How long ASVAB scores are valid
ASVAB scores can be used for enlistment for up to two years from the date of testing. That applies to enlistment tests and to school (CEP) tests that can be verified as yours; school tests given by school staff also need a Verification Test before they count.
How long can ASVAB scores be used to enlist?
Up to two years from the test date. The official FAQ says: "Your scores may be used for enlistment for up to two years from the date of testing" (official FAQ). The Air Force says the same, scores "are valid for up to two years after the date of testing" (AirForce.com).
The rule has a policy source. An Office of People Analytics note says that DoD Instruction 1304.12E "specifies that ASVAB scores are considered valid for enlistment purposes for a maximum of two years from the date of ASVAB administration" (OPA executive note, footnote 2).
Example: You took the ASVAB on March 20, 2025. Until when can the scores be used to enlist, under the two-year rule?
- Start from the date of testing: March 20, 2025.
- Add two years: March 20, 2027.
- The FAQ wording is "up to two years," so plan to finish enlistment processing before then and confirm the exact cutoff with your recruiter.
Answer: Up to March 20, 2027.
Do school ASVAB (CEP) scores count for enlistment?
Yes, for up to two years, if they can be verified as yours. The FAQ says school scores "can be used to enlist for up to two years after the date of testing, provided that they can be verified as being yours" (official FAQ).
One extra step applies when school staff ran the test. If you took it through School Staff Testing (SST), "you must also take a Verification Test (Vtest) before your scores can be used for enlistment" (official FAQ). The Career Exploration Program page repeats this rule (CEP page).
The CEP overview says juniors, seniors and post-secondary students can use their scores "for up to two years after you take the test" (CEP Overview). It does not list sophomores, so a sophomore should ask a recruiter before counting on those scores. Your school's release choice can also matter: one of the eight release options in the counselor guide is "Not valid for enlistment purposes" (CEP Counselor Guide). More on the Career Exploration Program page.
When do PiCAT scores become valid?
After a successful proctored Verification Test. PiCAT is the unproctored online version. If your PiCAT scores suggest you may be eligible, you take a Vtest at a MEPS or MET site, and it "must be taken within 45 days of when the PiCAT was taken" (PiCAT page).
The Vtest is short, generally 25 to 30 minutes, and gives no score. "If the Vtest is successful, then the PiCAT scores will become the official ASVAB scores of record" (PiCAT page). PiCAT can be taken only once, and only by people who have never taken the ASVAB. See the PiCAT guide.
If you retest, which score counts?
It depends on the branch, and the Army publishes its rule: "your most recent score, not your highest, will be used" (GoArmy.com). The other branch pages we checked today do not say, so ask your recruiter before you retest.
A retest also starts a new two-year window for that score. The Air Force says scores may be used "for up to two years from the date of your last test" (AirForce.com).
Because a retest can replace a higher score with a lower one in the Army, retest only after real preparation. Track your practice by subtest so you know what changed.
How soon can you retest?
One calendar month after the first test, another month after the first retest, then six months between later retests. Source: the official retest policy, which applies "regardless of whether the initial test is a student test or an enlistment test."
| Test | Earliest date |
|---|---|
| First retest | One month after the initial test |
| Second retest | One month after the first retest |
| Third and later retests | Six months after the previous retest |
The official example: if the first retest was on March 20, the second can be "on or after April 20." A retest given before the waiting period ends "will be invalidated."
Branch pages word this differently. The Air Force says 30 days instead of one calendar month, and GoArmy.com says the third attempt comes no earlier than six months after the second test. Go by the official policy and your recruiter. The full rules are on the retake rules page.
What is a critical AFQT gain, and does it affect validity?
A jump of 20 or more AFQT points within six months. When that happens, the applicant "is required to take a confirmation test (C-Test)" and may take it immediately, without the one-month wait (Retest Policy).
If you do not show up for the C-Test, you may return for a standard retest six months from the date of the critical gain retest. After a C-Test, the next standard retest is six months from the C-Test date.
Example: An applicant scored 28 in January and 51 on a retest in March. Is that a critical gain?
- Find the gain: 51 minus 28 equals 23 points.
- Check the rule: 20 or more points within a six-month period.
- January to March is within six months, and 23 is at least 20.
Answer: Yes. The applicant must take a confirmation test (C-Test).
What happens when a test is invalidated?
It depends on why. From the official retest policy:
- An initial test invalidated for administrative reasons, such as a fire drill, does not count as your first test.
- A first or second retest invalidated for administrative reasons does not count, and you may retest on a different form one month after the previous test.
- A test invalidated for cheating means a six-month wait before retesting.
Cheating also includes sharing questions. The official test-day page says applicants who give or receive information about test questions "are subject to severe penalties" (What to Expect).
What if your scores are more than two years old?
For enlistment, you would need to test again. For people already serving, the Office of People Analytics recommends the Armed Forces Classification Test (AFCT) for reclassification decisions when ASVAB scores of record are more than two years old (OPA executive note, footnote 2). The Air Force join page says retraining applicants whose last ASVAB "is expired" must retake it (AirForce.com join page).
The student program has a related note: the DoD uses CEP scores "for recruiting and research purposes for up to two years," and after that for research only (CEP Overview).
How should you time your test and enlistment?
Test when you are ready, then keep the two-year window in mind while you finish processing. A short checklist:
- Write down your test date and the date two years later.
- If you plan to retest, mark the earliest legal retest date from the policy above.
- Ask your recruiter which score the branch will use if you retest.
- Prepare between attempts with the study plan by subtest.
AptiStep does not track your official scores or deadlines.
Who can see your ASVAB scores?
It depends on how you tested. From the official pages:
- PiCAT: "Only the recruiter who registered the applicant may view the scores" (PiCAT page).
- APT: you get a single score but "will not have access to the score"; only the registering recruiter sees it (APT page).
- School CEP: personal information and scores are not released to any agency outside the Department of Defense, the Armed Forces, the Coast Guard and your school, and the DoD uses the scores for recruiting and research for up to two years, then for research only (CEP Overview).
For tests at MEPS or a MET site, your recruiter receives the results. Computer results are available right after the session (What to Expect).
Is an APT or practice score valid for enlistment?
No. The AFQT Predictor Test only predicts. The official page says an APT score "is not a guarantee" of your ASVAB result, and that if it suggests you may be eligible, the recruiter can schedule the ASVAB or issue a PiCAT code (APT page). There is no limit on how many times you can take the APT.
Practice tests from any source, including AptiStep, are study tools only and never count toward enlistment. Only a proctored ASVAB, a CEP test verified as yours, or a PiCAT confirmed by a Vtest gives scores a recruiter can use.
Can one ASVAB score be used by any branch?
Yes, the AFQT is a shared score. The CEP overview says the Military Entrance Score (the AFQT) "is the score used to determine your qualifications for entry into any branch of the United States Armed Forces or the Coast Guard" (CEP Overview). The Coast Guard page also notes the ASVAB "is used by all military branches to qualify for enlistment" (GoCoastGuard.com).
Each branch still applies its own minimum and job composites, and the two-year limit still runs from your test date. See the minimum scores by branch.
Practice questions
Work each one on paper first, then open the explanation. These are original AptiStep items, not real ASVAB questions.
An applicant tested on June 10, 2025. Under the official two-year rule, until when may the scores be used for enlistment?
- June 10, 2026
- December 10, 2026
- June 10, 2027
- June 10, 2030
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. June 10, 2027
The official FAQ says scores may be used for enlistment for up to two years from the date of testing. Two years after June 10, 2025 is June 10, 2027.
A first retest was given on March 20. What is the earliest date for a second retest under the official policy?
- March 21
- April 20
- September 20
- March 20 of the next year
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. April 20
The official retest policy says a second retest is allowed any time after one month from the first retest and gives the example March 20 to on or after April 20. Earlier retests are invalidated.
Maya took the ASVAB at school through School Staff Testing. What must she do before using the scores to enlist?
- Take a Verification Test (Vtest)
- Nothing: school scores never count
- Retake the full ASVAB immediately
- Wait six months
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Take a Verification Test (Vtest)
The official FAQ says scores from School Staff Testing can be used only after a Verification Test (Vtest), and only within two years if they can be verified as hers.
Which score does the Army say it uses after a retest?
- The highest score
- The average of all scores
- The first score
- The most recent score
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. The most recent score
GoArmy.com says your most recent score, not your highest, will be used. That is why retesting without preparation can lower the score the Army sees.
A PiCAT was completed on May 1. The Vtest must be taken within how many days?
- 48 hours
- 30 days
- 45 days
- Two years
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. 45 days
The official PiCAT page says the Vtest must be taken within 45 days of when the PiCAT was taken. 48 hours is the window to finish the PiCAT once started, and 30 days is how long the access code lasts.
An applicant's AFQT went from 40 to 58 within four months. Is a confirmation test required?
- Yes, any gain needs a C-Test
- Yes, because 58 is Category IIIA
- No, because the gain is 18 points, under 20
- No, because four months is too long
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. No, because the gain is 18 points, under 20
A critical gain is 20 or more AFQT points in a six-month period. 58 minus 40 is 18, which is less than 20, so the critical gain rule does not apply even though four months is within six.
An initial test was stopped by a fire drill and invalidated. How does that test count?
- It does not count as the first test
- It counts as the first test
- It counts as cheating
- It starts a six-month wait
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. It does not count as the first test
The official retest policy says an initial test invalidated for administrative reasons such as fire drills does not count as the first test, and the applicant can return for another initial test based on MEPS scheduling.
Frequently asked questions
Do ASVAB scores expire after two years?
For enlistment, yes: they can be used for up to two years from the test date (official FAQ).
Can I use my sophomore year ASVAB to enlist?
The CEP overview mentions juniors, seniors and post-secondary students only. Ask a recruiter about scores from 10th grade (CEP Overview).
Does the retest wait reset if I took the test at school?
No. The official policy is the same whether the first test was a student test or an enlistment test.
Can a high score from an old test be used if my new score is lower?
The Army uses the most recent score. For other branches, ask your recruiter, since the pages we checked do not say.
Sources
Checked November 14, 2026. AptiStep is an independent study site; confirm anything that affects your enlistment with a recruiter.
- Official ASVAB: FAQs
- Office of People Analytics: Appropriate Use of ASVAB Scores (PDF on officialasvab.com)
- AirForce.com: ASVAB
- AirForce.com: Join the Active Duty Air Force
- Official ASVAB: Career Exploration Program
- ASVAB CEP Overview (asvabprogram.com PDF)
- ASVAB CEP Counselor Guide (asvabprogram.com PDF)
- Official ASVAB: PiCAT
- GoArmy.com: ASVAB Test and Preparation
- Official ASVAB: Retest Policy
- Official ASVAB: What to Expect