Is 27 a bad ASVAB score?

Q: Is 27 a bad ASVAB score?

A: Yes, a score of 27 on the ASVAB is considered low. It falls below the minimum qualifying scores for most military branches, which generally start between 31 and 50, depending on the service.

Q: What do ASVAB scores represent?

A: The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) produces two main types of scores:

  1. Standard Scores: These are the individual scores (from 1 to 99) for each of the nine test subjects, like General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, and Mechanical Comprehension.
  2. Composite Scores (AFQT): The most important score is the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score. This is a percentile rank (from 1 to 99) calculated from your performance on four key subtests: Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Word Knowledge, and Paragraph Comprehension. Your AFQT percentile indicates how you scored compared to a nationally representative sample of test-takers aged 18-23.

Q: What is considered a “passing” AFQT score?

A: Each military branch sets its own minimum AFQT score for enlistment:

  • Army: 31
  • Marine Corps: 31
  • Navy: 35
  • Air Force: 36
  • Space Force: 36
  • Coast Guard: 50
    A score of 27 is below all these thresholds, meaning you would not be eligible to enlist in any branch with that score.

Q: What happens if you score a 27 on the ASVAB?

A: With an AFQT score of 27, you would be categorized in Category V, the lowest possible category. The military will not accept applicants from Category V. Your primary option is to retake the ASVAB after focused study. There is a mandatory one-month waiting period before you can retest, and you can take it a total of three times.

Q: How can you improve an ASVAB score of 27?

A: Significant improvement is absolutely possible with dedicated study:

  1. Identify Weak Areas: Use your ASVAB score report to see which subtests brought your score down.
  2. Use Official Study Materials: The official ASVAB for Dummies guide and free resources on Military.com and the official ASVAB Program website are excellent starting points.
  3. Focus on the AFQT Subtests: Concentrate your study on the four core areas that make up the AFQT score (Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension), as improving these will have the biggest impact on your eligibility.
  4. Take Practice Tests: Regularly take full-length, timed practice tests to build familiarity with the question format and improve your pacing.

Q: What score should you aim for?

A: To be competitive for the widest range of military jobs (Military Occupational Specialties, or MOS), aim for an AFQT score of 50 or higher. A score of 50 places you in the 50th percentile, meaning you scored as well as or better than half of the reference group. Scores of 65+ are considered good and open doors to more technical and specialized jobs.

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