How do I Score Well on ASVAB Vocabulary?

Scoring well on the ASVAB vocabulary section involves a lot of reading and vocabulary building. The ASVAB is a very important test for those who are trying to enlist in the military. Final scores are calculated by adding all of the individual sections together. The vocabulary section is only one of several sections; the other 10 components include mathematics, reading comprehension, assembly, mechanics, and data entry.

Part of scoring well on the ASVAB vocabulary section is knowing a wide variety of college-level words. One way to do this is to read a lot more. The "classics" that are usually studied in school are the best types of books to read for vocabulary building, though reading any book is better than nothing. One should stop and look up any unfamiliar words in a dictionary before proceeding. Then, one should write down the word and its definition in a notebook or on a flashcard.

Newspapers are also a good resource for new vocabulary words. Another way that someone can learn ASVAB vocabulary is to take practice exams. There are books available online and in stores that have lists of commonly used ASVAB terms. One should write down any unfamiliar words on flash cards and look at them daily. Studying these terms for a few minutes a day will help a person develop a good vocabulary.

There are some online classes that are geared toward ASVAB test questions as well. People who need to test their skills or get the help of a teacher should consider joining one of these classes. Students take multiple practice exams in these classes, along with learning new skills to get around unknown words.

Studying Latin is another good place for students to learn vocabulary. Since most English words are derived from Latin words, knowing the root prefixes and suffixes can help a person figure out the meaning of a word. Latin classes are found online and in college classrooms, for the most part. Latin is hardly spoken anymore, but it is still useful for building vocabulary skills.

The ASVAB tests vocabulary by comparing two words. The test taker must choose the word that is most similar to the main word. This is the "Word Knowledge" section of the exam. The other vocab section is "Paragraph Comprehension," wherein the test taker is asked to find the definition of a word located in a paragraph. Increasing one's ASVAB vocabulary takes several weeks or months of effort, so one should plan to begin studying far ahead of the exam date.