COVID-19 and ASVAB Tests | Protocols

Like every other part of our lives, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted how and when 2021 ASVAB tests take place. ASVAB Test Practice continues to monitor the situation as it unfolds and will provide timely updates as and when things improve.

Precautionary measures have been introduced to curb the spread of the virus; the precise examination conditions will, of course, depend on your local test center.

However, test conditions are largely in-line with recommendations given by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) protocols.

In practical terms, this involves the following ten measures:

• Routine cleaning of test rooms and facilities.
• Test administrators are protected with masks and gloves.
• Entry to test facilities is carefully managed.
• Questionnaires to be completed to ensure those at risk of transmission are not admitted to test centers – and are instead asked to undertake a COVID-19 PCR test.
• Test takers are mandated to wear masks.
• Social distance measures are in force for test administrators and test takers.
• Hand sanitizer must be used before entering test facilities / test rooms.
• Candidates’ temperatures will also be taken before they are permitted to enter the test room.
• The number of applicants permitted in test rooms has also been reduced to ensure adequate spacing of candidates within the room.
• No family members or other visitors are allowed at test sites.

Candidates who are not feeling well; who have been exposed to a positive case; or who have any of the expected COVID-19 symptoms are advised not to take their ASVAB exam and instead undertake a PCR test and, if positive, to quarantine accordingly in-tandem with CDC guidelines.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include (most common symptoms in bold):

• fever
• dry cough
• tiredness
• aches and pains
• sore throat
• diarrhea
• conjunctivitis
• headache
• loss of taste or smell
• a rash on the skin, or discoloration of fingers/toes
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• chest pain or pressure

Take a few minutes to learn more about the symptoms of COVID-19.

Taking the 2022 ASVAB Exam

Taking the ASVAB exam in 2021 is, then, an unusual experience. However, these precautionary measures are necessary to stop the spread of the virus and to hasten the day when some degree of normality returns to our lives – and to other test candidates taking the ASVAB test.

It may, for some, also prove to be an uncomfortable experience. Wearing masks indoors can be uncomfortable – as it impairs natural breathing and encumbers your ability to focus as well as you might otherwise have focussed. As the ASVAB test is over 3-hours in duration, this can become stressful.

At ASVAB Test Practice, we recommend test applicants to adequately time how they conduct the exam. This way, candidates avoid rushing toward the end of any section of the test. The less rushing you do, the more controlled your breathing will remain over the course of the exam.

If you attempt to rush whilst also wearing a mask, it can cloud your ability to think clearly and work out the correct answer. Having a timed strategy that helps avoid rushing and/or stress, is a must to help you navigate through the exam and maximize your ASVAB result.  

MET Sites and Military Recruitment

MET sites (military entrance tests) were severely curtailed at the beginning of the pandemic. In mid-March last year, for instance, 173 MET sites were closed.

More recently, 21 MET sites were reopened. More are expected to reopen as vaccinations continue apace throughout the United States. However, safety measures are likely to remain for the rest of the year, and possibly into 2022.

COVID-19 and ASVAB tests have, then, been severely hampered.

Remember: candidates cannot walk up, on-the-day, to complete their ASVAB exam. Instead, candidates must speak to a military recruiter who can schedule an appointment to take the test (either at a MEPS or MET site).

Even during a pandemic, military recruitment continues. Most recruitment is taking place via virtual or online means. If you are concerned about taking the ASVAB exam during COVID-19, be assured of the mechanisms in place to reduce the spread of the virus whilst also ensuring that safe and effective military recruitment can continue to go ahead.

Check back to our blog here at ASVAB Test Practice as we continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds; bringing you the details that you need to know in these challenging times.