PiCAT Scores for Navy Applicants
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Ask your recruiter to go through your PiCAT results with you. You need to know what each score means and whether it has been verified. The labels matter as much as the numbers.
Use these steps to read your results, connect them to Navy jobs, and prepare for your next talk with a recruiter.
Get your PiCAT results from your recruiter
You won’t see your scores on the test site as soon as you finish. Only the recruiter who registered you can view your PiCAT results.
Get the full score breakdown. Ask for a copy or review it with your recruiter. Have your recruiter point to your AFQT, your subject scores, and the scores used for Navy jobs.
Write down each label with its number. A note that says “I got a 60” leaves out which kind of score it was.
Also ask whether your scores have been verified. If verification is successful, your PiCAT scores, not a new set of scores, become your official ASVAB scores of record. The Vtest checks whether your PiCAT results hold up when you test under supervision.
Our PiCAT verification test guide covers that step. Keep the score review and the next test date on the same list of things to ask your recruiter.
Read your AFQT percentile
AFQT stands for Armed Forces Qualification Test. It is a score based on four parts of the ASVAB.
- Arithmetic Reasoning
- Mathematics Knowledge
- Word Knowledge
- Paragraph Comprehension
The AFQT helps determine whether you can enlist. It is reported as a percentile from 1 to 99. A percentile compares your result with a reference group. It does not tell you the share of questions you got right.
The reference group was a national sample of people ages 18 to 23 who took the test in 1997. Your percentile shows how many in that group scored at or below you. It is not a ranking of only this year’s Navy applicants.
When you hear someone talk about their “ASVAB score,” ask if they mean their AFQT. Then check the other parts of the report before you discuss jobs.
Read your subject scores
Each subject test has a standard score. This uses a different scale from the AFQT percentile. The average on the standard score scale is 50.
Look at the subject name beside each score. A math score and a reading score tell you about different skills, even if both numbers are the same.
Use the breakdown to choose what to review. For example, if math looks weaker than reading, ask which math skills need work. Then try a few practice problems to find the steps you miss. A score can point you toward a subject, but you still need to find the specific skills to practice.
Check the scores used for Navy jobs
A Navy enlisted job is called a rating. The Navy uses combinations of subject scores to help decide which ratings fit your test results. These combined scores are often called composites or line scores.
Each service uses its own score combinations for military jobs. If you see VE, it is a verbal score made from Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension. It is not a separate subject test you took.
For Hospital Corpsman (HM), one published score combination uses General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, and the verbal composite. If you are working toward that requirement, include science with your math and reading practice. HM has other score combinations too.
Ask your recruiter to show you the current score rule for each rating you want. Have them explain which subjects count and how your results compare. Do not assume a score rule you found for an Army job applies to a Navy rating.
For more on the test as a whole, read our Navy ASVAB guide.
A fictional score example
These made-up numbers show how to read three kinds of scores. They are separate examples, not one person’s report. The job composite has no real Navy rating or entry rule attached to it.
| Score type | Made-up result | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| AFQT percentile | 65 | The result is at least as high as the scores of 65 percent of the reference group. It is not 65 percent correct. |
| Subject standard score | 55 | The result is above the average of 50 on this scale. It is not the 55th percentile. |
| Job composite | 200 | This is a combined score. You would need the rule for a specific job to know what it means for that job. |
You cannot rank these results by putting 200 first, 65 next, and 55 last. Each number answers a different question. Read the score type before you compare it with a goal.
A high AFQT does not promise a Navy job
A high AFQT alone does not show that you meet every rating’s score rules. Your overall and individual line scores help decide which enlisted jobs you qualify for.
For example, two people could have the same AFQT and different electronics scores. Electronics Information is outside the four subjects used for the AFQT. Their full results could lead to different job choices. This is why an AFQT number alone cannot tell you which ratings to put on your list.
Scores are also only one part of joining. The Navy’s entry requirements include a medical exam and other standards. Ask about those rules as you review jobs. Meeting a score rule does not settle the whole decision.
Bring these questions to your score review
Make a short list before you meet your recruiter.
- Have my PiCAT scores been verified?
- Which number is my AFQT percentile?
- Which ratings do my scores qualify me for, and which are open to me now?
- Which subject scores matter most for the ratings I want?
- What else do I need to qualify for those jobs?
Write down the answers while you have the report in front of you. If more study is part of your next step, use the Navy PiCAT study plan to choose what to practice. Ask your recruiter which test comes next before you set a new test date.
If you need study materials, compare the PiCAT course and study-guide options before choosing a resource.
Explore the other Navy test preparation guides if your recruiter recommends a different testing route.