Asvab Full Test Cards

Front 1

A

Back 1

no, not

Front 2

ab or abs

Back 2

away from

Front 3

anti

Back 3

against

Front 4

bi

Back 4

two

Front 5

con or contra

Back 5

against

Front 6

de

Back 6

away from

Front 7

fore

Back 7

in front of

Front 8

extra

Back 8

outside, beyond

Front 9

dec

Back 9

ten

Front 10

hyper

Back 10

excess,over

Front 11

il

Back 11

not

Front 12

mal or male

Back 12

bad,wrong

Front 13

multi

Back 13

many

Front 14

nom

Back 14

name

Front 15

omni

Back 15

all

Front 16

que, quer, or ques

Back 16

ask

Front 17

un

Back 17

not

Front 18

trans

Back 18

across

Front 19

-age

Back 19

action,result

Front 20

Cutting to the chase: Recognizing the main idea
Sometimes the Paragraph Comprehension questions ask you to identify the main point of a
passage. The main point can be directly stated, or it can be implied. You can find the main
idea in the first sentence of the passage, and sometimes it pops up in the last sentence

Back 20

you’re not sure what the main point of a paragraph is, reread the first sentence and the last
sentence. Chances are one of these two sentences contains the main point

Front 21

In the 18th century, it was common for sailors to be pressed into service in Britain. Young
men found near seaports could be kidnapped, drugged, or otherwise hauled aboard a ship
and made to work doing menial chores. They weren’t paid for their service, and they were
given just enough food to keep them alive.
In this passage, pressed means:
(A) hired
(B) ironed
(C) enticed
(D) forced

Back 21

The descriptions of the conditions these sailors found themselves in should help you decide
that they weren’t hired or enticed; ironed is one meaning of the word pressed, but it isn’t correct
in this context. The correct answer is Choice (D).

Front 22

Twenty-five percent of all automobile thefts occur when the doors of a car are left unlocked.
People often forget to lock their doors, find it inconvenient, or tell themselves, “I’ll only be a
minute.” But it only takes a minute for an accomplished car thief to steal a car. And thieves
are always alert to the opportunities that distracted or rushed people present them with.
To prevent auto theft, it’s a person’s responsibility to:
(A) leave the doors unlocked
(B) never be in a rush
(C) prevent the opportunity
(D) be willing to perform a citizen’s arrest

Back 22

Although the paragraph doesn’t state, “To prevent auto theft, it’s a person’s responsibility to
prevent the opportunity,” this idea is certainly implied. The correct answer is Choice (C).
There’s no implication that people should be willing to (or can) perform a citizen’s arrest.
Leaving the doors unlocked is the opposite of what one should do, and never being in a rush
is probably impossible.

Front 23

Often, the author begins or ends a paragraph or passage
with the main idea, which is located in what’s called a

Back 23

A topic sentence,
reasonably enough, describes the topic that the author’s writing about

Front 24

Don’t choose vague answer options. They’re incorrect 99.99 times out of 100. (Oh
heck, call it 100 times out of 100.) If an answer strikes you as not quite true but not
totally false, that answer is incorrect. Those nasty ASVAB test makers have put those
answers in there to throw you off. Don’t give them the satisfaction of falling for their
trap!

Back 24

Never select never. For the most part, answer options that are absolute are incorrect.
Never, always, and related words are often a sign that you should select a different
answer. Words like generally and usually are more likely to be correct

Front 25

She thought that there was a conspiracy against her.
(A) wall
(B) plan
(C) evil deed
(D) ghost

Back 25

Conspiracy means plot, so the correct answer is (B). Choices (A) and (D) are unrelated, and
although a conspiracy may be an evil deed, (C) isn’t as close in meaning as (B).

Front 26

Keen most nearly means:
(A) sharp
(B) small
(C) simple
(D) shiny

Back 26

Keen means having a fine edge, so the correct answer is Choice (A). Choices (B), (C), and (D)
are unrelated.

Front 27

Defer most nearly means:
(A) change
(B) reverse
(C) deny
(D) postpone

Back 27

Defer means to put off, so the correct answer is Choice (D). Choices (A), (B), and (C) are
unrelated

Front 28

The mother chastised her child.
(A) comforted
(B) carried
(C) lectured
(D) supervised

Back 28

Chastised means disciplined or punished, so Choice (C) is the most correct choice. Choices
(A), (B), and (D) are unrelated.

Front 29

Obtrude most nearly means:
(A) condition
(B) absorb
(C) prepare
(D) impose

Back 29

The correct answer is Choice (D). Obtrude means to intrude or to impose oneself on another.
The other choices are unrelated

Front 30

Now that you’ve read through it once, it’s time to recapitulate the World Knowledge chapter
(A) discuss
(B) summarize
(C) test
(D) reread

Back 30

Used as a verb, recapitulate means to briefly summarize. The correct answer is Choice (B).
Choice (A) is somewhat close, but Choice (B) is the closest in meaning.

Front 31

This year the Paris fashion industry has decided to eschew short skirts and high heels.
(A) favor
(B) manufacture
(C) shun
(D) sell

Back 31

Eschew is a verb that means to avoid or keep away from. Therefore, Choice (C) is the correct
answer, and the other answers are unrelated.

Front 32

Although the average consumer replaces the tires on his or her automobile every 50,000
miles, steel-belted radials can last for more than 60,000 miles. However, they must be properly
maintained. The tires must be inflated to the correct air pressure at all times, and tires
must be rotated and balanced according to a routine maintenance schedule. The tread
should be checked for correct depth regularly.
14. How long can steel-belted radials last?
(A) 50,000 miles
(B) 60,000 miles
(C) No one knows.
(D) 25,000 miles

Back 32

The correct answer is Choice (B). If you missed this one, read the passage more carefully.

Front 33

According to the passage above, proper tire maintenance doesn’t include:
(A) keeping tires properly inflated
(B) balancing and rotating tires
(C) checking the tread
(D) checking the lug nuts

Back 33

This question is negative and requires extra care in answering — meaning, you have to figure
out what proper tire maintenance does include so you can eliminate those answers before
you select the correct answer. Choice (D) is the correct answer.

Front 34

Some people argue that baking is an art, but Chef Debra Dearhorn says that baking is a science.
She says that if you follow a recipe carefully, assembling the ingredients accurately,
cooking at the specified temperature for the specified period of time, your cookies will
always turn out right. Chef Dearborn says the best baking is like the best experiment —
anyone can duplicate it.
16. In this passage, the word assembling most nearly means:
(A) measuring
(B) putting together
(C) buying
(D) storing

Back 34

Although measuring is something you do when baking, it doesn’t most nearly mean the same
thing as assembling. Putting together does. Therefore, Choice (B) is the correct answer.

Front 35

The first step in solving a word problem is reading the entire problem to discover what it’s
all about. Try forming a picture about the problem in your mind or — better yet — draw a
sketch of the problem on your scratch paper.

Back 35

The second and most important step in solving a word problem is to determine exactly
what the question is asking. Sometimes the question is asked directly. At other times, it may
be a little more difficult to identify the actual question. Suppose you’re asked the following
question:

Front 36

What’s the volume of a cardboard box measuring 12-inches long by 14-inches wide by 10-
inches tall?
(A) 52 cubic inches
(B) 88 cubic inches
(C) 120 cubic inches
(D) 1,680 cubic inches

Back 36

The question asked by this word problem is stated directly. The problem asks you to determine
the volume of a cardboard box. Recall from your high school algebra and geometry
classes that the volume of a rectangular container is length × width × height or v = lwh.
So 12 × 14 × 10 = 1,680. The correct answer is Choice (D)

Front 37

Addition

Back 37

sum, total, in all, perimeter, increased by, combined, added

Front 38

subtract

Back 38

difference, how much more, exceed, less than, fewer than, decreased

Front 39

multiplication

Back 39

product, total, area, cubic, times, multiplied by, of

Front 40

division

Back 40

share, distribute, ratio, quotient, average, per, a, out of, percent

Front 41

equals

Back 41

is, was, are, were, amounts to

Front 42

Joan just turned 37. For 12 years she’s dreamed of traveling to Key West to become a beach
bum. To finance this dream, she needs to save a total of $15,000. How much does Joan need
to save each year if she wants to become a beach bum by her 40th birthday?

Back 42

Write down, in mathematical terms, what the question is asking you to determine. Because
the question is asking how much money Joan needs to save per year to reach $15,000, you
can say y (years Joan has to save) × m (money she needs to save each year) = $15,000. Or to
put it more mathematically:
ym = $15,000
You don’t know the value of m (yet) — that’s the unknown you’re asked to find. But you can
find out the value of y — the number of years Joan has to save. If she’s 37 and wants to be a
beach bum by the time she’s 40, she has 3 years to save. So now the formula looks like this:
3m = 15,000
To isolate the unknown on one side of the equation, you simply divide each side by 3, so
that 3m ÷ 3 = 15,000 ÷ 3. (If you don’t remember how to isolate unknowns, flip on over to
Chapter 8.) Therefore, your answer is
m = 5,000

Front 43

When you add two numbers together, you arrive at a sum.
 When you subtract, all that remains is a remainder.
 When you multiply, you come up with a product.
 When you divide, you’re left with a quotient

Back 43

.

Front 44

To add and subtract fractions, the fractions must have the same denominator, which is called
a common denominator. If the fractions don’t have a common denominator, you have to find
one.

Back 44

.

Front 45

If apples are on sale at 15 for $3, what’s the cost of each apple?
(A) 50 cents
(B) 25 cents
(C) 20 cents
(D) 30 cents

Back 45

Divide 3 by 15, so the correct answer is Choice (C)

Front 46

A noncommissioned officer challenged her platoon of 11 enlisted women to beat her record
of performing a 26-mile training run in 4 hours. If all of the enlisted women match her
record, how many miles will they have run?
(A) 71.5 miles
(B) 6.5 miles
(C) 286 miles
(D) 312 miles

Back 46

Multiply 26 × 11. The other information in the question is irrelevant — it’s there to throw you
off. The correct answer is Choice (C).

Front 47

Margaret gets her hair cut and colored at an expensive salon in town. She’s expected to
leave a 15% tip for services. If a haircut is $45 and a color treatment is $150, how much of a
tip should Margaret leave?
(A) $22.50
(B) $29.25
(C) $20.00
(D) $195.00

Back 47

Add 45 and 150 and multiply the answer by .15 (15%). The correct answer is Choice (B).

Front 48

A bag of sand holds 1 cubic foot of sand. How many bags of sand are needed to fill a square
sandbox measuring 5-feet long and 1-foot high?(A) 25 bags
(B) 5 bags
(C) 10 bags
(D) 15 bags

Back 48

To find the volume of the sandbox you take l × w × h. Don’t forget that the measurements are
for a square sandbox, so you can assume that if the box is 5-feet long, then it’s also 5-feet
wide. So 5 × 5 × 1 is 25 cubic feet. Each bag holds one cubic foot of sand. Choice (A) is the
correct answer.

Front 49

Farmer Beth has received an offer to sell her 320-acre farm for $3,000 per acre. She agrees
to give the buyer $96,000 worth of land. What fraction of Farmer Beth’s land is the buyer
getting?
(A) 1⁄4
(B) 1⁄10
(C) 1⁄5
(D) 2⁄3

Back 49

$96,000 divided by $3,000 (price per acre) equals 32 acres. 32 acres divided by 320 acres
(total of the farm) equals 10% or 1⁄10 of the land. The correct answer is Choice (B).

Front 50

Solve for x: 2x – 3 = x + 7.
(A) 10
(B) 6
(C) 21
(D) -10

Back 50

Isolate the xs on one side of the equation by subtracting x from both sides: 2x – 3 – x =
x + 7 – x, or x – 3 = 7. Continue to perform operations to isolate x. Add 3 to both sides of the
equation: x – 3 + 3 = 7 + 3, or x = 10. The correct answer is Choice (A)

Front 51

Simplify 8x2 – 3x + 4xy – 9x2 – 5x – 20xy
(A) 5x2 + 9xy
(B) 8x – 9x2
(C) –x2 – 8x – 16y
(D) 8x + 9x2

Back 51

8x2 – 3x = 4xy – 9x2 – 5x – 20xy = (8x2 – 9x2) + (–3x – 5) + (4xy – 20xy) = –x2 – 8x – 16xy. The correct
answer is Choice (C).

Front 52

Six pizzas are pepperoni, seven are hamburger, four are cheese, and three are “with everything.”
What’s the probability that a randomly selected pizza is pepperoni?
(A) 1⁄2
(B) 2⁄5
(C) 3⁄10
(D) 2⁄3

Back 52

There are 20 total pizzas. The probability of one of them being a pepperoni pizza is 6⁄20 or 3⁄10.
The correct answer is Choice (C).

Front 53

Kingdom

Back 53

A kingdom is the broadest level. It contains the most kinds of organisms. The
relationship between organisms in a kingdom is extremely loose.

Front 54

Phylum

Back 54

Phylum is the major taxonomic group of animals and plants. Within the kingdoms,
organisms are divided by general characteristics. For example, in the Animal
Kingdom, animals with backbones are placed in a separate phylum from animals without
backbones.

Front 55

Class:

Back 55

Organisms in a phylum are divided into classes that further group similarities.
In the Animal Kingdom, for example, birds, mammals, and fish all group in their own
classes. Among plants, all flowering plants comprise the angiosperm class, and all
conifers, such as pines and spruces, comprise the conifer class

Front 56

Order

Back 56

Scientific groupings don’t follow hard and fast rules. After you get to the “order”
of a living thing, there’s disagreement about where it belongs. You may find that different
scientific organizations group creatures in different orders or families

Front 57

Which of the following instruments might an oceanographer be expected to use?
(A) Aspirator
(B) Hydrophone
(C) Calorimeter
(D) Centrifuge

Back 57

Even if you don’t have a clue about what any of these instruments do, if you know that hydro
relates to water, you’ve significantly increased your chances of getting the right answer.

Front 58

Carnivores

Back 58

eat only meat. A few examples include lions, tigers, polar bears, snakes,
crocodiles, hawks, and eagles.

Front 59

Herbivores

Back 59

eat only plants. Cows, moose, giraffes, and elk are herbivores.

Front 60

Omnivores

Back 60

eat both plants and other animals. People are omnivores, and so are pigs,
mice, raccoons, chickens, crows, and foxes