Anyone familiar with ASVAB tests?

[FSogol]

Apparently it is a career exploration program test to help high school students determine career paths. The career center at the school is offering them. Are they tied to military careers? I remember in high school in the late 70s, I was required to take a similar type test and all it did was pass my name and score onto military recruiters who began calling me non-stop.

Should I let my son take the test?

[MrCoffee]

1. it's some sort of "career aptitude test"...whatever that means.

They were offered at my H.S. too. I didn't take it.

[BOSSHOG]

2. Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

I think similar to the old GCT/ARI. The ASVAB directs a potential recruit to a particular career field. Will the potential Sailor be suited for Nuclear Propulsion Mechanics on a submarine or more suited to Supply Maintenance?

[htuttle]

3. The only reason to take one is if you're going to join the military

Nobody else cares about it.

[shadowknows69]

4. Its specifically to find your placement in the military IIRC

Unless you want recruiters up your sons ass until he's 40 I wouldn't have him take it.

[Poll_Blind]

5. I'd suggest steering your son away from taking the test. The results...

...will be passed onto military recruiters, as your own experience indicates. If your son really wants to take the test there's probably an online-version of the test which does not require input of PII (personally-identifying information).

PB

[nickinSTL]

9. Try Learning Express Library

my local library has a test prep package called LearningExpressLibrary - it allows users to take various tests for free, and includes the ASVAB. Your son could take it for free and avoid the military recruiter problem.

http://LearningExpressLibrary.com/

(you might have to check with your local library to get access, I'm not sure)

[misternormal]

6. It is definitely tied to the military... Use you own judgement... n/t

[Wickerman]

7. NO!

It's for the military and the military only. Actually, it isn't a bad career apptitude test, but the scores are not available to others and are not used by anyone but the military.

[FSogol]

8. Thanks for all the replies. We'll steer clear. Anyone know of

any non-military career aptitude tests for young teenagers?

[Wickerman]

18. Don't know of any free stuff

A good test used to be the Strong Campbell, but that was usually interpreted by a professional and probably only used in that environment. It's been a decade or longer since I've been around the instruments but here is a good starting place to learn more about such testing:

http://dmoz.org/Science/Social_Sciences/Psychology/Industrial_and_Organizational/Career_Tests/

[nosillies]

27. I used to do this for a living -- assisting teens with career planning

And doing aptitude tests, etc. There are many great resources. Why don't you PM me? I can hook you up with some great online resources, but many are password protected, so we must be sneaky about it.

[conscious evolution]

10. I took this test.

I was thinking about joining the military in 1982.When I went to the recruiters office they had me take this test.It is an aptitude test for determining best type of MOS for a recruit.They dont want to waste time and money trying to send morans to schools they don't have the intellectual capacity for.

[Frank Cannon]

11. Here is an actual ASVAB question from when I took the test

My parents made me take EVERY single placement test that came along when I was in high school. They thought this process would reduce testing anxiety. (They were right about that, by the way.) Here is an actual question from the ASVAB that I took:

Which one of these objects is a screwdriver?

a) illustration of a hammer
b) illustration of a wrench
c) illustration of a screwdriver
d) illustration of some other tool, probably a power drill or an oil filter wrench

A few weeks after the test, I got a call from a US Navy recruiter telling me that my ASVAB score qualified me for the "nuclear power field"! I asked him if this was because I answered that laughable screwdriver question correctly. He (correctly) identified me as a cutup and a troublemaker and never called me again.

[Solly Mack]

12. The ASVAB was developed by the DoD

So, yes, it's tied...tightly... to the military.

In recent years, the test has been promoted/hyped as a way students could learn more about career choices, whether military or civilian.

However, check the fine print...students can opt out of the military getting their personal info for recruitment purposes...but if you take the ASVAB, there might just be a waiver in the fine print that says the military can come calling anyway. In fact, I'd count on it.

[AllegroRondo]

13. Only use is for military recruiters

to determine what jobs you would be qualified for if you join the military.

Dont waste your time, unless you want to join.

[Warpy]

14. Google is your friend

Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB).

http://www.military.com/ASVAB

[soup]

15. My son opted out of it.

Apparently there's something called Option 8, but I don't trust any of it:

Can a school give the ASVAB test without having scores released to local military recruiters?

Yes. Schools have eight options regarding the release of test information. At one end of the spectrum is "Option 8. No release to recruiters." Recruiters would not receive a printout of students' scores. The default option for schools is known as "Option 1. No special instructions." Under this option, recruiters are free to obtain scores and use them however they wish. In between these two extremes are a number of options specifying when recruiters may receive full information or whether they will be given access to phone numbers. Unfortunately, school officials are usually not made aware of options other than the default (Option 1).
http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/militarism-in-schools/ASVAB.htm

--


What they tell you: ASVAB is a voluntary test that "will help you make career decisions."

What it really is: The ASVAB test is a sneaky way for military recruiters to get all the information on students taking the test, for recruitment purposes.

The ASVAB is just another tool to help recruiters make their quotas & advance in their careers.

Why would someone take this test? We are told it will tell us what career skills we have. Don't buy that, ASVAB is not designed to help students make career decisions. There are no connections between ASVAB scores and civilian career skills

Before taking the ASVAB test: Students must sign a document. Scores will not be processed unless it's signed. Even though most of the students who take the test are minors, the military considers their signature legally binding. This signature releases all of the students' personal information: name, address, phone number and social security number, into a computer listing used for recruitment.

from Counter Recruitment 101 published by United for Peace and Justice
at http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=2873#no_child
http://www.afn.org/~vetpeace/asvab.htm

[Codeine]

16. It's a military test.

It measures aptitude for military careers. It's also ridiculously easy to ace every part of.

[Sydnie]

17. I have opted my kids out of this test, along with the

militarty directory portion of NCLB since they implimented NCLB. My son, the clown ( ;) ) took it one year anyway ( "because it got me out of class" ), gave a false name and deliberately messed up the answers too.

I wouldn't want them to take it any other way.

[Darkhawk32]

19. I took it twice in high school. I scored ridiculously high on it and had

all the military recruiters wanting me, except the branch I had wanted to join at the time, the Air Force.

They didn't like the fact that I was a powerlifter. :(

[shadowknows69]

21. Me too

Probably should have gone in then. Although I would have been just in time for Gulf War I.

[Darkhawk32]

23. Same here... graduated hs in '90. n/t

[Arger68]

24. Same here.

I took it and did well and had the Army, Navy, and especially Marines humping my leg for three years afterward. If I had joined, I'd probably have Gulf War Syndrome right now. :scared:

[stop the bleeding]

20. only if one wants to go into the military

end of story

[ET Awful]

22. ASVAB stands for Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

I'd say it's a safe bet it's related to military careers.

[cwydro]

25. that is

the military's career assessment test. You can check it out at most libraries...or they will have it in the reference section. But it is military.

[Gormy Cuss]

26. That is exactly how ASVAB is used.

The results are of little relevance on civilian career paths because the results are too general. They are effective tools for military recruiters. Your son is going to be pestered by recruiters with or without ASVAB results. I'd suggest that it's up to him if he wants to go through the exercise once he understands that the only useful product is for the recruiters.

I recall it being a fun set of challenges and an excuse to get out of classwork for the day. I enjoyed yanking the chains of the recruiters, but that that's not for everyone. The recruiters had nothing to offer that compared to the idea of attending college on scholarship.

[Ms. Toad]

28. I'll just tag on to say

your son will be less likely to be bothered by recruiters if you opt out of releasing his name to the military. Release is mandatory (part of NCLB) unless the parent opts out. Our counselor brought it up at the end of 8th grade - but most of my daughter's peers in other schools had to actively request the opportunity to opt out. So far (knocking on wood) she has not gotten any correspondence from the military.

[ncteechur]

29. It is a military test and it is used to recruit students who are in the

eleventh and twelfth grades. In my district, students take it as sophomores and cannot be contacted by recruiters.

However, the law states that the military MUST have access to student records (names, addresses, phone numbers, etc--not necessarily transcripts) upon request. So they (recruiters) are getting them anyway. I must say, though, that the recruiters that visited my school were pretty good.

[Solo_in_MD]

30. Its a test used to evaluate military recruits for career placement

Its for those going into the enlisted ranks. Its trival to ace. I also took the AFOQT (Air Forces Officers Qualification test) including the flying portions. Its not nearly so easy.

You can opt out of having the local recruiter getting the data, but most likely they will have his contact information anyway. NCLB is just one of many ways they get it. They will take no for answer.

I see it as harmless, both my daughters took it.