Who Takes the ASVAB?

The ASVAB is required of any persons intending to enter military service in the enlisted ranks. It is often taken during delayed enlistment programs for high school seniors. Delayed enlistment programs allow the recruit to be screened in advance of high school graduation so as to eliminate processing when the enlistee begins active duty.

Recruits to military officer training schools often take the test, although the eligibility requirements for military officers entail additional tests. ASVAB is not specifically required of officer candidates, but sometimes it is taken as an elective.

Where future officers are concerned, ASVAB is useful as a tool of self-analysis that can be helpful in determining basic aptitudes for different military service occupations in the officer ranks. Many officer candidates find that taking the ASVAB test is in itself a significant and useful preparatory activity that helps them pass the batteries of tests required in the officer candidate schools.

The ASVAB is more commonly used for active duty recruits to the enlisted ranks of the military services and for National Guard and reserves as well. The ASVAB is also often used in high schools across the country in career counseling programs designed to acquaint students with the types of knowledge required in diverse civilian and military fields of work.