ASVAB Roles and Army Enlistment

ASVAB army line scores are just one part of the eligibility process. To be eligible to enlist in the US army to begin with, candidates must score at least 31 on the ASVAB exam (the maximum score you can achieve on the ASVAB test is 99).

Of course, 31 is only the minimum score to enlist in the army but it doesn’t mean you’ll be selected to join boot camp. Instead, you must score far higher to ensure that you fall into the top percentile of scorers.

However, to enlist in a specific military job within the army, candidates must also achieve the target MOS or line score on top of the above minimum requirement.

The ASVAB exam is divided into the following 9 knowledge domains:

• General Science (GS)
• Paragraph Comprehension (PC)
• Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
• Word Knowledge (WK)
• Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
• Automotive and Shop Information (AS)
• Electronics Information (EI)
• Assembling Objects (AO)
• Mechanical Comprehension (MC)

Depending on the role you wish to apply for, the MOS / line score is calculated as a combination of some of these subjects.

Army MOS / Line Scores

Each army role is assigned a Military Occupational Speciality score, or MOS.

In the US army, there are ten broad specialties – as detailed in the table below. Note how each of these specialties is associated with its own subset of ASVAB subjects. We will come back to this a little later.

Note: VE refers to Verbal Expression – which is a combination of your Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension score. Previously NO (Numerical Operations) and CS (Coding Speed) were used to calculate some scores, but they have now largely been replaced with standardised scores.

ASVAB Army Line Scores

Let’s say you want to become a Combat Engineer.

The table below details that the MOS code for army role is 12B. Your corresponding target ASVAB line score is CO: 87.

When we refer to the table above, we learn that the target subjects for CO are:

• Arithmetic Reasoning
• Auto and Shop Information
• Mechanical Comprehension

Therefore, you must score high on these three subjects to achieve your target ASVAB line score to hope to become a combat engineer. This is separate from the minimum ASVAB score of 31 which you must achieve regardless of the military speciality you wish to join.

Apply the same principle to whichever army role you wish to join.

Below, we have put together the complete table of ASVAB army line scores and MOS codes for all professions in the US army. If you are unsure which military position you would like to join, but who would nonetheless like to join the army, you should score as high as you can across all ASVAB subjects – maximizing the available opportunities to you, if and when offers are made.

Interested in joining the US Army?

Achieving these target ASVAB army line scores is not easy. This comes into focus when you understand how candidates must score in the top percentile of results to make it though to boot camp.

At ASVAB Test Practice, we have put together the most complete self-paced, online course that covers all 9 knowledge domains of the ASVAB exam, complete with thousands of ASVAB practice questions, flashcards, simulated exams, study guides, and much more.

Take a few minutes to learn more about how our online ASVAB course can help you enlist in the US army.