Options for candidates with an average GT score are rather limited. In order to obtain a job at an officer level, you need to have a high overall score. A low GT score can bring down your overall score. Being able to choose your career path in the military is a benefit that few candidates actually get to do.

This means you need to study hard for this lengthy test as you would for a high school standardized test, such as the SAT or ACT.

How to Arrive at a GT score

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery exam is made up of subtests. The series of scores that are calculated from the subtests, which include the General Technical, or GT, helps to guide where you will be within the military once you enlist.

The ASVAB is broken down into subject areas that each branch will calculate to further discern where you will fit the best within its many vital parts. These include:

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

Armed Forces Qualification Score

All branches, from the Army to the Marines, use the Armed Forces Qualification score, or AFQT. This score is a combination of three of the subtests of the ASVAB. Each branch then uses its own scores to help to determine which career path would be best for the candidates based on how well they did on the test.

Median Score for Military

The median score for a high school student is between 50 and 64. For General Education Development grads the median score is 65. An individual who is leaving high school or has a GED will need an AFQT score of 31 to enlist in the Army and a score of 50 or higher to choose an MOS.

The AFQT score decides the salary or pay package, so the higher it is the more benefits you will be able to receive. The GT score is important in determining an enrollee’s career. A high GT score of more than 110 offers options for an individual to choose a job in the technical fields of Communication or Information Technology.

The average score is actually the minimum needed in order to enlist in the military. Competition is fierce, so do your best to get the highest score possible on the GT subtest as well as the overall test in order to land in a position of your choosing.

What the GT Score Means

The General Technical score is a subtest of the ASVAB. The Marine Corps GT score also needs the Mechanical Comprehension, or MC, score. The GT score calculator for Marines can be found online.

The average GT score range varies by branch. Each division has an average score based on the different subtest scores of the ASVAB. The average GT score range for each branch is:

  • Coast Guard 40
  • Army 31
  • Navy 35
  • Air Force 36
  • Air National Guard 31
  • Army National Guard 40
  • Marines 32

USMC Enlisted Jobs

A GT score between 80 and 110 can open doors in the General Technical, Special and Officer Programs. The GT score is the VE +AR scores combined. Other career options include:

  • Clerical, Administrative, Supply and Finance: The CL track requires NO+CS+VE. The CL score range is 90 to 100 for the USMC.
  • Electronics Repair, Missile Repair, Miscellaneous Electronics and Communications: This requires an EL score made up of your GS+AR+MK+EI. The range to work in this field within the USMC is 90 to 115.
  • Mechanical Maintenance, Construction, Utility and Chemical Maintenance: A GS+AS+MK+MC score within 85 and 105 can secure a job involving utility, construction, mechanics and hazardous materials.

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References

Writer Bio

Kimberley McGee is an award-winning journalist with 20+ years of experience writing about education, jobs, business trends and more for The New York Times, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Today’s Parent and other publications. She graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from UNLV. Her full bio and clips can be seen at www.vegaswriter.com.