Chapter 3

      Getting Acquainted with Test-Taking and Study Techniques

      IN THIS CHAPTER

       Differentiating the computer and paper tests

       Developing multiple-choice strategies

       Making educated guesses

       Getting some studying and test tips

       Preparing down to the last detail

      How many times have you heard someone say (or even said yourself), “I just can’t take tests”? A lot of people feel that way, but that mind-set isn’t an option on the ASVAB or in the military. In basic training, your drill sergeant will convince you that the words “I can’t” don’t even exist in the military. If you don’t believe me, try telling your drill sergeant, “I just can’t do push-ups.” You’ll find that with sufficient practice — and your drill sergeant will ensure you get a lot of practice — you can do push-ups just as well as the next person. (Actually, I don’t recommend testing this, for reasons that should be obvious.) The truth is that those who do well on tests are those who’ve figured out how to study efficiently and how to use a dash of test-taking psychology.

      This chapter includes information on how to prepare for the test. I explain how to study, as well as how and why you should take the practice exams. In addition, you get some inside info, such as secrets for guessing when you don’t know the answer to a question (although if you study for the test, you won’t need to guess, right?). The tips and techniques provided in this chapter can help you get a jump on the ASVAB and your military career.

Taking the Test: Computerized or Paper?

      Many versions of the ASVAB exist, but you don’t have any say in which one you take. The versions primarily boil down to two basic differences: the computerized version and the paper version. Each version has advantages and disadvantages, which I discuss in the following sections.

If you’re taking the ASVAB as part of the student program in high school, you’ll take the paper version of the test — the one that doesn’t include the Assembling Objects subtest.

      If you’re taking the ASVAB to enlist in the military, you’ll take the enlistment ASVAB. This version comes in two formats: computerized (CAT-ASVAB) and paper-and-pencil (P&P). You may even take the Pre-screening, internet-delivered Computerized Adaptive Test (PiCAT) on your own time. In any event, there’s a great chance that you’ll take a computerized version, because to save time and money, recruiters often accompany their applicants to the nearest Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) for testing, medical examination, and enlistment (one-stop shopping). MEPS only uses the computerized version, and the P&P version is offered only at Military Entrance Test (MET) sites that aren’t within an easy traveling distance to MEPS. If your high school schedules a testing event, you’ll most likely take the P&P version as well. Your recruiter might be able to schedule an ASVAB-only test session and bring you back in for a follow-on physical (and to sign your contract) if you can’t complete everything in one day. There are 65 MEPS locations in the United States and in Puerto Rico, and MET sites are located in each state (often at National Guard armories or local high schools).

       Cheating gets you thrown out of the testing location. But even if you were able to get away with looking at your neighbor’s paper or computer screen, you’d fail the test. There are several versions of the test, and the people sitting around you have different questions presented in different orders.

      Going paperless: The pros and cons of the computerized test

      The computerized version of the ASVAB uses computerized adaptive testing to make sure each applicant gets questions tailored to his or her ability level. This version, called the CAT-ASVAB, presents test questions in a different format. It adapts the questions it offers you based on your level of proficiency (that’s why it’s called adaptive). Translation: The first test item is of average difficulty. If you answer this question correctly, the next question may be more difficult. If you answer that first question incorrectly, the computer will most likely follow with an easier question. By contrast, on the paper ASVAB, easy and hard questions are presented randomly.

      The CAT-ASVAB also has fewer questions than the paper-and-pencil version has— the people who designed it did that on purpose. With this type of testing, the computer can quickly determine how much you know without asking you a full range of very easy to very hard questions.

       Maybe it’s because people today are more comfortable in front of a computer than with a pencil, but military recruiters have noted that among applicants who’ve taken both the paper-based and computerized versions of the ASVAB, many applicants tend to score slightly higher on the computerized version of the test.

      You don’t have to be a computer guru to appreciate the advantages of the computerized version of the ASVAB: