The ASVAB was given on January 31st, 2024 to Lake Park students who registered. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a test given to high school and college students, along with those applying to join the military. It is used to both see if a test-taker is qualified to join the military and then assign them a job. It is commonly taken at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEP) or a Military Entrance Test (MET) as well as schools. It will be on a computer for the former location and usually on paper for the latter one.
The ASVAB consists of 16 separate sections and those are: General Science, Electronics, Shop Information, Skill Technical, General Maintenance, Surveillance and Communication, Assembling Objects, Automotive Systems, ASVAB subtest, Clerical, General Technical, Mechanical Comprehension, Auto Information, Mechanical Maintenance, Field Artillery, and Operators and Food.
According to Mr. Jeff Henrikson, WC Assistant Principal for Student Services, 10-15 students on average elect to take the ASVAB at Lake Park each year.
“We’ve been offering the ASVAB for five years now,” Mr. Henrikson said, who served in the Navy from 1994 – 2002.
“Some challenges of the exam from my past experience as a Navy recruiter were, if prospective applicants weren’t well versed in particular sections of the exam, they might not perform well on that portion of the exam.”
The ASVAB test was first introduced in 1968. By 1973 and 1974, it was used by the Air Force and Navy, respectively. In 1976, the ASVAB was in use by all branches of the military. By 1996-1997, the computer version (CAT-ASVAB) was available at MEPs
Participants are not obligated to join the military. The school version of the test is used to plan future careers, while the version given at the MEPs is used for recruitment. There is also an option to not have scores from the school version given to military recruiters. If a participant does choose to join, the military can pay for college, allowing them to also learn skills for civilian jobs.
Mr. Henrikson acknowledged the different paths available for those who take the test.
“Taking the exam doesn’t lock you in to joining the military. Additionally, the 16 different sections are similar to the Illinois PaCE [Postsecondary and Career Expectations] Framework,” Mr. Henrikson said.
“PaCE provides students a variety of career paths that schools like Lake Park offer to students. The ASVAB provides students the areas in which they have higher aptitude career options that fit their strengths.
While test takers are not required to join the military, the military does offer many options.
“There are additional benefits the military offers. The military offers the Montgomery G.I. Bill and the Illinois Veterans Grant, both of which pay for college tuition,”
Mr. Henrikson said.
“Similarly, while you are in the military you take college classes for free and you’re learning valuable on the job training that correlates to a civilian job. “