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ASVAB Practice Test Sample Questions and Explanations

No published past questions are available for this exam yet. Instead, here are 10 of our 135 AI-written ASVAB Practice Test practice questions, chosen to match the question types that come up most.

The ASVAB Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery exam covers General Science (15), Arithmetic Reasoning (15), Word Knowledge (15), Paragraph Comprehension (10), Mathematics Knowledge (15), Electronics Information (15), Auto Information (10), Shop Information (10), Mechanical Comprehension (15), 120 questions in total. New to 'ASVAB'? Read these first to see what to expect.

'Reviewed' means a separate AI that could not see the answer solved the question again and its answer matched. 'Not yet reviewed' means that check has not been done yet. No human expert has checked these questions, so use 'Report a problem' on the practice screen if something looks wrong.

ASVAB Practice Test: 10 sample questions

Practice questionReviewedGeneral Science › Earth and Space Science★★★★☆

Question 1. Which type of rock forms when melted rock (magma or lava) cools and hardens?

  1. ① Sedimentary
  2. ② Clastic
  3. ③ Metamorphic
  4. ④ Igneous
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Answer: ④ Igneous

Key point: Igneous rock forms from cooled magma

Igneous rock forms when magma underground or lava on the surface cools and becomes solid. Granite and basalt are examples.

Wrong choices

  • (A) Sedimentary: Sedimentary rock forms from layers of sand, mud, or shells pressed together.
  • (B) Clastic: Clastic rock is a kind of sedimentary rock made of broken rock pieces.
  • (C) Metamorphic: Metamorphic rock forms when existing rock is changed by heat and pressure without fully melting.
Practice questionReviewedArithmetic Reasoning › Arithmetic Word Problems★★★★★

Question 2. A warehouse worker earns $18 per hour. How much does the worker earn for a 40-hour week?

  1. ① $760
  2. ② $720
  3. ③ $58
  4. ④ $680
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Answer: ② $720

Key point: Pay = hourly rate x hours

  1. Multiply the hourly pay by the hours worked.
  2. $18 x 40 = $720.

Check: $720 divided by 40 hours = $18 per hour.

Wrong choices

  • (A) $760: $760 is 40 hours at $19, not $18.
  • (C) $58: $58 comes from adding 18 and 40 instead of multiplying.
  • (D) $680: $680 is 40 hours at $17, not $18.
Practice questionReviewedWord Knowledge › Vocabulary★★★★★

Question 3. Abundant most nearly means:

  1. ① costly
  2. ② heavy
  3. ③ plentiful
  4. ④ scarce
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Answer: ③ plentiful

Key point: Abundant = plentiful

Abundant means existing in large amounts, or plentiful. Example: "The farm had an abundant harvest."

Wrong choices

  • (A) costly: Costly means expensive, not plentiful.
  • (B) heavy: Heavy describes weight, not amount.
  • (D) scarce: Scarce means hard to find, which is the opposite of abundant.
Practice questionReviewedParagraph Comprehension › Reading Short Passages★★★★★

Question 4. Many back injuries at work happen when muscles are cold and stiff. A few minutes of gentle stretching before a shift warms the muscles and makes them more flexible. Workers who stretch every day report fewer strains. Stretching needs no equipment and can be done in a small space. What is the main idea of the passage?

  1. ① Stretching requires special equipment.
  2. ② A few minutes of daily stretching can help prevent injuries at work.
  3. ③ Back injuries are the most common injury at work.
  4. ④ Workers should rest instead of stretching.
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Answer: ② A few minutes of daily stretching can help prevent injuries at work.

Key point: Main idea covers the whole passage

Every sentence supports one point: short stretching before work helps prevent strains and injuries.

Wrong choices

  • (A) Stretching requires special equipment.: The passage says stretching needs no equipment.
  • (C) Back injuries are the most common injury at work.: The passage never says back injuries are the most common kind.
  • (D) Workers should rest instead of stretching.: The passage does not suggest resting instead of stretching.
Practice questionReviewedMathematics Knowledge › Numbers and Algebra★★★★★

Question 5. Solve for x: 3x + 5 = 20

  1. ① x = 25/3
  2. ② x = 4
  3. ③ x = 15
  4. ④ x = 5
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Answer: ④ x = 5

Key point: Undo addition, then undo multiplication

  1. Subtract 5 from both sides: 3x = 15.
  2. Divide both sides by 3: x = 5.

Check: 3(5) + 5 = 15 + 5 = 20.

Wrong choices

  • (A) x = 25/3: 25/3 comes from adding 5 instead of subtracting it.
  • (B) x = 4: x = 4 gives 3(4) + 5 = 17, not 20.
  • (C) x = 15: 15 is the value of 3x, not x.
Practice questionReviewedElectronics Information › Electricity and Circuits★★★★☆

Question 6. What is the unit used to measure electrical resistance?

  1. ① Volt
  2. ② Watt
  3. ③ Ampere
  4. ④ Ohm
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Answer: ④ Ohm

Key point: Resistance is measured in ohms

Resistance is how much a part holds back the flow of electric current. It is measured in ohms, shown by the Greek letter omega.

Wrong choices

  • (A) Volt: The volt measures voltage, the electrical push.
  • (B) Watt: The watt measures power, the rate of using energy.
  • (C) Ampere: The ampere (amp) measures current, the flow of charge.
Practice questionReviewedAuto Information › Automotive Systems★★★★☆

Question 7. What is the correct order of the four strokes in a four-stroke gasoline engine?

  1. ① Power, intake, exhaust, compression
  2. ② Compression, intake, exhaust, power
  3. ③ Intake, power, compression, exhaust
  4. ④ Intake, compression, power, exhaust
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Answer: ④ Intake, compression, power, exhaust

Key point: Four strokes: intake, compression, power, exhaust

The piston makes four strokes for each cycle. It draws in the air-fuel mixture (intake), squeezes it (compression), the spark ignites it and pushes the piston down (power), and then it pushes the burned gas out (exhaust).

Wrong choices

  • (A) Power, intake, exhaust, compression: The cycle starts by drawing in the mixture; burning comes after compression.
  • (B) Compression, intake, exhaust, power: The engine must take in air and fuel before it can compress them.
  • (C) Intake, power, compression, exhaust: Power cannot come before compression; the mixture must be squeezed before it is ignited.
Practice questionReviewedShop Information › Shop Tools and Practices★★★★☆

Question 8. Which tool measures the thickness of a small part most precisely, often to one thousandth of an inch?

  1. ① Plumb bob
  2. ② Tape measure
  3. ③ Framing square
  4. ④ Micrometer
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Answer: ④ Micrometer

Key point: Micrometer measures to 0.001 inch

A micrometer clamps a part between a fixed anvil and a turning spindle. Its scale can be read to one thousandth of an inch (0.001 inch) or finer, so it is used for precise work.

Wrong choices

  • (A) Plumb bob: A plumb bob shows a true vertical line; it does not measure thickness.
  • (B) Tape measure: A tape measure is for longer lengths and is not precise to thousandths of an inch.
  • (C) Framing square: A framing square is used to mark and check right angles in carpentry.
Practice questionReviewedMechanical Comprehension › Mechanical Principles★★★★☆

Question 9. A 100-pound load sits 2 feet from the fulcrum of a lever. The effort is applied 4 feet from the fulcrum on the other side. How much effort is needed to balance the load?

  1. ① 200 pounds
  2. ② 50 pounds
  3. ③ 25 pounds
  4. ④ 100 pounds
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Answer: ② 50 pounds

Key point: Lever: effort x effort arm = load x load arm

Use the lever rule.

  1. Effort x 4 ft = 100 lb x 2 ft
  2. Effort x 4 = 200
  3. Effort = 200 / 4 = 50 lb
  4. Check: 50 x 4 = 200 and 100 x 2 = 200. Balanced.

Wrong choices

  • (A) 200 pounds: 200 comes from multiplying by the ratio the wrong way. A longer effort arm means less effort.
  • (C) 25 pounds: 25 pounds would need an effort arm 8 feet long.
  • (D) 100 pounds: 100 pounds would balance only if both arms were the same length.
Practice questionReviewedGeneral Science › Earth and Space Science★★★★☆

Question 10. What causes Earth to have seasons?

  1. ① Earth's changing distance from the Sun
  2. ② The phases of the Moon
  3. ③ The tilt of Earth's axis
  4. ④ Spots on the Sun
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Answer: ③ The tilt of Earth's axis

Key point: Earth's tilt causes the seasons

Earth's axis is tilted. As Earth orbits the Sun, each half of the planet takes turns leaning toward the Sun, getting more direct sunlight and longer days. That half has summer.

Wrong choices

  • (A) Earth's changing distance from the Sun: Distance is not the cause; Earth is actually closest to the Sun in early January, during northern winter.
  • (B) The phases of the Moon: Moon phases repeat about every month and do not cause seasons.
  • (D) Spots on the Sun: Sunspots come and go and do not cause yearly seasons.

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10 more questions →ASVAB Practice Test exam outline

Unit summaries

General Science

Arithmetic Reasoning

Word Knowledge

Paragraph Comprehension

Mathematics Knowledge

Electronics Information

Auto Information

Shop Information

Mechanical Comprehension