While other military branches create line score composites to determine your eligibility for various jobs, with the Navy it is more of a case of what you see is what you get.

This means if a Navy 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.

We’ll look at this more in-depth later but first let’s take a closer look at all your scores from the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB).

Once you’ve taken the ASVAB, you will receive a full report with your scores.

The most important score on the report is your Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score.

This score takes into consideration how you performed on the following specific ASVAB test sections:

• Arithmetic Reasoning
• Word Knowledge
• Paragraph Comprehension
• Mathematics Knowledge

The Navy currently requires an AFQT score of at least 35 for all active duty recruits in order to qualify for enlistment. This score was raised from 31 in 2003. In fact, reserve enlistment programs still require a score of 31.

The thing to keep in mind with the AFQT score is that the better you do the more Navy career options that will be available to you. Higher scores may also qualify you for enlistment incentives, such as bonuses.

One more thing to remember when checking out your ASVAB scores on the report, the scores are expressed as percentages – but not as percentages of how many questions you answered correctly.

Instead, your ASVAB scores are an indication of how well you did on the test compared to others.

For example, if you score a 75 that means you scored as well or better than 75 percent of the men and women in your age group who took the ASVAB.

Your Subtest Scores

Now following closely behind the AFQT score in importance are your scores on each of the subtests of the ASVAB – this is because these scores are used to determine your eligibility for various jobs in the Navy.

The nine subtests are:

• General Science
• Arithmetic Reasoning
• Word Knowledge
• Paragraph Comprehension
• Mathematics Knowledge
• Electronics Information
• Auto & Shop Information
• Mechanical Comprehension
• Assembling Objects.

As we stated earlier, the Navy takes your score from each of these subtests and uses it determine what jobs you have the aptitude to perform well.

Another example would be – say a Navy job requires a score of 90 or higher on the Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and General Science subtests. That means your combined scores on those three subtests would have to total 90 or more in order for you to qualify for that job.

If you’re wondering, the Navy only allows ASVAB retests if your previous ASVAB is expired or you failed to achieve a qualifying AFQT score for joining the Navy.

This means if there is a particular Navy job you are seeking you should take the ASVAB very seriously and practice and study as much as possible to ensure you perform well in the required subtests.

As for other education requirements, the Navy accepts very few recruits who don’t have a high school diploma.

To be considered for enlistment with a GED, you will have to score at least 50 on the AFQT.

Jobs You Qualify For

Jobs in the Navy are referred to as “Ratings”. To find the rating you qualify for, the Navy looks at your ASVAB subtest scores – different subtests for different ratings. The ASVAB subtests are: General Science (GS); Arithmetic Reasoning (AR); Word Knowledge (WK); Paragraph Comprehension (PC); Auto and Shop Information (AS); Mathematics Knowledge (MK); Mechanical Comprehension (MC); Electronics Information (EI); and Sum of Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension (VE).

Note: The data presented in the table below and is subject to change.  You should use this list as a general guide on how the Navy uses ASVAB scores to determine job selection.