Can You Retake the ASVAB? Retest Rules and Waiting Periods
Walking out of the ASVAB with a score below what you needed feels like a door slamming. It is not. The ASVAB can be retaken, and thousands of applicants improve their scores on a second or third attempt every year. What matters is understanding the waiting periods, the rules about which score counts, and how to make sure your next attempt actually goes differently. This guide covers all of it.
The Short Answer: Yes, With Waiting Periods
Department of Defense policy sets mandatory waiting periods between ASVAB attempts, and every branch follows the same basic schedule:
| Attempt | Required Wait |
|---|---|
| First retest (second attempt) | 1 calendar month after the initial test |
| Second retest (third attempt) | 1 calendar month after the first retest |
| Each additional retest | 6 calendar months after the previous test |
In practical terms: you can test three times within about two months, but after that third attempt the clock stretches to six months between tries. That six month gap is why it pays to prepare seriously before your second and third attempts rather than treating them as free swings.
Which Score Counts?
For enlistment purposes, your most recent valid ASVAB score is your score of record. You do not get to cherry-pick your best attempt. If you retest and score lower, the lower score is the one the military uses. This cuts both ways: a bad day can be erased by a better retest, but a good score can also be damaged by an unnecessary one. Never retest casually when you already hold a score you are happy with.
ASVAB scores remain valid for two years for enlistment purposes. If you tested in high school through the school testing program, your scores may be usable for enlistment depending on when and where you took the test, and your recruiter can tell you whether they still qualify or whether you will test again at MEPS.
Retesting Requires Recruiter Authorization
You cannot simply walk into a Military Entrance Processing Station and demand a retest. Retests are scheduled through your recruiter, and the services generally authorize them when your current score does not qualify you for enlistment or for a program you are pursuing. Some branches are reluctant to authorize a retest purely to chase a higher bonus or a slightly better job when you already qualify, and individual recruiters have discretion here. Policies also differ slightly between branches and change with recruiting conditions, so be straightforward with your recruiter about why you want to retest and what score you are targeting.
The Confirmation Test: What Happens After a Big Jump
There is one wrinkle worth knowing about. If your retest AFQT score jumps dramatically compared with a recent attempt (a rise of 20 percentile points or more within a six month window is the commonly applied trigger), the military may require a confirmation test before the new score is accepted. The confirmation test is taken at MEPS under standard proctored conditions, and its purpose is to verify that the improvement reflects real ability rather than compromised test material. If you earned your improvement through honest study, a confirmation test is nothing to fear. It is one more reason to prepare in a way that builds durable skills instead of hunting for shortcuts.
Know the Score You Actually Need
Before scheduling a retest, define success precisely. Your AFQT score, a percentile from 1 to 99, is computed from four subtests: Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Word Knowledge, and Paragraph Comprehension. Current branch minimums for high school diploma holders are 31 for the Army and Navy, 32 for the Marine Corps and Coast Guard, and 36 for the Air Force and Space Force, with higher thresholds for GED holders. These figures move with recruiting needs, so verify them with your recruiter.
But the AFQT minimum may not be your real target. If a specific job is the goal, the number that matters is the line score composite that job requires, and that may mean improving subtests outside the AFQT four, such as Electronics Information or Mechanical Comprehension. Ask your recruiter exactly which composite fell short last time, and by how much, so your study plan attacks the right subtests.
Common Retest Questions
Does retaking the ASVAB look bad? No. Retesting is routine, the services expect it, and there is no penalty attached to having multiple attempts on file. What matters is the score of record you end up with, not how many tries it took.
Can I switch branches to retest sooner? No. The ASVAB is a joint exam administered under Department of Defense rules, and your scores and test dates follow you across all branches. Talking to an Air Force recruiter after testing with the Army does not reset the waiting period, though a new branch may view your existing scores differently against its own requirements.
Do I retake the whole test or just my weak sections? The whole test. There is no partial retest, which is another reason to keep your strong subtests warm while you rebuild the weak ones. A retest that fixes your math but lets your verbal scores slide can leave you no better off overall.
How to Make Your Retest Count
The waiting period is not dead time. It is your preparation window, and one month is genuinely enough to move a score if you use it deliberately.
- Diagnose before you drill. Review your score report and identify your two or three weakest subtests instead of restudying everything.
- Prioritize the AFQT four if eligibility is the problem. Verbal Expression counts double in the AFQT formula, so vocabulary and reading practice deliver the most points per study hour.
- Practice without a calculator. The real test does not allow one, and hand computation speed is a trainable skill.
- Take timed, full-length practice tests weekly. Score plateaus usually come from pacing problems, not knowledge gaps, and only realistic simulation exposes them.
- Do not schedule the retest until practice scores clear your target. When your practice AFQT sits comfortably above the number you need, book the test. If it does not, wait. The score of record rule makes patience valuable.
Also remember what test day looks like: most applicants take the CAT-ASVAB, the computerized adaptive version at MEPS, where questions adapt to your performance and you cannot go back to change an answer. Practicing under similar constraints makes the format feel routine instead of rattling.
The single best predictor of a successful retest is the quality of your practice between attempts. You can take a free ASVAB practice test to establish exactly where you stand right now, then use the 1,600+ practice questions at ASVAB Preps to turn your waiting period into a score improvement plan, with explanations that show you why each answer is correct.
The Bottom Line
A disappointing ASVAB score is a setback, not a verdict. You can retest after one month, again after another month, and every six months after that, with your most recent score serving as your score of record. Use the waiting period as a training window, target the specific subtests that fell short, and do not sit for the retest until your practice results prove you are ready. Handled that way, a retake is not a second chance so much as a better-prepared first impression.
