How the Auto and Shop subtests work
Auto Information and Shop Information are the seventh and eighth subtests. On the CAT-ASVAB they are timed separately: Auto has 10 scored questions in 7 minutes, then Shop has 10 in 6 minutes, roughly 40 seconds a question. On the paper ASVAB they are a single subtest of 25 questions in 11 minutes.
Auto Information covers automotive components, systems, tools, and troubleshooting and repair. Shop Information covers shop tools, building materials, and building and construction procedures. Some questions show a picture, such as an engine diagram with numbered parts or a tool to identify.
Whichever version you sit, your score report shows one combined Auto and Shop score, AS. It is not part of the AFQT, but it is in the Air Force Mechanical composite, the Navy Engineering and Mechanical composites, the Marine Corps Mechanical score and five Army line scores, including Combat and Mechanical Maintenance.
How to answer Auto and Shop questions
These are knowledge questions, so the method is about narrowing quickly:
- For a car fault, name the system first: fuel, ignition, cooling, lubrication, brakes, electrical or transmission. Then choose the part in that system that fits the symptom.
- For a tool, ask what job it does: cutting, fastening, gripping, measuring, shaping or striking. Keep only the options that do that job.
- For materials and methods, think about what the material is for: strength, joining, finishing or protection.
- If you do not know, rule out what you can, choose from what is left and move on. At about 40 seconds a question there is no time to dwell.
Worked examples
Auto: “A car’s brake pedal feels soft and sinks slowly to the floor when held down. The most likely cause is” A. worn brake pads, B. air or a leak in the hydraulic brake system, C. a weak battery, D. low tire pressure. Name the system: the pedal works the hydraulic brakes, which push fluid to each wheel. Fluid does not compress but air does, and a leak lets the pressure bleed away, so the answer is B. Worn pads cause squealing or grinding, not a sinking pedal, and the battery and tyres belong to other systems.
Shop: “Which tool is used to check that a shelf is perfectly horizontal?” A. try square, B. level, C. plumb bob, D. chalk line. The answer is B: a level’s bubble sits in the centre when the surface is horizontal. A plumb bob checks that something is vertical, a try square checks right angles, and a chalk line marks long straight lines.
Tips for the real Auto and Shop subtests
- Learn what tools look like, not just their names. Real questions can show a picture, so look through labelled photos of saws, clamps, wrenches, pliers, chisels and files.
- Know the four-stroke engine cycle (intake, compression, power, exhaust) and what each main system of a car does.
- Auto Information is about maintenance and repair, so a basic car maintenance guide or an owner’s manual is good preparation.
- Learn common fasteners and joints: nails, screws, bolts and rivets, and wood joints such as the dovetail and the mortise and tenon.
- The two parts are timed separately on the computer, so time you save on Auto does not carry over to Shop.
Practise Auto and Shop Information on CogniPrep
Our Auto and Shop game runs the two subtests back to back, as the CAT-ASVAB does: Auto Information, 10 adaptive questions in 7 minutes, a short screen between, then Shop Information, 10 questions in 6 minutes. You get one combined AS score from the published formula, where 50 is the average for US 18 to 23 year olds. Our questions describe parts and tools in words rather than showing pictures, so learn what they look like as well. The questions and difficulty ratings are ours, so treat the score as a guide.