- AFQT formula
- AFQT = 2 × VE + AR + MK, where VE (Verbal Expression) = Word Knowledge + Paragraph Comprehension. Reported as a 1–99 percentile.
- Abate
- To lessen or reduce in intensity (the storm abated).
- Benevolent
- Kind and generous; wishing to do good.
- Candid
- Honest and direct; frank and open.
- Deter
- To discourage or prevent someone from doing something.
- Elated
- Very happy or proud; in high spirits.
- Frugal
- Careful and economical with money or resources; thrifty.
- Gregarious
- Sociable; fond of the company of others.
- Hinder
- To slow down or get in the way of; to obstruct.
- Impartial
- Fair and unbiased; not favoring one side.
- Jovial
- Cheerful and friendly; full of good humor.
- Lethargic
- Sluggish; lacking energy or enthusiasm.
- Meticulous
- Showing great attention to detail; very careful.
- Novice
- A person new to an activity; a beginner.
- Obscure
- Not clearly understood; vague or hidden.
- Placid
- Calm and peaceful; not easily upset.
- Quell
- To put an end to; to suppress or calm.
- Resilient
- Able to recover quickly from difficulty; tough.
- Scrutinize
- To examine closely and carefully.
- Tenacious
- Holding firmly; persistent and determined.
- Vigilant
- Keeping careful watch for danger or problems; alert.
- Abundant
- Existing in large quantities; plentiful.
- Concise
- Giving a lot of information clearly and in few words; brief.
- Diligent
- Showing care and steady effort in work.
- Eloquent
- Fluent and persuasive in speaking or writing.
- Futile
- Pointless; incapable of producing a useful result.
- Hostile
- Unfriendly; showing strong opposition or aggression.
- Innovate
- To introduce a new method or idea.
- Lucid
- Clear and easy to understand; mentally clear.
- Mundane
- Ordinary and dull; lacking excitement.
- Prudent
- Acting with care and good judgment about the future.
- Reluctant
- Unwilling or hesitant to do something.
- Sparse
- Thinly spread or scattered; not dense.
- Trivial
- Of little value or importance; minor.
- Versatile
- Able to adapt to many different functions or activities.
- Wary
- Cautious about possible danger or problems.
- Ambiguous
- Open to more than one interpretation; unclear.
- Coerce
- To force someone to do something using pressure or threats.
- Dormant
- Temporarily inactive; sleeping or resting.
- Erratic
- Unpredictable; not even or regular in pattern.
- Conceal
- To hide or keep out of sight.
- Prefix 'un-' / 'in-' / 'im-'
- Means 'not' or 'opposite of' (unable, invisible, impossible).
- Prefix 're-'
- Means 'again' or 'back' (rewrite, return, recall).
- Prefix 'pre-'
- Means 'before' (preview, predict, prepare).
- Suffix '-ology'
- Means 'the study of' (biology, geology, psychology).
- Suffix '-able' / '-ible'
- Means 'capable of' (readable, flexible, visible).
- Root 'port'
- Means 'to carry' (transport, portable, export).
- Root 'spect'
- Means 'to look' (inspect, spectator, prospect).
- Root 'dict'
- Means 'to say or speak' (predict, dictate, contradict).
- Prefix 'bene-'
- Means 'good' or 'well' (benefit, benevolent, beneficial).
- Prefix 'mal-'
- Means 'bad' or 'wrong' (malfunction, malice, malformed).
- Word-in-context strategy
- Read the whole sentence and predict your own word before checking choices; pick the closest synonym that fits the meaning.
- Synonym vs. correct answer
- A real synonym can be wrong if its tone or sense doesn't fit the sentence — meaning beats the dictionary.
- Main idea
- The single overall point a passage makes — broader than any one detail, but never beyond what the text says.
- Supporting detail
- A specific fact or example the passage states to back up the main idea.
- Inference
- A conclusion the passage implies but does not state directly; pick the choice the text most strongly supports.
- Author's purpose
- Why the author wrote the passage — to inform, persuade, describe, or entertain.
- Vocabulary in context
- Determine a word's meaning from how it's used in the passage, not just its dictionary definition.
- Tone
- The author's attitude toward the subject (e.g., neutral, critical, enthusiastic), shown through word choice.
- Topic sentence
- The sentence — often first or last — that states the paragraph's main idea.
- Fact vs. opinion
- A fact can be verified; an opinion is a belief or judgment. Watch for opinion-signal words like 'best' or 'should'.
- Restating in your own words
- Paraphrase the passage before reading choices, so wording tricks don't fool you.
- Answering only from the text
- On Paragraph Comprehension, the right answer is supported by the passage — never by outside knowledge.
- Sequence / order questions
- Identify the order of events using time-signal words: first, then, after, finally.
- Cause and effect
- Find what made something happen (cause) and the result (effect); look for 'because', 'so', 'as a result'.
- Distance / rate / time
- Distance = rate × time. Also rate = distance ÷ time, time = distance ÷ rate.
- Percent of a number
- Part = percent × whole. 20% of 80 = 0.20 × 80 = 16.
- Percent change
- (New − old) ÷ old × 100. From 80 to 100: 20 ÷ 80 = 25% increase.
- Ratio / proportion
- Set equal fractions a/b = c/d and cross-multiply to solve.
- Simple interest
- Interest = principal × rate × time (I = Prt).
- Average (mean)
- Sum of the values ÷ how many values there are.
- Combined work rate
- Add per-hour rates: if one does 1/4 per hour and another 1/6, together they do 1/4 + 1/6 per hour.
- Unit price
- Total cost ÷ number of units; lets you compare which option is cheaper per item.
- Convert percent to decimal
- Drop the % sign and divide by 100: 35% = 0.35.
- Markup vs. discount
- Markup adds to the price; discount subtracts. A 20% discount means you pay 80% of the price.
- Mixture problems
- Track the amount of each component separately, then combine totals.
- Estimating to check
- Round numbers to sanity-check an answer; a wildly off result signals an error.
- Reading 'word problem' carefully
- Identify exactly what is asked before computing — solving for the wrong quantity is the top trap.
- Profit
- Profit = revenue − cost. A loss is a negative profit.
- Probability (basic)
- Favorable outcomes ÷ total outcomes, a number from 0 to 1.
- Area of a rectangle
- Area = length × width.
- Area of a triangle
- Area = ½ × base × height.
- Area of a circle
- Area = πr², where r is the radius.
- Circumference of a circle
- Circumference = 2πr (or πd, where d is the diameter).
- Volume of a rectangular solid
- Volume = length × width × height.
- Perimeter of a rectangle
- Perimeter = 2 × (length + width).
- Pythagorean theorem
- For a right triangle, a² + b² = c², where c is the hypotenuse.
- Slope of a line
- Slope m = rise ÷ run = (y₂ − y₁) ÷ (x₂ − x₁).
- Slope-intercept form
- y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept.
- Order of operations (PEMDAS)
- Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply/Divide (left→right), Add/Subtract (left→right).
- Exponent product rule
- xᵐ × xⁿ = xᵐ⁺ⁿ (add exponents when multiplying like bases).
- Exponent power rule
- (xᵐ)ⁿ = xᵐⁿ (multiply exponents).
- Negative exponent
- x⁻ⁿ = 1 ÷ xⁿ.
- Square root
- √x is the number that, multiplied by itself, gives x. √25 = 5.
- Prime number
- A whole number greater than 1 divisible only by 1 and itself (2, 3, 5, 7, 11).
- Factor
- A number that divides evenly into another. Factors of 12: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12.
- Mean, median, mode
- Mean = average; median = middle value in order; mode = most frequent value.
- Solve a linear equation
- Isolate the variable by doing the same operation to both sides.
- Distributive property
- a × (b + c) = a×b + a×c.
- Angles in a triangle
- The three interior angles of any triangle add up to 180°.
- Fraction to decimal
- Divide the numerator by the denominator: 3/4 = 0.75.
- Absolute value
- The distance of a number from zero, always non-negative: |−7| = 7.
- Newton's first law
- An object stays at rest or in motion unless an unbalanced force acts on it (inertia).
- Newton's second law
- Force = mass × acceleration (F = ma).
- Newton's third law
- For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
- Speed vs. velocity
- Speed is how fast (distance ÷ time); velocity is speed with a direction.
- Acceleration
- The rate at which velocity changes over time.
- Photosynthesis
- Plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make glucose and release oxygen.
- Mitochondria
- The 'powerhouse' of the cell — they produce most of the cell's energy (ATP).
- Nucleus
- The cell's control center; it contains the DNA.
- Atom parts
- Protons (positive) and neutrons (neutral) sit in the nucleus; electrons (negative) orbit it.
- Chemical formula for water
- H₂O — two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
- States of matter
- Solid, liquid, and gas (plus plasma); adding heat moves matter toward gas.
- Periodic table
- Organizes elements by atomic number; rows are periods, columns are groups.
- The heart
- The heart pumps blood through the body; it has four chambers.
- The lungs
- Exchange oxygen into the blood and carbon dioxide out of it (respiration).
- DNA
- The molecule that carries genetic information; shaped like a double helix.
- Food chain
- Energy flows from producers (plants) to consumers to decomposers.
- Gravity
- The force that attracts objects toward each other; on Earth it pulls things down at about 9.8 m/s².
- Energy types
- Kinetic energy is motion; potential energy is stored (e.g., a raised weight).
- Water cycle
- Evaporation, condensation, and precipitation move water through the environment.
- The Sun
- A star at the center of our solar system; the source of Earth's light and heat.
- Phases of the Moon
- Caused by the changing angle of sunlight on the Moon as it orbits Earth.
- Tides
- The rise and fall of sea level caused mainly by the Moon's gravitational pull.
- Conduction, convection, radiation
- The three ways heat transfers: through contact, through fluid motion, and through waves.
- Density
- Mass divided by volume; objects denser than water sink.
- Ohm's law
- Voltage = current × resistance (V = I × R).
- Current (amps)
- The flow of electric charge, measured in amperes (A).
- Voltage (volts)
- The electrical 'pressure' that pushes current, measured in volts (V).
- Resistance (ohms)
- Opposition to current flow, measured in ohms (Ω).
- Series circuit
- Components in one loop; resistances add and current is the same throughout.
- Parallel circuit
- Components on separate branches; total resistance is less than the smallest resistor.
- Conductor
- A material that lets current flow easily, like copper or aluminum.
- Insulator
- A material that resists current flow, like rubber, glass, or plastic.
- AC vs. DC
- Alternating current reverses direction (wall outlets); direct current flows one way (batteries).
- Power formula
- Power = voltage × current (P = V × I), measured in watts.
- Resistor
- A component that limits current in a circuit.
- Capacitor
- A component that stores electric charge.
- Fuse / circuit breaker
- A safety device that opens the circuit if current gets too high.
- Transformer
- Changes AC voltage up or down using two coils.
- Ground
- A safe path for current to return to earth, protecting people and equipment.
- Frequency (hertz)
- The number of AC cycles per second, measured in hertz (Hz); US power is 60 Hz.
- Diode
- A component that allows current to flow in only one direction.
- Ohm's law rearranged
- I = V ÷ R and R = V ÷ I.
- Ignition system
- Produces the spark that ignites the fuel-air mixture in the engine.
- Cooling system
- Water pump, radiator, and thermostat keep the engine from overheating.
- Thermostat
- Regulates coolant flow to keep the engine at its proper operating temperature.
- Lubrication system
- Oil reduces friction and wear between moving engine parts.
- Four-stroke cycle
- Intake, compression, power, and exhaust — the four strokes of a piston engine.
- Transmission
- Transfers engine power to the wheels and changes gear ratios.
- Brakes
- Convert the vehicle's motion into heat through friction to slow it down.
- Battery
- Stores electrical energy to start the engine and run accessories.
- Alternator
- Recharges the battery and powers electrical systems while the engine runs.
- Spark plug
- Delivers the electric spark that ignites the air-fuel mixture.
- Catalytic converter
- Reduces harmful exhaust emissions.
- Carburetor / fuel injector
- Mixes air and fuel for combustion (injectors are the modern method).
- Radiator
- Releases engine heat to the air via coolant flowing through it.
- Clutch
- Connects and disconnects the engine from the transmission in a manual car.
- Differential
- Lets the drive wheels turn at different speeds when cornering.
- Phillips screwdriver
- Drives cross-head screws; the X-tip is less likely to slip than a flat-head.
- Flathead screwdriver
- Drives slotted screws with a single straight slot.
- Claw hammer
- Drives and pulls nails; the claw end removes nails.
- Torque wrench
- Tightens a fastener to a specific, measured tightness.
- Socket wrench / ratchet
- Turns nuts and bolts quickly with interchangeable sockets.
- Level
- Checks whether a surface is perfectly horizontal or vertical.
- Tape measure / caliper
- Measures length; a caliper gives precise small measurements.
- Pliers
- Grip, bend, and cut wire; needle-nose pliers reach tight spaces.
- Chisel
- Cuts or shapes wood, stone, or metal when struck with a hammer.
- File
- Smooths or shapes metal and wood by abrasion.
- Hacksaw
- A fine-toothed saw for cutting metal.
- Drill bit
- The cutting tool a drill spins to make holes.
- Vise / clamp
- Holds a workpiece firmly in place while you work on it.
- Wood vs. metal saws
- Crosscut/rip saws cut wood; hacksaws and bandsaws cut metal.
- Sandpaper grit
- Lower grit numbers are coarser; higher numbers are finer for smoothing.
- Nut and bolt
- A bolt passes through parts and a nut threads onto it to fasten them.
- Washer
- A flat ring that spreads a fastener's load and prevents loosening.
- Mechanical advantage
- How much a machine multiplies force = effort arm ÷ load arm (for a lever).
- Lever
- A bar that pivots on a fulcrum; longer effort arm = more force multiplied.
- Fulcrum
- The fixed pivot point a lever turns on.
- First-class lever
- Fulcrum between the effort and the load (a seesaw, a crowbar).
- Pulley
- A wheel with a rope that changes the direction of force; multiple pulleys multiply force.
- Gear ratio
- Compares teeth of two gears; a larger driven gear turns slower but with more torque.
- Inclined plane
- A ramp that reduces the force needed to raise a load over a longer distance.
- Wedge
- Two inclined planes back to back; splits or lifts (an axe, a doorstop).
- Screw
- An inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder; converts rotation into linear force.
- Wheel and axle
- A large wheel turning a small axle multiplies force or speed.
- Work
- Work = force × distance; a machine can trade force for distance but not create energy.
- Friction
- A force that opposes motion between surfaces in contact; produces heat.
- Torque
- A twisting force that causes rotation = force × distance from the pivot.
- Hydraulics
- Use confined fluid to transmit and multiply force (Pascal's principle).
- Center of gravity
- The point where an object's weight is balanced; a low one is more stable.
- Springs
- Store energy when compressed or stretched and release it when freed.
- Equilibrium / balance
- Balance depends on force × distance from the fulcrum, not weight alone.
- Pressure
- Force per unit area; the same force over a smaller area gives higher pressure.
- Assembling Objects (AO)
- A spatial-visualization subtest with two question types: connectors and puzzles.
- Connector questions
- Match labeled points on shapes to the picture that connects them correctly.
- Puzzle questions
- Pick the choice that shows scattered pieces assembled into a complete shape.
- Watch for mirror images
- Many wrong answers are flipped (mirrored) versions of the correct arrangement.
- Count the pieces
- Eliminate choices that have an extra or missing piece.
- Check orientation
- Rotate shapes mentally; a piece must keep its size and proportions.
- Match the connection points
- For connectors, the line must touch the same labeled points on each shape.
- AO and your AFQT
- Assembling Objects does NOT affect your AFQT; it feeds some technical job line scores.
- Spatial visualization
- The skill of picturing how 2-D shapes rotate and fit together in your mind.
- Elimination strategy
- Rule out clearly wrong choices (wrong size, mirrored, extra part) to narrow the answer.
- Verbal Expression (VE)
- WK + PC combined into one verbal score; the AFQT counts VE twice.
- What the AFQT decides
- Whether you can enlist; it's a percentile from 1 to 99 based on 4 subtests.
- Which subtests feed the AFQT
- Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Word Knowledge, and Paragraph Comprehension.
- Minimum AFQT (typical)
- Most branches require about 31+ with a high-school diploma; competitive jobs want 50+.
- Standard score
- A subtest score scaled to mean 50, standard deviation 10; 50 is average.
- Line / composite score
- A combination of subtest standard scores that qualifies you for specific jobs.
- CAT-ASVAB
- The computer-adaptive ASVAB at MEPS; it adjusts difficulty and is the current standard.
- P&P-ASVAB
- The paper-and-pencil ASVAB at MET sites; fixed questions, more items per subtest.
- Number of subtests
- The ASVAB has 10 subtests (9 areas on paper, since Auto and Shop combine).
- Auto & Shop scoring
- Separate subtests on the computer (AI, SI) that combine into one AS score.
- Adversary
- An opponent or enemy.
- Brisk
- Quick and energetic; also cool and refreshing (a brisk pace).
- Comply
- To act in accordance with a rule or request; to obey.
- Deteriorate
- To become progressively worse.
- Endorse
- To approve or publicly support.
- Feasible
- Possible to do easily or conveniently; practical.
- Hazardous
- Risky or dangerous.
- Initiate
- To begin or start something.
- Legitimate
- Lawful, valid, or genuine.
- Negligent
- Failing to take proper care; careless.
- Obsolete
- No longer in use; out of date.
- Persuade
- To convince someone to do or believe something.
- Rigid
- Stiff and unbending; strict and inflexible.
- Subtle
- So delicate or precise as to be hard to notice.
- Terminate
- To bring to an end.
- Implied vs. stated
- Stated information is written directly; implied information must be inferred from clues.
- Context clues
- Nearby words and sentences that help you figure out a word or idea's meaning.
- Summarizing
- Stating the passage's key points briefly in your own words.
- Signal words for contrast
- However, but, although, on the other hand — they flag a shift in idea.
- Signal words for addition
- Also, furthermore, in addition, moreover — they add to a point.
- Drawing a conclusion
- Combine stated facts to reach a logical end point the passage supports.
- Distractor answers
- Wrong choices that are true in real life but not supported by the passage.
- Reading the question first
- Knowing what's asked helps you read the passage with a purpose.
- Cross-multiplication
- To solve a/b = c/d, multiply a×d = b×c, then solve for the unknown.
- Discount price
- Pay (100% − discount%) of the original: 25% off means pay 75%.
- Sales tax
- Total = price + (price × tax rate).
- Average speed
- Total distance ÷ total time (not the average of the speeds).
- Tip / commission
- A percent of an amount: 15% tip on $40 = 0.15 × 40 = $6.
- Scale and maps
- Use a proportion: map distance / real distance is constant.
- Percent increase then decrease
- Apply each change to the running total, not the original twice.
- Time conversions
- 60 seconds = 1 minute; 60 minutes = 1 hour; 24 hours = 1 day.
- Rounding rules
- 5 or more rounds up; 4 or less rounds down.
- Estimating answers
- Round to check that your computed answer is reasonable.
- FOIL
- Multiply two binomials: First, Outer, Inner, Last terms.
- Quadratic equation
- An equation of the form ax² + bx + c = 0; its graph is a parabola.
- Reciprocal
- Flip a fraction: the reciprocal of 3/4 is 4/3; a number times its reciprocal = 1.
- Greatest common factor (GCF)
- The largest number that divides two numbers evenly.
- Least common multiple (LCM)
- The smallest number both numbers divide into evenly.
- Supplementary angles
- Two angles that add to 180°.
- Complementary angles
- Two angles that add to 90°.
- Volume of a cylinder
- Volume = πr² × height.
- Integer
- A whole number, positive, negative, or zero (no fractions).
- Exponent zero rule
- Any nonzero number to the power 0 equals 1.
- Photosynthesis equation
- Carbon dioxide + water + sunlight → glucose + oxygen.
- Vertebrate vs. invertebrate
- Vertebrates have a backbone; invertebrates do not.
- Element vs. compound
- An element is one kind of atom; a compound is two or more elements bonded together.
- Mass vs. weight
- Mass is the amount of matter; weight is the force of gravity on that mass.
- Velocity of light
- Light travels about 300,000 km per second in a vacuum.
- Solar system order
- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
- pH scale
- Measures acidity 0–14; below 7 is acidic, 7 is neutral, above 7 is basic.
- Boiling / freezing point of water
- Water boils at 100°C (212°F) and freezes at 0°C (32°F).
- Watt
- The unit of electrical power; 1 watt = 1 volt × 1 amp.
- Battery (electronics)
- A source of DC voltage that pushes current through a circuit.
- Open vs. closed circuit
- A closed circuit has a complete path so current flows; an open circuit is broken.
- Short circuit
- An unintended low-resistance path that lets dangerously high current flow.
- Semiconductor
- A material (like silicon) between a conductor and insulator, used in chips and diodes.
- Exhaust system
- Carries burned gases away from the engine and reduces noise (muffler).
- Suspension
- Springs and shock absorbers that smooth the ride and keep tires on the road.
- Oil filter
- Removes contaminants from engine oil to protect moving parts.
- Coolant / antifreeze
- Fluid that prevents the engine from overheating or freezing.
- Allen wrench (hex key)
- An L-shaped tool that drives hex-socket (Allen) screws.
- Crescent / adjustable wrench
- An open-end wrench with a movable jaw for different bolt sizes.
- Square (tool)
- Checks and marks right angles (90°) on a workpiece.
- Plane (tool)
- Shaves thin layers off wood to smooth or flatten it.
- Second-class lever
- Load between the fulcrum and the effort (a wheelbarrow).
- Third-class lever
- Effort between the fulcrum and the load (tweezers, the human forearm).
- Block and tackle
- A pulley system that multiplies force to lift heavy loads.
- Belt drive
- A belt links two pulleys to transfer rotation between shafts.
- Buoyancy
- The upward force a fluid exerts on a submerged object.
- Rotation vs. reflection
- Rotation turns a shape; reflection flips it to a mirror image — they're different.
- Process of elimination (AO)
- Discard choices with the wrong number, size, or orientation of pieces.
- Connection line rules
- A connector line attaches at the exact labeled point shown, not a nearby one.
