Minimum ASVAB score by branch: what each service actually publishes
The "minimum ASVAB score" is an AFQT percentile, and every branch sets its own. Most also set a higher floor for GED or other alternative credentials. The figures below are quoted from each branch's official recruiting site or regulation, with the date it was read, and the note column records where two official sources disagree. Meeting the minimum allows you to enlist; it does not decide which jobs you can hold.
AFQT 31–36
Published diploma-holder minimums across 6 branches; all sit in Category IIIB or just above.
AFQT 47–50
Every branch that publishes a figure raises the bar for test-based credentials.
2026-09-17
11 rows, each with an official URL and the sentence it came from.
Minimum AFQT by branch, from official sources
One row per branch and credential tier. Open "Quote and note" to read the exact sentence on the official page or in the regulation, and any caveat about the source.
| Branch | Minimum AFQT | Credential | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army | 31 Category IIIB | All applicants (recruiting site does not split by credential) | Entrance Test (ASVAB), goarmy.comQuote and noteyour Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score determines your eligibility to join and requires a score of at least 31 to enlist. The same page adds that applicants with a score of at least 21 may enter the academic track of the Future Soldier Preparatory Course to raise their score. AR 601-210 (20 March 2026) defines the test score categories (IIIB is AFQT 31–49; IVA 16–30; IVB not currently accepted) but does not print a separate GED minimum. | 2026-09-17 |
| Navy | 35 Category IIIB | Tier 1 (high school diploma) | COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8K, Navy Recruiting Manual–Enlisted (July 2016), para 020602Quote and noteAFQT SCORE. Acceptable AFQT score for enlistment of non-prior service (NPS) applicants is 35. NPS applicants with AFQT scores less than 50 must be Tier 1. This is a superseded 2016 edition hosted on a .mil site. The current edition (1130.8Q, January 2025) and navy.com could not be retrieved on the check date, so treat this figure as official but possibly out of date and confirm with a Navy recruiter. | 2026-09-17 |
| Navy | 50 Category IIIA | Tier 2 (GED or other alternative credential) | COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8K, Navy Recruiting Manual–Enlisted (July 2016), para 020403Quote and noteAll Tier 2 applicants must have ASVAB AFQT scores of 50 or higher, spend a minimum of 90 calendar days in DEP and complete DEP PQS prior to shipping to RTC. Same superseded 2016 edition as the Tier 1 row; confirm the current figure with a Navy recruiter. | 2026-09-17 |
| Marine Corps | 31 Category IIIB | High school diploma | Enlistment Requirements, marines.comQuote and noteTo meet these requirements and qualify, aspiring Marines must achieve a minimum ASVAB score of 31 or higher—or 50+ if holding a GED or nontraditional diploma. The page says "ASVAB score" rather than "AFQT"; it is the overall enlistment minimum. | 2026-09-17 |
| Marine Corps | 50 Category IIIA | GED or nontraditional diploma | Enlistment Requirements, marines.comQuoteTo meet these requirements and qualify, aspiring Marines must achieve a minimum ASVAB score of 31 or higher—or 50+ if holding a GED or nontraditional diploma. | 2026-09-17 |
| Air Force | 31 Category IIIB | High school senior or graduate | ASVAB, airforce.comQuote and noteHigh school seniors or graduates must achieve a minimum 31 AFQT overall score. DAFMAN 36-2032 (16 January 2025, Change 1 9 December 2025), para 3.6.8.2.2.1, sets the Tier One standard at 36 and lets each component accept 31 for applicants who otherwise meet all qualifications; airforce.com publishes the 31 figure. | 2026-09-17 |
| Air Force | 50 Category IIIA | GED | ASVAB, airforce.comQuoteGED holders must achieve a minimum 50 AFQT score. | 2026-09-17 |
| Space Force | 36 Category IIIB | Tier One (high school or equivalent diploma) | DAFMAN 36-2032, Military Recruiting and Accessions (16 January 2025, Change 1 9 December 2025), para 3.6.8.2.2.1Quote and noteApplicants must obtain an AFQT score of 36 or higher on the ASVAB. (T-1) As determined by each component, applicants who otherwise meet all qualifications including DAFECD specified requirements, may enlist with an Armed Forces Qualification Test of 31 or higher (T-1) The manual states it applies to the Regular Air Force, United States Space Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. spaceforce.com does not publish a number; it says only that a qualifying ASVAB score is required. | 2026-09-17 |
| Space Force | 50 Category IIIA | Tier Two (GED or other test-based credential) | DAFMAN 36-2032, Military Recruiting and Accessions (16 January 2025, Change 1 9 December 2025), para 3.6.8.2.2.2Quote and noteApplicants who are alternate credential holders, to include a certificate of GED or other test-based credential obtained solely by testing, must obtain an AFQT score of 50 or higher on the ASVAB. (T-1) Para 3.6.8.2.2.3 sets Tier Three (non-high-school graduates) at 65 or higher. | 2026-09-17 |
| Coast Guard | 32 Category IIIB | Tier I (high school graduate) | Get Started, gocoastguard.comQuote and noteThe minimum ASVAB AFQT score for enlisting in the U.S. Coast Guard is 32. COMDTINST 1100.2I (June 2025), Chapter 4 Section B.7, agrees: "Most Tier I (High School Graduate) prospects qualify to apply for enlistment when their AFQT score is 32 or more." | 2026-09-17 |
| Coast Guard | 47 Category IIIB | Tier II (alternative credential) | COMDTINST 1100.2I, Coast Guard Recruiting (June 2025), Chapter 4, Section B.7Quote and noteTier II (Alternative Credential Holder) prospects qualify to apply when their AFQT score is 47 or more. The regulation says 47, not the 50 often repeated on unofficial sites. | 2026-09-17 |
Branch by branch
AFQT 31
All applicants (recruiting site does not split by credential): 31 (Category IIIB). The same page adds that applicants with a score of at least 21 may enter the academic track of the Future Soldier Preparatory Course to raise their score. AR 601-210 (20 March 2026) defines the test score categories (IIIB is AFQT 31–49; IVA 16–30; IVB not currently accepted) but does not print a separate GED minimum.
AFQT 35 · 50 with a GED
Tier 1 (high school diploma): 35 (Category IIIB). Tier 2 (GED or other alternative credential): 50 (Category IIIA). This is a superseded 2016 edition hosted on a .mil site. The current edition (1130.8Q, January 2025) and navy.com could not be retrieved on the check date, so treat this figure as official but possibly out of date and confirm with a Navy recruiter.
AFQT 31 · 50 with a GED
High school diploma: 31 (Category IIIB). GED or nontraditional diploma: 50 (Category IIIA). The page says "ASVAB score" rather than "AFQT"; it is the overall enlistment minimum.
AFQT 31 · 50 with a GED
High school senior or graduate: 31 (Category IIIB). GED: 50 (Category IIIA). DAFMAN 36-2032 (16 January 2025, Change 1 9 December 2025), para 3.6.8.2.2.1, sets the Tier One standard at 36 and lets each component accept 31 for applicants who otherwise meet all qualifications; airforce.com publishes the 31 figure.
AFQT 36 · 50 with a GED
Tier One (high school or equivalent diploma): 36 (Category IIIB). Tier Two (GED or other test-based credential): 50 (Category IIIA). The manual states it applies to the Regular Air Force, United States Space Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. spaceforce.com does not publish a number; it says only that a qualifying ASVAB score is required.
AFQT 32 · 47 with an alternative credential
Tier I (high school graduate): 32 (Category IIIB). Tier II (alternative credential): 47 (Category IIIB). COMDTINST 1100.2I (June 2025), Chapter 4 Section B.7, agrees: "Most Tier I (High School Graduate) prospects qualify to apply for enlistment when their AFQT score is 32 or more."
Two patterns hold across all 6 branches. The diploma-holder floors cluster between 31 and 36, inside or just above Category IIIB, so an AFQT in the 30s clears some doors but not all of them. And every alternative-credential floor is at least 47, the start of Category IIIB. Where the AFQT conversion chart puts those percentiles in terms of your subtest scores is on the score chart page; what the categories themselves mean is on the good score page; how recent recruits were actually distributed across those categories is on the average score page.
Meeting the minimum is not the same as qualifying for a job
The AFQT floor is an enlistment gate. Jobs are judged on composites: the Army names one or more line scores and a minimum for every MOS, and those thresholds are usually far above what the AFQT floor implies. Among the 119 verified Army MOS on this site, GT requirements run from 85 (89B) to 110 (31D); ST from 85 (94P) to 112 (35N). The most used line score is ST, named by 46 jobs.
If your report shows the subtest standard scores, the score calculator computes your AFQT and all ten Army line scores and checks every verified job at once; the GT score page does the same for the single most quoted line score. The lowest GT job is 89B Ammunition Specialist (ST ≥ 91 or (ST ≥ 86 and GT ≥ 85)).
Retaking the ASVAB: the official waiting periods
If your score is below the minimum you need, the test can be retaken. The Department of Defense ASVAB site publishes the general waiting periods, and some branches restate them in slightly different words; the versions this site has checked (Department of Defense, Army and Air Force) are quoted below rather than merged, and this site does not compute retest dates for you. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard recruiting pages have not been checked yet. Scores may be used for enlistment for up to two years from the date of testing. Confirm your own dates with a recruiter.
| Applies to | Waiting periods | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| All branches | One calendar month after the first test, one more calendar month for the second retest, then six calendar months for each later retest.Quote and noteAfter you take your initial ASVAB, you must wait one calendar month to retake the test. You must wait an additional calendar month to retest a second time. After that, you must wait six calendar months to retake the ASVAB. The same page states that scores may be used for enlistment for up to two years from the date of testing. | FAQs, officialasvab.com | 2026-09-17 |
| Army | One calendar month before the first retest; the third attempt no earlier than six calendar months after the second test.Quote and noteAfter your first attempt, you must wait one calendar month to retake the test. Your third attempt can be administered no earlier than six calendar months after your second test. The Army page counts the six-month wait from the second test onward, one attempt earlier than the officialasvab.com wording. It also states that the most recent score, not the highest, is used. | Entrance Test (ASVAB), goarmy.com | 2026-09-17 |
| Air Force | 30 days before the second and third attempts, then six calendar months before a fourth.Quote and noteIf you're not satisfied with your test results, you must wait 30 days before you can retake the ASVAB. You must then wait another 30 days to take the test a third time. After your third attempt, you must wait six calendar months to retake the ASVAB a fourth time. The same page states that ASVAB scores are valid for up to two years after the date of testing. | ASVAB, airforce.com | 2026-09-17 |
Only the sources above were checked for a retest sentence on the date shown; for any other branch, start from the Department of Defense rule and confirm with that branch's recruiter. One practical consequence, stated on the Army page: the most recent score is the one used, so a lower retest result replaces a higher earlier one. The at-home PiCAT is not a retest route: it allows one attempt and only for people who have never taken the ASVAB. Use the waiting period to work on the subtests behind your gap: the study guide maps each subtest to the scores it feeds, and practice sets here produce raw counts to guide that work, never a predicted AFQT.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum ASVAB score to join the military?
There is no single number. Each branch publishes its own AFQT minimum: on the official recruiting sites and regulations checked on 2026-09-17, diploma holders need between 31 and 36 depending on the branch, and GED or other alternative credentials need 47 to 50. The table on this page quotes every source.
Is an AFQT of 31 enough to enlist?
31 is the lowest published diploma-holder minimum and falls in Category IIIB. It meets the floor in the branches that publish 31, but not in those that publish a higher one, and not with a GED. Meeting the AFQT floor also says nothing about jobs: Army MOS are judged on line scores such as GT and ST, not AFQT.
Is the minimum higher with a GED?
Yes, in every branch that publishes a figure. The alternative-credential minimums recorded here run from 47 to 50, compared with 31 to 36 for high school diploma holders. Some regulations add further conditions for alternative credentials, such as a minimum time in the delayed entry program.
How long do I have to wait to retake the ASVAB?
After you take your initial ASVAB, you must wait one calendar month to retake the test. You must wait an additional calendar month to retest a second time. After that, you must wait six calendar months to retake the ASVAB. Individual branches phrase the rule slightly differently; this page quotes each one. Scores may be used for enlistment for up to two years from the date of testing.
Does the military use my highest or my most recent ASVAB score?
The Army's recruiting site states that the most recent score, not the highest, is used. Plan a retest only when you expect to improve, and confirm the current policy for your branch with a recruiter.