An examination of the Armed Forces Classification Test and its use as a force shaping tool

• Main Author: Doherty, Brian D.
• Other Authors: Buttrey, Samuel E.
• Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2012
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/3376

In an attempt to balance the manning of the United States Navy, the "Perform to Serve" program was instituted. As a part of this program, sailors are encouraged, and often required, to retake the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), called the Armed Forces Classification Test (AFCT) after enlistment, in the hope that they will then qualify for more occupations. This study examines the aspects that are associated with success or failure on the second exam for 35 different occupational qualifications. Predictive models were created for the different occupational categories using these observations with as many as six predictor variables for each model. One of the predictor variables that occurred in many of the models was the time between the administrations of the two exams. Over 500 observations were examined and it was shown that there were increases in qualification for all occupations.