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ASVAB for dummies [US Armed Forces Voc. Aptitude] PDF

412 Pages·2011·5.19 MB·English
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Spine: 0.9189” Study Aids/Test Prep/ASVAB Making Everything Easier!™ 3rd Edition 3rd Edition Ace the ASVAB by sharpening your Open the book and find: test-taking skills with this updated B A V S (cid:129) Tips for improving your A and expanded bestselling guide vocabulary A (cid:129) How to assemble objects Are you ready to tackle the ASVAB and begin your military career? (cid:129) Math terminology and If so, this essential guide provides a comprehensive review of operations you need to know all nine subtest subjects covered on the paper enlistment and S the CAT-ASVAB (computer adaptive test). You’ll get hands-on, (cid:129) Algebra and geometry reviews easy-to-follow guidance on what to expect on all the subtests, (cid:129) The “real world” of math word V cutting-edge strategies and tactics for studying, and test-taking tips problems and advice. With help from ASVAB For Dummies, you’ll perform well (cid:129) Critical concepts in general on the test and be on your way to beginning (or advancing) your science A military career. (cid:129) Auto & shop information (cid:129) Decipher the ASVAB — get the 4-1-1 on every aspect of the ASVAB, from (cid:129) Ten tips for doing well on test B making sense of the subtests to understanding how it’s scored day (cid:129) Be prepared — get ready for test day challenges (cid:129) Three sample tests and one AFQT (cid:129) Take your best shot — discover strategies for making the best guesstimate when in doubt (cid:129) Questions throughout to help reinforce learning (cid:129) Multiply your math skills — grasp the math operations needed to score your best — from working with fractions to solving algebra problems (cid:129) Get technical — get a handle on the scientific, technical, electrical, and Learn to: mechanical knowledge covered on specific subtests (cid:129) Land your dream job — find out which subtests are most important to (cid:129) Score higher to qualify for the military job Go to Dummies.com your specific military career goals ® you want for videos, step-by-step photos, (cid:129) Practice makes perfect — get acquainted with the different types of how-to articles, or to shop! (cid:129) Build word knowledge and paragraph problems before taking the actual practice tests comprehension (cid:129) Test your skills with practice problems for each of the test’s nine subtests (cid:129) Take three full-length practice tests plus one AFQT $18.00 US / $22.00 CN / £13.99 UK ISBN 978-0-470-63760-9 Rod Powers is a recognized expert in all U.S. military matters and serves as a military guide for About.com, where his page receives approximately Rod Powers 1.5 million views per week. He is the author of ASVAB AFQT For Dummies U.S. military expert and military guide and Veterans Benefits For Dummies. Powers for About.com Spine: 0.9189” Get More and Do More at Dummies.com ® Start with FREE Cheat Sheets Cheat Sheets include (cid:129) Checklists (cid:129) Charts pps A (cid:129) Common Instructions Mobile (cid:129) And Other Good Stuff! To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/asvab Get Smart at Dummies.com Dummies.com makes your life easier with 1,000s of answers on everything from removing wallpaper to using the latest version of Windows. Check out our (cid:129) Videos There’s a Dummies App for This and That (cid:129) Illustrated Articles (cid:129) Step-by-Step Instructions Plus, each month you can win valuable prizes by entering our With more than 200 million books in print and over 1,600 unique Dummies.com sweepstakes. * titles, Dummies is a global leader in how-to information. Now Want a weekly dose of Dummies? Sign up for Newsletters on you can get the same great Dummies information in an App. With (cid:129) Digital Photography topics such as Wine, Spanish, Digital Photography, Certification, (cid:129) Microsoft Windows & Office and more, you’ll have instant access to the topics you need to (cid:129) Personal Finance & Investing (cid:129) Health & Wellness know in a format you can trust. (cid:129) Computing, iPods & Cell Phones (cid:129) eBay To get information on all our Dummies apps, visit the following: (cid:129) Internet (cid:129) Food, Home & Garden www.Dummies.com/go/mobile from your computer. www.Dummies.com/go/iphone/apps from your phone. Find out “HOW” at Dummies.com *Sweepstakes not currently available in all countries; visit Dummies.com for official rules. ASVAB FOR DUMmIES ‰ 3 RD EDITION by Rod Powers 01_637609-ffirs.indd i01_637609-ffirs.indd i 10/11/10 12:52 PM10/11/10 12:52 PM ASVAB For Dummies®, 3rd Edition Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2011 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www. wiley.com/go/permissions. Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other coun- tries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOM- MENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: 2010937828 ISBN: 978-0-470-63760-9 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 01_637609-ffirs.indd ii01_637609-ffirs.indd ii 10/11/10 12:52 PM10/11/10 12:52 PM About the Author Rod Powers joined the United States Air Force in 1975 intending to become a spy. He was devastated to learn that he should’ve joined the CIA instead because the military doesn’t have that particular enlisted job. Regardless, he fell in love with the military and made it both a passion and a career, retiring with 23 years of service. Rod spent 11 of those years as a first sergeant, helping to solve the problems of the enlisted corps. Since his retirement from the military in 1998, Rod has become a world renowned military careers expert. Through his highly popular U.S. Military Information Web site on About.com (http://usmilitary.about.com), Rod has advised thousands of troops about all aspects of U.S. Armed Forces career information. Rod is the proud father of twin girls, both of whom enjoy successful careers in the United States Air Force. Rod currently resides in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he attempts to prove that there’s no such thing as too much sunshine. Even today, Powers tries to run his life according to long-lived military ideals and standards, but he gets a bit confused about why nobody will obey his orders anymore. Dedication To Jeanie and Chrissy — because everything is for you. Always. Author’s Acknowledgments I want to thank Leigh Richards for reviewing the manuscript for technical accuracy. I would also like to thank Andrew Ellet, Ph.D., math teacher extraordinaire, for editing the math chapters and reminding me how to solve for x. Special thanks goes out to Tracy Boggier, my Acquisitions Editor; Chad R. Sievers, my won- derful Project Editor; and my top-notch Copy Editor, Danielle Voirol, who dotted my i’s and crossed my t’s. A big thanks goes to Autumn Lindsey, who was my right-hand assistant with all the artwork and text revisions and reviews. Finally, I send more special thanks to the recruiting commands of the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard for providing invaluable resource information. 01_637609-ffirs.indd iii01_637609-ffirs.indd iii 10/11/10 12:52 PM10/11/10 12:52 PM Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development Composition Services Senior Project Editor: Chad R. Sievers Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees (Previous Edition: Kristin DeMint) Layout and Graphics: Carrie A. Cesavice, Joyce Haughey Acquisitions Editor: Tracy Boggier Special Art: Autumn Lindsey Senior Copy Editor: Danielle Voirol Proofreader: Susan Hobbs (Previous Edition: Carrie Burchfield) Indexer: Sherry Massey Assistant Editor: David Lutton Special Help Technical Editors: Leigh Richards, Kaitlin McGlone Andrew Ellet, Ph.D. Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker Editorial Assistant: Rachelle Amick Art Coordinator: Alicia B. South Cover Photos: © iStockphoto.com / mbbirdy Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com) Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel Publishing for Technology Dummies Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User Composition Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services 01_637609-ffirs.indd iv01_637609-ffirs.indd iv 10/11/10 12:52 PM10/11/10 12:52 PM Contents at a Glance Introduction ................................................................................1 Part I: Making Sense of the ASVAB...............................................5 Chapter 1: Putting the ASVAB Under a Microscope ................................................................................7 Chapter 2: Knowing What It Takes to Get Your Dream Job .................................................................17 Chapter 3: Getting Acquainted with Test-Taking and Study Techniques ..........................................23 Part II: Words to Live By: Communication Skills ..........................31 Chapter 4: Word Knowledge.....................................................................................................................33 Chapter 5: Paragraph Comprehension....................................................................................................43 Chapter 6: All’s Well That Tests Well: Communication Practice Questions ......................................55 Part III: Making the Most of Math: Arithmetic Skills ....................63 Chapter 7: Mathematics Knowledge and Operations............................................................................65 Chapter 8: Reasoning with Arithmetic: Math Word Problems .............................................................91 Chapter 9: Brother, Can You Spare an Equation? Arithmetic Practice Questions ............................97 Part IV: The Whole Ball of Facts: Technical Skills ......................105 Chapter 10: General Science ...................................................................................................................107 Chapter 11: Auto and Shop Information ...............................................................................................127 Chapter 12: Mechanical Comprehension ..............................................................................................141 Chapter 13: Electronics Information .....................................................................................................157 Chapter 14: Assembling Objects ............................................................................................................171 Chapter 15: Facing the Facts: Technical Skills Practice Questions ...................................................179 Part V: Practice ASVAB Exams .................................................189 Chapter 16: Practice Exam 1 ...................................................................................................................191 Chapter 17: Practice Exam 1: Answers and Explanations ..................................................................221 Chapter 18: Practice Exam 2 ...................................................................................................................233 Chapter 19: Practice Exam 2: Answers and Explanations ..................................................................265 Chapter 20: Practice Exam 3 ...................................................................................................................277 Chapter 21: Practice Exam 3: Answers and Explanations ..................................................................309 Chapter 22: Practice AFQT Exam ...........................................................................................................321 Chapter 23: Practice AFQT Exam: Answers and Explanations ...........................................................337 Part VI: The Part of Tens ..........................................................343 Chapter 24: Ten Surefire Ways to Fail the ASVAB ...............................................................................345 Chapter 25: Ten Tips for Doing Well on the AFQT ..............................................................................349 Chapter 26: Ten Ways to Boost Your Math and English Skills ..........................................................353 Appendix: Matching ASVAB Scores to Military Jobs ...................357 Index ......................................................................................375 02_637609-ftoc.indd v02_637609-ftoc.indd v 10/11/10 12:53 PM10/11/10 12:53 PM Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................1 About This Book ........................................................................................................................1 Conventions Used in This Book ...............................................................................................2 What You’re Not to Read ..........................................................................................................2 Foolish Assumptions .................................................................................................................2 How This Book Is Organized ....................................................................................................2 Part I: Making Sense of the ASVAB ................................................................................3 Part II: Words to Live By: Communication Skills .........................................................3 Part III: Making the Most of Math: Arithmetic Skills ....................................................3 Part IV: The Whole Ball of Facts: Technical Skills .......................................................3 Part V: Practice ASVAB Exams .......................................................................................3 Part VI: The Part of Tens .................................................................................................3 Appendix ...........................................................................................................................3 Icons Used in This Book ...........................................................................................................4 Where to Go from Here .............................................................................................................4 Part I: Making Sense of the ASVAB ...............................................5 Chapter 1: Putting the ASVAB Under a Microscope ........................................................7 Knowing Which Version You’re Taking ..................................................................................7 Mapping Out the ASVAB Subtests ...........................................................................................8 Deciphering ASVAB Scores ....................................................................................................10 Defining all the scores ...................................................................................................10 Understanding the big four: Your AFQT scores.........................................................12 Do-Over: Retaking the ASVAB ................................................................................................14 U.S. Army retest policy..................................................................................................15 U.S. Air Force retest policy ...........................................................................................15 U.S. Navy retest policy ..................................................................................................15 U.S. Marine Corps retest policy ...................................................................................16 U.S. Coast Guard retest policy .....................................................................................16 Chapter 2: Knowing What It Takes to Get Your Dream Job ..........................................17 Eyeing How ASVAB Scores Determine Military Training Programs and Jobs .................17 Understanding How Each Branch Computes Line Scores ..................................................18 Line scores and the Army .............................................................................................19 Line scores and the Navy and Coast Guard ...............................................................19 Line scores and the Marine Corps ...............................................................................20 Line scores and the Air Force ......................................................................................21 Chapter 3: Getting Acquainted with Test-Taking and Study Techniques ..................23 Taking the Test: Paper or Computerized? ............................................................................23 Writing on hard copy: The advantages and disadvantages of the paper version ...................................................................................................24 Going paperless: The pros and cons of the computerized test ...............................24 Tackling Multiple-Choice Questions .....................................................................................25 When You Don’t Know an Answer: Guessing Smart ...........................................................27 Studying and Practicing for the ASVAB ................................................................................28 Making Last-Minute Preparations: 24 Hours and Counting ................................................29 02_637609-ftoc.indd vi02_637609-ftoc.indd vi 10/11/10 12:53 PM10/11/10 12:53 PM vii Table of Contents Part II: Words to Live By: Communication Skills ...........................31 Chapter 4: Word Knowledge ..............................................................................................33 Grasping the Importance of Word Knowledge ....................................................................33 Checking Out the Word Knowledge Question Format ........................................................34 Building Words from Scratch: Strategies to Help You Decipher Word Meanings ..........35 From beginning to end: Knowing prefixes and suffixes ............................................35 Determining the root of the problem ..........................................................................37 Word families: Finding related words .........................................................................38 Ying and Yang: Understanding Synonyms and Antonyms .................................................39 You Are What You Speak: Improving Your Vocabulary, Improving Yourself .................39 Reading your way to a larger vocabulary ...................................................................40 Keeping a list and checking it twice ............................................................................40 Crosswords: Making vocabulary fun ...........................................................................41 Sounding off by sounding it out ...................................................................................41 Chapter 5: Paragraph Comprehension ..............................................................................43 The Importance of Paragraph Comprehension for Military Jobs .....................................43 Eyeing the Physique of the Paragraph Comprehension Subtest .......................................44 Trying the Four Flavors of Comprehension Questions ......................................................44 Treasure hunt: Finding specific information ..............................................................45 Cutting to the chase: Recognizing the main idea .......................................................45 If the shoe fits: Determining word meaning in context .............................................46 Reading between the lines: Understanding implications .........................................46 Do You Get My Point? .............................................................................................................48 What’s the big idea? Determining the main idea in a paragraph .............................48 Extra, extra! Identifying subpoints...............................................................................49 Analyzing What You’ve Read: Guessing at What the Writer Really Means ......................50 Faster than a Speeding Turtle: Tips for Slow Readers ........................................................51 Read more, watch less ..................................................................................................51 Become a lean, mean word machine ...........................................................................51 Build your confidence ...................................................................................................51 Test-Taking Tips for Reading and Gleaning .........................................................................52 Chapter 6: All’s Well That Tests Well: Communication Practice Questions ............55 Word Knowledge Practice Questions ...................................................................................55 Paragraph Comprehension Practice Questions ..................................................................58 Part III: Making the Most of Math: Arithmetic Skills ....................63 Chapter 7: Mathematics Knowledge and Operations ....................................................65 Just When You Thought You Were Done with Vocab: Math Terminology ..........................................................................................66 Operations: What You Do to Numbers .................................................................................67 First things first: Following the order of operations .................................................67 Completing a number sequence ..................................................................................68 Working on Both Sides of the Line: Fractions ......................................................................69 Common denominators: Preparing to add and subtract fractions .........................70 Multiplying and reducing fractions .............................................................................71 Dividing fractions ...........................................................................................................72 Converting improper fractions to mixed numbers . . . and back again ..................72 Expressing a fraction in other forms: Decimals and percents .................................73 Showing comparisons with ratios ...............................................................................76 02_637609-ftoc.indd vii02_637609-ftoc.indd vii 10/11/10 12:53 PM10/11/10 12:53 PM viii ASVAB For Dummies, 3rd Edition A Powerful Shorthand: Writing in Scientific Notation ........................................................77 Getting to the Root of the Problem .......................................................................................77 Perfect squares ..............................................................................................................78 Irrational numbers .........................................................................................................78 Other roots .....................................................................................................................78 An Unknown Quantity: Reviewing Algebra ...........................................................................79 Solving for x ....................................................................................................................79 When all things are equal: Keeping an algebra equation balanced .........................79 Explaining exponents in algebra ..................................................................................81 A step back: Factoring algebra expressions to find original numbers....................82 Making alphabet soup: Solving the quadratic equation ...........................................83 All math isn’t created equal: Solving inequalities......................................................84 Looking at Math from a Different Angle: Geometry Review ...............................................84 Outlining angles .............................................................................................................85 Pointing out triangle types ...........................................................................................85 Back to square one: Quadrilaterals .............................................................................86 Going around in circles .................................................................................................87 Filling ’er up: Calculating volume.................................................................................88 Test-Taking Techniques for Your Mathematical Journey ..................................................88 Knowing what the question is asking ..........................................................................88 Figuring out what you’re solving for ...........................................................................89 Solving what you can and guessing the rest ..............................................................89 Using the process of elimination .................................................................................90 Chapter 8: Reasoning with Arithmetic: Math Word Problems .....................................91 Tackling the Real World of Word Problems .........................................................................92 Reading the entire problem ..........................................................................................92 As plain as the nose on a fly: Figuring out what the question is asking .................92 Digging for the facts .......................................................................................................93 Setting up the problem and working your way to the answer .................................93 Reviewing your answer .................................................................................................94 The Guessing Game: Putting Reason in Your Guessing Strategy ......................................95 Using the process of elimination .................................................................................95 Solving what you can and guessing the rest ..............................................................95 Making use of the answer choices ...............................................................................96 Chapter 9: Brother, Can You Spare an Equation? Arithmetic Practice Questions ..........................................................................................97 Arithmetic Reasoning (Math Word Problems) Practice Questions ..................................97 Math Knowledge Practice Questions ..................................................................................101 Part IV: The Whole Ball of Facts: Technical Skills .......................105 Chapter 10: General Science ............................................................................................107 There’s a Scientific Method to the Madness ......................................................................107 Understanding Forms of Measurement ..............................................................................108 Doing the metric thing ................................................................................................108 Figuring temperature conversions ............................................................................109 Another Day, Another Science: Scientific Disciplines You Should Know .......................110 Uncovering Biology, from Big to Small ...............................................................................111 Relating to your world through ecology ...................................................................112 Categorizing Mother Nature .......................................................................................112 Perusing the human body systems ...........................................................................114 Thinking small: A look at cells....................................................................................115 Swimming in the gene pool: Genetics........................................................................116 02_637609-ftoc.indd viii02_637609-ftoc.indd viii 10/11/10 12:53 PM10/11/10 12:53 PM

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