Army ASVAB Score Requirements: AFQT Minimum and GT Score

Q: What is the Army GT score, and how is it different from AFQT?

GT = VE + AR, where VE (Verbal Expression) is your combined Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension result, and AR is Arithmetic Reasoning, both taken as standard scores rather than the AFQT's percentile format. GT runs on a standard-score scale commonly cited in the 80-145 range, with 100 representing the population average. It shares two of the same underlying subtests as the AFQT (VE and AR both feed both calculations) but drops Math Knowledge entirely, so a strong Math Knowledge score that helps your AFQT does nothing for your GT.

The Army’s minimum AFQT score to enlist is 31 for applicants with a high school diploma and 50 for GED holders, as of 2026. That AFQT is only the enlistment gate. Which specific Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) you can train for depends on a separate number, the General Technical (GT) score, built from your Verbal Expression and Arithmetic Reasoning subtest results.

(ASVAB HQ is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or administered by the Department of Defense, officialasvab.com, or the U.S. Army. “Army” and “ASVAB” are used nominatively to describe enlistment requirements, not to imply any official relationship.)

Two Army applicants can clear the same 31 AFQT floor and end up with very different job options, because the AFQT and the GT score are calculated from overlapping but not identical subtests, and a wide swath of Army MOS options gate specifically on GT, not on AFQT alone.

What is the Army’s minimum AFQT score?

31 for high school diploma holders, 50 for GED holders, per Military.com’s ASVAB scores guide (updated 2026-06-19), which is broadly corroborated across current test-prep sources. This is one of the lowest floors among the branches; the Coast Guard and Marine Corps currently sit at 32, the Navy at 35, and the Air Force at 36. Meeting 31 makes you legally enlistable. It doesn’t make you competitive for a wide range of jobs or bonus eligibility, which generally starts around Category IIIA, an AFQT of 50 or higher.

What is the Army GT score, and how is it different from AFQT?

GT = VE + AR, where VE (Verbal Expression) is your combined Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension result, and AR is Arithmetic Reasoning, both taken as standard scores rather than the AFQT’s percentile format. GT runs on a standard-score scale commonly cited in the 80-145 range, with 100 representing the population average. It shares two of the same underlying subtests as the AFQT (VE and AR both feed both calculations) but drops Math Knowledge entirely, so a strong Math Knowledge score that helps your AFQT does nothing for your GT.

Score	Built from	Determines
AFQT	2×VE + AR + MK	Whether you can enlist at all
GT	VE + AR	Eligibility for a wide range of Army MOS options

GT is the single most-referenced Army line score because so many MOS options, including many leadership-track and intelligence-adjacent roles, set a minimum GT requirement as a gate before other factors are even considered.

Why does the Army care about GT specifically?

Because Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Arithmetic Reasoning correlate strongly with trainability across a very wide range of Army jobs, not just one narrow cluster. That’s different from, say, an Air Force Electronics composite, which is built to predict success in a specific technical job family and pulls in General Science and Electronics Information instead. The Army’s GT score is a broader predictor by design, which is why it shows up as a requirement across a wider range of MOS options than most other single composite.

How much of a cushion above 31 should I actually aim for?

More than the bare minimum, if the goal is real job choice rather than just getting in the door. An AFQT in the 50s or higher (Category IIIA or above) is where most recruits who report satisfaction with their job placement tend to land, since it correlates with a stronger GT score too given the overlapping subtests. If your goal is a specific high-demand MOS, check that job’s specific GT requirement rather than assuming a passing AFQT is enough; GT thresholds for individual MOS options vary and aren’t the same number as the enlistment floor.

How do I raise my GT score specifically?

Focus study time on Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Arithmetic Reasoning, the three subtests that build it, more than on Math Knowledge, General Science, or the technical subtests, which don’t touch GT at all even though they matter for other jobs. Our Word Knowledge and Arithmetic Reasoning breakdowns cover original practice questions and common mistake patterns for exactly those two subtests. See our comparison of all five branches’ AFQT minimums if you’re still deciding between the Army and another service.

Why do some Army MOS options list a GT requirement well above 110?

Because GT correlates strongly with performance in roles that lean heavily on reading comprehension, written communication, and applied reasoning under ambiguity, think intelligence analysis, certain administrative and legal-support roles, or specialized training pipelines. A higher GT threshold on a specific MOS reflects that job’s actual demands, not an arbitrary bar. If a target MOS lists a GT requirement noticeably above the Army’s general enlistment floor, that’s a signal the job draws more heavily on verbal and reasoning ability than a typical Army role does, and it’s worth treating Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Arithmetic Reasoning as priority study areas well before your test date rather than an afterthought.

Grab the free ASVAB HQ Score & Subtest Cheat Sheet for the full subtest list, time limits, and the AFQT formula on one page.

FAQ

What is a good ASVAB score for the Army? An AFQT of 50 or higher (Category IIIA) is generally considered competitive for the Army, well above the 31 minimum. Our broader breakdown of what counts as a good score covers how that threshold shifts by goal.

Does the Army use AFQT or GT to assign jobs? Neither alone. AFQT determines whether you can enlist. GT and other job-specific composites determine which MOS options you qualify for once you’re eligible to enlist.

Can I improve my GT score after enlisting? The GT score used for initial MOS assignment comes from your enlistment ASVAB. Retesting follows the standard ASVAB retest rules (one month, then another month, then six months between subsequent retests) and a new score replaces the old one entirely.

Is 31 enough to get any Army job I want? No. 31 clears the enlistment floor, but individual MOS options set their own line-score requirements, frequently including a specific minimum GT score well above what the bare AFQT floor requires.

Does the Army require a higher AFQT for GED holders? Yes, 50 rather than 31, consistent with the higher GED-holder standard applied across every branch.

Bottom line: 31 AFQT gets you into the Army; a GT score built from Verbal Expression and Arithmetic Reasoning, not your AFQT, is what actually opens or closes the door on most specific MOS options, so study those three subtests specifically if job choice matters to you.