Military

Deciding Which Military Branch is Best for You

Length of Enlistment—Some branches may require a longer term for offering the same benefits that you could receive from another branch.

Advanced Pay Grade—You may be entitled to an advanced rank in some branches based on certain enlistment options.

Length and Type of Training—How long will the training you’ll receive take? Usually the longer the training, the more in-depth and useful it is. You’ll also want to consider how useful the training will be once you’ve left the military.

Enlistment Bonuses—I caution you about using an enlistment bonus as the only factor in deciding which branch to choose. If it comes down to a tie between two branches and only one offers a bonus, it’s not a bad reason to choose that branch.

Additional Pay and Allowances—There may be additional pay you’d be entitled to that can only be offered by a particular branch.

Ability to Pursue Higher Education—All servicemen and women are entitled to utilize the G.I. Bill that is designed to help pay for your college education.

After Establishing a Military Branch

Once you have considered these factors, and perhaps some of your own, you should be able to decide which branch is right for you. If you still haven’t selected one branch over another, though, consider the following:

  1. Ask your recruiter if you can speak to someone who has recently joined.

  2. If there is a base nearby, you may be able to get a tour to get a look at its facilities.

  3. You may want to look for online blogs that cater to military members—then ask a lot of questions.

  4. Talk to friends and family members who are currently serving in the military.

How often can I take the ASVAB?

After you take your initial ASVAB, you must wait one calendar month to retake the test. You must wait an additional calendar month to retest a second time. After that, you must wait six calendar months to retake the ASVAB. Your scores may be used for enlistment for up to two years from the date of testing.

Practice Test for the ASVAB

4Test Free Practice Test for ASVAB

ASVAB Practice Test Online

Test Union ASVAB Practice Test

Requirements for ASVAB by Degree

The ASVAB Tests

The ASVAB tests are designed to measure aptitudes in four domains: Verbal, Math, Science and Technical, and Spatial. The table below describes the content of the ASVAB tests. The tests are presented in the order in which they are administered.