How the Word Knowledge subtest works
Word Knowledge is the third ASVAB subtest. The CAT-ASVAB gives you 15 scored questions in 9 minutes, 36 seconds each, so you need to move briskly. Every question has four options.
Questions come in two forms. One asks what a word most nearly means. The other uses the word in a sentence and asks which option is closest in meaning to it there.
Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension combine into a verbal score, VE, and the AFQT counts it twice: AR + MK + 2 × VE. Word Knowledge carries the larger share of VE; Paragraph Comprehension is weighted at about two-thirds as much.
How to answer a Word Knowledge question
Work through these in order, and stop as soon as one gives you the answer:
- Cover the options and define the word in your own words. Then look for the option that matches your definition.
- For a word in a sentence, put each option in its place and keep the one that leaves the meaning unchanged.
- If you do not know the word, look for parts you do know: a prefix such as pre- (before) or mal- (bad), or a root such as bene (good). Rule out options that clash with it.
- Check the part of speech. If the word is a verb, the answer should work as a verb too.
- Decide within about half a minute. Past that point you are usually guessing slowly rather than recalling.
Worked examples
In a sentence: “The sergeant gave a terse reply. Terse most nearly means” A. brief, B. angry, C. polite, D. confused. A brief, angry, polite or confused reply all make sense, so the sentence alone does not settle it. Terse means using few words, so A is the answer. B is the trap: a terse reply can sound curt, but anger is not what the word means.
On its own: “Benevolent most nearly means” A. kind, B. wealthy, C. strict, D. lucky. If you do not know the word, bene- means good or well, as in benefit, which points to A. Benevolent means kindly and well-meaning.
Tips for the real Word Knowledge subtest
- Read widely in the weeks before: news, nonfiction and well-edited fiction. Vocabulary grows by meeting words in context, which is also how many questions are set.
- Keep a list of unfamiliar words with a short definition and a sentence of your own, and review it every few days.
- Learn common prefixes and roots. They let you reason towards a word you have never seen.
- Watch for options that are linked to the word but do not mean the same thing, such as a word from the same topic.
- Because Word Knowledge is the larger part of a verbal score that counts twice, a point gained here moves your AFQT more than a point on Arithmetic Reasoning or Mathematics Knowledge.
Practise Word Knowledge on CogniPrep
Our Word Knowledge game gives you 15 adaptive questions with the real 9-minute clock, mixing words on their own with words in a sentence. Difficulty starts in the middle and follows your answers, and any questions you do not reach are scored as random guesses. You get a standard score, where 50 is the average for US 18 to 23 year olds, plus the AFQT you would get if your other three AFQT subtests matched it. The words and their difficulty ratings are ours, so read the score as a guide.