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The Word Knowledge portion of the ASVAB measures your vocabulary. The questions usually come in one of two types:

 The first type asks for a straight definition.

 The second type gives you an underlined word used in the context of a sentence.

When you’re asked for a straight definition, your task is quite simple: Choose the answer closest in meaning to the underlined word. Look at the following example:

Abate most nearly means

(A) encourage.

(B) relax.

(C) obstruct.

(D) terminate.

Abate means to suppress or terminate. In this case, the correct answer is Choice (D).

When you see an underlined word in a sentence, your goal is to choose the answer closest in meaning to the underlined word. Remember: Closest in meaning doesn’t mean the exact same thing. You’re looking for similar or related words. For example:

His house was derelict.

(A) solid

(B) run-down

(C) clean

(D) inexpensive

Here, the answer is Choice (B).

When you take the Word Knowledge subtest on the computerized version of the ASVAB, you have 9 minutes to answer only 15 questions, which means you have 36 seconds to answer each question. (If your Word Knowledge subtest includes tryout questions, which I explain in Chapter 1, you have 18 minutes to answer 30 questions.) On the paper version, the schedule’s a little tighter. You have 11 minutes to answer 35 questions (or less than 20 seconds for each question). Either way, it’s plenty of time, as long as you stay focused and don’t waste time daydreaming about your future in the military (sorry, I mean becoming lost in reverie as you consider your impending enlistment).

These days most candidates take the computerized version of the ASVAB, which is designed to ask you questions that gauge your ability. You start with a question of medium difficulty. If you answer correctly, you see a harder question next; if you answer incorrectly, you see an easier question next. Some people find that the ASVAB is easier — or harder — than they expect, but that’s only because the test adapts itself to the test-taker’s ability.

Keep in mind that although you may know the word in the question, you may not know one or more of the words in the multiple-choice answers. If this is the case, use the process of elimination to help you narrow down your choices. Eliminate the words that you know are wrong and then choose the one that’s most likely correct from what’s left.