No matter what pathway you’re choosing to initially enter the Army: Reserve or Active, Enlisted or Officer. They want you to take aptitude tests to see what jobs you qualify for. I want to break down the differences between them.
PICAT
The PICAT is one I had never heard of until my recruiter called me the same day and told me I was taking one, but boy am I glad I did! This test is a self-paced, self-monitored, online test that you take from the comfort of your home, or school, or wherever you have internet.
It has 10 sections, the same as the ASVAB and they range in length from a minimum of 10 questions and the longest I remember was 15. You are not to use outside resources or a calculator but you may take as long as you want on each section. It’s not timed and you have a full 48 hours to finish the exam so you can do it in pieces too. It is essentially a predictor test that is supposed to figure out what you would score on each section. If you do not pass the first four sections it will kick you out and you’ll have to take the normal ASVAB. If you pass the first four it will give you access to the last six. Afterwards, you will take what is called a verification test to take keep your scores.
The verification test is timed you have 45 minutes to answer 30 questions. You will take it in a testing center just like the ASVAB. Some of your questions will come from the test you already took (answer them with the same answer you put) others will be new to verify knowledge. I would say it was probably 60% old, 40% new. If you don’t pass the verification test you will be rolled into the ASVAB. If you do pass, you have a 95% chance of keeping your scores, an unlucky random 5% gets rolled into the ASVAB so they can continue to verify the system. You may only take the PICAT once. I was explained once that the PICAT is for those they expect to do very well or very poorly but there easily could be no merit to that statement.
I was lucky, I passed my PICAT. This means I got to keep my prediction scores for the ASVAB: a 98 as an overall score and a 140 GT score (I needed a 110 for an officer packet)
ASVAB
This is the general test most people are familiar with and I will go into less detail because there is tons of information out there on it. This is a timed, monitored, ten section test that is typically given on a computer nowadays. You may request a paper pencil copy but it it is a longer test and you don’t get scores immediately. Either way, no calculators are allowed or outside resources.
The test isn’t terribly hard. I took it once in high school (mandatory for all students at my high school) If you have basic math, reading, and word knowledge you’ll score well. If you’re worried brush up on how to do long division and multiplication as it is essential to answer many questions.
The science, shop, electrical, etc sections help make up other scores that are randomly combined. The GOARMY site does a great job of explaining how the scores are combined.
TAPAS
This is the other test you take before enlisting into the Army. It isn’t hard it is just weird. It is a personality test that is a forced choice. Meaning you must select one statement over another despite if you hate both of them or like both of them but you pick the one that sounds most like you. Some will have two good choices, some two bad, others one good one bad. It is supposed to determine if you have the willingness to serve and lead. You can’t really study for this one, and just answer honestly I suppose. I finished this test and still passed at MEPS so I am not sure. Examples of what questions are like are below:
(Two Good)
-Your friends believe you are a dependable person and would call if you’re in trouble.
-You are a hard working individual who would strive to do their best in all things.
(Two Bad)
-You tend to insult people.
-You have a hard time controlling your anger and avoid negative situations.
After your ASVAB you will be able to pull jobs based on your scores. The only downside about the Army is once you get a passing score on either the PICAT or ASVAB that’s the score you’ll keep for two years. Which means the job you want may not have opened up. Hopefully, there is something you like! Wondering about basic training, check out basic training reception here, or check out what the first phase of basic is like here.
****UPDATE on May 15th after being emailed a question! *****
Q: Can you raise your score taking the PICAT verification test?
Once you finish taking the PICAT at home your recruiter will be notified on their end of the system and be able to tell you what you scored. The verification test does what it says it verifies your scores. Which means whatever your recruiter saw that day you keep if you pass your verification test, if you fail verification you get rolled into the ASVAB. If you do not like your scores on the PICAT you do not have to take the verification test and opt to take the ASVAB instead.
Army Reserve Girl 
Very helpful! I googled some items after speaking with a recruiter and came across your blog. Thanks for the advice!
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If you are one of the random 5% which score counts
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Hey Jess! SO sorry it took me a minute to respond. My life is crazy busy and I don’t always get to my blog. If you get rolled into the random 5% they will take the ASVAB score you make from taking the full test. Not the PICAT score.
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I’m confused… you said one is only
Allowed to take the PiCAT once… I took it 3 times. Are the questions from the home test same or close to the verification test?
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You should not be able to take it three times unless the regulations around the test have changed since I joined. You can take a practice test as much as you want, but you need to take a verification test after a PICAT so I am not sure how you were able to do multiple PICATS. I mentioned in my post that the verification test a mix of old questions and new to verify you know the information.
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Hello Keepingup1050,
Thank you for your blog and hopefully you will be able to guide us with some more relevant information specific to my daughters scenario. My daughter took the ASVAB at A recruiter station scored 96 (conversion is 128{minimum is 110 for packet}), on the same day she was sen to MEPS to do A verification test. While attempting to take the test they had several “lost connections” “systems going down” forcing the restart of the verification test until finally she was told she had to take the ASVAB complete test over right them and it would be timed, just like the verification test. Again at the recruiter station, same day, she scored 96 (128) and when she finished retaking the full timed ASVAB she scored (107) so her score had dropped. She was told she didn’t score high enough for OSC packet due to the 107 score; even though three hours prior and before six system shut downs during her verification testing at MEPS, she made A 128. Why was she made to retake the complete ASVAB that was timed due to their so called shut system shut downs, why are they using the lower score opposed to an average of the number of 30-45 questions needed to verify the first ASVAB score. why should she be penalized and who is to say they didn’t mess the scores up with the constant system shut downs at some point of every verification test and the second ASVAB she was required to take. Can you use A different MEPS location than one that might be close to your home? This doesn’t make any sense, please help!!!
Concerned Mom
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I am so sorry I thought I responded to this days ago apparently it didn’t go through! I can think of a few things that may have happened but unfortunately, I don’t think you’re gonna like what I have to tell you. The PICAT is a test that needs verifying at a testing center or a MEPS location. Recruiting Companies are assigned specific MEPS locations to help divide the amount of applicants processing. MEPS also process all branches of the military so it may seem like an odd divide but it’s all about numbers. I live in a state with two MEPS locations, and some people on the northern border are actually closer to MEPS in another state but process at a location farther away because it’s the one their location is assigned. However, the verification test requires a certain percentage correct to accept the PICAT score as your actual score. If you do not answer enough correctly, or are unlucky and are part of the random 5% you will get rolled in the ASVAB to self verify the system. They do this to see if the PICAT continues to be a good predictor. The ASVAB score will then be the score they take, not the PICAT. I can’t say for sure what happened that day but the ASVAB score stands. The army also does not allow for ASVAB retakes if a score opens up jobs and will not reset for two years.
Bright side though she can join the army as an E4, wait a little and state she would like to change her MOS and needs to raise her ASVAB score. They will let her enroll in classes to do this and she can submit an OCS board packet after her new score is recorded and if her GT score is high enough to submit.
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The asvab is unfair.because it singles out certain people.anything thay need to know,thay can learn
in the military!
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I am sorry you feel like the ASVAB is unfair, but minimum qualifications should be met for jobs. On the job training is great and definitely helps someone learn but they should have a certain level of aptitude for the skill. I wouldn’t want someone who doesn’t know how to write well to be in charge of important paperwork. Similarly, if your mind has a hard time understanding mechanic skills you probably shouldn’t fix a vehicle or airplane. To be able to join the army you need to score higher than a 30, all this means is you need to do better than 30% of people who take this test because it is normed that way.
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Is the Picat the same as the ASVAB?
Or do you still need to take the pi cat
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Hey Glenda,
The PICAT is not the same ASVAB. The PICAT is a test you can only take once and can be taken instead of an ASVAB. It is shorter and you have longer to take it. You then take a verification test to prove you know your stuff. If you have taken your ASVAB and gotten a passing score you do not need to take a PICAT.
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