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flunked armed forces admission exam
#11
hmuchmo1 Wrote:Agree with Clep101 on most things.
The test is the same but the minimum qualifications for entrance to each branch is actually different, so technically it can be tougher to get into the air force than the army. But it changes periodically, as was mentioned, based upon recruitment requirements and it also depends on having a HS diploma vs GED.. A GED +15 college credits equals a HS diploma in the eyes of the air force. Plus there are ways to get waivers on many issues, such as low qual scores.

:iagree: with both hmuchmo1 and Clep101. There isn't a one-size-fits-all cutoff score for each branch. It will be far more difficult to be a nuclear tech in the Navy than security forces in the Air Force, just as it would be far more difficult to work in avionics for the Army than to be a truck driver for the Air Force. It's all relative to the job itself.

The deal with the Air Force, if I recall from working with the recruiters, is that they can afford to be so selective because of the sheer number of recruits who come through the door looking to sign up. I believe their funnel system came down to a 1/10 selection rate. Part of that is because our jobs tend to be far more technical in nature than not and those technical jobs carry higher requirements. But it's also because we have a smaller force than the Army and Navy and can afford to be much more picky about who comes in. That's all it really means. If Congress decided tomorrow to double the size of the Air Force, suddenly we'd be bringing in a lot more people who yesterday we told to go talk to another branch because they "just couldn't hack it".

Clep101 also has solid info on the ASVAB score process. Like I said, there are study guides out there for it that can help him boost his score to get him within striking distance of what he wants to do, whichever branch it is.

Also, I wasn't calling your nephew a screwup at all. Sorry, I thought I clarified that. I was only refuting the other poster by stating that people shouldn't simply pre-judge what someone is capable of. Your nephew may be unable to do what is required for the job he wanted, but he may also be very capable and go very far in life if he has good mentorship along the way. You never really know what someone can do until they do it. He should be realistic about his capabilities when looking for jobs in the military, but he also shouldn't discount the power of standing on a recruiter's desk the day before his end of month or end of year goal period and asking for whatever waivers are necessary to get him in so the recruiter makes goal for that period. He just needs to be sure that he can actually do what he's trying to get in to do. He also needs to be sure and get a contract for a guaranteed job for whatever it is he pursues, because if he comes in "Open" he will be given whatever job the military needs at that time.

I strongly recommend reviewing the resources already posted to see what the requirements are for each job. Each branch will have a similar list.
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#12
Honestly, I think he should take the test again, and again. It's so worth it and thats the first of many test he will be put throught but I promise he will not regret it at all. He will feel a sense of accomplishment after he passes the ASVAB. Also, have a little bit more faith in him. If he wants to go Air Force then he will, he just has to study. The Army does allow entry for the lower scoring testers, but no matter where he goes he will be proud. I am in the Air Force and I failed my first test as well but I blew it out the water the second time. Dramatic difference in the results from the first test and the second. Just study, study, study and a lot of push... if he decides to test again, I wish him luck!
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#13
Thanks so much everyone, and thanks for the resources hmuchmo1 and Clep101. I've skimmed and printed, I hope to talk to him more tonight. Thanks everyone!


P.S. I asked about his score and it was a 22. So, he has a lot of work to do for even the minimum score.
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#14
Well, good luck to your nephew but all I could think when I read the subject line was "OMG she's changed her mind again". Wink

Phillip
[SIZE="1"]CLEP Principles of Management 77[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]CLEP Intro to Sociology 74[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]CLEP Principles of Marketing 78[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]CLEP Information Systems and Computer Applications 75[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]CLEP Intro to Psychology 80 [/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]CLEP Intro Business Law 72[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]CLEP Principles of Macroeconomics 73[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]CLEP A & I Lit 75[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]CLEP Principles of Microeconomics 72[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]CLEP Financial Accounting 62[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]DSST Ethics in America 468[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]DSST MIS 482[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]CLEP Natural Science 72[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]DSST Org Behavior 80[/SIZE]
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#15
MISin08 Wrote:Well, good luck to your nephew but all I could think when I read the subject line was "OMG she's changed her mind again". Wink

Phillip



LOL, I don't think they take old ladies like me even if I did :hurray:
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#16
While I know this isn't super helpful, let your nephew know not to overthink the test either. Sometimes the answer is the most obvious one, but people tend to overthink it and pick something else. Other than that, the advice already given is pretty much spot on.
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#17
There are some factors to consider besides getting in that he should take into consideration. In every branch, except for the Army, he will need to take promotion exams in order to move up the ranks. If he is not a strong test taker this could seriously hamper his career down the line. He can't stay in the junior ranks forever, eventually if he does not advance he will be discharged. Each branch has different rules about this, it is called high year tenure. Of course if he only wants to do four or six years then this is not an issue.

He can take the pre-test as many times as they will let him, these attempts will not count against the limits that clep101 mentioned.

Someone mentioned the Navy SeaBees. Im currently serving with them and if he likes to weld then they would be a good fit for him. They have a career field called SW, or steel worker, and that sounds right up his alley. Like I said he will need to take promotion exams in the Navy but those are largely job knowledge based and with his college level welder training he will most likely be much more competent than most of his peers.

The problem with the SeaBees is that they are down sizing worse than the regular Navy. Two or three full battalions are being decommissioned and promotion is terrible. This last cycle 0 SeaBees were advanced to E4, E5, and E6. That is unheard of. Many SeaBees are also not being allowed to reenlist and are being sent home, some with over ten years of service. Its lean times in the Military just like in the civilian world. This will all blow over in a couple of years though so for a kid just coming in these issues may not affect him.

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#18
Another thing to keep in mind, is for him not to get his mind set on a specific job in the Airforce. More than likely, if he joins like my little cousin just did last week, or my sister did in the Navy, he will enlist under the "Open Contract" option. This is the same with every branch except the Army. You enlist, but you are not given a job until later on down the line after bootcamp. And it will be a job that is needed in that service, at that particular time. He will probably get a list of jobs to choose from or career fields, and "hopefully" he'll get one.
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#19
Not to totally debunk what clep101 said, but you can join the Air Force with a specific career; I've had the same job I signed for at MEPS. It all depends on test results and quotas that determine what job a person can sign up for. What the recruiters usually do is if there is a push for a specific job, they try to steer the recruits towards that job or at best come in open contract so the military can put them where they want them.
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#20
For a historical perspective (1983), I can attest that a high ASVAB score is very important. The economy was bad. When I went into the Air Force recruiter's office, he didn't look excited to see me. When I mentioned my score, he sat up, his eyes widened, and he became very welcoming. Have your nephew do all that he can to get a high score. It matters. Maybe he can also get FEMA and some other credits to get a year of college. Anything to show that he's determined. (Thanks for the explanation from others on what is actually counted in the score. I couldn't figure out how my score was so high when my technical/electronic/whatever skills amounted to being able to turn a light switch on and off!) Good luck to him, and he's fortunate to have you in his corner.
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