SPARK

Free ASVAB Practice Test

Try these 10 questions from the four tests that make up the AFQT. Use paper and pencil, not a calculator, since calculators are not allowed on the ASVAB. The answer and a short explanation follow each question.

Arithmetic Reasoning

1. A restaurant bill has a subtotal of $84.00. The customer wants to leave a 15% tip on that subtotal. What is the tip amount?

  1. A. $12.60
  2. B. $1,260.00
  3. C. $99.00
  4. D. $12.00
Show the answer

Answer: A. 15% is 0.15, and 0.15 × $84.00 = $12.60.

2. A retailer marks down a $180.00 parka by 40%. What is the sale price of the parka after the markdown?

  1. A. $72.00
  2. B. $172.80
  3. C. $7,200.00
  4. D. $108.00
Show the answer

Answer: D. The markdown is $180.00 × 0.40 = $72.00. The sale price is $180.00 minus $72.00, which is $108.00.

3. A truck drives at a steady 48 miles per hour for 75 minutes without stopping. How far does the truck travel?

  1. A. 3,600 miles
  2. B. 38.4 miles
  3. C. 60 miles
  4. D. 36 miles
Show the answer

Answer: C. 75 minutes is 1.25 hours. Distance is rate times time, so 48 × 1.25 = 60 miles.

Mathematics Knowledge

4. The fractions 5/12 and 7/18 are to be rewritten with the same denominator, using the smallest denominator that works for both. What is that denominator?

  1. A. 6
  2. B. 72
  3. C. 216
  4. D. 36
Show the answer

Answer: D. 36 is the smallest number that both 12 and 18 divide into evenly: 12 × 3 = 36 and 18 × 2 = 36.

5. What is the value of (-4) × (-3) × 5?

  1. A. 60
  2. B. -60
  3. C. 12
  4. D. -2
Show the answer

Answer: A. 4 × 3 × 5 = 60. There are two negative factors, an even number, so the product is positive.

6. What value of x satisfies the equation 6x - 12 = 24?

  1. A. 2
  2. B. 36
  3. C. 16
  4. D. 6
Show the answer

Answer: D. Add 12 to both sides to get 6x = 36. Then divide both sides by 6 to get x = 6.

Word Knowledge

7. "The runner made a SWIFT turn at the last cone." Which word is closest in meaning to SWIFT as it is used in the sentence?

  1. A. sudden
  2. B. slow
  3. C. fast
  4. D. speed
Show the answer

Answer: C. Swift means done at high speed. "Fast" has the same meaning and is also a describing word, while "speed" is a noun.

8. Which word is closest in meaning to MAGNANIMOUS?

  1. A. wealthy
  2. B. spiteful
  3. C. polite
  4. D. generous
Show the answer

Answer: D. A magnanimous person shows a big, giving spirit toward others. "Generous" is the closest match.

Paragraph Comprehension

9. Read the passage, then answer the question.

Every Saturday, Ms. Alvarez opened her small repair shop an hour early so the neighborhood kids could watch her work. She handed them worn-out toasters and let them take the screws out themselves, saying little and correcting less. By August, three of them could rewire a lamp, and two had started fixing things for their own families.

What is the main idea of the passage?

  1. A. Ms. Alvarez opened her shop an hour early on Saturdays.
  2. B. Learning new skills is important for young people.
  3. C. By letting the neighborhood kids do the work themselves, Ms. Alvarez taught them skills they began to use on their own.
  4. D. Two of the kids started fixing things for their own families.
Show the answer

Answer: C. It covers the whole passage: how she taught (letting them do the work) and the result (skills they used at home). A and D are single details, and B is too broad.

10. Read the passage, then answer the question.

Switching a city bus depot to electric buses lowers its costs in three ways. Electricity costs less per mile than diesel fuel. Electric motors have fewer moving parts, so repairs come up less often, and the brakes wear more slowly because the motor itself slows the bus.

The passage is primarily about

  1. A. the price of electricity compared with the price of diesel fuel.
  2. B. the three ways electric buses lower a bus depot's costs.
  3. C. city transportation.
  4. D. why electric brakes wear more slowly than diesel brakes.
Show the answer

Answer: B. The first sentence states this idea, and each sentence after it gives one of the three savings.

How did you do?

Ten questions give you a quick look, not a full picture. The real CAT-ASVAB is adaptive, so the questions get harder or easier based on your answers. A full diagnostic shows which of the four AFQT sections need the most work.

Take the full free diagnostic. SPARK's placement diagnostic covers every AFQT section and turns your results into a study plan. Take the diagnostic

FAQ

Are these real ASVAB questions?
No. These are practice questions written by SPARK in the style of the four ASVAB tests that make up the AFQT. They are not taken from the actual ASVAB.
Can I use a calculator on ASVAB practice questions?
You should not use a calculator when you practice for the ASVAB, because calculators are not allowed on the real test. Working problems by hand now builds the speed you need on test day.
Which ASVAB sections does this practice test cover?
This practice test covers the four ASVAB sections used for the AFQT score: Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension.
What happens if I run out of time on the computer ASVAB?
On the computer ASVAB, any questions you have not answered when time runs out are scored as if you answered them at random. Almost all test takers finish in time.

Find out where you stand, free.

SPARK starts with a diagnostic and builds your study plan around the sections pulling your score down.

Start free

ASVAB is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of War, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse SPARK.