Military Entrance Exam

[jafhdo]

The entrance exams have been going on since VolAR. (Anyone remember that)

When you take the ASVAB in order to enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces, your ASVAB scores will be used in several ways. You will need to achieve a certain AFQT score (Military Entrance Score) in order to be eligible for initial enlistment. Later, your ASVAB scores will be used to qualify you for various occupations in the military. The higher your scores, the more choices you will have for training in various occupations. So you want to do your best on the ASVAB so that you will have the widest choice of training programs and job responsibilities.

AFQT Scores and Eligibility for Enlistment
The Military Entrance Score or AFQT is a composite of your scores on four ASVAB tests that make up what is called the Armed Forces Qualification Test. The AFQT is the primary score that indicates the training potential of persons who wish to enlist in the military. Your AFQT score determines your eligibility for military service. It also is able to predict how well you will perform on the job.

Prior to 1974 there were exams at the induction centers or recruit training centers. Exams produced a number of scores with the primary one being GT (General Technical) Back when a minmum GT score of 110 was required for OCS, Service Academy Prep and Airborne.

 

[Breeze3at]

I'm thinking the root of the issue is Mom and Dad, not willing to administer a good old fashion (Edit) whipin when it's needed.

I agree with this line of thought. It used to be whippin' time anytime a note or bad report came from school. Now, the parents (if interested) blame the school system for failing to coddle, or teach in a manner that he is able to understand.

 

[streitm]

My last two years I had the joy of being a R&RNCO. What I found was that out of ten possible recruits you would send to MEPS only one would make it through without a hitch. I agree with the lack of education our "eduction" system is providing. My wife is an english teacher, and the only thing they teach is what is on the standardized tests. The education system on a whole has lost the art and drive of teaching critical thinking. I can not remember the last time a young store clerk has counted back my change to me, and nine out of ten times I am correcting their change. Sad part of that is, their computer tells them the proper change, and they just cannot count.

 

[Blindrage]

My personal belief is that we need education to be on merit and not everyone gets the same education path.

Tossing 30 kids in the same classroom just because they are in the same grade in insane. What you get with that model is a couple of kids that are motivated and will learn regardless of the obstacles. A few kids that will refuse to learn no matter how much attention they are given, and these few take up 60%+ of the teacher's time. The rest of the class could do well if given more teacher attention, but the teacher is too busy handling discipline for that bottom rung.

The proof is private schools. If the kids are real troublemakers then they get their own class or are kicked out. The motivated students generally end up in Ivy League Universities after graduation, and the middle ground students do well.

A simple example is my old ex-Sister in Law. She was dumb as a stump, but made it through HS because she was a Cheerleader and everyone gets pushed along in HS unless they drool on the desk. She actually had to do a Cosmetic School twice to make it through, and then decided there was not enough money to be made at Cost Cutters so went to Community College. She had me proof her English papers and help her in math. The papers looked like something I would have gotten a "C" on in 8th grade, and the math class was fractions and conversion. The last chapter alone was X+2=4, what is X. That was her only math requirement. She now has a degree, and is proud of the fact that she only had to read one book outside of her text books. She is also proud that it is the only book she has read since high school and that the cliff notes were good enough that she only read a couple of chapters. Oh, and if it is up to her, she will never open a book for the rest of her life.

 

[jafhdo]

Take a good look around, it isn't the military, it isn't public schools. How many people can spell without running a spell checker program? I get business emails, proposals and specifications every day that look like they were written by a 6th grader.

Even worse, how many people can balance a check book ( or their family budget). I can remember when it wasn't a crime to bounce a check but an embarrassment. Now in the times of check cards, debt cards no one even cares. (One of the reasons banks can get away with over draft protection fees and charges)

 

[harley@16]

if you want to point a finger at the cause it may be unfair to say the schools are to fault, we as society have hog tied them to a degree when we took away their ability to maintain control over the students. Most students want to behave but when you cannot punish a kid who just wants to disrupt things you can't give attention to any other students. I don't believe in abuse of children in any way, but when corporal punishment was taken away from the schools they lost all control. Parents now have the sole responsibility to discipline and we may need some help in that area. I think Lanser said it clearly.

 

[sharpscuba]

I agree with most opinon's on this but I will say unless there is a great change we will be the next empire to fall. It is not just the young of today. Look around you and for some look in the mirror. We have become a nation that has gotten soft. The lazy, the crooks have it better.

 

[gs34]

Yep.......It is only a matter of time, and the clock is ticking!

 

[ultra...good]

I am 35 years old and a junior in college. Until August of 2008 all I had was a 9th grade education. Have done really well in life and have nothing to complain about, I have always lived rather well. With the downturn in the economy I lost a good UAW job and since everything looked so hopeless, I figured it best to go back to school. Well, it is not really that bad. The worst part is the lack of effort on most of the other students part. It shows too. You would be suprised how many students do not read the assigned chapters and prepare themselves for lectures. It is sad. I will admit this however, every time I see someone that is happy with getting a B or a C in a class, I just smile and remember that that is one less person that I will have to compete with for a job. Now that I almost have a bachelors degree, I have been thinking of going in as an officer, I just hope it is not too late......If only I had known back then what I know now......

 

[Cyclops]

I am 35 years old and a junior in college. Until August of 2008 all I had was a 9th grade education. Have done really well in life and have nothing to complain about, I have always lived rather well. With the downturn in the economy I lost a good UAW job and since everything looked so hopeless, I figured it best to go back to school. Well, it is not really that bad. The worst part is the lack of effort on most of the other students part. It shows too. You would be suprised how many students do not read the assigned chapters and prepare themselves for lectures. It is sad. I will admit this however, every time I see someone that is happy with getting a B or a C in a class, I just smile and remember that that is one less person that I will have to compete with for a job. Now that I almost have a bachelors degree, I have been thinking of going in as an officer, I just hope it is not too late......If only I had known back then what I know now......

If you're thinking of going in to the Army as an officer, your best bet is to sign up via your school's ROTC program. If your school doesn't have a program, you can affiliate with an ROTC program at the nearest school that has such. If you wait and graduate and then go in to the Army, your only shot is to enlist and then apply for OCS, and that isn't a guarentee. (Unless your undergraduate degree is a BSN)

Been there, done that!