Start with your intended service and education credential, then check the scores needed for the jobs you want. The AFQT is one part of enlistment eligibility; job qualifications use additional composites and requirements.
Test Ninjas Research · Updated October 14, 2026
Published AFQT requirements
Sources reviewed 2026-10-13. Numbers below are confirmed in the linked service source. Where that source does not establish a current threshold for the credential, the table sends you to a recruiter instead of guessing.
Service references for new enlisted applicants; read the branch notes below
A reference threshold is not an eligibility decision. Education classification, component policy, other entry requirements and available programs affect your application. A missing number does not mean there is no requirement.
Read the note for your branch
Army
The Army publishes a general enlistment baseline of 31; this page does not give a separate GED threshold, and AR 601-210 (20 March 2026) lists test score categories without a minimum for each education tier. Ask about your credential and preparatory-course options. Read the official source.
Navy
The recruiting page requires a qualifying ASVAB score without publishing diploma or GED numbers. Confirm your current route and rating requirements with a Navy recruiter. Read the official source.
Marine Corps
The recruiting page lists 31 for standard applicants and 50 for GED or nontraditional diploma applicants. Occupational requirements are a separate check. Read the official source.
Air Force
The current recruiting FAQ lists 31 for high school seniors or graduates and 50 for GED holders. These are active-duty figures: the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard pages list 65 for GED holders. Qualifying college credits can change how a credential is classified. Read the official source.
Space Force
Department policy sets 36 for Tier One and 50 for Tier Two. It permits a component to accept otherwise-qualified Tier One applicants at 31; confirm which route applies with a Space Force recruiter. Read the official source.
Coast Guard
The June 2025 recruiting instruction lists 32 for most Tier I prospects and 47 for Tier II alternative-credential holders; gocoastguard.com also gives 32 as the enlistment minimum. Confirm your education classification and other requirements. Read the official source.
The Space Force enlistment guide requires a qualifying score but does not give a number. Its row therefore uses the department policy baseline and explains the component exception, rather than assuming the Air Force website establishes a Space Force rule.
Ask three questions before setting your target
Which education category applies to me? Bring your diploma, GED and relevant college records so the recruiter can classify the credential.
What are the current requirements for my route? Confirm the service, active or reserve component, and any preparatory or special program being discussed.
Which composites do my preferred jobs require? Record each composite name and threshold alongside any other selection requirements.
Separate enlistment scores from job scores
How each branch reports job-related composites
Branch
How composites are reported
Army
Mean 100, standard deviation 20.
Navy
Reported as the plain sum of standard scores.
Marine Corps
Rescaled to mean 100, standard deviation 20.
Air Force
The Air Force converts each MAGE index to a 1–99 percentile. The 1997 score scale report printed the conversion tables of that time, but no current table is posted, so the raw index is shown here; your recruiter reports the percentile.
Compare named composites on your official score report with the requirements your recruiter confirms. The line score calculator helps explain the combinations; a practice percentage does not replace an official score.
Choose your next study step
If your AFQT needs work, start with a short practice session covering Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension. Review the errors and choose one relevant lesson. If a job composite is your priority, include the technical subjects that feed that composite.
Use the score-goal guide to plan the work and check the retake schedule before another official attempt. The first and second retests each require a wait of 1 calendar month after the previous test; every retest after that requires 6 calendar months.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no universal answer. The Army, Marine Corps and Air Force publish a 31 baseline for standard applicants, but education credentials, service policies and special programs affect the route available. Confirm your own requirements with a recruiter.
Service policies change, and tables may mix general requirements with exceptions or older rules. Check the service source, its date and the education category before treating a number as your requirement.
Some services publish a higher threshold for GED or alternative-credential applicants. The active-duty Air Force and the Marine Corps list 50, while the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard list 65; the Coast Guard recruiting instruction lists 47 for Tier II applicants. Have a recruiter confirm how your credential and any college credits are classified.
It may help expand opportunities, but AFQT alone does not establish job eligibility. Check the named composites for the jobs you want and ask about current selection requirements and available positions.
Ask a recruiter which preparation, retesting or special-program routes apply. Use missed questions to choose subjects to study, then check the waiting period before another official attempt. A waiver or a particular score increase is not guaranteed.
Department policy covers both services, but component decisions matter. The policy baseline is 36 for Tier One and 50 for Tier Two; components may accept otherwise-qualified Tier One applicants at 31. The Air Force recruiting FAQ explicitly lists 31, while the Space Force recruiting page asks for a qualifying score without a number.