ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension
Paragraph Comprehension is one of the four tests that make up your AFQT score. It checks how well you understand what you read.
What Paragraph Comprehension measures
Paragraph Comprehension measures your "ability to obtain information from written passages."
Questions and time
| Test | Questions | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Paragraph Comprehension (CAT-ASVAB) | 10 | 27 minutes |
These counts do not include tryout questions. Some test takers get extra tryout questions with more time.
How to study Paragraph Comprehension
- Read the question first. Know what you are looking for before you read the passage.
- Find the main idea. Ask, "What is this whole passage about?" The best main idea covers every sentence, not just one detail.
- Stick to the passage. The right answer is backed up by what the passage says. Cross out choices that bring in outside ideas, even if they sound true.
- Watch for "stated" versus "suggested." Some questions ask what the passage says outright. Others ask what you can figure out from clues. Read the question word carefully.
- Practice with short passages. Read a news story or a short article, then sum up its main point in one sentence.
Sample questions
1. Read the passage, then answer the question.
Devon set his toolbox down by the door and checked the hallway clock twice in a minute. He had rehearsed his first sentence in the truck and now could not remember how it started. When his supervisor's door opened, he stood up so fast the chair scraped.
Which statement can best be inferred from the passage?
- A. Devon rehearsed his first sentence in the truck.
- B. Devon feels calm and well prepared for the meeting.
- C. Devon is nervous about the conversation he is about to have.
- D. Devon is about to be fired from his job.
Show the answer
Answer: C. Checking the clock twice in a minute, forgetting his first line and jumping up all point to nerves. A is stated, not inferred, and D goes beyond the passage.
2. Read the passage, then answer the question.
The county clinic moved its walk-in hours from Monday to Thursday last year. Many patients assumed the change was made to break up the Monday morning crowd. The director explained that the county's mobile lab van visits on Thursdays, so blood tests ordered during walk-in hours can be run the same day; Monday lines did get shorter, though the director credited the new online check-in for that.
Which reason for the change is directly stated in the passage as the clinic's reason?
- A. The clinic wanted to break up the Monday morning crowd.
- B. The clinic wanted to make care easier for patients in general.
- C. Online check-in shortened the Monday lines, so the walk-in hours were moved.
- D. The mobile lab van visits on Thursdays, so blood tests can be run the same day.
Show the answer
Answer: D. The director gives this as the reason. Choice A is only what patients assumed.
3. Read the passage, then answer the question.
The 6:40 boat is the last ferry that can reach the island before the tide gate closes for the night at 7:15. At 5:30 this evening a deckhand found a cracked fuel line, and the captain posted a note at the ticket window saying the repair will take at least two hours. A sign bolted beside that window has read the same thing for years: when the 6:40 does not sail, walk-on passengers are bused around the bay.
What is the most likely outcome for tonight's walk-on passengers?
- A. They will be bused around the bay instead of riding the ferry.
- B. They will board the 6:40 ferry once the fuel line is patched.
- C. Ferry service to the island will be shut down for the rest of the season.
- D. A local boat owner will offer to run them across, the way islanders always help each other out.
Show the answer
Answer: A. A repair of at least two hours from 5:30 runs past 6:40, so the boat cannot sail. The sign says walk-on passengers are bused when that happens.
How SPARK helps with Paragraph Comprehension
SPARK's diagnostic shows how your reading compares with your other sections. Lessons can be read aloud while you follow along, and practice questions explain why each choice is right or wrong.
FAQ
- How many questions are on ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension?
- On the computer ASVAB, Paragraph Comprehension has 10 scored questions with a 27 minute time limit. Some test takers also get extra tryout questions with more time.
- Does Paragraph Comprehension count toward the AFQT?
- Yes. Paragraph Comprehension is one of the four ASVAB tests used to compute the AFQT score, along with Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge and Word Knowledge.
- What does ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension test?
- ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension tests your ability to obtain information from written passages. Practice by reading short passages and asking what each one says and what it suggests.
- How do I find the main idea of a passage on the ASVAB?
- To find the main idea of an ASVAB passage, look for the choice that covers the whole passage. A choice that repeats one detail is too narrow, and a choice about a general topic is too broad.
Find out where you stand, free.
SPARK starts with a diagnostic and builds your study plan around the sections pulling your score down.
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