two years older than Tony. j = 2 + t

The total of three numbers is 25. a + b + c = 25

How much do Joan and Tom have all together? j + t = ?

SUBTRACTION key words: difference, fewer, less or younger than, remain, left over

English Math

The difference between two numbers is 17. x – y = 17

Mike has ﬁve fewer* cats than twice the number Jan has. m = 2j – 5

Jay is two years younger than Brett. j = b – 2

After Carol ate three apples, r apples remained. r = a – 3

MULTIPLICATION key words: of, product, times

English Math

Twenty percent of Matthew’s baseball caps are red. 0.20 × m

Half of the boys will be there.



× b

The product of two numbers is 12. a × b = 12

DIVISION key word: per

English Math

Add 15 drops per teaspoon.



Her car gets 22 miles per gallon.



llo



Note: Notice that the order of subtraction is ﬂipped when “fewer than” is used: “8 less than 10” translates to “10 – 8,”

not “8 – 10.”

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– CHAPTER TITLE–

Glossary of Terms

Denominator the bottom number in a fraction. Example: 2 is the denominator in



Difference subtract. The difference of 2 numbers means subtract one number from the other.

Divisible by a number is divisible by a second number if that second number divides evenly into

the original number. Example: 10 is divisible by 5 (10 ÷ 5 = 2, with no remainder). How-

ever, 10 is not divisible by 3. (See multiple of )

Even Integer integers that are divisible by 2, like . . . –4, –2, 0, 2, 4. . . . (See integer)

Integer numbers along the number line, like . . . –3, –2, –1, 0, 1, 2, 3. . . . Integers include the

whole numbers and their opposites. (See whole number)

Multiple of a number is a multiple of a second number if that second number can be multiplied

by an integer to get the original number. Example: 10 is a multiple of 5 (10 = 5 × 2);

however, 10 is not a multiple of 3. (See divisible by)

Negative Number a number that is less than zero, like . . . –1, –18.6, –



. . . .

Numerator the top part of a fraction. Example: 1 is the numerator of



Odd Integer integers that aren’t divisible by 2, like . . . –5, –3, –1, 1, 3. . . .

Positive Number a number that is greater than zero, like . . . 2, 42,



, 4.63. . . .

Prime Number integers that are divisible only by 1 and themselves, like . . . 2, 3, 5, 7, 11. . . . All prime

numbers are odd, except for the number 2. The number 1 is not considered prime.

Product multiply. The product of two numbers is the answer when the numbers are multiplied

together.

Quotient the answer you get when you divide. Example: 10 divided by 5 is 2; the quotient is 2.

Real Number all the numbers you can think of, like . . . 17, –5,



, –23.6, 3.4329, 0. . . . Real num-

bers include the integers, fractions, and decimals. (See integer)

Remainder the number left over after division. Example: 11 divided by 2 is 5, with a remainder of

Sum the sum of two numbers is the answer when the numbers are added together.

Whole Number counting numbers that do not have decimals, like . . . 0, 1, 2, 3. . . . All whole numbers

are positive.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 65

Distance Formula: Distance = Rate x Time

The key words are words that imply movement, like plane, train, boat, car, walk, run, climb, or swim. In these cases,

use d = r  t (distance = rate  time), making sure that your units are the same. (You cannot use minutes & hours

in the same equation—you must convert all items into the same unit. For example, 90 minutes equals 1.5 hours.)

■

How far did the plane travel in four hours if it averaged 300 miles per hour?

d = r  t

d = 300 × 4

d = 1,200 miles

■

Ben walked 20 miles in four hours. What was his average speed?

d = r  t

20 = r × 4

5 miles per hour = r

Solving a Word Problem Using the Translation Table

Remember the problem at the beginning of this chapter about the jellybeans?

Juan ate



of the jellybeans. Maria then ate



of the remaining jellybeans, which left 10 jellybeans. How

many jellybeans were there to begin with?

a. 60

b. 80

c. 90

d. 120

We solved it by working backward. Now, let’s solve it using our translation rules.

Assume Juan started with J jellybeans. Eating



of them means eating



× J jellybeans. Maria ate a fraction

of the remaining jellybeans, which means we must subtract to ﬁnd out how many are left: J –



× J =



× J. Maria

then ate



, leaving



of the



× J jellybeans, or



× J jellybeans. Multiplying out



× J gives



J as the num-

ber of jellybeans left. The problem states that there were 10 jellybeans left, meaning that we set



× J equal to 10:



× J = 10.

Solving this equation for J gives J = 60. Thus, the right answer is a (the same answer we got when we worked

backward). As you can see, both methods—working backward and translating from English to math—work. You

should use whichever method is more comfortable for you.

– MATH REVIEW–

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Practice Word Problems

You will ﬁnd word problems using fractions, decimals, and percentages in those sections of this chapter. For now,

practice using the translation table on problems that just require you to work with basic arithmetic. Answers are

found on page 98.

1. Joan went shopping with $100.00 and returned home with only $18.42. How much money did she spend?

a. $81.58

b. $72.68

c. $72.58

d. $71.58

2. Mark invited ten friends to a party. Each friend brought three guests. How many people came to the party,

excluding Mark?

a. 3

b. 10

c. 30

d. 40

3. If Jennifer uses her cell phone approximately 2.5 hours a day for her new travel business Monday through

Friday, and 2.5 hours a day for personal calls on Saturdays and Sundays, how many minutes will she use in

April, which has 30 days?

a. 2,500 minutes

b. 3,000 minutes

c. 3,500 minutes

d. 4,500 minutes

4. Mr. Wallace is writing a budget request to upgrade his personal computer system. He wants to purchase a

hard drive, which will cost $100, two new software programs at $350 each, a color printer for $249, and an

additional color cartridge for $25. What is the total amount Mr. Wallace should write on his budget

request?

a. $724

b. $974

c. $1,049

d. $1,074

– MATH REVIEW–

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

Fraction Review

Problems involving fractions may be straightforward calculation questions, or they may be word problems. Typ-

ically, they ask you to add, subtract, multiply, divide, or compare fractions.

Working with Fractions

A fraction is a part of something.

Example: Let’s say that a pizza was cut into eight equal slices and you ate three of them. The fraction



tells you what part of the pizza you ate. The pizza below shows this: Three of the eight pieces (the ones

you ate) are shaded.

THREE KINDS OF FRACTIONS

Proper fraction The numerator is less than the denominator:



;



;



;



The value of a proper fraction is less than 1.

Improper fraction The numerator is greater than or equal to the denominator:



;



;



;



The value of an improper fraction is 1 or more.

Mixed number A fraction written to the right of a whole number:



; 4



; 12



; 24



The value of a mixed number is more than 1: it is the sum of the whole number

plus the fraction.

– MATH REVIEW–

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Changing Improper Fractions into Mixed or Whole Numbers

Sometimes, you’ll need to turn an improper fraction into a mixed number. To change an improper fraction, say



, into a mixed number, follow these steps:

1. Divide the denominator (2) into the numerator (13) to get the whole

number portion (6) of the mixed number:

2. Write the remainder of the division (1) over the old denominator (2): 6



3. Check: Change the mixed number back into an improper fraction (see the following section). If you end

up with your original improper fraction, your answer is correct.

Changing Mixed Numbers into Improper Fractions

You must change mixed numbers into improper fractions when multiplying or dividing. To change a mixed num-

ber, say 2



, into an improper fraction, follow these steps:

1. Multiply the whole number (2) by the denominator (4): 2 × 4 = 8

2. Add the result (8) to the numerator (3): 8 + 3 = 11

3. Put the total (11) over the denominator (4):



4. Check: Reverse the process by changing the improper fraction into a mixed number. If you get the number

you started with, your answer is right.

Reducing Fractions

Reducing a fraction means writing it in lowest terms, that is, with the smallest possible numerator and denomi-

nator. For instance, 50¢ is



of a dollar, or



of a dollar. In fact, if you have 50¢ in your pocket, you say that you

have half a dollar. Reducing a fraction does not change its value.

Follow these steps to reduce a fraction:

1. Find a whole number that divides evenly into both numbers that make up the fraction.

2. Divide that number into the numerator, and replace the numerator with the quotient (the answer you got

when you divided).

3. Do the same thing to the denominator.

4. Repeat the ﬁrst three steps until you can’t ﬁnd a number that divides evenly into both the numerator and

the denominator of the fraction.

For example, let’s reduce



. We could do it in two steps







; then







. Or we could do it in a single

step



Shortcut: When the numerator and denominator both end in zeros, cross out the same number of zeros in

both numbers to begin the reducing process. For example,



reduces to



when you cross out two

zeros in both numbers. This trick works because you’re dividing both numbers by a power of ten, like 10;

100; 1,000; etc.

– MATH REVIEW–

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

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 69

Whenever you do arithmetic with fractions, reduce your answer. On a multiple-choice test, don’t panic if

your answer isn’t listed. Try to reduce it and then compare it to the choices.

Reduce these fractions to lowest terms:



Raising Fractions to Higher Terms

Before you can add and subtract fractions, you have to know how to raise a fraction to higher terms. This is actu-

ally the opposite of reducing a fraction.

Follow these steps to raise



to 24ths:

1. Divide the old denominator (3) into the new one (24):



= 8

2. Multiply the answer (8) by the old numerator(2): 2 × 8 = 16

3. Put the answer (16) over the new denominator (24):



4. Check: Reduce the new fraction to see if you return to the original one:



Raise these fractions to higher terms:



10.



Adding Fractions

In order to add and subtract fractions, they must have the same denominator. If the fractions have the same denom-

inators, just add the numerators together and write the total over the denominator.

Examples:



Reduce the



Change



to a mixed number: 1



, then reduce: 1



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There are a few extra steps to add mixed numbers with the same denominators, such as 2



+ 1



1. Add the fractions:



2. Change the improper fraction into a mixed number:



= 1



3. Add the whole numbers: 2 + 1 = 3

4. Add the results of steps 2 and 3: 1



+ 3 = 4



Finding the Least Common Denominator

If the fractions you want to add don’t have the same denominator, you will have to raise some or all of the frac-

tions to higher terms so that they do have a common denominator. All of the original denominators divide evenly

into the common denominator. If it is the smallest number that they all divide evenly into, it is called the least

common denominator (LCD).

Here are a few tips for ﬁnding the LCD, the smallest number that all the denominators evenly divide into:

■

See if all the denominators divide evenly into the biggest one.

■

Write out a multiplication table of the largest denominator until you ﬁnd a number that all the others

divide into evenly.

■

When all else fails, multiply all the denominators together.

Example:



1. Find the LCD. Multiply the denominators: 3 × 5=15

2. Raise each fraction to 15ths:



___________



3. Add as usual:

Try these addition problems:

11.



12.



13. 4



+ 2



Subtracting Fractions

Like addition, fractions must have the same denominators before subtracting. If the fractions have the same denom-

inators, just subtract the numerators and write the difference over the denominator.

Example:



–



4–



– MATH REVIEW–

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If the fractions you want to subtract don’t have the same denominator, you will have to raise some or all of

the fractions to higher terms so that they all have the same denominator, or LCD. If you forgot how to ﬁnd the

LCD, just read the section on adding fractions with different denominators.

Example:



–



1. Raise each fraction to 12ths because 12 is the LCD, the smallest number

that 6 and 4 both divide into evenly:

2. Subtract as usual:

Subtracting mixed numbers with the same denominator is similar to adding mixed numbers.

Example: 4



– 1



1. Subtract the fractions:



–



2. Subtract the whole numbers: 4 – 1 = 3

3. Add the results of steps 1 and 2:



+ 3 = 3



Sometimes, there is an extra “borrowing” step when you subtract mixed numbers with the same denomi-

nators, say 7



– 2



1. You can’t subtract the fractions the way they are because



is bigger than



. So you borrow 1 from the 7,

making it 6, and change that 1 to



because 5 is the denominator: 7



2. Add the numbers from step 1: 6



3. Now you have a different version of the original problem: 6



–2



4. Subtract the fractional parts of the two mixed numbers:



–



5. Subtract the whole number parts of the two mixed numbers: 6 – 2 = 4

6. Add the results of the last 2 steps together: 4 +



Try these subtraction problems:

14.



–



15.



–



–



16. 10



– 6



– MATH REVIEW–



–



_________



6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 72

Now, let’s put what you have learned about adding and subtracting fractions to work in some real-life

problems:

17. Manuel drove 3



miles to work. Then he drove 4



miles to the store. When he left there, he drove 2 miles

to the dry cleaner. Then he drove 3



miles back to work for a meeting. Finally, he drove 3



miles home.

How many miles did he travel in total?

a. 17



b. 16



c. 15



d. 15



18. Before leaving the warehouse, a truck driver noted that the mileage gauge registered 4,357



miles. When

he arrived at the delivery location, the mileage gauge then registered 4,400



miles. How many miles did he

drive from the warehouse to the delivery location?

a. 42



b. 42



c. 43



d. 47



Multiplying Fractions

Multiplying fractions is actually easier than adding them. All you do is multiply the numerators and then multi-

ply the denominators.

Examples:



Sometimes you can cancel before multiplying. Canceling is a shortcut that makes the multiplication go faster

because you’re multiplying with smaller numbers. It’s very similar to reducing: if there is a number that divides

evenly into both the numerator and the denominator, do that division before multiplying. If you forget to can-

cel, you will still get the right answer, but you will have to reduce it.

Example:



1. Cancel the 6 and the 9 by dividing 3 into both of them: 6 ÷ 3 = 2 and 9 ÷ 3 = 3. Cross out the 6 and the 9.

2. Cancel the 5 and the 20 by dividing 5 into both of them: 5 ÷ 5 = 1 and 20 ÷ 5 = 4. Cross out the 5 and the 20.

3. Multiply across the new numerators and denominators:



– MATH REVIEW–

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 73

Try these multiplication problems:

19.



20.



21.



To multiply a fraction by a whole number, ﬁrst rewrite the whole number as a fraction with a denominator

of 1.

Example: 5 ×



(Optional: Convert



to a mixed number: 3



)

To multiply with mixed numbers, you must change them to improper fractions before multiplying.

Example: 4



× 5



1. Convert 4



to an improper fraction: 4



(4 × 3

+2)



2. Convert 5



to an improper fraction: 5



(5 × 2

+1)



3. Cancel and multiply the fractions:











4. Optional: Convert the improper fraction to a mixed number:



=25



Now, try these multiplication problems with mixed numbers and whole numbers:

22. 4



23. 4



× 12 =

24. 3



× 4



Here are a few more real-life problems to test your skills:

25. After driving



of the 15 miles to work, Mr. Stone stopped to make a phone call. How many miles had he

driven when he made his call?

a. 5

b. 7



c. 10

d. 12

– MATH REVIEW–

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26. Alrecho used



of his savings on his ﬁrst two years of college. If his original savings totaled $14,000, how

much did he use during his ﬁrst two years?

a. $5,000

b. $5,700

c. $7,000

d. $10,000

27. Technician Chin makes $14.00 an hour. When she works more than 8 hours a day, she gets overtime pay of



times her regular hourly wage for the extra hours. How much did she earn for working 11 hours in one

day?

a. $77

b. $154

c. $175

d. $210

Dividing Fractions

To divide one fraction by a second fraction, invert the second fraction (that is, ﬂip the numerator and denomi-

nator) and then multiply.

Example:



1. Invert the second fraction (



. This is called the reciprocal of



2. Change the division sign (÷) to a multiplication sign (×).

3. Multiply the ﬁrst fraction by the reciprocal of the second fraction:



To divide a fraction by a whole number, ﬁrst change the whole number to a fraction by putting it over 1. Then

follow the division steps.

Example:



÷2 =



When the division problem has a mixed number, convert it to an improper fraction and then divide as usual.

Example: 2



1. Convert 2



to an improper fraction: 2



2 × 4



2. Divide



3. Flip



, change ÷ to ×, cancel, and multiply:











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Here are a few division problems to try:

28.



29. 2



30.



÷3 =

31. 3



÷2



Let’s wrap this up with some real-life problems:

32. If four friends evenly split 6



pounds of candy, how many pounds of candy does each friend get?



b. 1



c. 1



d. 1



33. If Terry has a cord that is 23



inches long and he needs to divide it into



-inch segments for a school proj-

ect, how many



-inch pieces of rope will he have when ﬁnished?

a. 23 pieces

b. 26 pieces

c. 31 pieces

d. 34 pieces

34. Ms. Goldbaum earned $36.75 for working 3



hours. What was her hourly wage?

a. $10.00

b. $10.50

c. $10.75

d. $12.00

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

Decimals

A decimal is a special kind of fraction. You use decimals every day when you deal with money—$10.35 is a dec-

imal that represents 10 dollars and 35 cents. The decimal point separates the dollars from the cents. Because there

are 100 cents in one dollar, 1¢ is



of a dollar, or $.01.

Each decimal digit to the right of the decimal point has a name:

Examples: .1 = 1 tenth =



.02 = 2 hundredths =



.003 = 3 thousandths =



1,0



.0004 = 4 ten-thousandths =



10,

000



When you add zeros after the right-most decimal place, you don’t change the value of the decimal. For exam-

ple, 6.17 is the same as all of these:

6.170

6.1700

6.17000000000000000

If there are digits on both sides of the decimal point (like 10.35), the number is called a mixed decimal. If there

are digits only to the right of the decimal point (like .53), the number is called a decimal. A whole number (like 15)

is understood to have a decimal point at its right (15.). Thus, 15 is the same as 15.0, 15.00, 15.000, and so on.

Changing Fractions to Decimals

To change a fraction to a decimal, divide the denominator into the numerator after you put a decimal point and

a few zeros to the right of the numerator. When you divide, bring the decimal point up into your answer.

Example: Change



to a decimal.

1. Add a decimal point and two zeros to the top number (3): 3.00

2. Divide the bottom number (4) into 3.00:

Bring the decimal point up into the answer:

3. The quotient (result of the division) is the answer: .75

Some fractions may require you to add many decimal zeros in order for the division to come out evenly. In

fact, when you convert a fraction like



to a decimal, you can keep adding decimal zeros to the top number for-

ever because the division will never come out evenly. As you divide 3 into 2, you will keep getting 6s:

2 ÷ 3 = .6666666666 etc.

This is called a repeating decimal and it can be written as .666



or as .66



. You can approximate it as .67, .667,

.6667, and so on.

– MATH REVIEW–

.75

43.

↑



2 8

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 77

Changing Decimals to Fractions

To change a decimal to a fraction, write the digits of the decimal as the numerator and write the decimal’s name

as the denominator. Then reduce the fraction, if possible.

Example: .018

1. Write 18 as the numerator: 18

2. Three places to the right of the decimal means thousandths,

so write 1,000 as the denominator:



3. Reduce by dividing 2 into the top and bottom numbers:



Now, change these decimals or mixed decimals to fractions:

35. .005 =

36. 3.48 =

37. 123.456 =

Comparing Decimals

Because decimals are easier to compare when they have the same number of digits after the decimal point, tack

zeros onto the end of the shorter decimals. Then, all you have to do is compare the numbers as if the decimal points

weren’t there:

Example: Compare .08 and .1.

1. Tack one zero at the end of .1: .10

2. To compare .10 to .08, just compare 10 to 8.

3. Since 10 is larger than 8, .1 is larger than .08.

Adding and Subtracting Decimals

To add or subtract decimals, stack them so their decimal points are aligned. You may want to tack on zeros at the

end of shorter decimals so you can keep all your digits lined up evenly. Remember, if a number doesn’t have a dec-

imal point, then put one at the right end of the number.

Example: 1.23 + 57 + .038 =

1. Line up the numbers like this: 1.230

2. Add. 57.000

+ .038

58.268

Example: 1.23 – .038 =

1. Line up the numbers like this: 1.230

2. Subtract. – .038

1.192

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Try these addition and subtraction problems:

38. 0.007 + 7.7 + 700 =

39. .005 + 8 + .3 =

40. 3.48 – 2.573 =

41. 123.456 – 122 =

42. A park ranger drove 3.7 miles to the state park. He then walked 1.6 miles around the park to make sure

everything was all right. He got back into the car, drove 2.75 miles to check on a broken light, and then

drove 2 miles back to the ranger station. How many miles did he drive in total?

a. 8.05

b. 8.45

c. 8.8

d. 10

e. 10.05

43. Over the course of one year, the price for a stock dropped from $101.53 per share to $78.97 per share. How

much did this stock’s shares drop in price?

a. $23.44

b. $22.56

c. $33.56

d. $13.44

Multiplying Decimals

To multiply decimals, ignore the decimal points and just multiply the numbers. Then, count the total number of

decimal digits (the digits to the right of the decimal point) in the numbers you are multiplying. Starting on the

right side of your answer, count backward to the left one space for each of the decimal digits, and then put the

decimal point to the left of those digits. For example, if you have three decimal digits, count back three spaces and

then insert the decimal into your answer.

Example: 215.7 × 2.4

1. Multiply 2,157 times 24: 2,157

8,628

4,314

51,768

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2. Because there are a total of two decimal digits in 215.7 and 2.4, count

off two places from the right in 51,768, placing the decimal point to

the left of the last two digits: 517.68

If your answer doesn’t have enough digits, tack zeros on to the left of the answer.

Example: .03 × .006

1. Multiply 3 times 6: 3 × 6 = 18

2. You need ﬁve decimal digits in your answer, so tack on three zeros: 00018

3. Put the decimal point at the front of the number (which is

ﬁve digits from the right): .00018

You can practice multiplying decimals with these:

44. .05 × .6 =

45. .053 × 6.4 =

46. 38.1 × .0184 =

47. Gas costs $5.12 per gallon in Lone Pine, California. If Jessie puts 8.5 gallons in her car, how much will that

cost?

a. $40.60

b. $42.50

c. $43.52

d. $44.60

48. Nuts cost $3.50 per pound. Approximately how much will 4.25 pounds of nuts cost?

a. $12.25

b. $12.88

c. $14.50

d. $14.88

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Dividing Decimals

To divide a decimal by a whole number, set up the division (8.2



), and immediately bring the decimal point

straight up into the answer (8.

↑



). Then, divide as you would normally divide whole numbers.

Example: .032

8 .

↑



To divide any number by a decimal, you must perform an extra step before you can divide. Move the deci-

mal point to the very right of the number you are dividing by, counting the number of places you are moving it.

Then, move the decimal point the same number of places to the right in the number you are dividing into. In other

words, ﬁrst change the problem to one in which you are dividing by a whole number.

Example: .061.



1. Because there are two decimal digits in .06, move the decimal point two places to the right in both num-

bers and move the decimal point straight up into the answer:

.06.1.



↑



 

2. Divide using the new numbers:

20.3

612



Under certain conditions, you have to tack on zeros to the right of the last decimal digit in the number you

are dividing into:

■

if there aren’t enough digits for you to move the decimal point to the right.

■

if the answer doesn’t come out evenly when you do the division.

■

if you are dividing a whole number by a decimal. Then you will have to tack on the decimal point as well as

some zeros.

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Try your skills on these division problems:

49. 79.



50. .0004.0



51. .528



52. .1419



53. If Mary Lou paid $11.00 for 4 pounds of grapes, how much did the grapes cost per pound?

a. $2.75

b. $2.65

c. $2.80

d. $2.85

54. Mary walked a total of 18.6 miles in 4 days. On average, how many miles did she walk each day?

a. 4.15

b. 4.60

c. 4.65

d. 22.60



Percents

Percent literally means “out of 100.” It is easy to compare fractions when they are both out of 100, which is why

percents are so useful. For example, 17% is the same as



. The root cent means 100: A century is 100 years; there

are 100 cents in a dollar, etc. Thus, 17% means 17 parts out of 100. Because fractions can also be expressed as dec-

imals, 17% is also equivalent to .17, which is 17 hundredths.

You come into contact with percents every day. Sales tax, interest, and discounts are just a few common

examples.

If you’re shaky on fractions, you may want to review the fraction section again before reading further.

Changing a Decimal to a Percent and Vice Versa

To change a decimal to a percent, move the decimal point two places to the right and tack on a percent sign (%)

at the end. If the decimal point moves to the end of the number, you can eliminate it. If there aren’t enough places

to move the decimal point, add zeros on the right before moving the decimal point.

To change a percent to a decimal, drop off the percent sign and move the decimal point two places to the

left. If there aren’t enough places to move the decimal point, add zeros on the left before moving the decimal point.

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Try changing these decimals to percents:

55. .45 =

56. .008 =

57. 0.0875 =

Now, change these percents to decimals:

58. 12% =

59. 87



% =

60. 250% =

Changing a Fraction to a Percent and Vice Versa

To change a fraction to a percent, there are two techniques. Each is illustrated by changing the fraction



to a percent:

Technique 1: Multiply the fraction by 100%.

Multiply



by 100%:











= 25%.

Technique 2: Divide the denominator into the numerator; then, move the decimal point two places

to the right and tack on a percent sign (%).

Divide 4 into 1 and move the decimal point two places to the right:

.25

41.



.25 = 25%

To change a percent to a fraction, remove the percent sign and write the number over 100. Then, reduce if

possible.

Example: Change 4% to a fraction.

1. Remove the % and write the fraction 4 over 100:



2. Reduce:



Example: Change 16



% to a fraction.

1. Remove the % and write the fraction 16



over 100:

2. Since a fraction means “numerator divided by denominator,” rewrite the fraction as a division problem:



÷ 100

3. Change the mixed number (16



) to an improper fraction (



4. Flip the second fraction (



) and multiply:











100

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Try changing these fractions to percents:

61.



62.



63.



Now, change these percents to fractions:

64. 95% =

65. 37



% =

66. 125% =

Sometimes it is more convenient to work with a percentage as a fraction or a decimal. Rather than have to

calculate the equivalent fraction or decimal, consider memorizing the equivalence table below. Not only will this

increase your efﬁciency on the math test, but it will also be practical for real-life situations.

CONVERSION TABLE

Decimal % Fraction

.25 25%



.50 50%



.75 75%



.10 10%



.20 20%



.40 40%



.60 60%



.80 80%



.333





.666





– MATH REVIEW–

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Percent Word Problems

Word problems involving percents come in three main varieties:

■

Find a percent of a whole.

Example: What is 30% of 40?

■

Find what percent one number is of another.

Example: 12 is what percent of 40?

■

Find the whole when the percent of it is given.

Example: 12 is 30% of what number?

While each variety has its own approach, there is a single shortcut formula you can use to solve each of these:



The is is the number that usually follows or is just before the word is in the question.

The of is the number that usually follows the word of in the question.

The % is the number that is in front of the % or percent in the question.

Or you may think of the shortcut formula as:



part × 100 = whole × %

To solve each of the three varieties, let’s use the fact that the cross-products are equal. The cross-products

are the products of the numbers diagonally across from each other. Remembering that product means multiply,

here’s how to create the cross-products for the percent shortcut:



part × 100 = whole × %

Here’s how to use the shortcut with cross-products:

■

Find a percent of a whole.

What is 30% of 40?

30 is the % and 40 is the of number:



Cross multiply and solve for is: is × 100 = 40 × 30

is × 100 = 1,200

12 × 100 = 1,200

Thus, 12 is 30% of 40.

■

Find what percent one number is of another number.

12 is what percent of 40?

12 is the is number and 40 is the of number:



Cross multiply and solve for %: 12 × 100 = 40 × %

1,200 = 40 × %

1,200 = 40 × 30

Thus, 12 is 30% of 40.

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■

Find the whole when the percent of it is given.

12 is 30% of what number?

12 is the is number and 30 is the %:



Cross-multiply and solve for the of number: 12 × 100 = of × 30

1,200 = of × 30

1,200 = 40 × 30

Thus, 12 is 30% of 40.

A common type of percentage question involves ﬁnding the percentage of increase or decrease between two

numbers. When solving such questions, it is helpful to use the following formula:

percent of change = amount of change/original amount

To ﬁnd the amount of change, ﬁnd the difference between the original number and the new number by using

subtraction. Put this answer over the original amount. After that number is turned into a percentage, it will be your

percent of change.

Example: If attendance of a class drops from 50 students in the fall semester to 40 students in the spring

semester, ﬁnd the percent of decrease in the class enrollment.

1. Find the amount of change: 50 – 40 = 10 students

2. Divide the amount of change by the original amount:



3. Turn that fraction into a percentage:



= 20%

4. Therefore, the class enrollment dropped by 20%.

Note that if the class enrollment were to rise from 40 students to 50 students, that would not be a 20%

increase! Although the amount of change would still be 10 students, the original amount would be 40 students

(instead of 50 students), which would change your answer:

1. Amount of change: 50 – 40 = 10 students

2. Divide the amount of change by the original amount:



3. Turn that fraction into a percentage:



= 25%

4. Therefore, the class enrollment would have a percentage increase of 25%.

Find a percent of a whole:

67. 1% of 25 =

68. 18.2% of 50 =

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69. 42.5% of 200 =

70. 125% of 60 =

Find what percent one number is of another number:

71. 10 is what % of 20?

72. 16 is what % of 24?

73. 12 is what % of 4?

Find the whole when the percent of it is given:

74. 15% of what number is 15?

75. 37



% of what number is 3?

76. 200% of what number is 20?

Now, try your percent skills on some real-life problems:

77. Last Monday, 20% of 140 staff members were absent. How many employees were absent that day?

a. 14

b. 28

c. 112

d. 126

78. 40% of Vero’s postal service employees are women. If there are 80 women in Vero’s postal service, how

many men are employed there?

a. 32

b. 112

c. 120

d. 160

79. There are 780 students at Cliffside Park High School. If 273 of them play at least one sport, what percent-

age of Cliffside Park High School students play sports?

a. 27.3%

b. 2.85%

c. 30%

d. 35%

– MATH REVIEW–

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80. Sam’s Shoe Store put all of its merchandise on sale for 20% off. If Jason saved $10 by purchasing one pair of

shoes during the sale, what was the original price of the shoes?

a. $12

b. $20

c. $40

d. $50



Averages

An average, also called an arithmetic mean, is a number that typiﬁes a group of numbers, a measure of central

tendency. You come into contact with averages on a regular basis: your bowling average, the average grade on a

test, the average number of hours you work per week.

To calculate an average, add up the number of items being averaged and divide by the number of items.

Example: What is the average of 6, 10, and 20?

Solution: Add the three numbers together and divide by 3:



6+10

+20



= 12

Shortcut

Here’s a shortcut for some average problems:

■

Look at the numbers being averaged. If they are equally spaced, like 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25, then the average is

the number in the middle, or 15 in this case.

■

If there is an even number of such numbers, say 10, 20, 30, and 40, then there is no middle number. In this

case, the average is halfway between the two middle numbers. In this case, the average is halfway between 20

and 30, or 25.

■

If the numbers are almost evenly spaced, you can probably estimate the average without going to the trou-

ble of actually computing it. For example, the average of 10, 20, and 32 is just a little more than 20, the mid-

dle number.

Sometimes you will be asked to ﬁnd a weighted average, which is an average made when some data points

occur more frequently than other data points.

Example: Mr. Beasley gave a test in his English class. Five students scored 72, two students scored 78, and

three students scored 86. What was the average score for this test?

1. First, you must calculate the total number of data points, which in this question would be the number of

students:

There were 10 students in this class (5 + 3 + 2 = 10).

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2. Second, you must calculate the weighted sum of the data by multiplying each data point by the number of

times it occurred. In this case, it will be the number of students who scored a particular mark multiplied by

their test scores:

Five students scored 72 = (5 × 72) = 360 points.

Two students scored 78 = (2 × 78) = 156 points.

Three students scored 86 = (3 × 86) = 258 points.

The total number of points was 360 + 156 + 258 = 801.

Then, divide the total number of points by the total number of students:



= test average of 80.1

Try these average questions:

81. Bob’s bowling scores for the last ﬁve games were 180, 182, 184, 186, and 188. What was his average

bowling score?

a. 182

b. 183

c. 184

d. 185

82. Conroy averaged 30 miles an hour for the two hours he drove in town and 60 miles an hour for the two

hours he drove on the highway. What was his average speed in miles per hour?

a. 18

b. 22



c. 45

d. 60

83. A developer wants to cut down the trees on a lot to build condos, but must ﬁrst calculate the average tree

age to determine if this will be permissible. If there are 12 trees that are 80 years old and 8 trees that are 24

years old, what is the closest approximation of the average age of these trees?

a. 52 years

b. 58 years

c. 60 years

d. 64 years

– MATH REVIEW–

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

Geometry

Typically, there are very few geometry problems on the math sections. The problems that are included tend to cover

the basics: lines, angles, triangles, rectangles, squares, and circles. You may be asked to ﬁnd the area or perimeter

of a particular shape, or the size of an angle. The arithmetic involved is pretty simple, so all you really need are a

few deﬁnitions and formulas.

Practice Problems in Geometry

Try your hand at these sample problems:

84. What is the area in square inches of a triangle with base 10 inches and height 8 inches?

a. 80

b. 40

c. 20

d. 10

85. Find the perimeter of a triangle with sides of length 3, 4, and 5 units.

a. 60 units

b. 20 units

c. 12 units

d. 9 units

– MATH REVIEW–

Glossary of Geometry Terms

Angle two rays with a common endpoint called a vertex. There are four types of angles:

Acute: less than 90°

Obtuse: more than 90°

Right: 90°

Straight: 180°

Circle set of all points that are the same distance from the center.

Area = πr

Circumference = 2πr

(π = 3.14; r = radius)

Circumference distance around a circle. (See circle)

radius

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 90

– CHAPTER TITLE–

Glossary of Geometry Terms (continued)

Diameter a line through the center of a circle. The diameter is twice the length of the radius.

(See circle, radius)

Line extends endlessly in both directions. It is referred to by a letter at the end of it or

by two points on it. Thus, the line below may be referred to as line l or as AB







Parallel lines two lines in the same plane that do not intersect. l

l ||mm

Perimeter distance around a ﬁgure, such as a triangle or a rectangle. The perimeter of a

circle is called its circumference.

Perimeter = sum of length of all sides

Perpendicular lines two lines in the same plane that intersect to form four right angles.

(See right angle)

Point has a location but no size or dimension. It is referred to by a letter close to it, like

this: • A

Radius line segment from the center to any point on a circle. The radius is half the

diameter. (See circle, diameter)

Rectangle four-sided ﬁgure with a right angle and both pairs

of opposite sides parallel (which implies that all

four sides are right angles and that opposite sides

are equal in length).

Area = length × width

Perimeter = 2 × length + 2 × width

Square rectangle with four equal sides. (See rectangle)

Area = (side)

Perimeter = 4 × side

Triangle three-sided ﬁgure.

Area =



(base × height)

Perimeter = sum of the lengths of all three sides

Angles: The sum of the three angles of a triangle is

always 180°.

height

base

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 91

86. If the perimeter of a square tabletop is 32 feet, what is the area of this tabletop?

a. 8 square feet

b. 16 square feet

c. 64 square feet

d. it cannot be determined with the information given

87. The length of a rectangle is twice its width. If the perimeter of the rectangle is 30 units, what is the width of

the rectangle?

a. 30 units

b. 20 units

c. 15 units

d. 5 units

88. A circular opening has a diameter of 8



inches. What is the radius in inches of a circular disk that will ﬁt

exactly into the opening?

a. 17

b. 8.5

c. 8

d. 4.25

89. The radius of a hoop is 10 inches. If you roll the hoop along a straight path through 6 complete revolu-

tions, approximately how far will it roll, in inches? (Use a value of 3.14 for π.)

a. 31.4

b. 62.8

c. 188.4

d. 376.8



Algebra

Algebra questions do not appear on every test. However, when they do, they typically cover the material you learned

in pre-algebra or in the ﬁrst few months of your high school algebra course. Popular topics for algebra questions

include:

■

solving equations

■

positive and negative numbers

■

algebraic expressions

What Is Algebra?

Algebra is a way to express and solve problems using numbers and symbols. These symbols, called unknowns or

variables, are letters of the alphabet that are used to represent numbers.

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For example, let’s say you are asked to ﬁnd out what number, when added to 3, gives you a total of 5. Using

algebra, you could express the problem as x + 3 = 5. The variable x represents the number you are trying to ﬁnd.

Here’s another example, but this one uses only variables. To ﬁnd the distance traveled, multiply the rate of

travel (speed) by the amount of time traveled: d = r × t. The variable d stands for distance, r stands for rate, and t

stands for time.

In algebra, the variables may take on different values. In other words, they vary, and that’s why they’re called

variables.

Operations

Algebra uses the same operations as arithmetic: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In arithmetic,

we might say 3 + 4 = 7, while in algebra we would talk about two numbers whose values we don’t know that add

up to 7, or x + y = 7. Here’s how each operation translates to algebra:

Equations

An equation is a mathematical sentence stating that two quantities are equal. For example:

2x = 10

x + 5 = 8

The idea is to ﬁnd a replacement for the unknown that will make the sentence true. That’s called solving the

equation. Thus, in the ﬁrst example, x = 5 because 2 × 5 = 10. In the second example, x = 3 because 3 + 5 = 8.

Sometimes you can solve an equation by inspection, as with the above examples. Other equations may be

more complicated and require a step-by-step solution, for example:



+ 1 = 3

The general approach is to consider an equation like a balance scale, with both sides equally balanced. Essen-

tially, whatever you do to one side, you must also do to the other side to maintain the balance. Thus, if you were

to add 2 to the left side, you would also have to add 2 to the right side.

Let’s apply this balance concept to our complicated equation above. Remembering that if we want to solve

it for n, we must somehow rearrange it so the n is isolated on one side of the equation. Its value will then be on

the other side. Looking at the equation, you can see that n has been increased by 2, then divided by 4, and ulti-

mately added to 1. Therefore, we will undo these operations to isolate n.

ALGEBRAIC OPERATIONS

The sum of two numbers x + y

The difference of two numbers x – y

The product of two numbers x × y or x • y or xy

The quotient of two numbers



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Begin by subtracting 1 from both sides of the equation:



n 



 1 = 3

– 1 – 1

_____________



n 



Next, multiply both sides by 4: 4 



n 



=2  4

n  2=8

Finally, subtract 2 from both sides: –2 –2

_____________

This isolates n and solves the equation: n =6

Notice that each operation in the original equation was undone by using the inverse operation. That is, addi-

tion was undone by subtraction, and division was undone by multiplication. In general, each operation can be

undone by its inverse:

After you solve an equation, check your work by plugging the answer back into the original equation to make

sure it balances. Let’s see what happens when we plug 6 in for n:



+ 1 = 3



+ 1 = 3

2 + 1 = 3

3=3

Solve each equation for x:

90. x + 5 = 12

91. 27 = –13 + 4x

92.



x = 7

Positive and Negative Numbers

Positive and negative numbers, also known as signed numbers, are best shown as points along the number line:

−5 −4 −3 −2 −10+1 +2 +3 +4 +5

ALGEBRAIC INVERSES

Operation Inverse

Addition Subtraction

Subtraction Addition

Multiplication Division

Division Multiplication

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Numbers to the left of 0 are negative and those to the right are positive. Zero is neither negative nor positive.

If a number is written without a sign, it is assumed to be positive. Notice that when you are on the negative side

of the number line, numbers with bigger values are actually smaller. For example, –5 is less than –2. You come into

contact with negative numbers more often than you might think; for example, very cold temperatures are

recorded as negative numbers.

As you move to the right along the number line, the numbers get larger. Mathematically, to indicate that one

number, say 4, is greater than another number, say –2, the greater than sign (>) is used:

4 > –2

On the other hand, to say that –2 is less than 4, we use the less than sign, (<):

–2 < 4

Arithmetic with Positive and Negative Numbers

The table below illustrates the rules for doing arithmetic with signed numbers. Notice that when a negative num-

ber follows an operation (as it does in the second example below), it is enclosed in parentheses to avoid confusion.

RULE EXAMPLE

Addition

■

If both numbers have the same sign, just add them. 3 + 5 = 8

The answer has the same sign as the numbers being –3 + (–5) = –8

added.

■

If both numbers have different signs, subtract –3 + 5 = 2

the smaller number from the larger. The answer has 3 + (–5) = –2

the same sign as the larger number.

■

If both numbers are the same but have opposite 3 + (–3) = 0

signs, the sum is zero.

Subtraction

■

Change the sign of the number to be subtracted, 3 – 5 = 3 + (–5) = –2

then add as above. –3 – 5 = –3 + (–5) = –8

–3 – (–5) = –3 + 5 = 2

Multiplication

■

Multiply the numbers together. If both numbers have 3 × 5 = 15

the same sign, the answer is positive; otherwise, it is –3 × (–5) = 15

negative. –3 × 5 = –15

3 × (–5) = –15

■

If one number is zero, the answer is zero. 3 × 0 = 0

Division

■

Divide the numbers. If both numbers have the same 15 ÷ 3 = 5

sign, the answer is positive; otherwise, it is negative. –15 ÷ (–3) = 5

15 ÷ (–3) = –5

–15 ÷ 3 = –5

■

If the top number is zero, the answer is zero. 0 ÷ 3 = 0

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When more than one arithmetic operation appears, you must know the correct sequence in which to perform the

operations. For example, do you know what to do ﬁrst to calculate 2 + 3 × 4? You’re right if you said, “multiply

ﬁrst.” The correct answer is 14. If you add ﬁrst, you will get the wrong answer of 20. The correct sequence of oper-

ations is:

1. Parentheses

2. Exponents

3. Multiplication & Division (in order from left to right)

4. Addition & Subtraction (in order from left to right)

It is important to remember that multiplication and division are done in order from left to right, and that

sometimes multiplication will come after division. The same is true of addition and subtraction.

Example: 24 ÷ 8 × 10

(24 ÷ 8) × 10 [not 24 ÷ (8 × 10)]

3 × 10 = 30

If the multiplication of 8 × 10 had been done ﬁrst, the answer would have worked out to 24 ÷ 80, which is

not equal to 30, and is incorrect.

Even when signed numbers appear in an equation, the step-by-step solution works exactly as it does for

positive numbers. You just have to remember the arithmetic rules for negative numbers. For example, let’s solve

14x + 2 = 5.

1. Subtract 2 from both sides: –14x + 2 = –5

–2 –2

____________

–14x =–7

2. Divide both sides by –14: –14x ÷ –14 = –7 ÷ –14

x =



– MATH REVIEW–

}

This saying can help you remember the order of

operations:

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 96

Now, try these problems with signed numbers. Solve for x.

93. 1 – 3 × (–4) = x

94. –3x + 6 = –18

95.



–



+ 3 = –7

Algebraic Expressions

An algebraic expression is a group of numbers, unknowns, and arithmetic operations, like 3x – 2y. This one may

be translated as, “3 times some number minus 2 times another number.” To evaluate an algebraic expression,

replace each variable with its value. For example, if x = 5 and y = 4, we would evaluate 3x – 2y as follows:

3(5) – 2(4) = 15 – 8 = 7

Evaluate these expressions:

96. 4a + 3b; a = 2 and b = –1

97. –10j – r + 3jr; j= –7 and r = 4

98. –2x –



y + 4z; x = 5,y= –4, and z = 6

99. The volume of a cylinder is given by the formula V = πr

h,where r is the radius of the base and h is the

height of the cylinder. What is the volume of a cylinder with a base radius of 3 and a height of 4? (Leave π

in your answer.)

100. If x = 3, what is the value of 3x – x?

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

Answers

Word Problems

1. a.

2. d.

3. d.

4. d.

Fractions



8. 10

9. 6

10. 200

11.



12.



or 2



13. 7



14.



15.



16. 3



17. a.

18. b.

19.



20.



21.



22.



or 1



23.



or 58

24.



or 16



25. c.

26. d.

27. c.

28.



29. 5



30.



31.



or 1



32. b.

33. c.

34. b.

Decimals

35.



1,0



36. 3



37. 123



or 123



38. 707.707

39. 8.305

40. 0.907

41. 1.456

42. b.

43. b.

44. 0.03

45. 0.3392

46. 0.70104

47. c.

48. d.

49. 1.4

50. 128

51. 572

52. 1,400

53. a.

54. c.

Percents

55. 45%

56. 0.8%

57. 8.75% or 8



58. 0.12

59. 0.875

60. 2.5

61. 12.5% or 12



62. 125%

63. 58.33% or 58



64.



65.



66.



or 1



67.



or .25

68. 9.1

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69. 85

70. 75

71. 50%

72. 66.666(repeating)%

73. 300%

74. 100

75. 8

76. 10

77. b.

78. c.

79. d.

80. d.

Averages

81. c.

82. c.

83. b.

Geometry

84. b.

85. c.

86. c.

87. d.

88. d.

89. d.

Algebra

90. 7

91. .10

92. 28

93. 13

94. 8

95. 40

96. 5

97. 158

98. 16

99. 36π

100. 6

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f you feel like you could use some more practice with fractions, decimals, ratios, percentages, and word prob-

lems, try the questions or exercises in this chapter. The answers are given at the end. If there is a speciﬁc

type of math question that gives you trouble, go back to Chapter 6 and review the rules. Remember, the more

math exercises you do, the closer you are to mastering the two math sections of the ASVAB that count toward the

Armed Forces Qualifying Test score—Arithmetic Reasoning and Mathematics Knowledge.

CHAPTER

Math Practice

CHAPTER SUMMARY

This chapter gives you an opportunity for more practice with math.

101

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– LEARNINGEXPRESS ANSWER SHEET–

103

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

16. abcd

17. abcd



Arithmetic Reasoning

18. abcd

19. abcd

20. abcd

21. abcd

22. abcd

23. abcd

24. abcd

25. abcd

26. abcd

27. abcd

28. abcd

29. abcd

30. abcd

31. abcd

32. abcd

33. abcd

34. abcd

35. abcd

36. abcd

37. abcd

38. abcd

39. abcd

40. abcd



Mathematics Knowledge

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6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 104



Arithmetic Reasoning

1. Derek earns $64.00 per day and spends $4.00 per

day on transportation. What fraction of Derek’s

daily earnings does he spend on transportation?



2. A bread recipe calls for 6



cups of ﬂour, but

Leonard has only 5



cups. How much more ﬂour

does Leonard need?



cup



cup

c. 1



cups

d. 1



cups

3. Over a period of four days, Roberto drove a total

of 956.58 miles. What is the average number of

miles Roberto drove each day?

a. 239.145

b. 239.250

c. 249.045

d. 249.455

4. Finer Fabric International sells a total of

$880,600.00 in fabrics during the course of the

year. If 32% of the company’s sales went to pay

for labor to make those fabrics, how much

money did Finer Fabric International spend on

this labor?

a. $27,518.75

b. $32,000.00

c. $275,600.00

d. $281,792.00

5. The cost of milk at Jonesy Smith Grocery rose

from $2.50 to $2.80 over the course of several

months. What was the percentage increase in the

cost of milk?

a. 12%

b. 30%

c. 10.7%

d. 8.3%

6. On a state road map, one inch represents 20

miles. Denise wants to travel from Garden City

to Marshalltown, which is a distance of 4



inches

on the map. How many miles will Denise travel?

a. 45

b. 82

c. 85

d. 90

7. In the freshman class, the ratio of in-state stu-

dents to out-of-state students is 15 to 2. If there

are 750 in-state students in the class, how many

out-of-state students are there?

a. 100

b. 112

c. 130

d. 260

8. At the Greene Country Summer Fair, Brad sold

the following pieces of artwork: a sculpture for

$80, an oil painting for $168, an ink drawing for

$52, and a photograph for $52. What was the

average (mean) price for the pieces of artwork

he sold?

a. $52

b. $80

c. $88

d. $92

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9. A bag contains 105 jellybeans: 23 white, 23 red,

14 purple, 26 yellow, and 19 green. What is the

probability of selecting either a yellow or a green

jellybean?



10. A can contains 200 mixed nuts: almonds,

cashews, and peanuts. If the probability of

choosing an almond is



and the probability of

choosing a cashew is



, how many peanuts are in

the can?

a. 90

b. 110

c. 130

d. 186

11. Tatum used a $100.00 bill to buy a fax machine

for her ofﬁce. The machine cost $60 plus an

additional 8% tax. How much change did she

receive after purchasing the fax machine with the

$100.00 bill?

a. $32.00

b. $32.50

c. $35.20

d. $64.80

12. Colleen purchased a large bag of apples. She used



of them to make applesauce. Of those she had

left, she used



to make an apple pie. When she

was ﬁnished, she had only three apples left. How

many apples were there to begin with?

a. 21

b. 24

c. 28

d. 36

13. Of the 80 employees working on the road-

construction crew, 35% worked overtime this

week. How many employees did NOT work

overtime?

a. 28

b. 45

c. 52

d. 56

14. If Lydia’s height is



of Francine’s height and

Francine is b inches tall, how tall is Lydia?



b. 2(ab)

c. 2



15. A triangle has an area of 9 square inches. If its

base is 3 inches, what is its height in inches?

a. 3

b. 4

c. 6

d. 12

16. What are the dimensions of a rectangular room

with a perimeter of 42 feet if the long side is

twice as long as the short side?

a. 7 feet by 14 feet

b. 8 feet by 16 feet

c. 12 feet by 24 feet

d. 14 feet by 28 feet

17. Celine has a ﬁsh tank in the shape of a cube. If

the volume of her ﬁsh tank is 1,000 cubic inches,

what is the area of one of the sides of Celine’s ﬁsh

tank?

a. 10 square inches

b. 100 square inches

c. 333 square inches

d. 666 square inches

– MATH PRACTICE–

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

Mathematics Knowledge

18. Name the fraction that indicates the shaded part

of the ﬁgure below.



19. Four ounces is what fraction of a pound?

(one pound = 16 ounces)



20. Which has the smallest value?

a. –



b. –1

c. 0

d. –



21. What is the decimal value of



a. 0.56

b. 0.625

c. 0.8

d. 0.835

22. Raise



to 36ths.



23. 2



÷7 =



b. 9



24. 4 – 1



a. 2



b. 2



c. 3



d. 3



25.



26.



× 16 ×



b. 2



c. 3

d. 4



– MATH PRACTICE–

107

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27. A cement truck must distribute 13



tons of

cement evenly to ﬁve work sites. How many tons

should it give to each work site?

a. 2



b. 2



c. 2



d. 2



28. What is 0.7849 rounded to the nearest

hundredth?

a. 0.8

b. 0.78

c. 0.785

d. 0.79

29. 2.36 + 14 + 0.083 =

a. 14.059

b. 16.443

c. 16.69

d. 17.19

30. 1.5 – 0.188 =

a. 0.62

b. 1.262

c. 1.27

d. 1.312

31. 12 – 0.92 + 4.6 =

a. 17.52

b. 16.68

c. 15.68

d. 8.4

32. 2.39 × 10,000 =

a. 239

b. 2,390

c. 23,900

d. 239,000

33. 5 × 0.0063 =

a. 0.0315

b. 0.315

c. 3.15

d. 31.5

34. 45% is equal to what fraction?



35. 0.925 is equal to what percent?

a. 925%

b. 92.5%

c. 9.25%

d. 0.0925%

36. What is 12% of 60?

a. 5

b. 7.2

c. 50

d. 72

37. If 600 college freshman are entering Edenford

University and 330 of them are female, what per-

centage of the incoming freshmen are male?

a. 67%

b. 40%

c. 45%

d. 55%

38. Katherine has written 42 pages of her doctorate

thesis. If she has written 28% of her doctorate

thesis, how many pages will her ﬁnished thesis

be?

a. 70 pages

b. 150 pages

c. 162 pages

d. 1,175 pages

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39. Which of the following is an obtuse angle?

40. What is the perimeter of the polygon?

a. 24

b. 25

c. 27

d. 32

– MATH PRACTICE–

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

Answers

Arithmetic Reasoning

1. c.

2. c.

3. a.

4. d.

5. a.

6. c.

7. a.

8. c.

9. a.

10. c.

11. c.

12. b.

13. c.

14. d.

15. c.

16. a.

17. b.

Mathematics Knowledge

18. d.

19. c.

20. d.

21. b.

22. b.

23. a.

24. a.

25. a.

26. c.

27. d.

28. b.

29. b.

30. d.

31. c.

32. c.

33. a.

34. d.

35. b.

36. b.

37. c.

38. b.

39. b.

40. a.

– MATH PRACTICE–

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he Word Knowledge subtest of the ASVAB is basically a vocabulary test. Combined with the Paragraph

Comprehension score, Word Knowledge helps make up your Verbal Expression score—it is one of

the four subtests that determines whether you will be allowed to enlist. Your ability to understand your

training materials depends in part on your reading comprehension and vocabulary skills.

There are two different kinds of questions on the Word Knowledge subtest:

■

Synonyms—identifying words that mean the same as the given words

■

Context—determining the meaning of a word or phrase by noting how it is used in a sentence or paragraph



Synonym Questions

A word is a synonym of another word if it has the same or nearly the same meaning. Test questions will ask you

to ﬁnd the synonym of a word. If you’re lucky, the word will be in the context of a sentence that helps you guess

what the word means. If you’re less lucky, you will get just the word, and then you have to ﬁgure out what the word

means without any context.

CHAPTER

Word

Knowledge

Review

CHAPTER SUMMARY

This chapter will help you improve your vocabulary skills so that you can

score higher on the Word Knowledge section of the ASVAB.

111

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 111

Questions that ask for synonyms can be tricky

because they require you to recognize the meaning of

several words that may be unfamiliar—not only the

words in the questions, but also those in the answer

choices. Usually, the best strategy is to look at the struc-

ture of the word and to listen for its sound. See if a part

of the word looks familiar. Think of other words you

know that have similar key elements. How could those

words be related?

Synonym Practice Questions

Try identifying the word parts and related words in

these sample synonym questions. Circle the word

that means the same or about the same as the under-

lined word. Answers and explanations appear right

after the questions.

1. inc

oherent answer

a. not understandable

b. not likely

c. undeniable

d. challenging

2. amb

iguous questions

a. meaningless

b. difﬁcult

c. simple

d. vague

3. covered with d

ebris

a. good excuses

b. transparent material

c. scattered rubble

d. protective material

4. ina

ertently left

a. mistakenly

b. purposely

c. cautiously

d. carefully

5. e

xorb

itant prices

a. expensive

b. unexpected

c. reasonable

d. outrageous

6. cantank

erous mood

a. silly

b. irritable

c. humorous

d. shallow

7. b

lligerent attitude

a. hostile

b. reasonable

c. instinctive

d. friendly

Answers to

Synonym Practice Questions

The explanations are important because they show you

how to go about choosing a synonym if you don’t know

the word.

1. a. Incoherent means not understandable. To

cohere means to connect. A coherent answer

connects or makes sense. The preﬁx in-

means not.

2. d. Ambiguous questions are vague or uncertain.

The key part of this word is ambi-, which

means two or both. An ambiguous question

can be taken two ways.

3. c. Debris are scattered fragments and trash.

4. a. Inadvertently means by mistake. The key ele-

ment in this word is the preﬁx in-, which

usually means not, or the opposite of.

5. d. The key element here is ex-, which means out

of or away from. Exorbitant literally means

“out of orbit.” An exorbitant price would be

an outrageous one.

– WORD KNOWLEDGE REVIEW–

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6. b. Cantankerous means irritable.

7. a. The key element in this word is the root

belli-, which means warlike. The synonym

choice, then, is hostile.

Context Questions

Context is the surrounding text in which a word is

used. Most people use context to help them determine

the meaning of an unknown word. A vocabulary

question that gives you a sentence around the vocab-

ulary word is usually easier to answer than one with

little or no context. The surrounding text can help you

as you look for synonyms for the speciﬁed words in

the sentences.

The best way to take meaning from context is to

look for key words in sentences or paragraphs that

convey the meaning of the text. If nothing else, the

context will give you a means to eliminate wrong

answer choices that clearly don’t ﬁt. The process of

elimination will often leave you with the correct answer.

Context Practice Questions

Try these sample questions. Circle the word that best

describes the meaning of the italicized word in the

sentence.

8. The maintenance workers were appalled by the

ﬁlthy, cluttered condition of the building.

a. horriﬁed

b. amused

c. surprised

d. dismayed

9. Even though she seemed rich, the defendant

claimed to be destitute.

a. wealthy

b. ambitious

c. solvent

d. poor

10. Though she was distraught over losing her keys,

the woman was calm enough to remember she

had a spare set.

a. punished

b. distracted

c. composed

d. anguished

11. Their new house was palatial compared to their

old, run-down apartment.

a. adequate

b. luxurious

c. secure

d. modern

Answers to

Context Practice Questions

Check your answers and see whether you were able to

pick out the key words that help to deﬁne the target

word.

8. a. The key words ﬁlthy and cluttered signify

horror rather than the milder emotions

described by the other choices.

9. d. The key word here is rich, but this is a clue by

contrast. The introductory even though sig-

nals that you should look for the opposite of

the idea of having ﬁnancial resources.

10. d. The key words here are though and losing her

keys, signaling that you are looking for an

opposite of calm in describing the woman.

The only word strong enough to match the

situation is anguish.

11. b. The key words here are old and run-down,

but this is a clue by contrast. The words com-

pared to signal that you should look for the

opposite of such a description.

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Word Parts

The best way to improve your vocabulary is to learn

word parts: roots, which are the main part of the word;

preﬁxes, which go before the root word; or sufﬁxes,

which go after. Any of these elements can carry mean-

ing or change the use of a word in a sentence. For

instance, the sufﬁx -s or -es can change the meaning of

a noun from singular to plural: boy, boys. The preﬁx un-

can change the meaning of a root word to its opposite:

necessary, unnecessary.

In the sections on preﬁxes and sufﬁxes are some

of the word elements seen most often in vocabulary

tests. Simply reading them and their examples for ﬁve

to ten minutes a day will give you the quick recognition

you need to make a good association with the meaning

of an unfamiliar word.

Preﬁxes

In order to be able to unlock the meaning of many

words in our language, it is useful for you to understand

what a preﬁx is. A preﬁx is a word part at the beginning

of a word that changes or adds to the meaning of the

root word in some way. By learning some common

preﬁxes, you will learn to recognize many unfamiliar

words. After you have completed the exercises in this

chapter, you will become acquainted with the meanings

suggested by some of the more common preﬁxes, which

will improve your reading, speaking, and listening

vocabularies.

antebellum (an·ti·´bel·

əm)

preﬁx: ante- means before

(adj.)

before the war

The event occurred during the years of

1840–1861.

antipathy (an·´tip·

ə·the



)

preﬁx: anti- means against

(noun)

revulsion; any object of strong dislike

The child had an toward snakes.

circumvent (s

ər·kəm·´vent)

preﬁx: circum- and circ- mean around

(verb)

to go around; to catch in a trap; to gain superiority

over; to prevent from happening

Police tried to the riot by moving the

crowd along.

consensus (k

ən·´sen·səs)

preﬁx: con- means with, together

(noun)

agreement, especially in opinion

The committee reached a about gun control.

controversy (´kon·tr

ə·ver·se



)

preﬁx: contr- means against

(noun)

a discussion of a question in which opposing views

clash

There is a about building nuclear power

plants.

– CHAPTER TITLE–

114

For Non-Native Speakers of English

Be very careful not to be confused by the sound of words that may mislead you. Be sure to look at the word

carefully, and pay attention to the structure and appearance of the word as well as its sound. You may be used

to hearing English words spoken with an accent. The sounds of those words may be misleading in choosing a

correct answer.

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decimate (´des·i·ma



preﬁx: dec- means ten

(verb)

to destroy or kill a large portion of something; to take

or destroy a tenth part of something

Caterpillars can trees.

demote (di·mo



preﬁx: de- means down, away from

(verb)

to lower in grade or position

Upper ranked ofﬁcers can a lower ranked

person.

distaste (dis·´ta



st)

preﬁx: dis- means not, opposite of

(noun.)

not savory, comfortable, or pleasing

A lazy person has a for work.

euphemism (´u·f

ə·mizm)

preﬁx: eu- means good, well

(noun)

the use of a word or phrase that is considered less dis-

tasteful or offensive than another

“She is at rest” is a for “she is dead.”

exorbitant (ek·´zor·bi·t

ənt)

preﬁx: ex- means out of, away from

(adj.)

going beyond what is reasonable and proper

The colonists rebelled against taxes.

illegible (i·´lej·

ə·bəl)

preﬁx: il- means not, opposite

(adj.)

not able to be read

The student had to rewrite the paper.

intermittent (in·t

ər·´mit·ənt)

preﬁx: inter- means between

(adj.)

stopping and starting again at intervals

The weather forecaster predicted showers.

malady (m

al·´əd·e



)

preﬁx: mal- means bad

(noun)

a disease or disorder

His doctor said he had a serious .

precursor (pre



·´kər·sər)

preﬁx: pre- means before

(noun)

a forerunner, a harbinger; one who, or that which

goes before

Calmness is usually a to a storm.

prognosis (prog·´no



·sis)

preﬁx: pro- means before

(noun)

a forecast, especially in medicine

The injured animal’s for recovery is good.

retrospect (´ret·ro



·spekt)

preﬁx: retro- means back, again

(verb)

to think about the past

(noun)

looking back on or thinking about things past

In , the world leader wished he had acted

differently.

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subordinate (sub·´or·din·it)

preﬁx: sub- means under

(adj.)

inferior to or placed below another in rank, power,

or importance

(noun)(sub·´or·din·it)

a person or thing of lesser power or importance

than another

(verb) (sub·´or·din·a



to treat as inferior or less important

The wise president treated her with

respect.

synthesis (´sin·th

ə·sis)

preﬁx: syn- or sym- means with or together

(noun)

putting of two or more things together to form a

whole

In chemistry, the process of making a compound by

joining elements together is called .

transmute (trans·´müt)

preﬁx: trans- means across

(verb)

to change or alter

The music will gradually into a crescendo.

trivial (´triv·e



·əl)

preﬁx: tri- means three

(adj.)

of little worth or importance

The research scientist did not have time for

pursuits, because he was so busy

conducting important experiments.

Words in Context

The following exercise will help you figure out the

meaning of some words from the previous list. Circle

any context clues that help you ﬁgure out the meanings

of the bold words.

In our country, the use of nuclear power as a viable

source of energy has been an ongoing controversy.

During the gas and oil shortages of the 1970s, energy

prices were exorbitant. The federal government

supported nuclear power as a new energy source

that would be cost effective. Now, the president’s

National Energy Policy Report lists nuclear power as

a safe and affordable alternative. Today, as in the

past, many people have voiced their antipathy

toward nuclear power plants, especially in the wake

of the 1979 partial meltdown of the Three Mile

Island nuclear power plant. At that time, scientists

scrambled to circumvent a total meltdown in a facil-

ity that was designed to be fail-safe. There was great

fear that the meltdown would be complete, and dec-

imate the area. Now, the federal government is once

again promoting this alternative energy source.

Sufﬁxes

Word endings that are added to the main part or root

of words are called sufﬁxes. Sufﬁxes are word parts

that signal how a word is being used in a sentence. You

will note that each word in the list is a particular part

of speech (noun, verb, adjective, or adverb). Sufﬁxes

often change the part of speech of a word.

For example, take the word deferment.A defer-

ment is a noun that means a postponement. If the suf-

ﬁx (word ending -ment) is removed, the word becomes

defer, and it is used as a verb, meaning to postpone.

As a verb, it appears as defer:

I will defer the payment until next month.

As a noun, it appears as it is:

The bank gave him a deferment.

As an adjective, it appears as deferred:

The deferred payment is due in one month.

– WORD KNOWLEDGE REVIEW–

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The following table shows a list of common suf-

ﬁxes. They are divided into the parts of speech, or

“jobs”they suggest for words. Note the examples given;

then, add your own word(s) in the last column.

– WORD KNOWLEDGE REVIEW–

117

NOUN ENDINGS

Sufﬁx Meaning Examples Your Word

-tion act or state of retroaction, simulation

-ment quality deportment, impediment

-ist one who chauvinist, purist

-ism state or doctrine of barbarism, materialism

-ity state of being futility, civility

-ology study of biology

-esence state of adolescence

-y, -ry state of mimicry, trickery

ADJECTIVE ENDINGS

Sufﬁx Meaning Examples Your Word

-able capable perishable, ﬂammable

-ic causing, making nostalgic, fatalistic

-ian one who is or does tactician, patrician

-ile pertaining to senile, servile

-ious having the quality of religious, glorious

-ive having the nature of sensitive, divisive

-less without regardless, feckless

VERB ENDINGS

Sufﬁx Meaning Examples Your Word

-ize to bring about colonize, plagiarize

-ate to make fumigate, annihilate

-ify to make beautify, electrify

agrarian (ə·´grer·e



·ən)

sufﬁx: -ian means one who is or does

(adj.)

having to do with agriculture or farming

The farmer loved his life.

antagonist (an·´ta·g

ə·nist)

sufﬁx: -ist means one who

(noun)

one who contends with or opposes another

In the movie Batman, the Joker is Batman’s .

bigotry (´big·

ə·tre



)

sufﬁx: -ry means state of

(noun)

unreasonable zeal in favor of a party, sect, or opinion;

excessive prejudice

can lead to malevolent actions.

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consummate (´kon·səm·ma



sufﬁx: -ate means to make

(verb)

to complete; to carry to the utmost degree

The business executive needed to the deal

quickly.

copious (´co



p·e



·əs)

sufﬁx: -ious means having the quality of

(adj.)

abundant; plentiful; in great quantities

A amount of sunshine is predicted for the

summer.

anthropomorphic (´an·thr

əpə·morf·ik)

sufﬁx: -ic means causing

(adj.)

resembling human form

Their concept of God is .

interment (in·´t

ər·mənt)

sufﬁx: -ment means quality of

(noun)

the act or ritual of burying

The widow prepared fro her husband’s .

furtive (´f

ər·tiv)

sufﬁx: -ive means having the nature of

(adj.)

done in a stealthy manner; sly and underhanded

The two criminals who were in cahoots gave each

other looks behind the detective’s

back.

laudable (´law·d

ə·bəl)

sufﬁx: -able means capable of

(adj.)

praiseworthy

Her dedication and ability to rehabilitate the injured

is .

geology (je



·´ä·lə·je



)

sufﬁx: -ology means study of

(noun)

the study of the history of the Earth and its life,

especially as recorded in rocks

The major traveled to Mt. Etna to exam-

ine the effects of the volcano’s most recent

eruption.

minimize (´mi·n

ə·mı



sufﬁx: -ize means to subject to an action

(verb)

to play down; to keep to a minimum

The man tried to his involvement in the

trial so that he would not be implicated in the

scandal.

mutation (mu



·´ta



·shən)

sufﬁx: -tion means action of, state of

(noun)

the act or process of changing

Scientists research gene in fruit ﬂies to

see how genes change from one generation to

the next.

incandescence (in·k

ən·des´·ens)

sufﬁx: -escence means state of

(noun)

the state of being lit up

The candle’s helped me ﬁnd my way in

the dark.

parity (´par·i·te



)

sufﬁx: -ity means state of being

(noun)

the state or condition of being the same in power,

value, or rank; equality

Women and minorities continue to ﬁght for

in the workplace.

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pragmatism (´prag·mə·tizm)

sufﬁx: -ism means state or doctrine of

(noun)

faith in the practical approach

The man’s enabled him to run a success-

ful business.

provocative (pro



·´vok·ə·tiv)

sufﬁx: -ive means having the nature of

(adj.)

something that stirs up an action

The words of the environmental activist

inspired many to go volunteer for the commu-

nity clean-up day.

puerile (´pyoor·

əl)

sufﬁx: -ile means pertaining to

(adj.)

childish, silly, immature

The teen’s actions at the party couldn’t be

ignored.

rectify (´rek·ti·fı



)

sufﬁx: -ify means to make

(verb)

to make right; to correct

The newspaper tried to the mistake by

correcting the misprint.

peerless (pi

ər·´ləs)

sufﬁx: -less means without

(adj.)

without match, unrivaled

She was in her search for knowledge; no

one was as informed as she.

venerate (´ven·

ə·ra



sufﬁx: -ate means to make

(verb)

to look upon with deep respect and reverence

Some cultures their elders.

Words in Context

The following exercise will help you figure out the

meaning of some words from the previous list by look-

ing at context clues. Circle any context clues that help

you ﬁgure out the meaning of the bold word.

The latest remake of Planet of the Apes develops the

theme of bigotry in a world where apes are the

dominant culture and humans are enslaved. Parity

between the two species is unthinkable because the

simians regard humans as inferior creatures. Leo,

the central character, is the story’s protagonist. He

is a human astronaut who lands on a strange

planet where apes venerate their own kind by

offering praise and promotions for negative

actions taken against humans. Leo’s antagonist,

General Thade, is the leader of the apes in this

bizarre culture, and encourages the mistreatment

of humans by apes. In General Thade’s opinion,

extermination of the humans is a laudable cause,

and he mounts a full-scale campaign to extermi-

nate humans from the planet.

More Vocabulary

Practice Questions

Here is another set of practice exercises with samples of

each kind of question covered in this chapter. Answers

are at the end of the exercise.

Select the word that means the same or nearly the

same as the italicized word.

12. congenial company

a. friendly

b. dull

c. tiresome

d. angry

13. fortuitous meeting

a. intimidating

b. important

c. lucky

d. secret

– WORD KNOWLEDGE REVIEW–

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14. meticulous record-keeping

a. dishonest

b. casual

c. painstaking

d. careless

15. superﬁcial wounds

a. life-threatening

b. bloody

c. severe

d. surface

16. impulsive actions

a. cautious

b. sudden

c. courageous

d. cowardly

17. tactful comments

a. polite

b. rude

c. angry

d. confused

In the following examples, use the context to help

choose the word that means the same or nearly the

same as the italicized word.

18. Though relaxed about homework, the teacher

was adamant about papers being on time.

a. liberal

b. casual

c. inﬂexible

d. pliable

19. The condition of the room after the party was

deplorable.

a. regrettable

b. pristine

c. festive

d. tidy

20. Looking to ruin all that the group had accom-

plished, the nefarious character went ahead with

his plans.

a. strong

b. wicked

c. deceitful

d. peaceful

Answers to

Vocabulary Practice Questions

12. a.

13. c.

14. c.

15. d.

16. b.

17. a.

18. c.

19. a.

20. b.

– CHAPTER TITLE–

120

How to Answer Vocabulary Questions

■

The key to answering vocabulary questions is to notice and connect what you do know to what you may

not recognize.

■

Know your word parts. You can make a good guess at the meanings of words when you see a suggested

meaning in a root word, preﬁx, or sufﬁx.

■

Consider the context for clues about meaning. Think of how the word makes sense in the sentence.

■

Don’t be confused by words that sound like other words, but may have different meanings.

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 120

f you feel that you could use extra practice with synonym or context questions, complete the exercises in

this chapter. The answers are given at the end. When you miss a question, look up that word in the dictionary,

study the different parts of the word, and commit it to memory. It’s a good idea to complete this chapter

even if you feel you have strong vocabulary skills. You may learn a word or two—and that will help you pick up

precious points on the Word Knowledge subtest of the ASVAB, which will count toward your Armed Forces Qual-

ifying Test score.

CHAPTER

Word

Knowledge

Practice

CHAPTER SUMMARY

This chapter gives you the opportunity for more practice with Word

Knowledge questions.

121

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– LEARNINGEXPRESS ANSWER SHEET–

123

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

Word Knowledge Practice

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

Word Knowledge

Choose the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to

the underlined word.

1. To stop a nose bleed, the doctor may cau

terize

the bleeding vessel.

a. burn

b. treat

c. remove

d. watch

2. Jeri viewed her neighbor’s messy home as

epugnant.

a. advantageous

b. suspect

c. conventional

d. offensive

3. Change had to be made, since the e

xtant proce-

dure was failing.

a. former

b. ineffective

c. existing

d. problematic

4. The musicians’ hard work and effort were ost

en-

sible, given their excellent performance.

a. apparent

b. commendable

c. unrivaled

d. bearable

5. A

ustere most nearly means

a. tasteful.

b. simple.

c. rigorous.

d. dark.

6. P

arity

most nearly means

a. equality.

b. mimicry.

c. style of belief.

d. current trend.

7. P

undit most nearly means

a. private joke.

b. expert.

c. diplomat.

d. folk dance.

8. N

arcissistic most nearly means

a. having an addictive personality.

b. having a narcotic effect.

c. self-absorbed.

d. witty.

9. M

esmerize most nearly means

a. to reign over others.

b. to record in prose.

c. to memorialize.

d. to fascinate.

10. P

rospectus most nearly means

a. published business plan.

b. the outlook from a mountain top.

c. opening speech.

d. professional playing ﬁeld.

11. Fiscal

most nearly means

a. ofﬁcial.

b. stated.

c. ﬁnancial.

d. faithful.

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12. The candidate for the position knew the j

argon

and had a pleasant demeanor.

a. scientiﬁc specialty

b. public policy issues

c. language particular to the ﬁeld

d.behavior code

13. Surprisingly, the child had a st

oic attitude toward

the hours of homework assigned to her.

a. tainted

b. uncomplaining

c. angry

d. self-defeating

14. B

elligerent most nearly means

a. warlike.

b. ﬂighty.

c. easily tired.

d. beautiful.

15. R

etrospect most nearly means

a. analytic.

b. careful.

c. hindsight.

d. a magnifying instrument.

16. S

ubsidy most nearly means

a. the punishment of a criminal offense.

b. the aftermath of a storm.

c. money given in support of a cause or industry.

d. a vote directly by the people.

17. C

ryptic most nearly means

a. mysterious.

b. evil.

c. a spy code.

d. a tomb.

18. There was an audib

le sigh of relief when the res-

cuers brought the drowning man to the surface.

a. incredible

b. able to be heard

c. worthy of praise

d. able to be seen

19. Before setting out on the long hike, we made a

equisite check for food and water supplies.

a. required

b. safe

c. ample

d. up-to-date

20. Her v

ivacious manner contrasted with the seri-

ousness of her appearance.

a. grave

b. hostile

c. joyous

d. lively

21. He wanted to reread the recipe to v

erify the

ingredients before starting to cook.

a. conﬁrm

b. total

c. analyze

d. measure

22. The lo

quacious dinner guest dominated the

conversation.

a. intoxicated

b. talkative

c. silent

d. greedy

23. The soap opera emphasized the pathos

, rather

than the humor, of family life.

a. sentimental feeling

b. turmoil

c. activity

d. horror

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24. The ﬂuc

tuating price of gas kept motorists

guessing.

a. changing

b. inexpensive

c. costly

d. confusing

25. His c

hronic lateness was treated with humor by

those who had known him for a long time.

a. occasional

b. constant

c. unusual

d. rare

26. A

beyance most nearly means

a. obedience.

b. reluctance.

c. suspension.

d. relief.

27. M

ultifarious most nearly means

a. assorted.

b. complex.

c. impossible.

d. bleak.

28. Plaint

ive most nearly means

a. musical.

b. uninteresting.

c. loud.

d. mournful.

29. Darcy found her mother’s in

veterate beliefs

intolerable.

a. controversial

b. ingrained

c. traditional

d. manipulative

30. The prosecutor’s t

enchant closing statement

deeply affected the jurors’ verdict.

a. effective

b. polite

c. long

d. mild

31. After Yoshio was rescued, he recounted his har

rowing experience to his family.

a. traumatic

b. mundane

c. sensual

d. joyful

32. A

rcane most nearly means

a. foreign.

b. outdated.

c. mysterious.

d. active.

33. P

ernicious most nearly means

a. destructive.

b. contagious.

c. mild.

d. fabricated.

34. The boarding school had very st

ringent rules.

a. contemporary

b. rigorous

c. liberal

d. antiquated

35. I

neluctable most nearly means

a. loose.

b. anticipated.

c. undesirable.

d. unavoidable.

– WORD KNOWLEDGE PRACTICE–

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

Answers

1. a.

2. d.

3. c.

4. a.

5. b.

6. a.

7. b.

8. c.

9. d.

10. a.

11. c.

12. c.

13. b.

14. a.

15. c.

16. c.

17. a.

18. b.

19. a.

20. d.

21. a.

22. b.

23. a.

24. a.

25. b.

26. c.

27. a.

28. d.

29. b.

30. a.

31. a.

32. c.

33. a.

34. b.

35. d.

– WORD KNOWLEDGE PRACTICE–

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emos, policies, procedures, reports—these are all things you will be expected to understand if

you enlist in the armed services. In fact, understanding written materials is part of almost any

job. That’s why the ASVAB attempts to measure this skill in applicants.

The Paragraph Comprehension subtest of the ASVAB is in multiple-choice format, and asks questions based

on brief passages, much like the standardized tests that are offered in schools. Almost all standardized test ques-

tions evaluate your reading skills. After all, you can’t answer the question if you can’t read it. Similarly, you can’t

study your training materials or learn new procedures once you are on the job if you can’t read well. So, reading

comprehension is vital not only for the test but also for the rest of your career.



Types of Reading Comprehension Questions

You have probably encountered reading comprehension questions before, where you have to read a passage, and

then answer multiple-choice questions about it. This kind of question has advantages for you as a test taker: you

don’t have to know anything about the topic of the passage, because you are being tested only on the informa-

tion the passage provides.

CHAPTER

Paragraph

Comprehension

Review

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Because reading is such a vital skill, the Armed Services Vocational

Aptitude Battery includes a reading comprehension section that tests

your ability to understand what you read. The tips and exercises in this

chapter will help you improve your comprehension of written passages

as well as of tables, charts, and graphs, so that you can increase your

score in this area.

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But the disadvantage is that you have to know

where and how to ﬁnd that information quickly in an

unfamiliar text. This makes it easy to fall for one of the

incorrect answer choices, especially since they are

designed to mislead you.

The best way to succeed on this type of question

is to be very familiar with the kinds of questions that are

typically asked on the test. Questions most frequently

ask you to:

■

identify a speciﬁc fact or detail in the passage

■

note the main idea of the passage

■

make an inference based on the passage

■

deﬁne a vocabulary word from the passage

To succeed on a reading comprehension test, you

need to know exactly what each of these questions is

asking. Facts and details are the speciﬁc pieces of infor-

mation that support the passage’s main idea. The main

idea is the thought, opinion, or attitude that governs

the whole passage. Generally speaking, facts and details

are indisputable—things that don’t need to be proven,

like statistics (18 million people) or descriptions (a green

overcoat). Let’s say, for example, you read a sentence

that says, After the department’s reorganization, workers

were 50% more productive. A sentence like this, which

gives you the fact that 50% of workers were more pro-

ductive, might support a main idea that says, Every

department should be reorganized. Notice that this main

idea is not something indisputable; it is an opinion. The

writer thinks all departments should be reorganized,

and because this is his opinion (and not everyone

shares it), he needs to support his opinion with facts

and details.

An inference, on the other hand, is a conclusion

that can be drawn based on fact or evidence. For exam-

ple, you can infer—based on the fact that workers

became 50% more productive after the reorganization,

which is a dramatic change—that the department had

not been efﬁciently organized. The statement of fact,

After the department’s reorganization, workers were

50% more productive, also implies that the reorganiza-

tion of the department was the reason workers

became more productive. There may, of course, have

been other reasons, but we can infer only one from

this sentence.

As you might expect, vocabulary questions ask

you to determine the meanings of particular words.

Often, if you’ve read carefully, you can determine the

meaning of such words from their context—that is,

how the word is used in the sentence or paragraph.

Practice Passage 1:

Using the Four Question Types

The following is a sample test passage, followed by four

questions. Read the passage carefully, and then answer

the questions, based on your reading of the text. Then,

refer to the previous list, and note under your answer

which type of question has been asked. Correct

answers appear immediately after the questions.

In the last decade, community policing has been

frequently touted as the best way to reform urban

law enforcement. The idea of putting more ofﬁcers

on foot patrol in high crime areas, where relations

with police have frequently been strained, was ini-

tiated in Houston in 1983 under the leadership of

then-Commissioner Lee Brown. He believed that

ofﬁcers should be accessible to the community at

the street level. If ofﬁcers were assigned to the same

area over a period of time, those ofﬁcers would

eventually build a network of trust with neighbor-

hood residents. That trust would mean merchants

and residents in the community would let ofﬁcers

know about criminal activities in the area and sup-

port police intervention. Since then, many large

cities have experimented with Community-

Oriented Policing (COP), with mixed results. Some

have found that police and citizens are grateful for

the opportunity to work together. Others have

found that unrealistic expectations by citizens and

resistance from ofﬁcers have combined to hinder

the effectiveness of COP. It seems possible, there-

fore, that a good idea may need improvement

before it can truly be considered a reform.

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1. Community policing has been used in law

enforcement since

a. the late 1970s.

b. the early 1980s.

c. the Carter administration.

d. Lee Brown was New York City Police Com-

missioner.

Question type

2. The phrase a network of trust in this passage sug-

gests that

a. police ofﬁcers can rely only on each other for

support.

b. community members rely on the police to

protect them.

c. police and community members rely on each

other.

d. community members trust only each other.

Question type

3. The best title for this passage would be

a. Community Policing: The Solution to the

Drug Problem.

b. Houston Sets the Pace in Community Polic-

ing.

c. Communities and Cops: Partners for Peace.

d. Community Policing: An Uncertain Future?

Question type

4. The word touted in the ﬁrst sentence of the pas-

sage most nearly means

a. praised.

b. denied.

c. exposed.

d. criticized.

Question type

Answers and Explanations

Don’t just look at the right answers and move on. The

explanations are the most important part, so read them

carefully. Use these explanations to help you under-

stand how to tackle each kind of question the next

time you come across it.

1. b. Question type: fact or detail. The passage

identiﬁes 1983 as the ﬁrst large-scale use of

community policing in Houston. Don’t be

misled by trying to ﬁgure out when Carter

was president. Also, if you happen to know

that Lee Brown was New York City’s police

commissioner, don’t let that information

lead you away from the information con-

tained in the passage alone. Brown was com-

missioner in Houston when he initiated

community policing.

2. c. Question type: inference. The network of

trust referred to in this passage is between the

community and the police, as you can see

from the sentence where the phrase appears.

The key phrase in the question is in this pas-

sage. You may think that police can rely only

on each other, or one of the other answer

choices may appear equally plausible to you.

But, your choice of answers must be limited

to the one suggested in this passage. Another

tip for questions like this: Beware of

absolutes! Be suspicious of any answer con-

taining words like only, always, or never.

3. d. Question type: main idea. The title always

expresses the main idea. In this passage, the

main idea comes at the end. The sum of all

the details in the passage suggests that com-

munity policing is not without its critics, and

therefore, its future is uncertain. Another key

phrase is mixed results, which means that

some communities haven’t had full success

with community policing.

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4. a. Question type: vocabulary. The word touted

is linked in this passage with the phrase the

best way to reform. Most people would think

that a good way to reform something is

praiseworthy. In addition, the next few sen-

tences in the passage describe the beneﬁts of

community policing. Criticism of or a nega-

tive response to the subject doesn’t come

until later in the passage.



Detail and Main Idea

Questions

Detail or fact questions and main idea questions are

both asking you for information that’s right there in the

passage. All you have to do is ﬁnd it.

Detail or Fact Questions

In detail or fact questions, you have to identify a spe-

ciﬁc item of information from the text. This is usually

the simplest kind of question. You just have to be able

to separate important information from less important

information. However, the choices may often be very

similar, so you must be careful not to get confused.

Be sure you read the passage and questions care-

fully. In fact, it is usually a good idea to read the ques-

tions ﬁrst, before you even read the passage, so you will

know what details to look out for.

Main Idea Questions

The main idea of a passage, like that of a paragraph or

a book, is what it is mostly about. The main idea is like

an umbrella that covers all of the ideas and details in

the passage, so it is usually something general, not spe-

ciﬁc. For example, in Practice Passage 1, question 3

asked you what title would be best for the passage, and

the correct answer was “Community Policing: An

Uncertain Future.” This is the best answer because it’s

the only one that includes both the positive and nega-

tive sides of community policing, both of which are

discussed in the passage.

Sometimes the main idea is stated clearly, often in

the ﬁrst or last sentence of the passage. The main idea

is expressed in the last sentence of Practice Passage 1,

for example. The sentence that expresses the main idea

is often referred to as the topic sentence.

At other times, the main idea is not stated in a topic

sentence but is implied in the overall passage, and you will

need to determine the main idea by inference. Because

there may be much information in the passage, the trick

is to understand what all that information adds up to—

the gist of what the author wants you to know. Often,

some of the wrong answers on main idea questions are

speciﬁc facts or details from the passage. A good way to

test yourself is to ask, “Can this answer serve as a net to

hold the whole passage together?”If not, chances are you

have chosen a fact or detail, not a main idea.

Practice Passage 2:

Detail and Main Idea Questions

Practice answering main idea and detail questions

by working on the questions that follow this passage.

Select the answers to the questions, and then check

your answers against the key that appears immediately

after the questions.

There are three different kinds of burns: ﬁrst degree,

second degree, and third degree. It is important for

firefighters to be able to recognize each of these

types of burns so that they can be sure burn victims

are given proper medical treatment. The least seri-

ous burn is the ﬁrst-degree burn, which causes the

skin to turn red but does not cause blistering. A

mild sunburn is a good example of a ﬁrst-degree

burn, and, like a mild sunburn, ﬁrst-degree burns

generally do not require medical treatment other

than a gentle cooling of the burned skin with ice or

cold tap water.

Second-degree burns, on the other hand, do

cause blistering of the skin and should be treated

immediately. These burns should be immersed in

warm water and then wrapped in a sterile dressing

or bandage. (Do not apply butter or grease to these

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burns; despite the old wives’ tale, butter does not

help burns heal and actually increases chances of

infection.) If second-degree burns cover a large part

of the body, then the victim should be taken to the

hospital immediately for medical care.

Third-degree burns are those that char the

skin and turn it black, or burn so deeply that the skin

shows white. These burns usually result from direct

contact with flames and have a great chance of

becoming infected. All third-degree burns should

receive immediate hospital care. They should not be

immersed in water, and charred clothing should not

be removed from the victim. If possible, a sterile

dressing or bandage should be applied to burns

before the victim is transported to the hospital.

1. Which of the following would be the best title for

this passage?

a. Dealing with Third-Degree Burns

b. How to Recognize and Treat Different Burns

c. Burn Categories

d. Preventing Infection in Burns

2. Second-degree burns should be treated with

a. butter.

b. nothing.

c. cold water.

d. warm water.

3. First-degree burns turn the skin

a. red.

b. blue.

c. black.

d. white.

4. Which of the following best expresses the main

idea of the passage?

a. There are three different types of burns.

b. Fireﬁghters should always have cold com-

presses on hand.

c. Different burns require different types of

treatment.

d. Butter is not good for healing burns.

Answers and Explanations

1. b. A question that asks you to choose a title for

a passage is a main idea question. This main

idea is expressed in the topic sentence: It is

important for ﬁreﬁghters to be able to recog-

nize each of these types of burns so that they

can be sure burn victims are given proper

treatment. Choice b expresses this idea and is

the only title that encompasses all of the

ideas expressed in the passage. Choice a is

too limited; it deals only with one of the

kinds of burns discussed in the passage. Like-

wise, choices c and d are also too limited.

Choice c covers types of burns but not their

treatment, and d deals only with preventing

infection, which is a secondary part of the

discussion of treatment.

2. d. The answer to this fact question is clearly

expressed in the sentence: These burns

should be immersed in warm water and then

wrapped in a sterile dressing or bandage.

However, it’s easy to choose a wrong answer

here because all of the choices are men-

tioned in the passage. You need to read care-

fully to be sure you match the right burn to

the right treatment.

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3. a. This is another fact or detail question.

The passage says that a ﬁrst-degree burn

causes the skin to turn red. Again, it’s impor-

tant to read carefully because all of the

choices (except b, which can be eliminated

immediately) are listed elsewhere in the

passage.

4. c. Clearly this is a main idea question, and c is

the only choice that encompasses the whole

passage. Answers b and d are limited to par-

ticular burns or treatments, and answer a

discusses only burns and not their treatment.

In addition, the second sentence tells us that

it is important for ﬁreﬁghters to be able to rec-

ognize each of these types of burns so that they

can be sure burn victims are given proper med-

ical treatment.



Inference and Vocabulary

Questions

Questions that ask you about the meaning of vocabu-

lary words in the passage, and those that ask what the

passage suggests or implies (inference questions), are

different from detail or main idea questions. In vocab-

ulary and inference questions, you usually have to pull

ideas from the passage, sometimes from more than

one place.

Inference Questions

Inference questions can be the most difﬁcult to answer,

because they require you to draw meaning from the text

when that meaning is implied rather than directly

stated. Inferences are conclusions that we draw based

on the clues the writer has given us. When you draw

inferences, you have to look for such clues as word

choice, tone, and speciﬁc details that suggest a certain

conclusion, attitude, or point of view. You have to read

between the lines in order to make a judgment about

what an author was implying in the passage.

A good way to test whether you have drawn an

acceptable inference is to ask, “What evidence do I

have for this inference?” If you can’t ﬁnd any, you

probably have the wrong answer. You need to be sure

that your inference is logical, and that it is based on

something suggested or implied in the passage itself—

not on what you or others might think. You need to

base your conclusions on evidence—facts, details, and

other information—not on random hunches or

guesses.

Vocabulary Questions

Questions designed to test vocabulary are really trying

to measure how well you can ﬁgure out the meaning

of an unfamiliar word from its context. Context refers

to the words and ideas surrounding a vocabulary

word. You should be able to substitute a nonsense

word for the one being sought, and still make the

right choice, because you could determine meaning

strictly from the context of the sentence.

For example, you should be able to determine

the meaning of the italicized nonsense word below

based on its context:

The speaker noted that it gave him great terivinix

to announce the winner of the Outstanding

Leadership Award.

In this sentence, terivinix most likely means

a. pain.

b. sympathy.

c. pleasure.

d. anxiety.

Clearly, the context of an award makes c, pleasure,

the best choice. Awards don’t usually bring pain, sym-

pathy, or anxiety.

When confronted with an unfamiliar word, try

substituting a nonsense word and see if the context

gives you the clue. If you are familiar with preﬁxes,

sufﬁxes, and word roots, you can also use this knowl-

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edge to help you determine the meaning of an unfa-

miliar word.

You should be careful not to guess at the answer

to vocabulary questions based on how you may have

seen the word used before, or what you think it means.

Many words have more than one possible meaning,

depending on the context in which they are used, and

a word you have seen used one way may mean some-

thing else in a test passage. Also, if you don’t look at the

context carefully, you may make the mistake of con-

fusing the vocabulary word with a similar word. For

example, the vocabulary word may be taut (meaning

tight), but if you read too quickly or don’t check the

context, you might think the word is tout (meaning

publicize or praise) or taunt (meaning tease). Always

read carefully and be sure that what you think the word

means ﬁts into the context of the passage.

Practice Passage 3: Inference

and Vocabulary Questions

The questions that follow this passage are strictly

vocabulary and inference questions. Select the answers

to the questions, and then check your answers against

the key that appears immediately after the questions.

Dealing with irritable patients is a great challenge for

healthcare workers on every level. It is critical that

you do not lose your patience when confronted by

such a patient. When handling irate patients, be

sure to remember that they are not angry at you;

they are simply projecting their anger at something

else onto you. Remember that if you respond to

these patients as irritably as they act toward you, you

will only increase their hostility, making it much

more difﬁcult to give them proper treatment. The

best thing to do is to remain calm and ignore any

imprecations patients may hurl your way. Such

patients may be irrational and may not realize what

they are saying. Often these patients will purposely

try to anger you just to get a reaction. If you respond

to this behavior with anger, they win by getting your

attention, but you both lose because the patient is

less likely to get proper care.

1. The word irate as it is used in the passage most

nearly means

a. irregular, odd.

b. happy, cheerful.

c. ill-tempered, angry.

d. sloppy, lazy.

2. The passage suggests that healthcare workers

a. easily lose control of their emotions.

b. are better off not talking to their patients.

c. must be careful in dealing with irate patients

because the patients may sue the hospital.

d. may provide inadequate treatment if they

become angry at patients.

3. An imprecation is most likely

a. an object.

b. a curse.

c. a joke.

d. a medication.

4. Which of the following best expresses the writer’s

views about irate patients?

a. Some irate patients just want attention.

b. Irate patients are always miserable.

c. Irate patients should be made to wait for

treatment.

d. Managing irate patients is the key to a

successful career.

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Answers and Explanations

1. c. This is a vocabulary question. Irate means ill-

tempered, angry. It should be clear that b,

happy, cheerful, is not the answer; dealing

with happy patients is normally not a great

challenge. Patients that are irregular (choice

a) or sloppy (choice d) may be a challenge in

their own ways, but they aren’t likely to rouse

a healthcare worker to anger. In addition, the

passage explains that irate patients are not

angry at you, and irate is used as a synonym

for irritable, which describes the patients

under discussion in the very ﬁrst sentence.

2. d. This is an inference question, as the phrase

the passage suggests might have told you. The

idea that angry healthcare workers might

give inadequate treatment is implied by the

passage as a whole, which seems to be an

attempt to prevent angry reactions to irate

patients. Furthermore, the last sentence in

particular makes this inference possible: If

you react to this behavior with anger . . . you

both lose because the patient is less likely to get

proper care. Choice c is not correct, because

while it may be true that some irate patients

have sued the hospital in the past, there is no

mention of suits anywhere in this passage.

Likewise, choice b is incorrect; the passage

does suggest ignoring patients’ insults, but

nowhere does it recommend not talking to

patients—it simply recommends not talking

angrily. And while it may be true that some

healthcare workers may lose control of their

emotions, the passage does not provide any

facts or details to support choice a, that

they easily lose control. Watch out for key

words like easily that may distort the intent

of the passage.

3. b. If you didn’t know what an imprecation is,

the context should reveal that it’s something

you can ignore, so neither choice a, an

object, nor choice d, a medication, is a likely

answer. Furthermore, choice c is not likely

either, since an irate patient is not likely to

be making jokes.

4. a. The writer seems to believe that some irate

patients just want attention, as is suggested

by the sentences: Often these patients will

purposely try to anger you just to get a reac-

tion. If you react to this behavior with anger,

they win by getting your attention. It should

be clear that choice b cannot be the answer,

because it includes an absolute: Irate patients

are always miserable. Perhaps some of the

patients are often miserable, but an absolute

like always is usually wrong. Besides, this

passage refers to patients who may be irate in

the hospital, but we have no indication of

what these patients are like at other times.

Choice c is also incorrect because the pur-

pose of the passage is to ensure that patients

ceive proper treatment and that irate

patients are not discriminated against

because of their behavior. Thus, irate patients

should be made to wait for treatment is not a

logical answer. Finally, choice d cannot be

correct because though it may be true, there

is no discussion of career advancement in the

passage.



Review: Putting It All Together

A good way to solidify what you have learned about

reading comprehension questions is for you to write the

questions. Here’s a passage, followed by space for you

to write your own questions. Write one question for

each of the four types: fact or detail, main idea, infer-

ence, and vocabulary.

The “broken window” theory was originally devel-

oped to explain how minor acts of vandalism or dis-

respect can quickly escalate to crimes, and attitudes

that break down the entire social fabric of an area. It is

a theory that can easily be applied to any situation in

society. The theory contends that if a broken win-

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dow in an abandoned building is not replaced

quickly, soon all the windows will be broken. In

other words, a small violation, if condoned, leads

others to commit similar or greater violations.

Thus, after all the windows have been broken, the

building is likely to be looted, and perhaps even

burned down. According to this theory, violations

increase exponentially. Thus, if disrespect to a superior

is tolerated, others will be tempted to be disrespectful

as well. A management crisis could erupt literally

overnight. For example, if one ﬁreﬁghter begins to

disregard proper housewatch procedure by neglecting

to keep up the housewatch administrative journal,

and this ﬁreﬁghter is not reprimanded, others will

follow suit by committing similar violations of pro-

cedure, thinking, “If he can get away with it, why

can’t I”? So, what starts out as a small thing, a viola-

tion that may seem not to warrant disciplinary

action, may actually ruin the efﬁciency of the entire

ﬁrehouse, putting the people the ﬁrehouse serves at

risk.

1. Detail or fact question:

2. Main idea question:

3. Inference question:

4. Vocabulary question:

Possible Questions

Here is one question of each type based on the previ-

ous passage. Your questions may be very different, but

these will give you an idea of the kinds of questions that

could be asked.

1. Detail question: According to the passage, which

of the following could happen “overnight”?

a. The building will be burned down.

b. The ﬁrehouse may become unmanageable.

c. A management crisis might erupt.

d. The windows will all be broken.

2. Main idea question: Which of the following best

expresses the main idea of the passage?

a. Even minor infractions warrant disciplinary

action.

b. Broken windows must be repaired

immediately.

c. People shouldn’t be disrespectful to their

superiors.

d. Housewatch must be taken seriously.

3. Inference question: The passage suggests that

a. the broken window theory is inadequate.

b. managers need to know how to handle a crisis.

c. ﬁreﬁghters are lazy.

d. people will get away with as much as they can.

4. Vocabulary question: In this passage, condoned

most nearly means

a. punished.

b. overlooked.

c. condemned.

d. applauded.

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Answers

1. c.

2. a.

3. d.

4. b.



Additional Resources

Here are two other ways you can build the vocabulary

and knowledge that will help you do well on reading

comprehension questions:

■

Practice asking the four sample question types

about passages you read for information or

pleasure.

■

Use your library. Many public libraries have sec-

tions that contain materials for adult learners. In

these sections you can ﬁnd books with exercises

in reading and study skills. It’s a good idea to

enlarge your base of information by reading

related books and articles. Most libraries also

have computer systems that allow you to access

information quickly and easily. Library personnel

will show you how to use the computers and

other equipment.

– PARAGRAPH COMPREHENSION REVIEW–

If English Isn’t Your First Language

When non-native speakers of English have trouble with reading comprehension tests, it’s often because they

lack the cultural, linguistic, and historical frame of reference that native speakers enjoy. People who have not

lived in or been educated in the United States often don’t have the background information that comes from

growing up reading American newspapers, magazines, and textbooks.

A second problem for non-native English speakers is the difﬁculty in recognizing vocabulary and idioms

(expressions like “chewing the fat”) that assist comprehension. In order to read with good understanding, it’s

important to have an immediate grasp of as many words as possible in the text. Test takers need to be able to

recognize vocabulary and idioms immediately, so that the ideas those words express are clear.

The Long View

Read newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals that deal with current events and matters of local, state,

and national importance. Pay special attention to articles related to the career you want to pursue.

Be alert to new or unfamiliar vocabulary or terms that occur frequently in the popular press. Use a high-

lighter pen to mark new or unfamiliar words as you read. Keep a list of those words and their deﬁnitions. Review

them for 15 minutes each day. Though at ﬁrst you may ﬁnd yourself looking up a lot of words, don’t be

frustrated—you’ll look up fewer and fewer as your vocabulary expands.

During the Test

When you are taking the test, make a picture in your mind of the situation being described in the passage. Ask

yourself, “What did the writer mostly want me to think about this subject?”

Locate and underline the topic sentence that carries the main idea of the passage. Remember that the topic

sentence—if there is one—may not always be the ﬁrst sentence. If there doesn’t seem to be one, try to deter-

mine what idea summarizes the whole passage.

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eing able to correctly answer Paragraph Comprehension questions on the ASVAB requires much

more than simply knowing what the words mean. This chapter will help you improve your read-

ing ability, focusing on three of the most important things you have to do when reading, whether

during the test or on the job:

■

understanding the basic facts

■

ﬁnding the main idea

■

making inferences or drawing conclusions

Accomplishing these tasks starts with active reading.

CHAPTER

Reading Practice

CHAPTER SUMMARY

This chapter provides more instruction on reading and gives you further

opportunity for practice with Paragraph Comprehension questions.

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

Active Reading

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to build

your reading skills is to become an active reader. Active

readers generally do two things when they read:

1. They mark up the text.

2. They make speciﬁc observations about the text.

Marking Up the Text

Marking the text actively engages you with the words

and ideas you are reading. Marking up the text includes

three speciﬁc strategies:

■

underlining key words and ideas

■

circling and deﬁning any unfamiliar words or

phrases

■

recording your reactions and questions in the

margins

When you underline key words and ideas,you

highlight the most important parts of the text you are

reading. You also make it easier to summarize and

remember the key points.

Circling unfamiliar vocabulary words is impor-

tant, too, because a key word or phrase could change

the meaning of an entire passage. As an active reader,

make sure you look up unknown words immediately.

If no dictionary is available, try to determine the mean-

ing of the word as best you can from the surrounding

sentences (the context).

Finally, recording your reactions and questions

in the margins turns you from a passive receiver of

information into an active learner. You will be much

more likely to proﬁt from the ideas and information

you read about if you create a “conversation” with the

writer in this way.

Of course, if this or any other book you read

comes from the library, you should avoid marking in

the book itself. If the book you are reading belongs to

someone else, mark key points on a piece of paper

instead.

Making Observations

Good readers know that writers use many different

strategies to express their ideas. Even if you know very

little about writing strategies, you can make useful

observations about what you read that will help you

better understand the author’s ideas. You can notice, for

example, the author’s choice of words; the structure of

sentences and paragraphs; any repetition of words or

ideas; important details about people, places, and

things; and so on.

This step—making observations—is essential,

because our observations are what lead us to logical

inferences about what we read. Inferences are conclu-

sions based on reason, fact, or evidence. When we mis-

understand what we read, it is often because we haven’t

looked closely enough at the text, and so we base our

inferences on our own ideas, not on what’s actually

written in the text. We end up forcing our own ideas on

the author rather than listening to what the author has

to say and then forming our own ideas about it.



Finding the Facts

As a reader faced with a text, you must get the basic

facts: the who, what, when, where, how, and why. What

does this piece of writing tell you? What happens? To

whom? When, where, how, and why? If you can answer

these basic questions, you are on your way to really

comprehending what you read.

Let’s start with a deﬁnition. A fact is

■

something that we know for certain to have

happened.

■

something that we know for certain to be true.

■

something that we know for certain to exist.

Much of what you read is designed to provide you

with facts. You may read, for example, about a new

ofﬁce procedure that you must follow; about how the

new computer system works; or about what happened

at the staff meeting. If you are taking a standardized test to

help you get a job, you will probably have to answer

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reading comprehension questions that ask you about

the facts in a passage you read. It is very important,

therefore, for you to be able to read through these materials

and understand the information they convey. What

facts are you expected to know? What are you to learn or

be aware of? What happened? What is true? What exists?

Fact-Finding Practice 1

Jump right in to the task of ﬁnding facts. The brief

passage that follows is similar to something you might

see in a newspaper. Read the passage carefully, and

then answer the questions. Remember, careful reading

is active reading, so mark up the text as you go. Under-

line key words and ideas; circle and deﬁne any unfa-

miliar words or phrases; record your reactions and

questions in the margins.

On Tuesday, August 30, Mr. Blank, a prominent

local citizen, arrived home from work to ﬁnd his

apartment had been robbed. The thieves somehow

managed to slip past building security at 131 West

Elm Street, with nearly all of Mr. Blank’s belongings.

In fact, the thieves left behind nothing but a stack of

old Home Decorator magazines and a can of pork

and beans. The robbery was reported by Mr. Blank’s

neighbor, who found Mr. Blank unconscious in his

doorway. Apparently, Mr. Blank was so shocked by

the robbery that he fainted. His neighbor immedi-

ately called an ambulance and then the police. Mr.

Blank is now staying with relatives and is offering a

reward of $25,000 for any information leading to the

arrest of the thieves.

1. What happened to Mr. Blank?

2. When did it happen?

3. Where did it happen?

4. How did Mr. Blank react?

5. Who called the police?

6. What was left in the apartment?

Remember, good reading is active reading. Did

you mark up the passage? If so, it may have looked

something like this:

– READING PRACTICE–

141

On Tuesday, August 30, Mr. Blank, a prominent

local citizen, arrived home from work to ﬁnd his

apartment had been robbed. The thieves somehow

managed to slip past building security at 131 West

Elm Street with nearly all of Mr. Blank’s belong-

ings. In fact, the thieves left behind nothing but a

stack of old Home Decorator magazines and a can of

pork and beans. The robbery was reported by Mr.

Blank’s neighbor, who found Mr. Blank unconscious

in his doorway. Apparently Mr. Blank was so

shocked by the robbery that he fainted. His neighbor

immediately called an ambulance and then the

police. Mr. Blank is now staying with relatives and is

offering a reward of $25,000 for any information

leading to the arrest of the thieves.

when

who

standing out;

widely & popularly

known

What happened —

robbery

where

Wow!

lots of $!

who else was

involved

interesting

detail.

how did they

manage this?

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You will notice that the answers to the questions

have all been underlined, because these are the key

words and ideas in this passage. But here are the

answers in a more conventional form:

1. What happened to Mr. Blank? His apartment

was robbed.

2. When did it happen? sometime while Mr. Blank

was at work on Tuesday, August 30

3. Where did it happen? 131 West Elm Street

4. How did Mr. Blank react? He fainted.

5. Who called the police? Mr. Blank’s neighbor

6. What was left in the apartment? some old Home

Decorator magazines and a can of pork and beans

Notice that these questions went beyond the basic

who, what, when, and where to include some of the

details, like what was left in the apartment. This is

because details in reading comprehension can be very

important clues that may help answer the remaining

questions: who did it, how, and why.

Fact-Finding Practice 2

Here’s another passage, this time something a little

more like what you might see at work. Read the passage

carefully, and answer the questions that follow.

To: All New Employees

From: Human Resources

In order for your ﬁrst paycheck to be processed, we

must have a number of documents completed and in

our ﬁles. Once these documents are in our hands, you

will be entered into our payroll system. These docu-

ments include: a completed company application; a

W-4 form; an I-9 form; a Conﬁdentiality Agreement,

if applicable; an emergency contact sheet; and a copy of

your resume. You should be sure all of these docu-

ments are ﬁlled out within your ﬁrst week of work. In

addition, we will need the following documents from

you for your ﬁle to be complete: two letters of recom-

mendation from previous employers, a high school

and college transcript, and an insurance coverage

application. We request that you complete your ﬁle

within your ﬁrst month of employment.

7. What papers must new employees have on ﬁle?

List them here.

8. In your list, circle the items that employees must

have on ﬁle in order to get paid.

9. When should these circled items be completed?

10. When must the rest of the ﬁle be completed?

11. True or false: Everyone must sign a Conﬁdential-

ity Agreement.

Before you look at the answers, look at this

marked-up version to see how you might have high-

lighted the important information.

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With a marked-up text like this, it’s very easy to

ﬁnd the answers.

7. What papers must new employees have on ﬁle?

Company application

W-4 form

I-9 form

Conﬁdentiality Agreement (if applicable)

Emergency contact sheet

Resume

Two letters of recommendation

High school and college transcripts

Insurance coverage application

8. In the previous list, the items that employees

must have on ﬁle in order to get paid are circled.

9. When should these circled items be completed?

within the employee’s ﬁrst week of work

10. When must the rest of the ﬁle be completed?

within the employee’s ﬁrst month of work

11. True or false: Everyone must sign a Conﬁdential-

ity Agreement. false; only those for whom it is

“applicable”

– READING PRACTICE–

143

To: All New Employees

From: Human Resources

In order for your ﬁrst paycheck to be processed, we

must have a number of documents completed and

in our ﬁles. Once these documents are in our hands,

you will be entered into our payroll system. These

documents include: a completed company applica-

tion; a W-4 form; an I-9 form; a Conﬁdentiality

Agreement, if applicable; an emergency contact

sheet; and a copy of your resume. You should be

sure all of these documents are ﬁlled out within

your ﬁrst week of work. In addition, we will need

the following documents from you for your ﬁle to

be complete: two letters of recommendation from

previous employers, a high school and college

transcript, and an insurance coverage application.

We request that you complete your ﬁle within your

ﬁrst month of employment.

Important

deadline!

Documents I

need in order

to get paid

Documents I

need to

complete ﬁle

Deadline for

completing ﬁle

Ofﬁcial copy of

student’s

educational record

6526_ASVABCore_3e(FIN).qx 11/14/08 4:50 PM Page 143

Fact-Finding Practice 3

Now, look at one more short passage. Again, read care-

fully and then answer the questions that follow.

Today’s postal service is more efﬁcient and reliable

than ever before. Mail that used to take months to

move by horse and by foot, now moves around the

country in days or hours by truck, train, and plane.

First-Class Mail usually moves from New York City

to Los Angeles in three days or less. If your letter or

package is urgent, the U.S. Postal Service offers

Priority Mail and Express Mail services. Priority

Mail is guaranteed to go anywhere in the United

States in about two days. Express Mail will get your

package there overnight.

12. Who or what is this passage about?

13. How was mail transported in the past?

14. How is mail transported now?

15. How long does First-Class Mail take?

16. How long does Priority Mail take?

17. How long does Express Mail take?

Once again, here’s how you might have marked

up this passage:

– READING PRACTICE–

144

Today’s postal service is more efﬁcient and reliable

than ever before. Mail that used to take months to

move by horse and by foot,

now moves around the

country in days or hours by truck, train, and plane.

First-Class Mail usually moves from New York City

to Los Angeles in three days or less. If your letter or

package is urgent, the U.S. Postal Service offers

Priority Mail and Express Mail services. Priority

Mail is guaranteed to go anywhere in the United

States in about two days. Express Mail will get your

package there overnight.

What a

long time!

3 services listed—

First class—3 days

Priority—2 days

Express—Overnight

Fastest

then

now

Are there

other services?

You can see how marking up a text helps make it

easier to understand the information a passage conveys.

12. Who or what is this passage about?

the U.S. Postal Service

13. How was mail transported in the past?

by horse and foot

14. How is mail transported now?

by truck, train, and plane

15. How long does First-Class Mail take?

three days or less

16. How long does Priority Mail take?

about two days

17. How long does Express Mail take?

overnight

Active reading is the ﬁrst essential step to improv-

ing comprehension. Why? Because active reading forces

you to really see what you are reading, to look closely at

what’s there. If you look carefully and ask the right

questions (who, what, when, where, how, and why),

you are on your way to really comprehending what

you read.

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

Finding the Main Idea

When the previous section talked about establishing the

facts—the who, what, when, where, and how—it omit-

ted one very important question: Why? Now you are

ready to tackle that question.

All writing is communication: A writer wants to

convey his or her thoughts to an audience (the reader—

you). Just as you have something to say when you pick

up the phone to call someone, writers have something

to say when they pick up a pen or pencil to write. The

reader might ask, “Why did the author write this? What

idea is he or she trying to convey?” What you are really

asking is, “What is the writer’s main idea?”

Finding the main idea is much like ﬁnding the

why. It usually determines the other factors (the who,

what, when, where, and how). Similarly, in writing, the

main idea also determines the who, what, when, and

where the author will write about, as well as how he or

she will write.

Subject vs. Main Idea

There’s a difference between the subject of a piece of

writing and its main idea. To see the difference, look

again at the passage about the postal system.

Today’s postal service is more efﬁcient and reliable

than ever before. Mail that used to take months to

move by horse and by foot now moves around the

country in days or hours by truck, train, and plane.

First-Class Mail usually moves from New York City

to Los Angeles in three days or less. If your letter or

package is urgent, the U.S. Postal Service offers

Priority Mail and Express Mail services. Priority

Mail is guaranteed to go anywhere in the United

States in about two days. Express Mail will get your

package there overnight.

You will often see a question in the reading com-

prehension portion of a test that asks, in essence, “What

is the main idea of this passage?”

For this passage, you might be tempted to answer:

“The post ofﬁce.”

But you would be wrong.

This passage is about the post ofﬁce, yes—but

“the post ofﬁce” is not the main idea of the passage. The

post ofﬁce is merely the subject of the passage (who or

what the passage is about). The main idea must say

something about this subject. The main idea of a text is

usually an assertion about the subject. An assertion is a

statement that requires evidence (proof) to be accepted

as true.

The main idea of a passage is an assertion about

its subject, but it is also something more: it is the idea

that holds together or controls the passage. The other

sentences and ideas in the passage will all relate to the

main idea and serve as evidence that the assertion is

true. You might think of the main idea as a net that is

cast over the other sentences. The main idea must be

general enough to hold all of these ideas together.

Thus, the main idea of a passage is:

■

an assertion about the subject

■

the general idea that controls or holds together

the paragraph or passage

Look at the postal service paragraph once more.

You know what the subject is: the post ofﬁce. Now, see

if you can determine the main idea. Read the passage

again and look for the idea that makes an assertion

about the postal service and holds together or controls

the whole paragraph. Then answer the following

question.

18. Which of the following sentences best summa-

rizes the main idea of the passage?

a. Express Mail is a good way to send urgent mail.

b. Mail service today is more effective and

dependable.

c. First-Class Mail usually takes three days or less.

d. Priority Mail is a quick alternative to First-

Class Mail.

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Because choice a is speciﬁc—it tells us only about

Express Mail—it cannot be the main idea. It does not

encompass the rest of the sentences in the paragraph—

it doesn’t cover Priority Mail or First-Class Mail.

Choices c and d are also very speciﬁc. They tell us only

about First-Class Mail and Priority Mail, so they, too,

cannot be the main idea.

But choice b—Mail service today is more effective

and dependable—is general enough to encompass the

whole passage. And the rest of the sentences support the

idea that this sentence asserts: Each sentence offers

proof that the postal service today is indeed more efﬁ-

cient and reliable. Thus, the writer’s motive is to tell us

about the efﬁciency and reliability of today’s postal

service.

Topic Sentences

You will notice that in the paragraph about the postal

service, the main idea is expressed clearly in the ﬁrst

sentence: Today’s postal service is more efﬁcient and reli-

able than ever before. A sentence such as this one, that

clearly expresses the main idea of a paragraph or pas-

sage, is often called a topic sentence.

In many cases, like the postal service paragraph,

you will ﬁnd the topic sentence at the beginning of the

paragraph. You will also frequently ﬁnd it at the end.

Less often, but on occasion, the topic sentence may be

found in the middle of the passage. Whatever the case

may be, the topic sentence—like Today’s postal service

is more efﬁcient and reliable than ever before—is an

assertion, and it needs proof. The proof is found in the

facts and ideas that make up the rest of the passage.

(Not all passages provide a clear topic sentence that

states the main idea. Such passages will come up later

in this chapter.)

Remember that a topic sentence is a clear state-

ment of the main idea of a passage; it must be general

enough to encompass all of the ideas in that passage,

and it usually makes an assertion about the subject of

that passage. Knowing all that, you can answer the fol-

lowing question even without reading a passage.

Topic Sentence Practice 1

19. Which of the following sentences is general

enough to be a topic sentence?

a. Java is a computer language.

b. There are many different computer languages.

c. An old computer language is BASIC.

d. Most PCs run Microsoft programs.

The answer is choice b, There are many different

computer languages. Choices a, c, and d are all speciﬁc

examples of what is said in b, so they are not general

enough to be topic sentences.

Topic Sentence Practice 2

Now, look at the following paragraph. Underline the

sentence that expresses the main idea, and notice how

the other sentences work to support that main idea.

Erik always played cops and robbers when he was a

boy; now, he’s a police ofﬁcer. Preeti always played

school as a little girl; today, she is a high school math

teacher. Kara always played store; today, she owns a

chain of retail clothing shops. Long before they are

faced with the question, “What do you want to be

when you grow up?” some lucky people know

exactly what they want to do with their lives.

Which sentence did you underline? You should

have underlined the last sentence: Long before they are

faced with that question “What do you want to be when

you grow up?” some lucky people know exactly what they

want to do with their lives. This sentence is a good topic

sentence; it expresses the idea that holds together the

whole paragraph. The first three sentences—about

Erik, Preeti, and Kara—are speciﬁc examples of these

lucky people. Notice that this time the topic sentence is

found at the end of the paragraph.

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Topic Sentence Practice 3

Among the eight sentences below are two topic sen-

tences. The other sentences are supporting sentences.

Circle the two topic sentences. Then, write the num-

bers of the supporting sentences that go with each

topic sentence.

1. Furthermore, government employees receive ter-

riﬁc heathcare coverage.

2. Some police ofﬁcer duties, like writing reports,

have no risk at all.

3. For example, government employees have more

paid holidays than employees of private

companies.

4. Not all police duties are dangerous.

5. Others, like trafﬁc duty, put police ofﬁcers at very

little risk.

6. Government employees enjoy numerous

beneﬁts.

7. Still other duties, like investigating accidents,

leave ofﬁcers free of danger.

8. In addition, government employees are well

compensated for overtime hours.

Sentences 4 and 6 are the two topic sentences

because both make an assertion about a general subject.

The supporting sentences for topic sentence 4, Not all

police duties are dangerous, are sentences 2, 5, and 7. The

supporting sentences for topic sentence 6, Government

employees enjoy numerous beneﬁts, are the remaining

sentences: 1, 3, and 8.

Here’s how they look as paragraphs:

Not all police duties are dangerous. Some duties, like

writing reports, have no risk at all. Others, like traf-

ﬁc duty, offer very little risk. Still other duties, like

investigating accidents, leave ofﬁcers free of danger.

Government employees enjoy numerous ben-

eﬁts. For example, they have more paid holidays

than employees of private companies. In addition,

they are well compensated for overtime hours. Fur-

thermore, they receive terriﬁc healthcare coverage.

You might have noticed the supporting sentences

in the ﬁrst paragraph about police duties begin with the

following words: some, others, and still other. These

words are often used to introduce examples. The sec-

ond paragraph uses different words, but they have the

same function: for example, in addition, and further-

more. If a sentence begins with such a word or phrase,

that is a good indication it is not a topic sentence—

because it is providing a speciﬁc example.

Here are some words and phrases often used to

introduce speciﬁc examples:

for example in particular

for instance some

in addition others

furthermore

If you are having trouble ﬁnding the main idea of

a paragraph, you might try eliminating the sentences

that you know contain supporting evidence.

Now, you can answer the last of the questions—

the why. What’s the main idea the author wants to con-

vey? By ﬁnding the sentence that makes an assertion

about the subject of the paragraph and that encom-

passes the other sentences in the paragraph, you can

uncover the author’s motive.



Drawing Conclusions

Writers know that they can get an idea across to their

readers without directly saying it. Instead of providing

a topic sentence that expresses their main idea, many

times they simply omit that sentence, and instead pro-

vide a series of clues, through structure and language,

to get their ideas across.

Finding an implied main idea is much like ﬁnd-

ing a stated main idea. Remember, a main idea is an

assertion about the subject that controls or holds

together all of the ideas in the passage. If the writer pro-

vides a topic sentence that states the main idea, ﬁnding

the main idea is something of a process of elimination:

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You eliminate the sentences that aren’t general enough

to encompass the whole passage. But what do you do

when there is no topic sentence?

You use your observations to make an inference—

a conclusion about the main idea or point of the passage.

Finding an implied main idea requires you to use

your observations to make an inference that, like a

topic sentence, encompasses the whole passage. It

might take a little work, but you can make observations

that will enable you to ﬁnd main ideas even when they

are not explicitly stated.

Inference Practice 1

For the ﬁrst example of ﬁnding an implied main idea,

let’s return to our friend, Mr. Blank. If you remember,

earlier in this chapter, his apartment was robbed. Now,

look at a statement from the building manager in

response to news of the robbery:

We have never had a robbery in our building before

Mr. Blank’s unfortunate incident. After all, our

neighborhood is one of the safest in the area, and

police patrol the streets regularly. In addition, I have

personally seen to it that all of the building’s win-

dows and doors are locked and secure, and the

superintendent maintains such security as well.

Now, there is no topic sentence in this paragraph,

but you should be able to determine the manager’s

main idea from the facts he provides and from his tone.

What is he suggesting?

20. Which of the following best summarizes the

manager’s main idea?

a. The police are thorough when they patrol the

neighborhood.

b. It is unlikely that another robbery would

occur in the building.

c. The superintendent relies on the police to

maintain the building’s security.

d. Mr. Blank is at fault for allowing his apart-

ment to be robbed.

The correct answer is b, It is highly unlikely that

another robbery would occur in the building. How can

you tell that this is the main idea? It’s the only one of

three choices that is general enough to serve as a net for

the paragraph: choice a is only a detail in the passage;

choice c is not true, according to the information in the

passage; and choice d isn’t an inference that is sup-

ported by the details in the passage.

Inference Practice 2

Now, examine the following statement from Mr. Blank’s

neighbor, who was also interviewed after the robbery:

I live right next door to Mr. Blank, and I heard a lit-

tle scufﬂe outside my apartment door about the

time of the robbery. I didn’t think to check it out,

and now, of course, I wish I had. I thought it was just

Mr. Blank doing something in the hallway. Later, I

went out to take my dog Millie for a walk and saw

that the stairwell window was open. It was such a hot

day, I didn’t think much of that either, at least at ﬁrst.

But on a closer look, I saw some torn clothing on the

windowsill, and some dirty footprints leading from

Mr. Blank’s apartment.

21. What is Mr. Blank’s neighbor suggesting?

a. Mr. Blank’s neighbor heard a scufﬂe outside

her door.

b. The robbers probably escaped out the stairwell

window.

c. The stairwell window was left open.

d. Mr. Blank’s neighbor saw torn clothing on the

windowsill.

You can attack the question this way: Which of

these three statements do the sentences in the neighbor’s

statement support? Try the process of elimination. Do

all of the sentences support choice a? If not, cross out

choice a. Do all of the sentences support choice b?

Choices c or d?

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The correct answer is b, The robbers probably

escaped out the stairwell window. How can you tell?

This is the only idea that all of the statements support.

You know that Mr. Blank’s neighbor heard a scufﬂe out-

side her door; you also know the stairwell window was

open and that Mr. Blank’s neighbor saw torn clothing

on the windowsill. Thus, the neighbor’s statement con-

tains a, c, and d,but none of these can be the main idea

because the neighbor discusses all three things in com-

bination. This combination makes it likely that the

robbers escaped out the stairwell window.

Inference Practice 3

Now, look at a paragraph in which the language the

writer uses is what enables you to determine meaning.

Read the following paragraph carefully and see if you

can determine the implied main idea of the paragraph.

My team captain, Will, is an exceptional leader with

a heart of gold. He arrives 30 minutes before every

practice so that he can check in with as many team-

mates as possible. He politely asks people about

themselves and genuinely takes note about what they

have to say. When I’m troubled, he’ll notice and talk

to me about it. Just having those warm eyes concen-

trate on me and only me practically takes away any

troubles I had.

Before you decide on the implied main idea, list

your observations. What did you notice about the lan-

guage in this paragraph? An example is provided to get

you started.

Observations

Example: I noticed that Will’s heart is described

as being “gold.”

22. Which of the following best expresses the

implied message of the passage?

a. Having Will as a team captain is a pleasure.

b. Will has a warm personality.

c. Will is an effective team captain.

d. Having Will as a team captain is like having a

best friend.

The correct answer is d, having Will as a team

captain is like having a best friend. There are many clues

in the language of this paragraph that lead you to this

inference. First, you probably noticed that Will has a

heart of gold. This comparison (called a metaphor) sug-

gests that Will is a caring person, with the utmost com-

passion and understanding for others.

Second, the writer tells us that Will genuinely

takes note of what his teammates have to say. Genuinely

takes note are key word choices. The writer could have

said that Will hears what they have to say or even listens

to what they have to say, but neither convey his sincere

care for others as the keywords genuinely takes note do.

Furthermore, Will is described as having warm eyes,

which also suggests a compassionate person, one who

looks at others from a considerate point of view, rather

than a cold, callus point of view. Thus, although choices

a, b, and c may be true, choice d is the only idea that all

of the sentences in the paragraph support.

Of course, this person’s description of Will is very

subjective, as it uses the ﬁrst-person point of view. As

an active reader, you should wonder whether everyone

sees Will this way, or if this teammate is unable to be

objective about Will.

Many writers use implication to convey meaning

rather than directly stating their ideas. Finding the

implied main idea requires a little detective work, but

it is not as difﬁcult as you may have thought.

– READING PRACTICE–

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

Tips for Continuing to

Improve Your Reading

Reading is like exercise: If you don’t keep doing it, you

will get out of shape. Like muscles that grow stronger

and bigger with each repetition, your reading skills will

grow stronger with each text that you read.

The following are some ways you can continue to

strengthen your reading comprehension skills:

■

Read! Read anything—books, newspapers, mag-

azines, novels, poems. The more you read, the

better. Set yourself a reading goal: It might be

one book a month, two books while you are on

vacation, or a half hour of reading every night

before bed.

■

Discover new authors. Check out the bestseller

list and try one of the books on that list. If it’s a

bestseller, it’s probably a book that appeals to a

wide variety of readers, and chances are good that

you will like it.

■

Spend some time in bookstores and libraries.

There are bound to be books and authors out

there that appeal to some of your interests. Don’t

be afraid to ask a salesperson or librarian to help

you. Describe your interests and your preferences

in style, and he or she can help you ﬁnd books you

will enjoy reading.

■

Take a course at a local college. Most courses

(other than mathematics and computer science)

require a signiﬁcant amount of reading, so they

are a great way to sharpen your reading compre-

hension skills while you work towards a degree or

greater understanding of a certain subject. In

addition, if you are in a class, you will have a

teacher who can guide you to make sure you are

correctly comprehending what you read.

■

Join a reading group. Most cities and towns have

a club that meets every two weeks or each month

to discuss a selected book. In these groups, you

will get to discuss your ideas and questions with a

group of friends and associates in an informal set-

ting. If your area doesn’t have a reading group,

start your own. You and your friends can take

turns choosing which book to read and discuss as

a group.

– READING PRACTICE–

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his practice test will be a good measure of how much you’ve learned from working through the les-

sons in this book, especially if you took the ﬁrst practice test in Chapter 5. Like that test, this one

includes four out of the nine subtests that make up the ASVAB. These four subtests count toward your

Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT) score, which will determine whether or not you will be allowed to enlist

in the military.

For this test, simulate the actual test-taking experience as closely as you can. Find a quiet place to work where

you won’t be disturbed. Use the answer sheet provided and use a timer or stopwatch to time each section. The

times are marked at the beginning of each section.

After the exam, review the answer explanations to understand each question you missed. To ﬁnd out more

about your score, review Chapter 3.

CHAPTER

Practice ASVAB

Core Test 2

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Here’s another sample ASVAB core test for your practice. After work-

ing through the review and practice material in the previous chapters,

take this test to see how much your score has improved.

151

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– LEARNINGEXPRESS ANSWER SHEET–

153

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

16. abcd

17. abcd

18. abcd

19. abcd

20. abcd

21. abcd

22. abcd

23. abcd

24. abcd

25. abcd

26. abcd

27. abcd

28. abcd

29. abcd

30. abcd



Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

16. abcd

17. abcd

18. abcd

19. abcd

20. abcd

21. abcd

22. abcd

23. abcd

24. abcd

25. abcd

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

16. abcd

17. abcd

18. abcd

19. abcd

20. abcd

21. abcd

22. abcd

23. abcd

24. abcd

25. abcd

26. abcd

27. abcd

28. abcd

29. abcd

30. abcd

31. abcd

32. abcd

33. abcd

34. abcd

35. abcd



Part 2: Word Knowledge



Part 3: Paragraph Comprehension



Part 4: Mathematics Knowledge

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

Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning

Time: 36 minutes

1. What is the estimated product when 157 and

817 are rounded to the nearest hundred and

multiplied?

a. 160,000

b. 180,000

c. 16,000

d. 80,000

2. A large coffee pot holds 120 cups. It is about two-

thirds full. About how many cups are in the pot?

a. 40 cups

b. 80 cups

c. 60 cups

d. 90 cups

3. Mr. Tupper is purchasing gifts for his family. He

stops to consider what else he has to buy. A quick

mental inventory of his shopping bag so far

reveals the following:

1 cashmere sweater, valued at $260

3 diamond bracelets, each valued at $365

1 computer game, valued at $78

1 cameo brooch, valued at $130

Later, having coffee in the Food Court, he

suddenly remembers that he has purchased only

two diamond bracelets, not three, and that the

cashmere sweater was on sale for $245. What is

the total value of the gifts Mr. Tupper has pur-

chased so far?

a. $833

b. $1,183

c. $1,198

d. $1,563

This is a list of ingredients needed to make 16

brownies. Use this list to answer questions 4 and 5.

Deluxe Brownies



cup butter

5 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened

chocolate



cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup ﬂour

4. How much sugar is needed to make 8 brownies?



cup

b. 3 cups



cup



cup

5. What is the greatest number of brownies that can

be made if the baker has only one cup of butter?

a. 12

b. 16

c. 24

d. 32

6. An outdoor swimming pool at the Shulkind resi-

dence can be ﬁlled with water from the garden

hose at a rate of three and a half inches per hour.

If the Shulkinds want to ﬁll the empty pool with

49 inches of water, how many hours will it take to

get to this level?

a. 3.5 hours

b. 5.25 hours

c. 14 hours

d. 16.3 hours

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 2–

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7. The state of Connecticut will pay two-ﬁfths of

the cost of a new school building. If the city of

New Haven is building a school that will cost a

total of $15,500,000, what will the state pay?

a. $3,100,000

b. $7,750,000

c. $6,200,000

d. $4,550,000

8. Body mass index (BMI) is equal to

. A man who weighs 64.8

kilograms has a BMI of 20. How tall is he?

a. 1.8 meters

b. 0.9 meters

c. 2.16 meters

d. 3.24 meters

9. Maya is using written instructions to create an

airplane made out of thin balsa wood. Her

instructions are drawn to scale so that every



inch in the drawing represents 1



inches of balsa

wood. How tall will the tail of the airplane be if it

is 2



inches tall in the drawing?

a. 12 inches

b. 22 inches

c. 26 inches

d. 33 inches

10. Newly hired nurses have to buy duty shoes at the

full price of $84.50, but nurses who have served

at least a year get a 15% discount. Nurses who

have served at least three years get an additional

10% off the discounted price. How much does a

nurse who has served at least three years have to

pay for shoes?

a. $63.78

b. $64.65

c. $71.83

d. $72.05

11. Katie has a drawer of unmarked spare keys for

the dorm that she manages. If the drawer con-

tains 9 keys to the front door, 4 keys to the laun-

dry room, and 3 keys to the storage closet, what

is the probability that when she grabs a key at

random, it will be a key to either the front door

or the storage closet?

a. 75%

b. 56.25%

c. 43.75%

d. 25%

12. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate at

which our body uses calories. The BMR for a

man in his twenties is about 1,700 calories per

day. If 204 of those calories should come from

protein, about what percent of this man’s diet

should be protein?

a. 1.2%

b. 8.3%

c. 12%

d. 16%

13. The condition known as Down syndrome occurs

in about one in 1,500 children when the mothers

are in their twenties. About what percent of all

children born to mothers in their twenties are

likely to have Down syndrome?

a. 0.0067%

b. 0.67%

c. 6.7%

d. 0.067%

14. If a population of yeast cells grows from 10 to

320 in a period of ﬁve hours, what is the rate of

growth?

a. It doubles its numbers every hour.

b. It triples its numbers every hour.

c. It doubles its numbers every two hours.

d. It triples its numbers every two hours.

weight in kilograms



(height in meters)

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 2–

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15. How much water must be added to 1 liter of a

5% saline solution to get a 2% saline solution?

a. 1L

b. 1.5 L

c. 2 L

d. 2.5 L

16. Susan and Bill are training for a marathon

together. They were given instructions to run for

52 minutes on Friday, and increase their run time

by 10% every Friday. If their ﬁrst Friday run is 52

minutes, approximately how many minutes will

their third Friday run last?

a. 60 minutes

b. 63 minutes

c. 67 minutes

d. 72 minutes

17. All of the rooms in a building are rectangular,

with 8-foot ceilings. One room is 9 feet wide by

11 feet long. What is the combined area of the

four walls, including doors and windows?

a. 99 square feet

b. 160 square feet

c. 320 square feet

d. 72 square feet

18. What is the volume of a pyramid that has a rec-

tangular base of 10 inches by 12 inches and a

height of 10 inches? (V =



lwh)

a. 40 cubic inches

b. 320 cubic inches

c. 400 cubic inches

d. 1,200 cubic inches

19. A child has a temperature of 40° C. What is

the child’s temperature in degrees Fahrenheit?

(F =



C + 32)

a. 101° F

b. 102° F

c. 103° F

d. 104° F

20. If jogging for one mile uses 150 calories and brisk

walking for one mile uses 100 calories, a jogger

has to go how many times as far as a walker to

use the same number of calories?



d. 2

21. A dosage of a certain medication is 12 cc per

100 pounds. What is the dosage for a patient

who weighs 175 pounds?

a. 15 cc

b. 18 cc

c. 21 cc

d. 24 cc

22. A hiker walks 40 miles on the ﬁrst day of a ﬁve-

day trip. On each day after that, he can walk only

half as far as he did the day before. On average,

how far does he walk each day?

a. 10 miles

b. 15.5 miles

c. 20 miles

d. 24 miles

23. Mr. Thaler is driving from Los Angeles to San

Francisco. If he drives 3 hours in trafﬁc at an

average speed of 32 miles an hour, and then 4.5

hours on the freeway, at an average speed of 72

miles per hour, what was his overall average

speed on his trip to San Francisco?

a. 45 miles per hour

b. 52 miles per hour

c. 56 miles per hour

d. 60 miles per hour

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 2–

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24. A family’s gas and electricity bill averages $80 a

month for seven months of the year and $20 a

month the rest of the year. If the family’s bills

were averaged over the entire year, what would

the monthly bill be?

a. $45

b. $50

c. $55

d. $60

25. Jason is six times as old as Kate. In two years,

Jason will be twice as old as Kate is then. How old

is Jason now?

a. 3 years old

b. 6 years old

c. 9 years old

d. 12 years old

26. During her ﬁrst three months at college, a stu-

dent’s long distance phone bills are $103.30,

$71.60, and $84.00. Her local phone bill is $18.00

each month. What is her average total monthly

phone bill?

a. $86.30

b. $92.30

c. $98.30

d. $104.30

27. A Boeing 747 airplane burns approximately 1

gallon of fuel for every second ﬂown. If the ﬂight

from New York to Beijing is 13.5 hours, approxi-

mately how many gallons of fuel will be used

during this trip?

a. 10,084 gallons

b. 810 gallons

c. 48,600 gallons

d. cannot be determined with the information

given

28. Land in a development is selling for $60,000 per

acre. If Jack purchases 1



acres, how much will

he pay?

a. $45,000

b. $135,000

c. $105,000

d. $120,000

29. For every dollar Kyra saves, her employer con-

tributes a dime to her savings, with a maximum

employer contribution of $10 per month. If Kyra

saves $60 in January, $130 in March, and $70 in

April, how much will she have in savings at the

end of that time?

a. $270

b. $283

c. $286

d. $290

30. Jackie is paid $822.40 twice a month. If she saves

$150.00 per paycheck and pays $84.71 on her

student loan each month, how much does she

have left to spend each month?

a. $1,175.38

b. $1,260.09

c. $1,410.09

d. $1,560.09



Part 2: Word Knowledge

Time: 11 minutes

Select the choice that best matches the underlined

word.

1. According to the code of conduct, “Every ofﬁcer

will be a

ccountable for his or her decisions.”

a. applauded

b. compensated

c. responsible

d. approached

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 2–

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2. Scrutiniz

e most nearly means

a. vanish.

b. dissect.

c. neglect.

d. weaken.

3. En

umerate most nearly means

a. pronounce.

b. count.

c. explain.

d. plead.

4. Em

ulate most nearly means

a. imitate.

b. authorize.

c. fascinate.

d. punish.

5. The residents of that area were considered to be

ompliant in regard to the seat belt law.

a. skeptical

b. obedient

c. forgetful

d. appreciative

6. Following the disturbance, town ofﬁcials felt the

need to aug

ment the laws pertaining to mass

demonstrations.

a. repeal

b. evaluate

c. expand

d. criticize

7. A

version most nearly means

a. harmony.

b. greed.

c. weariness.

d. dislike.

8. V

alidate most nearly means

a. conﬁrm.

b. retrieve.

c. communicate.

d. appoint.

9. A

ntagonist most nearly means

a. comrade.

b. opponent.

c. master.

d. perfectionist.

10. P

ersev

erance most nearly means

a. unhappiness.

b. fame.

c. persistence.

d. humility.

11. As soon as the details of the affair were released

to the media, the newspaper was in

undated with

calls from a curious public.

a. provided

b. bothered

c. rewarded

d. ﬂooded

12. H

omogeneous most nearly means

a. alike.

b. plain.

c. native.

d. dissimilar.

13. Ominous

most nearly means

a. ordinary.

b. gracious.

c. quarrelsome.

d. threatening.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 2–

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14. When people heard that timid Bob had taken up

skydiving, they were incr

edulous.

a. fearful

b. outraged

c. disbelieving

d. inconsolable

15. R

ecluse most nearly means

a. prophet.

b. fool.

c. intellectual.

d. hermit.

16. The company recruited her because she was

roﬁcient in the use of computers.

a. experienced

b. unequaled

c. efﬁcient

d. skilled

17. D

efray most nearly means

a. pay.

b. defend.

c. cheat.

d. disobey.

18. Pla

cid most nearly means

a. ﬂabby.

b. peaceful.

c. wise.

d. obedient.

19. The city council has given t

entative approval to

the idea of banning smoking from all public

buildings.

a. provisional

b. ambiguous

c. wholehearted

d. unnecessary

20. V

ast most nearly means

a. attentive.

b. immense.

c. steady.

d. slight.

21. A

nimosity most nearly means

a. natural.

b. climax.

c. hostility.

d. untold.

22. A

dag

e most nearly means

a. saying.

b. language.

c. elderly.

d. superior.

23. Otto’s p

rosperous store was busy seven days a

week.

a. lavish

b. successful

c. memorable

d. competitive

24. The novel included ﬁ

gurative language such as

metaphors.

a. theoretical

b. symbolic

c. complex

d. truthful

25. Jimin wanted to keep his father’s school ring for

osterity.

a. proof of the past

b. memorabilia

c. future generations

d. investment

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 2–

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26. Subliminal most nearly means

a. concealed.

b. identiﬁable.

c. original.

d. mysterious.

27. R

esonant most nearly means

a. echoing.

b. harsh.

c. delicate.

d. illegible.

28. E

xpedient

most nearly means

a. cumbersome.

b. inappropriate.

c. quick.

d. slow.

29. The helicopter is used for patients with e

xigent

medical conditions.

a. urgent

b. commonplace

c. underdeveloped

d. extreme

30. The corner store sold s

undry items.

a. dry goods

b. inexpensive

c. exotic

d. assorted

31. After the contest ended, Lisala offered her com-

petitors fulso

me praise.

a. excessive

b. irritating

c. pleasing

d. inspiring

32. T

umultuous

most nearly means

a. dedicated.

b. respectful.

c. quiet.

d. disorderly.

33. E

xorbitant most nearly means

a. valuable.

b. overpriced.

c. wild.

d. unbelievable.

34. Her b

latant

expression revealed her feelings.

a. secretive

b. fabricated

c. transparent

d. loud

35. Empir

ical most nearly means

a. ancient.

b. practical.

c. false.

d. unwieldy.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 2–

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

Part 3:

Paragraph Comprehension

Time: 13 minutes

Read each passage and answer the questions that

follow.

The supervisors have received numerous complaints

over the last several weeks about buses on several

routes running hot. Drivers are reminded that each

route has several checkpoints at which drivers

should check the time. If the bus is ahead of sched-

ule, drivers should delay at the checkpoint until it is

the proper time to leave.

1. According to the passage, when a bus is “running

hot,” it means

a. the engine is overheating.

b. the bus is running ahead of schedule.

c. the air conditioning is not working.

d. there is no more room for passengers.

2. According to the passage,

a. every bus stop is also a checkpoint.

b. it is important to keep customer complaints to

a minimum.

c. drivers tend to rush their routes so they can

leave work early.

d. each bus route has several points at which

drivers should check the time.

Drivers are responsible for refueling their trucks at

the end of each shift. All other routine maintenance

is performed by maintenance department personnel,

who are also responsible for maintaining service

records. If a driver believes a truck is in need of

mechanical repair, he or she should ﬁll out the pink

Repair Requisition form and turn it in to the shift

supervisor.

3. If a truck is due to have the oil changed, it will be

done by

a. maintenance department personnel.

b. truck drivers.

c. shift supervisors.

d. outside contractors.

4. The passage suggests that trucks

a. are refueled when they have less than half a

tank of gas.

b. have the oil changed every 1,000 miles.

c. are refueled at the end of every shift.

d. are in frequent need of repair.

Hazardous waste is deﬁned as any waste designated

by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as

hazardous. If a sanitation worker is unsure if a par-

ticular item is hazardous, he or she should not han-

dle the item but should instead notify the supervisor

for directions.

5. Hazardous waste is

a. anything too dangerous for workers to handle.

b. picked up by special trucks.

c. deﬁned by the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency.

d. not allowed with regular residential garbage.

6. A sanitation worker comes upon a container of

cleaning solvent along with the regular garbage

in front of a residence. The container does not

list the contents of the cleaner. He should

a. assume the solvent is safe and deposit it in the

sanitation truck.

b. leave a note for the residents, asking them to

list the contents.

c. contact the supervisor for directions.

d. leave the container on the curb.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 2–

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Many people hesitate to adopt a retired racing grey-

hound because they worry that it will be nervous

and will need a large space to run. This is a false

impression. Greyhounds have naturally sweet, mild

dispositions and are sprinters rather than distance

runners; they are sufﬁciently exercised with a few

laps around a fenced-in backyard every day. Grey-

hounds do not make good watchdogs, but they are

very good with children, get along well with other

dogs (and usually cats as well), and are very affec-

tionate and loyal.

7. According to the passage, adopting a greyhound

is a good idea for people who

a. do not have children.

b. live in apartment buildings.

c. do not usually like dogs.

d. already have another dog or a cat.

8. One drawback of adopting a greyhound is

that they

a. are not good watchdogs.

b. are very old when they retire from racing.

c. are very competitive.

d. need lots of room to run.

One easy way to plan healthy menus is to shop only

in the outer aisles of the grocery store. In most

supermarkets, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy, fresh

meat, and frozen foods are in the outer aisles. Grains,

like pasta, rice, bread, and cereal, are located on the

next aisles, the ﬁrst inner rows. The inside aisles are

where you’ll ﬁnd chips and snacks, cookies and pas-

tries, soda pop and drink mixes—foods that nutri-

tionists say should be eaten rarely, if at all. A side

beneﬁt of shopping this way is that grocery shopping

takes less time.

9. A good title for this article would be

a. “Why You Should Shop in a Health Food

Store”

b. “How to Complete Your Grocery Shopping in

Less Time”

c. “How to Shop for Healthy Food”

d. “How to Cook Healthy Food”

10. According to the passage, the best way to shop in

the grocery store is to

a. make a list and stick to it.

b. stay in the outside aisles.

c. look for the best prices.

d. check the newspaper ads each week.

Graduating from veterinary school is not the last step

in the process of becoming a veterinarian. There are

two ﬁnal exams every veterinarian must pass before

being allowed to practice: the difﬁcult national vet-

erinary medical board exam, as well as the state board

exam for the state or states in which they ultimately

want to practice. Some veterinarians feel the state

speciﬁc exam is unnecessary, however, and argue that

passing the national veterinary medical board exam

should be enough because medical knowledge does-

n’t differ from state to state. However, not everyone

agrees with that sentiment. They believe that the state

board exam is a necessity because there will always be

area-speciﬁc issues of which veterinarians must be

aware.

11. According to the passage, in order to practice, a

veterinarian must

a. pass only the national veterinary medical

board exam.

b. complete three years of residency in veterinary

medicine.

c. be knowledgeable about medical issues in all

states.

d. pass both a national and a state exam.

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12. This passage is probably taken from a

a. memo entitled, “State Veterinarian Exams

Deemed Unimportant.”

b. pet owner’s training manual.

c. article entitled, “Pros and Cons of Veterinar-

ian Requirements.”

d. novel in which the protagonist is a

veterinarian.

13. According to the passage, state exams are impor-

tant because they

a. require veterinarians to be knowledgeable

about regional issues.

b. give veterinarians needed practice in test

taking.

c. are similar to the requirements made of med-

ical doctors.

d. demand veterinarians have a high level of

medical knowledge.

In the summer, the northern hemisphere is slanted

toward the sun, making the days longer and warmer

than in winter. The ﬁrst day of summer is called the

summer solstice and is also the longest day of the year.

However, June 21 marks the beginning of winter in

the southern hemisphere, when that hemisphere is

tilted away from the sun.

14. According to the passage, when it is summer in

the northern hemisphere, in the southern hemi-

sphere it is

a. spring.

b. summer.

c. autumn.

d. winter.

15. It can be inferred from the passage that, in the

southern hemisphere, June 21 is the

a. autumnal equinox.

b. winter solstice.

c. vernal equinox.

d. summer solstice.



Part 4:

Mathematics Knowledge

Time: 24 minutes

1. Which of these lines are parallel?

a. w and x

b. x and y

c. x and z

d. y and z

2. 5



– 2



a. 8



b. 3



c. 2



d. 3



3. 35% of what number is equal to 14?

a. 4

b. 40

c. 49

d. 400



is equal to

a. 0.15.

b. 0.25.

c. 0.20.

d. 0.75.

5. If 8n + 25 = 65, then n is

a. 5.

b. 10.

c. 40.

d. 90.

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6. What is the reciprocal of 3



d. –



7. Which of these sets of angles would make an

isosceles triangle?

a. 80º, 80º, 100º

b. 90º, 40º, 50º

c. 50º, 50º, 50º

d. 70º, 55º, 55º

8. What is another way to write 312



a. 123



b. 63



c. 210



d. 18

9. What is another way to write 3

a. 12

b. 24

c. 27

d. 81

10. What is the decimal form of –1



rounded to the

nearest hundredth?

a. 1.33

b. –1.33

c. 3.67

d. –3.67

11. 2



is equal to which of the following?

a. 2.45%

b. 2.8%

c. 2.8

d. 2.45

12. Triangles RST and MNO are similar. What is the

length of line segment MO?

a. 10 cm

b. 20 cm

c. 32 cm

d. 40 cm

13. Put the following fractions in order of least to

greatest:



14. 0.40 =



15. Which of the following expressions correctly

demonstrates “three less than twice a number”?

a. 3 –2 + x

b. 3 – 2x

c. 3 < x

d. 2x – 3

4 cm

2 cm

5 cm 4 cm 8 cm

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16. Lines a, b, and c intersect at point O. Which of

these pairs are NOT adjacent angles?

a. l and 6

b. l and 4

c. 4 and 5

d. 2 and 3

17. 2.25 =

a. 2



b. 2



d. 1



18. 6

is equal to

a. 36.

b. 1,296.

c. 18.

d. 216.

19. 10 + 40 ÷ 10 × 2 =

a. 18

b. 10

c. 12



20. 0.125 =



21. One side of a square bandage is 4 inches long.

What is the perimeter of the bandage?

a. 4 inches

b. 8 inches

c. 12 inches

d. 16 inches

22. 33 is 12% of which of the following?

a. 3,960

b. 396

c. 275

d. 2,750

23. What is the area of a circle whose circumference

is 12π?

a. 144π

b. 24π

c. 36π

d. 12π

24. 17

is equal to

a. 34.

b. 68.

c. 136.

d. 289.

25. If the two triangles below are similar, with A

equal to D, what is the perimeter of DEF?

a. 12

b. 21

c. 22.5

d. 24.75

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

Answers

Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning

1. a. 157 is rounded to 200; 817 is rounded to 800;

(200)(800) = 160,000.

2. b. Multiply 120 by



. Thus,



= 80;

120 is written as a fraction with a denomina-

tor of 1. The fraction



is simpliﬁed by

dividing 240 by 3 to get 80 cups.

3. b. Add the corrected value of the sweater ($245)

to the value of the two, not three, bracelets

($730), plus the other two items ($78 and

$130).

4. a. The recipe is for 16 brownies. Half of that, 8,

would reduce the ingredients by half. Half of



cups of sugar is



cup.

5. c. The recipe for 16 brownies calls for



cup

butter. An additional



cup would make 8

more brownies, for a total of 24 brownies.

6. c. Since the Shulkinds want 49 inches of water

and they can get only 3



inches of water per

hour, you must divide 49 inches by 3



inches

to see how many hours that will take.

■



÷3



■



■



■

Reduce diagonally to get



■

14 hours is the answer.

7. c. Multiply $15,500,000 by



;



15,50

0,000



$6,200,000

8. a. Substituting known quantities into the for-

mula yields 20 =



. Next, you must multi-

ply through by x

to get 20x

= 64.8. Now

divide through by 20 to get x



= 3.24.

Now take the square root of both sides to get

x equals 1.8.

9. d. You must ﬁrst divide 2



inches by



inches to

see how many



-inch segments are in 2



■



■



■



■

Reduce diagonally to get



■



= 22

There are 22



-inch segments in 2



inches.

Since each segment represents 1



inches,

multiply 1



by 22 to see how many inches

tall the tail will be.

■



× 22 = 33 inches

10. b. You can’t just take 25% off the original price,

because the 10% discount after three years of

service is taken off the price that has already

been reduced by 15%. Solve the problem in

two steps: after the 15% discount the price is

$71.83. Ninety percent of that—subtracting

10%—is $64.65.

11. a. There are 16 keys in total (9 + 4 + 3 = 16).

Since 12 of those keys are to the front door

or the storage closet, the probability of grab-

bing one of those keys at random is



75%.

12. c. The problem is solved by dividing 204 by

1,700. The answer, 0.12, is then converted to

a percentage.

13. d. The simplest way to solve this problem is to

divide 1 by 1,500, which is 0.0006667, and

then count off two decimal places to arrive at

the percentage, which is 0.06667%. Since the

question asks about what percentage, the

nearest value is 0.067%.

14. a. You can use trial and error to arrive at a solu-

tion to this problem. After the ﬁrst hour, the

number would be 20, after the second hour 40,

after the third hour 80, after the fourth hour

160, and after the ﬁfth hour 320. The other

answer choices do not have the same outcome.

15. b. Use the equation .05(1) = .02(x), where x is

the total amount of water in the resulting 2%

solution. Solving for x, you get 2.5. Subtract-

ing the 1 liter of water already present in the

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5% solution, you will ﬁnd that 1.5 liters need

to be added.

16. b. The second week’s run will increase by 10%

of 52:

■

10% × 52 = 0.10 × 52 = 5.2 minutes

(this will be the increase in minutes)

■

52 + 5.2 = 57.2 minutes. This will be

how long their second Friday run will last

Then the third Friday run will increase

by another 10%:

■

10% × 57.2 = 0.10 × 57.2 = 5.72 minutes

(this will be the increase in minutes)

■

57.2 + 5.72 = 62.93 minutes.

■

So their run on their third Friday will

last for approximately 63 minutes.

17. c. Each 9-foot wall has an area of 9(8) or 72

square feet. There are two such walls, so

those two walls combined have an area of

144 square feet. Each 11-foot wall has an area

of 11(8) or 88 square feet, and again there

are two such walls: 88 (2) = 176. Finally, add

144 and 176 to get 320 square feet.

18. c. Using the formula, V =



(10)(12)(10).

19. d. Substituting 40 for C in the equation yields F

= (



)(40) + 32 = 72 + 32 = 104.

20. b. 150x = (100)(1), where x is the part of a mile

a jogger has to go to burn the calories a

walker burns in 1 mile. If you divide both

sides of this equation by 150, you get x =



Cancel 50 from both the numerator and

denominator to get



. This means that a jog-

ger has to jog only



of a mile to burn the

same number of calories a walker burns in a

mile of brisk walking.

21. c. The ratio is



100

nds



175 po

unds,



where x is

the number of cc’s per 175 pounds. Multiply

both sides by 175 to get (175)(



) equals x,

so x equals 21.

22. b. On the ﬁrst day, the hiker walks 40 miles. On

the second day, he walks 20 miles. On the

third day, he walks 10 miles. On the fourth

day, he walks 5 miles. On the ﬁfth day, he

walks 2.5 miles. The sum of the miles walked,

then, is 77.5 miles. The average over 5 days is

77.5 divided by 5, or 15.5 miles per day.

23. c. This is a weighted average problem. To ﬁnd

the average speed, use the formula:

average speed (in miles per hour) =



■

3 hr × 32 mph = 96 miles driven at

slow speeds. 4.5 hr × 72 mph = 324

miles driven at highway speeds. The

total distance driven is 420 miles in 7.5

hours.

■



= 56 miles per hour

24. c. $80 per month times 7 months is $560. $20

per month times the remaining 5 months is

$100. $560 plus $100 equals $660 for the

entire year. $660 divided by 12 months is $55.

25. a. J = 6K; J + 2 = 2(K + 2), so 6K + 2 = 2K + 4,

which means K equals



.Jequals 6K, or 3.

26. d. Add each monthly bill plus $54 for total local

service to get $312.90 for three months.

Dividing by 3 gives an average of $104.30.

27. c. Change 13.5 hours into minutes by multiply-

ing by 60: 13.5 × 60 = 810 minutes. Then

change 810 minutes into seconds by multi-

plying by 60 again: 810 × 60 = 48,600 sec-

onds. 48,600 seconds between the two cities

means 48,600 gallons used.

28. c. Multiply the cost per acre by the number of

acres; $60,000 × 1



29. b. Kyra saves $60 + $130 + $70 = $260. In Janu-

ary, her employer contributes $6 and in

April, $7. In March, her employer con-

tributes only $10, the maximum amount.

The total in savings is $260 + $6 + $7 + $10

= $283.

30. b. Jackie is paid and saves twice a month, while

she pays her student loan only once a month.

Her monthly salary is $1,644.80. Subtract

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$300 in savings and $84.71 for the student

loan to get $1,260.09.

Part 2: Word Knowledge

1. c. To be held accountable is to be held

responsible.

2. b. To scrutinize is to examine in detail or dissect.

3. b. To enumerate is to ascertain the number of

or count.

4. a. To emulate a person is to strive to equal that

person or to imitate that person.

5. b. When one is compliant, one is acquiescent

or obedient.

6. c. To augment something is to add to or

expand it.

7. d. To have an aversion to something is to have a

feeling of repugnance for it or to dislike it.

8. a. To validate something is to conﬁrm the

authenticity of it.

9. b. To have an antagonist is to have an opponent,

or one who opposes you.

10. c. To h ave perseverance is to be steadfast in your

course or to have persistence.

11. d. To b e inundated is to be overwhelmed

or ﬂooded.

12. a. Homogeneous means of the same or a similar

kind, alike.

13. d. Ominous means foreshadowing evil,

threatening.

14. c. When one is incredulous, one is skeptical

or disbelieving.

15. d. A recluse

is a person who lives withdrawn

om the world, a hermit.

16. d. When one is proﬁcient at something, one is

expert or skilled at it.

17. a. To defray is to provide for the payment of

something, to pay.

18. b. Placid means serenely free of disturbance;

calm, peaceful.

19. a. When something is tentative, it is of an

experimental or provisional nature.

20. b. Something that is vast is huge or immense.

21. c. Animosity is ill will or hostility.

22. a. An adage is a motto or wise saying.

23. b. Something that is prosperous is thriving or

successful.

24. b. Figurative language is not literal, but

metaphorical or symbolic.

25. c. Posterity is descendants or future generations.

26. a. Something that is subliminal is hidden or

concealed.

27. a. A resonant sound is one that is echoing.

28. c. Something that is expedient is advantageous

and quick.

29. a. Something that is exigent is urgent.

30. d. Sundry items are miscellaneous or assorted.

31. a. Something that is fulsome is ﬂattering, over-

generous, or excessive.

32. d. T

umultuous is turbulent, chaotic, or

disorderly.

33. b. Something that is exorbitant is ridiculously

expensive or overpriced.

34. c. Something that is blatant is unconcealed or

transparent.

35. b. Empirical is observed or practical.

Part 3: Paragraph

Comprehension

1. b. The passage explains the procedure for bus

drivers to follow when their bus gets ahead of

schedule. Therefore, running hot means run-

ning ahead of schedule.

2. d. The passage indicates that each route con-

tains several checkpoints at which drivers

should check the time to see if they are run-

ning on schedule.

3. a. The second sentence states that routine

maintenance is performed by the mainte-

nance department.

4. c. The ﬁrst sentence states that drivers are

responsible for refueling at the end of each

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shift; this implies trucks are refueled at the

end of every shift.

5. c. According to the passage, hazardous waste is

deﬁned by the U.S. Environmental Protec-

tion Agency.

6. c. According to the passage, the worker should

call his supervisor for directions,, because he

is unsure if the solvent is safe.

7. d. See the last sentence. The passage does not

mention choice b or choice c. Choice a is

clearly wrong; the passage states the

opposite.

8. a. See the last sentence. Choices b and c are not

mentioned, and choice d is directly contra-

dicted in the third sentence of the passage.

9. c. This title most nearly captures the main idea

of the passage. The other choices either are

not mentioned or are secondary ideas in the

passage.

10. b. This is the point of the ﬁrst sentence of

the passage.

11. d. The ﬁrst sentence of the passage states that

veterinarians must pass both the national

veterinary medical board exam and a state

board exam in order to practice.

12. c. The passage contains two different opinions

about the state exam veterinarians must

pass: why it is important and why it is

unimportant.

13. a. The third sentence mentions that state exams

are important because they require veteri-

narians to be knowledgeable about regional

issues.

14. d. The ﬁrst day of summer in the north is the

ﬁrst day of winter in the south.

15. b. The ﬁrst day of summer is summer solstice;

therefore, the ﬁrst day of winter is winter

solstice.

Part 4: Mathematics Knowledge

1. d. The only parallel lines are y and z.

2. c. Change both mixed numbers to improper

fractions before ﬁnding common denomina-

tors.



–



. Then, use 21 as your common

denominator when subtracting.



–



= 2



3. b. Divide 14 by 35 and then multiply the

answer by 100 to ﬁnd the percent.

4. b. Divide 1 by 4 in order to convert the fraction

into a decimal. 1 ÷ 4 = 0.25.

5. a. The problem is solved by ﬁrst determining

that 8n equals 40 and then dividing 40 by 8.

6. b. Convert the mixed number 3



to the

improper fraction



and then invert.

7. d. An isosceles triangle has two equal angles

and one different angle, and its angles must

sum to 180º.

8. b. The square root of 12 is the same as the

square root of 4 times 3, which is the same as

the square root of 4 times the square root of

3. The square root of 4 is 2. So 3 times the

square root of 12 is the same as 3 times 2

times the square root of 3.

9. d. (3)(3)(3)(3) = 81

10. b. –1



is a mixed fraction and is equal to the

whole number plus the fraction; –1



–(1 +



). Convert



into a decimal by divid-

ing 1 by 3; 1 ÷ 3 = 0.333



; round this portion

of the answer to the nearest hundredth, (two

decimal places), to get 0.33; –(1 + 0.33) =

–1.33.

11. c. 2



= 2.8

12. a. The dimensions of MNO are double those

of RST. Line segment RT is 5 cm; therefore

line segment MO is 10 cm.

13. a. To compare two fractions, raise them up to a

common denominator and then compare

their numerators. For example,



and



, so



is greater than



14. c. To convert a decimal into a fraction, ﬁrst

note the number of place positions to the

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right of the decimal point. In 0.4, the 4 is in

the tenths place, which is one place to the

right of the decimal point. Therefore, the

fraction would be



. Now, the fraction

needs to be reduced to its lowest terms. The

number 2 is the greatest common factor of 4

and 10, so divide the numerator and denom-

inator by 2. The ﬁnal fraction is



15. d. Less than means subtraction, but you must

switch the order of the numbers being sub-

tracted. Tw i ce means multiplied by two. A

number is represented by the variable x.

16. b. Angles 1 and 4 are the only ones not adjacent

to each other.

17. a. The number 2.25 involves a whole number,

which is the 2 to the left of the decimal. This

means that the answer will be a mixed num-

ber—a whole number plus a fraction. Con-

vert the 0.25 into a fraction;



;

adding the whole number, 2, to this fraction

gives the answer 2



18. d. 6

is equal to (6)(6)(6) = 216.

19. a. The correct order of operations for this cal-

culation is 10 + [(40 ÷ 10) × 2].

20. b. In the decimal 0.125, the 125 is three places

to the right of the decimal point; 125 is the

greatest common factor of 125 and 1,000.

The fraction is



21. d. The perimeter is the total length of all sides.

In a square, all four sides are of equal length,

so the perimeter is (4)(4) = 16.

22. c. Divide 33 by 0.12 (12%) to get 275.

23. c. If the circumference (C = 2πr) is 12π, then

the radius must be 6. Find the area by using

the formula A = πr

: A = π6

= 36π.

24. d. 17

is equivalent to 17 times 17, which is 289.

25. c. D



is 2.5 times greater than A



; therefore, E



is 7.5 and D



is 10. Add the three sides

together to arrive at the perimeter.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 2–

171

Scoring

Write your raw score (the number you got right) for each test in the blanks below. Then, turn to Chapter 3 to

ﬁnd out how to convert these raw scores into the scores the armed services use.

1. Arithmetic Reasoning: right out of 30

2. Word Knowledge: right out of 35

3. Paragraph Comprehension: right out of 15

4. Mathematics Knowledge: right out of 25

Here are the steps you should take, depending on

your AFQT score on this practice test:

■

If your AFQT is below 29, you need more help in

reading and/or math. You should spend plenty of

time reviewing the lessons and practice questions

found in this book.

■

If your AFQT is 29–31, be sure to focus on your

weakest subjects in the review lessons and prac-

tice questions that are found in this book.

■

If your AFQT is above 31, review the areas that

give you trouble, and then take the third practice

test in Chapter 13 to make sure you are able to get

a passing score again.

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ike the previous practice exams, this test contains four out of the nine subtests that make up the

ASVAB. These four subtests count toward your Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT) score, which

will determine whether or not you will be allowed to enlist in the military.

For this exam, simulate the actual test-taking experience as closely as you can. Work in a quiet place where

you won’t be interrupted. If you own this book, tear out the answer sheet on page 175 and use your #2 pencils to

ﬁll in the circles. Set a timer or stopwatch, and give yourself the appropriate amount of time marked at the begin-

ning of each subtest.

After the exam, use the answer explanations to review the questions you may have missed. Then, use the scor-

ing section at the end of the test and Chapter 3 to see how you did.

CHAPTER

Practice ASVAB

Core Test 3

CHAPTER SUMMARY

This is the third of three practice battery tests based on the ASVAB

core. Take this test for more practice and additional improvement over

your score on the first two tests.

173

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– LEARNINGEXPRESS ANSWER SHEET–

175

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

16. abcd

17. abcd

18. abcd

19. abcd

20. abcd

21. abcd

22. abcd

23. abcd

24. abcd

25. abcd

26. abcd

27. abcd

28. abcd

29. abcd

30. abcd



Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

16. abcd

17. abcd

18. abcd

19. abcd

20. abcd

21. abcd

22. abcd

23. abcd

24. abcd

25. abcd

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

1. abcd

2. abcd

3. abcd

4. abcd

5. abcd

6. abcd

7. abcd

8. abcd

9. abcd

10. abcd

11. abcd

12. abcd

13. abcd

14. abcd

15. abcd

16. abcd

17. abcd

18. abcd

19. abcd

20. abcd

21. abcd

22. abcd

23. abcd

24. abcd

25. abcd

26. abcd

27. abcd

28. abcd

29. abcd

30. abcd

31. abcd

32. abcd

33. abcd

34. abcd

35. abcd



Part 2: Word Knowledge



Part 3: Paragraph Comprehension



Part 4: Mathematics Knowledge

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

Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning

Time: 36 minutes

1. Mr. Blake has inherited some musical instru-

ments from his father. They are:

1 violin valued at $3,500

2 violin bows, each valued at $850

2 music stands, each valued at $85

1 cello valued at $2,300

In addition, Mr. Blake’s father has left him a

watch, valued at $250, and some old sheet music

valued at $85 total. What is the value of Mr.

Blake’s inheritance?

a. $6,735

b. $7,070

c. $7,670

d. $8,005

2. An Olympic athlete has the following weekday-

training schedule:

What is the average amount of time per

weekday that she trains?

a. 2 hours and 45 minutes

b. 3 hours

c. 3 hours and 15 minutes

d. 3 hours and 30 minutes

3. If a particular woman’s resting heartbeat is 72

beats per minute and she is at rest for 6



hours,

about how many times will her heart beat during

that period of time?

a. 4,320

b. 28,080

c. 4,680

d. 43,200

4. A patient’s hospice stay cost



as much as his visit

to the emergency room. His home nursing cost

twice as much as his hospice stay. If his total

healthcare bill was $140,000, how much did his

home nursing cost?

a. $10,000

b. $20,000

c. $40,000

d. $80,000

5. Chuck is making a patio using 1



foot cement

squares. The patio will be 10 cement squares by

10 cement squares. If the cement squares are

placed right next to each other without any space

in between, what will the dimensions of the

patio be?

a. 10 feet by 10 feet

b. 20 feet by 20 feet

c. 12



feet by 12



feet

d. 15 feet by 15 feet

6. At a certain school, half the students are female

and one-twelfth of the students are from outside

the state. What proportion of the students would

you expect to be females from outside the state?



DAY TRAINING TIME

Monday 3 hours and 30 minutes

Tuesday 2 hours and 15 minutes

Wednesday 1 hour and 45 minutes

Thursday 4 hours and 30 minutes

Friday 3 hours

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 3–

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7. Izzy is going to buy a tent that originally cost

$220.00, and is now 30% off. What is the sale

price of the tent?

a. $190.00

b. $154.00

c. $165.00

d. $66.00

8. Based on the information below, estimate the

weight of a person who is 55 tall.

a. 125

b. 130

c. 135

d. 140

9. During exercise, a person’s heart rate should be

between 60% and 90% of the difference between

220 and the person’s age. According to this

guideline, what should a 30-year-old person’s

maximum heart rate be during exercise?

a. 114

b. 132

c. 171

d. 198

10. The local ﬁreﬁghters are doing a “ﬁll the boot”

fundraiser. Their goal is to raise $3,500. After

three hours, they have raised $2,275. Which

statement below is accurate?

a. They have raised 35% of their goal.

b. They have



of their goal left to raise.

c. They have raised less than



of their goal.

d. They have raised more than



of their goal.

11. A shoe company decides to sell a pair of sneakers

for $78.00. If this pair of sneakers cost the shoe

company $6.00 to manufacture, what is the per-

centage increase they are using to determine their

selling price?

a. 12%

b. 72%

c. 120%

d. 1200%

12. In half of migraine sufferers, a certain drug

reduces the number of migraines by 50%. What

percentage of all migraines can be eliminated by

this drug?

a. 25%

b. 50%

c. 75%

d. 100%

13. Joey, Aaron, Barbara, and Stu have been collect-

ing pennies and putting them in identical con-

tainers. Joey’s container is



full, Aaron’s is



full,

Barbara’s is



full, and Stu’s is



full. Whose con-

tainer has the most pennies?

a. Joey

b. Aaron

c. Barbara

d. Stu

14. Rosa kept track of how many hours she spent

reading during the month of August. The ﬁrst

week she read for 4



hours, the second week for



hours, the third week for 8



hours, and the

fourth week for 1



hours. How many hours alto-

gether did she spend reading in the month of

August?

a. 17



b. 16

c. 16



d. 18



HEIGHT WEIGHT

5 110 pounds

6 170 pounds

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15. A study shows that 600,000 women die each year

in pregnancy and childbirth, one-ﬁfth more than

scientists previously estimated. How many such

deaths did the scientists previously estimate?

a. 120,000

b. 300,000

c. 480,000

d. 500,000

16. A gram of fat contains nine calories. An 1,800-

calorie diet allows no more than 20% calories

from fat. How many grams of fat are allowed in

that diet?

a. 40 g

b. 90 g

c. 200 g

d. 360 g

17. If a vehicle is traveling through a desert at an

average speed of 90 kilometers an hour, how

many meters will it have traveled after 5 hours

and 30 minutes of driving at this speed?

a. 48,000 meters

b. 480,000 meters

c. 49,500 meters

d. 495,000 meters

18. After three days, a group of hikers discovers that

they have used



of their supplies. At this rate,

how many more days can they go forward before

they have to turn around?

a. 0.75 days

b. 3.75 days

c. 4.5 days

d. 7.5 days

19. A supply truck can carry three tons. A breakfast

ration weighs 12 ounces, and the other two daily

meals weigh 18 ounces each. On a ten-day trip,

how many troops can be supplied by one truck?

a. 100

b. 150

c. 200

d. 320

20. A clerk can process 26 forms per hour. If 5,600

forms must be processed in an eight-hour day,

how many clerks must you hire for that day?

a. 24 clerks

b. 25 clerks

c. 26 clerks

d. 27 clerks

21. On the same latitude, Company E travels east at

35 miles per hour and Company F travels west

at 15 miles per hour. If the two companies start

out 2,100 miles apart, how long will it take them

to meet?

a. 42 hours

b. 60 hours

c. 105 hours

d. 140 hours

22. Laura has the following regular test scores in her

economics class: 78, 94, 64, 81, 83. On her ﬁnal

exam, she scored a 90. When determining stu-

dents’ ﬁnal averages, the professor drops the low-

est regular test score, and then counts the

remaining regular tests as 50% of the ﬁnal average.

The ﬁnal exam counts as the other 50% of the

total average. What will Laura’s ﬁnal average be?

a. 83

b. 84

c. 85

d. 87

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 3–

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23. Mike types three times as fast as Nick. Together

they type 24 pages per hour. If Nick learns to

type as fast as Mike, how much will they be able

to type per hour?

a. 30 pages

b. 36 pages

c. 40 pages

d. 48 pages

24. If you take recyclables to whichever recycler will

pay the most, what is the greatest amount of

money you could get for 2,200 pounds of alu-

minum, 1,400 pounds of cardboard, 3,100

pounds of glass, and 900 pounds of plastic?

ALUM- CARD- GLASS PLASTIC

INUM BOARD

Recycler X 6 cents/ 3 cents/ 8 cents/ 2 cents/

pound pound pound pound

Recycler Y 7 cents/ 4 cents/ 7 cents/ 3 cents/

pound pound pound pound

a. $440

b. $447

c. $454

d. $485

25. Water is coming into a tank three times as fast as

it is going out. After one hour, the tank contains

11,400 gallons of water. How fast is the water

coming in?



3,80

llons



5,70

llons



11,40

llons



17,10

llons



26. A standard 18-wheel tractor-trailer is permitted

to carry a load of up to 80,000 pounds. A smaller

six-wheel trailer is able to carry a load of up to

30,000 pounds. If the government needs to

transport 350,000 pounds of supplies from

Camp Pendleton to Fort Campbell, what is the

most efﬁcient use of vehicles for this move?

a. ﬁve 18-wheelers

b. 12 six-wheelers

c. four 18-wheelers and one six-wheeler

d. three 18-wheelers and four six-wheelers

27. A uniform requires four square yards of cloth. To

produce uniforms for 84,720 troops, how much

cloth is required?

a. 330,880 square yards

b. 336,880 square yards

c. 338,880 square yards

d. 340,880 square yards

28. A dormitory now houses 30 students and allows

42 square feet of space per student. If ﬁve more

students are put into this dormitory, how much

less space will each student have?

a. 5 square feet

b. 6 square feet

c. 7 square feet

d. 8 square feet

29. Ron is half as old as Sam, who is three times as

old as Ted. The sum of their ages is 55. How old

is Ron?

a. 5

b. 10

c. 15

d. 30

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30. To lower a fever of 105°F, ice packs are applied

for one minute and then removed for ﬁve min-

utes before being applied again. Each application

lowers the fever by half a degree. How long will it

take to lower the fever to 99°F?

a. one hour

b. one hour and 12 minutes

c. one hour and 15 minutes

d. one hour and 30 minutes



Part 2: Word Knowledge

Time: 11 minutes

Select the choice that best matches the underlined word.

1. Er

roneous most nearly means

a. digressive.

b. confused.

c. impenetrable.

d. faulty.

2. G

rotesque most nearly means

a. extreme.

b. frenzied.

c. hideous.

d. typical.

3. The Adamsville Kennel Club’s ancient computer

system was ou

tmoded.

a. worthless

b. unusable

c. obsolete

d. unnecessary

4. Gar

bled most nearly means

a. lucid.

b. unintelligible.

c. devoured.

d. outrageous.

5. R

igor

ous most nearly means

a. demanding.

b. tolerable.

c. lenient.

d. disorderly.

6. Flag

rant most nearly means

a. secret.

b. worthless.

c. noble.

d. glaring.

7. Or

ation most nearly means

a. nuisance.

b. independence.

c. address.

d. length.

8. Although the police might be able to help Mr.

Chen recover his stolen property, he o

bstinately

refuses to ﬁle a complaint.

a. repeatedly

b. reluctantly

c. foolishly

d. stubbornly

9. The student’s g

lib remarks irritated the teacher.

a. angry

b. superﬁcial

c. insulting

d. dishonest

10. C

omposure most nearly means

a. agitation.

b. poise.

c. liveliness.

d. stimulation.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 3–

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11. Ec

centr

ic most nearly means

a. normal.

b. frugal.

c. peculiar.

d. selective.

12. C

ommendable most nearly means

a. admirable.

b. accountable.

c. irresponsible.

d. noticeable.

13. O

livious most nearly means

a. visible.

b. sinister.

c. aware.

d. ignorant.

14. Philanthr

opy most nearly means

a. selﬁshness.

b. fascination.

c. disrespect.

d. generosity.

15. Most members of the conservative community

thought the neighbor’s bright pink Corvette was

ost

entatious.

a. hilarious

b. pretentious

c. outrageous

d. obnoxious

16. P

assive most nearly means

a. resigned.

b. emotional.

c. lively.

d. woeful.

17. P

roximity most nearly means

a. distance.

b. agreement.

c. nearness.

d. intelligence.

18. N

egligib

le most nearly means

a. insigniﬁcant.

b. delicate.

c. meaningful.

d. illegible.

19. R

ational most nearly means

a. deliberate.

b. invalid.

c. prompt.

d. sound.

20. V

ilant most nearly means

a. nonchalant.

b. alert.

c. righteous.

d. strenuous.

21. N

ovel most nearly means

a. future.

b. basic.

c. former.

d. new.

22. P

rocure most nearly means

a. discover.

b. acquire.

c. drop.

d. add.

23. The salary will be c

ommensurate with the candi-

date’s experience.

a. forthcoming

b. determined

c. proportionate

d. found

24. Franny was happy about the news, but her hus-

band had the c

onverse reaction.

a. upsetting

b. opposite

c. worst

d. extreme

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 3–

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25. The abstract painting was emotionally e

vocative.

a. difﬁcult

b. designed

c. suggestive

d. pure

26. H

arbinger most nearly means

a. follower.

b. convert.

c. harbor.

d. forerunner.

27. A

mulet most nearly means

a. charm.

b. anklet.

c. potion.

d. emergency.

28. P

undit most nearly means

a. expert.

b. politician.

c. kicker.

d. evil-doer.

29. The q

ueue for movie tickets went around the

block.

a. quick

b. price

c. line

d. popularity

30. When his friends arrived an hour late, Jose’s

ountenance showed that he was less than

pleased.

a. goals

b. opinion

c. abilities

d. expression

31. Amy increased the size of the ap

ture in order to

let more light in.

a. opening

b. apparatus

c. camera

d. brightness

32. S

urrogate most nearly means

a. replacement.

b. copy.

c. original.

d. survivor.

33. P

aradigm most nearly means

a. ﬂying.

b. law.

c. timely.

d. example.

34. The mélang

e of musical acts made the festival

unique.

a. styles

b. mix

c. hodgepodge

d. sound

35. B

ravado most nearly means

a. boldness.

b. cowardice.

c. scorn.

d. anti-establishment.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 3–

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

Part 3: Paragraph

Comprehension

Time: 13 minutes

Read each passage and answer the questions that follow.

Police ofﬁcers must read suspects their Miranda

rights upon taking them into custody. When sus-

pects who are merely being questioned incriminate

themselves, they might later seek to have the case

dismissed on the grounds that they were not

apprised of their Miranda rights when arrested.

Therefore, ofﬁcers must take care not to give sus-

pects grounds for later claiming they believed them-

selves to be in custody.

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

a. Ofﬁcers must remember to read suspects their

Miranda rights.

b. Suspects sometimes mistakenly believe they

are in custody when in fact they are only being

questioned.

c. Ofﬁcers who are merely questioning a suspect

must not give the suspect the impression that

he or she is in custody.

d. Miranda rights needn’t be read to all suspects

before questioning.

2. When must police ofﬁcers read Miranda rights to

a suspect?

a. while questioning the suspect

b. while placing the suspect under arrest

c. before taking the suspect to the police station

d. before releasing the suspect

Dilly’s Deli provides a dining experience like no

other! Recently relocated to the old market area,

Dilly’s is especially popular for lunch. At the counter,

you can place your order for one of Dilly’s three

daily lunch specials or one of several sandwiches, all

at reasonable prices. Once you get your food, choose

a seat at one of the four charming communal tables.

By the time you are ready to carry your paper plate

to the trash bin, you have experienced some of the

best food and most charming company our city has

to offer.

3. According to the passage, if you eat lunch at

Dilly’s Deli, you should expect to

a. be surrounded by antiques.

b. place your order with the waiter who comes to

your table.

c. carry your own food to your table.

d. be asked out on a date by someone charming.

4. The main purpose of the passage is to

a. proﬁle the owner of Dilly’s Deli.

b. describe the kind of food served at Dilly’s Deli.

c. encourage people to eat at Dilly’s Deli.

d. explain the historical signiﬁcance of the Dilly’s

Deli building.

There are two types of diabetes, insulin-dependent

and non-insulin-dependent. Between 90 and 95% of

the estimated 13 to 14 million people in the United

States with diabetes have non-insulin-dependent,

or Type II, diabetes. Its symptoms often develop

gradually and are hard to identify at ﬁrst; therefore,

nearly half of all people with diabetes do not know

they have it. This can be particularly dangerous,

because untreated diabetes can cause damage to the

heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. While

the causes, short-term effects, and treatments of

Type I and Type II diabetes differ, both types can

cause the same long-term health problems.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 3–

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5. According to the passage, which of the following

may be the most dangerous aspect of Type II

diabetes?

a. Insulin shots are needed daily for treatment of

Type II diabetes.

b. In Type II diabetes, the pancreas does not

produce insulin.

c. Type II diabetes interferes with digestion.

d. Persons with Type II diabetes may not know

they have it, and will therefore not seek

treatment.

6. Which of the following are the same for Type I

and Type II diabetes?

a. treatments

b. long-term health risks

c. short-term effects

d. causes

Because crimes against adolescents are likely to be

committed by offenders of the same age (as well as

same sex and race), preventing violence among and

against adolescents is a two-fold challenge. New

violence-prevention programs in urban middle

schools help reduce the crime rate, by teaching both

victims and perpetrators the skills of conﬂict reso-

lution and how to apply reason to disputes. Also,

they help to correct the attitude that respect may be

achieved through violence and retaliation.

7. What is the main idea of the passage?

a. Middle school violence-prevention programs

are designed to help lower the rate of crimes

against adolescents.

b. Adolescents are more likely to commit crimes

than older people and must therefore be

taught nonviolence in order to protect society.

c. Middle school students appreciate the conﬂict

resolution skills they acquire in violence-

prevention programs.

d. Violence against adolescents is increasing.

8. According to the passage, why is preventing vio-

lence against adolescents a two-fold challenge?

a. because adolescents are as likely to be victims

of violent crime as members of other age

groups

b. because adolescents must be prevented from

both perpetrating and being victimized by

violent crime

c. because adolescents must change both their

violent behavior and their attitudes towards

violence

d. because adolescents are vulnerable, yet reluc-

tant to listen to adult advice

The camera shutter serves as a light valve. Opening

and closing within a certain time frame, it helps

determine how much light will be exposed onto the

ﬁlm. The numbers on the shutter speed dial indicate

fractions of a second. With the shutter speed, you

can freeze motion by using a fast shutter speed. The

camera must be held steady while taking a picture,

as movement will blur the photograph. The slower

the shutter speed, the more likely it is that you will

have a problem with handheld shots. With an SLR

camera, one can generally hand-hold the camera at



second or faster.

9. According to the passage, a fast shutter speed

a. freezes motion.

b. allows you to hold the camera at



second or

faster.

c. serves as a light valve.

d. makes handheld shots difﬁcult.

10. According to the passage, the shutter works in

conjunction with

a. time.

b. space.

c. dials.

d. demand.

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 3–

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11. Which of the following will result in a blurry

picture?

a. an SLR camera

b. a lot of light exposed onto the ﬁlm

c. a



-second shutter speed

d. a slow shutter speed

Some people argue that retribution is the purpose of

punishing a person convicted of a crime, and that

therefore the punishment must in some direct way

ﬁt the crime. Another view, the deterrence theory,

promotes punishment in order to discourage com-

mission of future crimes. In this view, punishment

need not relate directly to the crime committed.

However, punishment must necessarily be uniform

and consistently applied, in order for the members

of the public to understand how they would be pun-

ished if they committed a crime.

12. The passage suggests that a person who believes

that the death penalty results in fewer murders

most likely also believes in

a. the deterrence theory.

b. the retribution theory.

c. giving judges considerable discretion in

imposing sentences.

d. the integrity of the criminal justice system.

13. A person who believes in the deterrence theory

would probably also support

a. non-unanimous jury verdicts.

b. early release of prisoners because of prison

overcrowding.

c. a broad deﬁnition of the insanity defense.

d. allowing television broadcasts of court

proceedings.

The city ordinance reads, “Sanitation workers will

not collect garbage in containers weighing more

than ﬁfty pounds.” Workers are expected to use their

best judgment in determining when a container

weighs more than 50 pounds. If a container is too

heavy, workers should attach one of the pre-printed

warning messages (which are carried in all trucks) to

the container, informing the household that the

container weighs more than ﬁfty pounds and cannot

be collected.

14. According to the passage, in order to determine

if a container is too heavy, a sanitation worker

should

a. carry a scale in their truck to weigh containers.

b. practice lifting 50 pounds at home to know

what it feels like.

c. assume any container he or she can lift weighs

less than 50 pounds.

d. use his or her best guess as to whether a con-

tainer weighs more than 50 pounds.

15. According to the passage, if a sanitation worker

believes that a container weighs more than ﬁfty

pounds, he or she should

a. attach a pre-printed warning to the container

and leave it where it is.

b. write a note to the household, informing them

of the weight limit.

c. collect it anyway, as the household probably

did not know about the weight limit.

d. notify a special collections truck.



Part 4: Mathematics

Knowledge

Time: 24 minutes

1. –



–



b. –



c. 2

d. –2

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2. The volume of an object is measured in

a. inches.

b. square units.

c. cubic units.

d. quadrants.

3. When calculating the area of a ﬁgure, you are

ﬁnding

a. the distance around the object.

b. the length of a side.

c. the amount of space that the object covers.

d. the number of sides it has.

4. 12(84 – 5) – (3 × 54) =

a. 54,000

b. 841

c. 796

d. 786

5. Which of the following numbers is the smallest?



6. Which of the following is equivalent to 42,549.23

× 10

–2

a. 425.4923 × 10

b. 4,254,923 × 10

c. 4.254923 × 10

d. 4.254923 × 10

7. When measuring the area of a football ﬁeld, you

would most likely use

a. square inches.

b. square millimeters.

c. square miles.

d. square yards.

8. On the number line below, point L is to be

located halfway between points M and N. What

number will correspond to point L?

a. –



b. –



c. –1



d. 0

9. Which of the following statements is true?

a. Parallel lines intersect at right angles.

b. Parallel lines never intersect.

c. Perpendicular lines never intersect.

d. Intersecting lines have two points in common.

10. A practice diving tank is 16 feet long, 12 feet

wide, and 14 feet deep. It is currently ﬁlled up to

the 3-foot mark, and must get ﬁlled to the 12-

foot line in order for a class to practice their ﬁrst

dive. How many cubic feet of water must be

added to the pool in order to ﬁll it so that the

water is 12 feet deep?

a. 192 cubic feet

b. 1,728 cubic feet

c. 2,304 cubic feet

d. 2,688 cubic feet

11. What is the next number in the following series?

3 16 6 12 12 8 _____

a. 4

b. 15

c. 20

d. 24

12. Which number sentence is true?

a. 4.3 < 0.43

b. 0.43 < 0.043

c. 0.043 > 0.0043

d. 0.0043 > 0.043

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13. What is the area of the triangle?

a. 24 inches

b. 12 inches

c. 21 inches

d. 10.5 inches

14. If



= 4, what is x?



c. 3

d. 6

15. Choose the answer to the following problem:

÷10

a. 10

b. 10

c. 10

d. 10

16. 3.16 ÷ 0.079 =

a. 0.025

b. 2.5

c. 4.0

d. 40

17.



is equal to

a. 21.8

b. 2.58

c. 2.6

d. 2.625

18. What is the area of the following ﬁgure?

a. 19 square feet

b. 20 square feet

c. 24 square feet

d. 38 square feet

19. What is 7



% of 465, rounded to the nearest

tenth?

a. 32.5

b. 33

c. 33.5

d. 34

20. What kind of polygon is the following ﬁgure?

a. heptagon

b. octagon

c. hexagon

d. pentagon

21. Which of the following is equivalent to 3k

+ 4k?

a. 7k

b. 7k

c. 3 × k × k + k × k × k × k

d. 3 × k × k + k + k + k + k

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22. For which of the following values of x is this

number sentence true: 25 – x < 10?

a. 16

b. 15

c. 14

d. 13

23. If $4.60 is decreased by 15%, what is the resulting

number?

a. $3.91

b. $0.69

c. $4.45

d. $3.06

24. What is the decimal form of



? (Round two deci-

mal places.)

a. 0.65

b. 0.88

c. 0.83

d. 0.13

25. What is the volume of liquid remaining in this

cylinder?

a. 64π cm

b. 80π cm

c. 96π cm

d. 160π cm

10 cm

8 cm

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 3–

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

Answers

Part 1: Arithmetic Reasoning

1. d. Don’t forget that there are two bows and two

music stands, and remember to add the

value of the watch and the sheet music.

2. b. Convert all of the training times to minutes.

The total number of minutes she trains is

900. Divided by 5, the average number of

minutes trained per weekday is 180, which is

3 hours.

3. b. This is a two-step multiplication problem. To

ﬁnd out how many heartbeats there would

be in one hour, you must multiply 72 by 60

(minutes) and then multiply this result,

4,320, by 6.5 hours.

4. c. Let E = emergency room cost; H = hospice

cost, which is (



)E; N = home nursing cost,

which is 2E, or 2(



)E. The total bill is E + H

+ N, which is E + (



)E + (



)E, = 140,000.

Add the left side of the equation to get



E =

140,000. To solve for E, multiply both sides

of the equation by (



); E = 140,000(



), or

80,000; H = (



)E, or 20,000, and N = 2H,or

40,000.

5. d. Multiply 1



by 10. Change 1



to an

improper fraction (



) and make 10 into a

fraction by placing it over 1 (



);



= 15 feet. Each side is 15 feet long, so the

dimensions are 15 ft by 15 ft.

6. b. If half the students are female, then you

would expect half of the out-of-state stu-

dents to be female. One half of



7. c. To ﬁnd the discount, take 30% of $220: 0.30

× $220 = $66. Subtract that from the original

price: $220 – $66 = $154.

8. c. A foot in height makes a difference of 60

pounds, or 5 pounds per inch of height over

5. A person who is 55 is (5)(5 pounds), or

25 pounds, heavier than the person who is

5, so add 25 pounds to 110 pounds to get

135 pounds.

9. c. The difference between 220 and this person’s

age is 190. The maximum heart rate is 90%

of this: (0.9)(190) = 171.

10. a. The part of their goal that they have raised is

$2,275 and the whole goal is $3,500. The

fraction for this is



. The numerator and

denominator can both be divided by 175 to

get a simpliﬁed fraction of



. They have

completed



of their goal, which means that

they have



left to go (



–



11. d. Percentage increase = (amount of

change)\(original amount)

■



(78

–6)



■



= 12 = 1,200%

12. a. The drug is 50% effective for 50% of

migraine sufferers, so it eliminates (0.50) ×

(0.50), or 0.25 of all migraines.

13. a. Compare



by ﬁnding a common

denominator. The common denominator for

3, 4, and 5 is 60. Multiply the numerator and

denominator of a fraction by the same num-

ber so that the denominator becomes 60.

The fractions then become



, and



The fraction with the largest numerator is

the largest fraction;



is the largest fraction.

It is equivalent to Joey’s fraction of



14. a. Add the number of hours together using a

common denominator of $60; 4



+ 3



= 1



= 16



, which is simpliﬁed to



hours.

15. d. Let E = the estimate. One-ﬁfth more than the

estimate means



or 120% of E, so 600,000 =

(1.20)(E). Dividing both sides by 1.2 leaves E

= 500,000.

16. a. 20% of 1,800, or (0.2)(1,800) = 360 calories

allowed from fat. Since there are nine calo-

ries in each gram of fat, divide 360 by 9 to

ﬁnd that 40 grams of fat are allowed.

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17. d. Distance = rate × time. Kilometers = 90 × 5.5,

so the vehicle traveled 495 kilometers. Since

there are 1,000 meters in 1 kilometer, the

vehicle traveled 495,000 meters.

18. a. First, ﬁnd out how long the entire hike can

be, based on the rate at which the hikers are

using their supplies. If 1 = all supplies and

x = entire hike, then =



. Cross multiply

to get



= 3, so that x =



(3)

(5)



, or 7



days for

the length of the entire hike. This means that

the hikers could go forward for 3.75 days

altogether before they would have to turn

around. They have already hiked for three

days, which leaves 0.75 for the amount of

time they can now go forward before having

to turn around.

19. c. Three tons is 6,000 pounds; 6,000 pounds

multiplied by 16 ounces per pound is 96,000

ounces. The total weight of each daily ration

is 48 ounces. Ninety-six thousand divided by

48 is 2,000 troops supplied. Two thousand

divided by 10 days is 200 troops supplied.

20. d. Twenty-six forms multiplied by 8 hours is

208 forms per day per clerk. Divide 5,600 by

208 to get approximately 26.9, which means

you have to hire 27 clerks for the day.

21. a. The companies’ combined rate of travel is 50

miles per hour. 2,100 miles divided by 50

miles per hour is 42 hours.

22. d. After dropping her 64, Laura’s regular test

average is



(78 + 94 +

81 + 83)



= 84. Since that

counts equally with her ﬁnal exam score of

90, Laura’s ﬁnal average is determined by

averaging 84 and 90, which is 87.

23. b. M = 3N;3N + N = 24, so that N = 6. Since

M = 3N, M = 18. If Nick catches up to Mike’s

typing speed, then both M and N will equal

18, and then the combined rate will be 36

pages per hour.

24. d. 2,200(0.07) = $154; $154 + 1,400(0.04) =

$210; $210 + 3,100(0.08) = $458; $458 +

$900(0.03) = $485.

25. d. 3w = water coming in; w = water going out;

3w – w = 11,400, which means that w is

5,700 and 3w is 17,100.

26. c. Four 18-wheelers can carry 4 × 80,000 =

320,000 pounds and one six-wheeler can

carry another 30,000 pounds, which adds up

to 350,000 pounds.

27. c. 84,720 troops multiplied by 4 square yards of

cloth is 338,880 square yards of cloth required.

28. b. 30 men multiplied by 42 square feet of space

is 1,260 square feet of space; 1,260 square

feet divided by 35 men is 36 square feet, so

each man will have 6 less square feet of space.

29. c. Let T = Ted’s age; S = Sam’s age = 3T; R =

Ron’s age =



,or



. The sum of the ages is

55, which means T + 3T +



= 55. Find the

common denominator (2) to add the left side

of the equation; T = 10. If Ted is 10, then Sam

is 30, and Ron is



, which is 15 years old.

30. b. The difference between 105 and 99 is 6

degrees. The temperature is lowered by half a

degree every six minutes, or 1 degree every

12 minutes; 6 degrees multiplied by 12 min-

utes per degree is 72 minutes, or 1 hour and

12 minutes.

Part 2: Word Knowledge

1. d. Something that is erroneous is wrong

or faulty.

2. c. Something that is grotesque is distorted, mis-

shapen, or hideous.

3. c. To b e outmoded is to be out-of-date or

obsolete.

4. b. A statement that is garbled is scrambled and

confusing, or unintelligible.

5. a. Something that is rigorous is strict or

demanding.



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6. d. A thing that is ﬂagrant is conspicuous

or glaring.

7. c. An oration is a formal speech or an address.

8. d. When something is done obstinately, it is

done in a refractory manner or stubbornly.

9. b. A glib remark is a quick and insincere, or

superﬁcial, one.

10. b. When someone has composure, that person

has self-possession or poise.

11. c. To b e eccentric is to be unconventional

or peculiar.

12. a. If something is commendable it is praisewor-

thy or admirable.

13. d. To b e oblivious of something is to be unaware

or ignorant of it.

14. d. An act of philanthropy is an act of charity

or generosity.

15. b. To b e ostentatious is to be showy or

pretentious.

16. a. To b e passive is to be compliant and accept-

ing, or resigned.

17. c. When something is in proximity to some-

thing else, it is close to or in nearness to it.

18. a. To b e negligible is to be unimportant

or insigniﬁcant.

19. d. A rational judgment is a logical or sound one.

20.

b. To

b e vigilant is to be watchful or alert.

21. d. Novel is something that has never been done

before or that is new.

22. b. To procure something is to acquire it.

23. c. Commensurate means equal to or

proportionate.

24. b. Converse is contrary or opposite.

25. c. When something is evocative, it is reminis-

cent or suggestive of something else.

26. d. A harbinger is a predecessor or a forerunner.

27. a. An amulet is a talisman or a charm.

28. a. Someone who is a pundit is an authority or

an expert.

29. c. A queue is a row or a line.

30. d. A countenance is a person’s attitude, way, or

expression.

31. a. An aperture is a hole or an opening.

32. a. A surrogate is a substitute or a replacement.

33. d. A paradigm is a pattern or an example.

34. b. A mélange is a combination or a mix.

35. a. Someone who displays bravado shows

courage or boldness.

Part 3: Paragraph

Comprehension

1. a. While choices b and c are true, they are not

the main idea. Choice d is contradicted in

the last sentence.

2. b. See the ﬁrst sentence of the passage.

3. c. This is the only one of the choices that is

stated in the passage (in the third and fourth

sentences). Choices a and d are not stated

in the passage. Choice b is contradicted by

the passage.

4. c. The whole tone of the passage is complimen-

tary to Dilly’s. Choices a and d are not men-

tioned in the passage. Although choice b is

mentioned, it is not the main point.

5. d. The passage mentions that the symptoms of

Type II diabetes may occur gradually and

thus be attributed to other causes. Left

untreated, diabetes can cause damage to sev-

eral major organs in the body.

6. b. According to the passage, only the long-term

health problems are the same for these two

different disorders.

7. a. None of the other choices is mentioned in

the passage.

8. b. This idea is explicitly stated in the ﬁrst

sentence.

9. a. The fourth sentence of the passage supports

this choice.

10. a. The second sentence in the passage states that

the camera shutter opens and closes within a

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certain time frame. Therefore, a shutter

works in conjunction with time.

11. d. The ﬁfth and sixth sentences explain that a

slow shutter speed will cause a picture to be

blurry.

12. a. This can be deduced from the second sen-

tence of the passage.

13. d. The last sentence notes that the deterrence

theory has the effect of teaching not only

criminals, but also the public.

14. d. Although the other options are not pre-

cluded by the passage, the passage only

requires workers to make an educated guess

as to the weight of the container.

15. a. See the third sentence of the passage.

Part 4: Mathematics Knowledge

1. d. Subtract to get –



, which reduces to –2.

2. c. Since volume contains three dimensions—

length, width, and height—it’s measured in

cubic units.

3. c. The area of a ﬁgure is the amount of space

the object covers, in square units.

4. d. Perform the operations in the parentheses

ﬁrst: (12)(79) – 162 = 786.

5. b. Fractions must be converted to the lowest

common denominator, which allows you to

compare the amounts:



, and



6. d. 42,549.23 × 10

–

= 425.4923 (move the deci-

mal twice to the left because of the –2

power). Then, 425.4923 can be written as

4.254923 × 10

7. d. A football ﬁeld would most likely be meas-

ured in square yards. Square inches and

square millimeters are too small, and square

miles are too large.

8. a. The halfway point on the number line is

between 0 and –



, which is –



9. b. Corresponding points on parallel lines are

always the same distance apart, so the lines

can never intersect.

10. b. The volume needed to ﬁll the pool 9 more

feet deep (it’s already ﬁlled to 3 feet) is 16 ×

12 × 9 = 1,728 cubic feet.

11. d. This series actually has two alternating sets of

numbers. The ﬁrst number is doubled, giv-

ing the third number. The second number

has 4 subtracted from it, giving the fourth

number. Therefore, the blank space will be

12 doubled, or 24.

12. c. The farther to the right the digits go, the

smaller the number.

13. d. Area =



(base × height) =



(7 × 3) = 10.5

(the height must always be at a 90° angle to

the base).

14. d. To add the left side of the equation, ﬁnd the

common denominator, so that



= 4;



= 4; and 4x = 24.

15. b. In a division problem like this, leave the

whole number the same and subtract

the exponents.

16. d. Create a division problem without decimals

by moving the decimal point three places to

the right: 3,160 divided by 79 is 40.

17. d. Perform long division out to the thousandths

place to get 2.625.

18. b. Find the area of two rectangles and then add

the results. Use an imaginary line to block off

the ﬁrst rectangle at the top of the ﬁgure.

This rectangle measures (5 feet)(2 feet) = 10

square feet. The second rectangle is also

(5 feet)(2 feet). Add the two together for a

total of 20 square feet.

19. c. First, change the percent to a decimal:

(.072) × (465) = 33.48, which rounded to the

nearest tenth is 33.5.

20. a. A heptagon has seven sides.

21. d. 3k

= 3 × k × k and 4k = k + k + k + k

22. a. 25 – 16 = 9, which is the only choice that

leaves you with a number less than 10.

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23. a. Find 15% of $4.60: 0.15 × 4.60 = 0.69. Next,

subtract 0.69 from 4.60 to get the decreased

price.

24. c. Divide 5 by 6 to convert the fraction into a

decimal; 5 ÷ 6 = 0.8333



. Round two decimal

places to get 0.83.

25. c. The volume of a cylinder equals πr

h,where

r is the radius of the cylinder and h is the

height. The radius is half the diameter, so the

radius of this cylinder is 4 cm. The height of

the volume is 10 – 4 = 6 (the height of the

whole cylinder minus the height of space in

which the liquid has been poured out). So

the volume is π(4)

(6), or π(16)(6) =

96π cm

– PRACTICE ASVAB CORE TEST 3–

Here are the steps you should take, depending on

your AFQT score on this practice test:

■

If your AFQT is below 29, you need more help in

reading and/or math. You should spend plenty of

time reviewing the lessons and practice questions

found in this book.

■

If your AFQT is 29–31, be sure to focus on your

weakest subjects in the review lessons and prac-

tice questions found in this book.

■

If your AFQT is above 31, review areas that give

you trouble, if any. Then, take the ofﬁcial exam

with conﬁdence, knowing you are well prepared.

Scoring

Write your raw score (the number you got right) for each test in the blanks below. Then, turn to Chapter 3 to

ﬁnd out how to convert these raw scores into the scores the armed services use.

1. Arithmetic Reasoning: right out of 30

2. Word Knowledge: right out of 35

3. Paragraph Comprehension: right out of 15

4. Mathematics Knowledge: right out of 25

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