In a previous blog post, we took at look at understanding the basic ASVAB scores. In this post, we want to go another step and look at ASVAB line scores.
So what are line scores?
The military converts your subtest scores into composite scores, which are referred to as “line scores.”
It’s these scores that determine what jobs you are eligible for. Here are the Army’s line scores:
• Clerical (CL) – Verbal Expression (VE), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), and Mathematics Knowledge (MK).
• Combat (CO) – Verbal Expression (VE), Auto & Shop (AS) and Mechanical Comprehension (MC).
• Electronics (EL) – General Science (GS), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK) and Electronic Information (EI).
• Field Artillery (FA) – Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) Mathematics Knowledge (MK) and Mechanical Comprehension (MC).
• General Maintenance (GM) – General Science (GS), Auto & Shop (AS), Mathematics Knowledge (MK) and Electronics Information (EI).
• General Technical (GT) – Verbal Expression (VE) and Arithmetic Reasoning (AR).
• Mechanical Maintenance (MM) – Auto & Shop (AS), Mechanical Comprehension (MC) and Electronic Information (EI).
• Operators and Food (OF) – Verbal Expression (VE), Auto & Shop (AS) and Mechanical Comprehension (MC).
• Surveillance and Communications (SC) – Verbal Expression (VE), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Auto & Shop (AS) and Mechanical Comprehension (MC).
• Skilled Technical (ST) – General Science (GS), Verbal Expression (VE), Mechanical Comprehension (MC) and Mathematics Knowledge (MK).
If you get a qualifying score in the line area you want, for example CL-Clerical, then you can get the job you want – provided that job is available and you meet other qualification factors.
However, you should keep in mind that the Army is the only service that looks at line scores and offers a guaranteed job to each new recruit. The other branches of the military offer some combination of guaranteed job or guaranteed aptitude/career area.
Here is more information by branch of the military:
Air Force
The Air Force creates four composite score areas from the individual ASVAB subtests and uses those as the qualifications for various jobs. The four composite areas, which the Air Force refers to as MAGE, are:
• Mechanical Aptitude Score – General Science (GS), Mechanical Comprehension (MC), and Auto/Shop (AS).
• Administrative Aptitude Score – Verbal Expression (VE).
• General Aptitude Score – Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) and Verbal Expression (VE).
• Electronics Aptitude Score – General Science (GS), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), and Electronics Information (EI).
Army
As mentioned above, the Army creates 10 separate composite scores from the various subtests of the ASVAB for job qualification.
Marines
The Marine Corps creates three separate composite scores from various subtests of the ASVAB. They are:
• Electronics Repair, Missile Repair, Electronics & Communications (EL) – General Science (GS), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK) and Electronic Information (EI).
• General Maintenance, Construction, Utility and Chemical Maintenance (MM) – General Science (GS), Auto & Shop (AS), Mathematics Knowledge (MK) and Electronics Information (EI).
• General Technical, Special and Officer Programs (GT) – Verbal Expression (VE) and Arithmetic Reasoning (AR).
Navy & Coast Guard
The Navy and the Coast Guard do not use line scores. To determine job qualification, they use direct ASVAB subtest standard scores. This means if a job requires a General Science (GS), Auto & Shop (AS) and Mathematics Knowledge (MK) score of 80, the total of your scores on each of these subtests from the ASVAB would have to be 80 or above.