How To Prepare For The ASVAB: 6 Study Tips And Tricks

Those aspiring to enlist in the army must first pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, or ASVAB. The test helps specific people decide if someone’s qualified for service in the military. The ASVAB is also created to measure one’s skills in the following domains: verbal, science and technical, math, and spatial. The strategies below may help you prepare so you’ll have a higher chance of passing. If you’re still a student planning a career in soldiering, you may start with finding suitable classes.

1. Take The Online ASVAB Course 

Although the government isn’t recommending any particular way of studying the domains, the candidate must finish or pass secondary school education. The test isn’t as daunting as it may seem, and there’s no shortage of excellent materials out there that’ll help you study. If you want a helpful resource on particular subjects like math, you can check it here.

You can also go online and take the ASVAB prep course to jump-start your learning. There are fundamental questions and comprehensive approaches on legitimate study websites, which will have materials similar to the actual exam. If you’re a visual learner, there are video lessons or tutorials that may help you focus. Taking a mock test will help you get ready—print some quizzes featuring questions you may likely find in a real ADVAB test and see if you can answer them.

It’s also practical to concentrate on subjects related to the career you’re interested in. These careers require minimum passing scores that change every year. You may want to keep your eye on the job you want and work from there.

2. Create And Stick To A Study Schedule 

If you’re truly serious about treading a career path in the army, you must be dedicated to studying in order to pass the ASVAB. Should you be currently employed, you must find a way to work around your current schedule and make sufficient time for your studies.

Once you’re able to decide on a study schedule, it’s essential to stick to it. It may be especially difficult on days when you’re exhausted or there are unexpected events that affect your studying plans. See to it that you pick up your studying materials and read as much as possible before ending the day. Consistency is the key to remembering your lessons.

Find the areas where you can use some improvement. If you’re not sure how to go about it, take practice tests so you can pinpoint your weaknesses.

3. Focus On Practice Tests 

One practical step to taking the test is to keep practicing. When you mimic the environment you’ll be in, you allow yourself to be immersed in the act and get accustomed to it. Take an online practice test straight after studying.

There are two versions of the test: the computer adaptive test (CAT) and pencil-and-paper (P&P). If you’re going to take the CAT-ASVAB, online practice tests are best for you. Meanwhile, it’s advisable to opt for written practice tests if you’re going for the P&P ASVAB.

Monitor how much time it takes you to complete the practice test, and then check your answers. Doing so will give you insights on which subjects or areas you may need to study more and improve on.

4. Get Enough Sleep And Exercise 

It’s a must to get adequate rest before the day of the exam. When you’re sleep-deprived, your mind’s likely to go blank, wander off, or want more sleep. If you can, set a fixed sleeping schedule. If you need to wake up at a specific time, determine the hours you’ll need, and then add another 30 minutes for your nightly rituals before bed such as brushing your teeth and taking a shower. Such routines will help you relax and fall asleep quickly. Don’t forget to set your alarm clock as well so you won’t oversleep.

Aside from getting enough sleep, it’ll serve you well to exercise since rest and working out are intertwined in a way. Sleep refreshes your mind, and exercise can help release tension and allow sufficient oxygen to be delivered to the brain. You can study more effectively when you’re in a relaxed state.

5. Be Resourceful

There are various career paths in the army, and according to various sources, the ten best ones are the following:

• Combat Medic
• Counterintelligence Agent
• Explosive Ordnance Disposal Personnel
• Diver
• Human Resources Specialist
• Operations Manager
• Public Affairs Specialist
• Recruiter
• Cyber Operations Specialist
• Psychological Operations Soldier

If you’re considering any of them, you may want to focus on the subjects related to these careers. Math and science are conceptual subjects that’ll benefit you when choosing the job you want. You can further expose yourself to those by using various sources of materials such as mobile apps.

There are apps dedicated to academic subjects that you can download to your mobile phone so that you can review essential concepts anytime. You can read while standing in line at the grocery, commuting via public transport, or enjoying the day at a coffee shop. The more opportunity you get to absorb the topics you have to study, the more information you’ll be able to recall in time for the exam.

6. Learn Distributed Practice 

Students tend to cram, and it’s a practice that has rarely worked for everyone. When you don’t spend enough time on a subject, it’s unlikely for you to understand them well. Studying at the last minute can make you forget concepts the next day when you’re scheduled to take the exam.

If you want to increase your chances of passing the ASVAB, you should do distributed practice, which is the opposite of cramming. To distribute practice is to set various times for studying throughout the day. Not only are you giving yourself more time to learn, but you’re also allowing your brain to make room for more information.

A study on distributed practice for learning mathematics yielded positive effects on a group of seventh-graders after six weeks. The tests were distributed to them over three days, and those with medium performance levels improved.

It would also help if you immersed yourself in various testing methods. You can create flashcards and mini-quizzes and turn to other types of reviewers. Study in different environments and during different times of the day as well. This will help stimulate your brain and allow you to retain more information. The idea is to familiarize yourself with the material instead of simply memorizing terms.

In Conclusion 

The ASVAB is a lot like any other exam for which you need to study hard and learn how to maximize the resources available to you. Adapting efficient ways of studying will also help you understand and learn more in time for the exam. Besides studying, you should start healthy practices such as eating a balanced diet, getting enough exercise, and resting to help yourself prepare.