How to Ace the ASVAB General Science Test

The General Science (GS) section of the ASVAB tests your knowledge in many areas of high school level science. Though it is not used to calculate the AFQT score, your GS score determines your eligibility for some of the most interesting military jobs. Here are suggestions for earning a higher score on the ASVAB General Science section.

Purchase an ASVAB study guide that has a comprehensive science review, and learn the most commonly tested concepts. Although the ASVAB GS subtest covers a huge range of scientific topics--population & cellular biology, chemistry, physics, human anatomy, earth sciences, etc--only a small portion of each subtopic will ever appear on ASVAB. For example, you may encounter questions about the human muscular and skeletal systems, but never about the human reproductive system.

Review your notes from high school science classes, or borrow a friend's notes. If you have not taken certain science courses, or you have been out of high school for a while, you should purchase a separate General Science review book that delves into ASVAB science topics.

Next, make a study schedule to learn a particular topic or topics every week. For example, if you are rusty on chemistry, make a plan to learn the elements one week, chemical reaction equations the next week, and acid/base properties the week after. Keeping an ASVAB study schedule will help you study more efficiently.

Study your weakest areas first, and then brush up on your good areas in the weeks before you take the ASVAB. You won't derive much benefit from studying only the topics you know best. Instead, you should spend the bulk of your time learning new concepts, and improving on topics you struggle with. Only when your test date approaches should you focus more on your strong areas.

Make flash cards for scientific vocabulary words. Many ASVAB GS questions are purely vocabulary. Even if you completely understand a concept, you could get a question wrong simply for lack of knowing the right word.

Take timed practice tests. The exact timing depends on the version of the ASVAB you take, but try timing yourself at 1 minute per question. Many ASVAB General Science questions can be answered much more quickly.

Don't become overwhelmed by the sheer number of topics you need to learn or re-learn. You will be surprised that once you start studying consistently, the forgotten high school science knowledge will return to you rather quickly.

© Had2Know 2010