The military has used aptitude tests since World
War I to screen people for military service. In 1917-1918,
the Army Alpha and Army Beta tests were developed so
that military commanders could have some measure of
the ability of their personnel. The Army Alpha was a
group-administered test that measured verbal ability,
numerical ability, ability to follow directions, and
knowledge of information. The Army Beta was a non-verbal
counterpart to the Army Alpha. It was used to evaluate
the aptitude of illiterate, unschooled, or non-English
speaking draftees and volunteers.
Click here to view
sample Army Alpha and Army Beta items.
Both the Army Alpha and Army Beta were recognized as
prototypes for subsequent group-administered cognitive
ability tests. Over the course World War I, some 1.5
million recruits were given tests to identify those
who were capable of serving, to classify them into military
jobs, and to select those who appeared to be candidates
for leadership positions.
The Army General Classification Test (AGCT) and the
Navy General Classification Test (NGCT) were used in
World War II in place of the Army Alpha and Army Beta
tests. The AGCT was described as a test of general learning
ability, and was used by the Army and Marine Corps to
assign recruits to military jobs. Some 12 million recruits
were tested using the AGCT during World War II. The
NGCT was used by the Navy to assign recruits to military
jobs. Some three million sailors were tested using the
NGCT during World War II.
Additional classification tests were developed early
in World War II to supplement the AGCT and the NGCT.
These included:
- Specialized aptitude tests related to the technical
fields (mechanical, electrical, and later, electronics)
- Clerical and administrative tests, radio code operational
tests
- Language tests and driver selection tests.
At the conclusion of World War II, the individual Services
developed their own separate aptitude tests for selection,
all of which included vocabulary, arithmetic, and spatial
relationship items.
In 1950, the Services returned to a single test, the
Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT). The new AFQT
was modeled after the AGCT. However, unlike the AGCT
and the Army Alpha and Army Beta, the AFQT was specifically
designed to be used as a screening device. Thus, the
AFQT was established to (a) measure examinees’
general ability to absorb military training within a
reasonable length of time, and (b) provide a uniform
measure of examinees’ potential usefulness in
the military. The AFQT was used by all of the Services
through 1972.
Whereas the AFQT was used to identify military applicants
who had a reasonable probability of success in service,
other Service-specific tests were required to classify
them into jobs. The Army Classification Battery, the
Navy Basic Test Battery, and the Airman Qualification
Examination, just to name a few, were used for classification
purposes from the late 1950s to the mid 1970s.
The first ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude
Battery) was introduced in 1968 as part of the Student
Testing Program. In 1973, the Air Force began using
the ASVAB, followed by the Marine Corps in 1974. From
1973-1975, the Navy and Army used their own test batteries
for selection and classification.
In 1974, the Department of Defense decided that all
Services should use the ASVAB for both screening enlistees
and assigning them to military occupations. Combining
selection and classification testing made the testing
process more efficient. It also enabled the Services
to improve the matching of applicants with available
job positions and allowed job guarantees for those qualified.
In 1976, the ASVAB was first used by all of the Services
for selection and classification. Since 1976, a variety
of content changes have been introduced to the test.
Click here to view
a history of ASVAB content since its introduction in
1968.
In 1979, the Department of Defense initiated a joint-Service
project to develop and evaluate the feasibility of implementing
a computer-adaptive version of the ASVAB. After 20 years
of extensive research and evaluation, the CAT-ASVAB
was implemented operationally in 1996-1997 at all Military
Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS). It was the first
large-scale adaptive test battery to be administered
in a high-stakes setting. The P&P-ASVAB continues
to be used at low-volume satellite locations called
Military Entrance Test (MET) sites.
For almost half a century, the U.S. military has been
a pioneer in the use of aptitude tests to select individuals
with sufficient skills and abilities to absorb military
training, adjust to military life, and become successful
military members. From Army Alpha and Beta to the computer-adaptive
ASVAB, the Services have been on the cutting edge of
testing technology.
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