Marines and ASVAB

The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is used to identify whether a candidate is qualified to enlist in a particular branch of the U.S. Military. If you want to join the Marines then you are going to be taking the ASVAB.

The ASVAB test is also used to determine which jobs (referred to as Military Occupational Specialty or "MOS" in the Marines), enlistment bonuses and salary-level a candidate is eligible for. A high score will improve your chances of getting the job and signing bonus you want.

The ASVAB is a large test containing a total of approximately 200 multiple-choice questions that cover a wide variety of topics or categories. In fact, the ASVAB contains questions from nine (9) specific categories or sub-tests as shown below.

Your scores on these individual sub-tests are used by the Marines to calculate 2 (two) important types of scores: your Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score and your Composite Scores. Your AFQT score is used to determine if you are eligible to enlist in the Marines. Your Composite Scores (or Line Scores in the Marines) will determine which jobs you are eligible to hold. Let's go through each of these separately.

Marines AFQT Scores

Please take a look at our AFQT Overview for a full review of the AFQT and how it is calculated. In short, the Marines will evaluate your scores on four (4) of the ASVAB sub-tests to calculate your AFQT. The sub-tests used to calculate your AFQT are:

Review these sub-tests in detail.

Marines AFQT Minimums

Each branch of the military sets its own standards for enlistment. For most branches, a much higher AFQT score is required from applicants with a GED than their counterparts with a high school diploma. The Marines are no exception. The minimum AFQT scores to enlist in the Marines are:

Minimum AFQT Score (with High School Diploma): 32
Minimum AFQT Score (with GED): 50

Marines Composite Scores (Jobs)

Jobs in the Marines are called "MOS" (short for Military Occupational Specialty). To find what jobs you qualify for, the Marines breaks down your ASVAB sub-test scores into groups known as "Line Scores".

The 9 total ASVAB sub-tests are:

Review these sub-tests in detail.

The Marines Line Scores are:

Line Score	ASVAB Sub-tests
CL - Clerical	VE+AR+MK
EL - Electronics	GS+AR+MK+EI
GT - General Technical	VE+AR
MM - Mechanical Maintenance	NO+AS+MC+EI
ST - Skilled Technical	GS+VE+MK+MC

For a full list of all available jobs within the Marines and the minimum scores required on the Line Scores listed above, please visit:

Prepare for the Marines ASVAB

If you are serious about earning high scores on the ASVAB and jump-starting your career you need to prepare wisely for the ASVAB. No system produces better results than ASVAB Prep Tests.