GT Improvement

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To improve the General Technical (GT) line score, you have two major options:

! FAST
The education center at your post should have instructions about how to get involved with the [FAST|https://www.goarmyed.com/public/public_programs_services-fast.aspx] program. You will join the Basic Skills Education Program or GT Improvement class (which one you go to depends on how you do on the TABE). These programs will work if the soldier pays attention, does the work, and doesn't freak out on test day.

The biggest problem with these is getting a slot. For example, Ft. Drum, home to thousands of soldiers who would like to improve their GT score, only processes 20 students a month in the BSEP program. Write your congressmen and/or proceed to your alternative:

! Self-study
Quick answer: go to this [Magic Link|http://www.nelnetsolutions.com/dod/DODHubPage.aspx?sponsor=12894&HubPage=10049], register (it's free for military), and start plowing through the ASVAB practice.

Longer answer: (The rest of this page).

Test preparation is best done with a buddy. Even one who doesn't completely know the material can help. It is best to have a few layers of support: 
# Your own mind and determination
# A buddy--anybody
# A nerd-buddy (the guy in the unit with a really high GT score)
# A professional

The biggest key to GT improvement is what to focus on. There are 9 sections on the ASVAB, but only 3 of them affect the GT score, and they are:
* Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) - "Solve basic math problems."
* Word Knowledge (WK) - "Understand the meaning of words through synonyms."
* Paragraph Comprehension (PC) - "Obtain information from written materials."

All three of these are useful to every soldier. There, I said it. I know there's a tempting mindset that says, "I'm street smart, not book smart." Even those soldiers have to be able to do basic math from time to time and they have to be able to understand and give orders. The difference between a high GT and a very high GT is probably not terribly important, but the difference between a low GT and a high GT probably is.

The good news is that none of them, not even the dreaded Arithmetic Reasoning section, are impossible to learn. Arithmetic is just following instructions and using common sense. Like anything else, you cannot expect to be good at it unless you have proper training and practice. Many good soldiers have been so focused on their military tasks that they have forgotten some grade school tasks, but that is just a matter of a little retraining.

So, we will zoom in on each of the three subjects. I'll start with the simplest and work up to the most complicated.

!! Word Knowledge

Just a big chain of, "What does this word mean?" questions. Exactly like these [Word Knowledge Sample Questions|http://www.kaptest.com/Military/ASVAB/Practice-ASVAB/ASVAB-Questions/ML_asvab_q3.html] from Kaptest.com, or these [samples|http://www.testprepreview.com/modules/vocab1.htm] from TestPrepReview.com.

In my opinion, there are two ways to study for this test. The first is highly focused: see if you can find a list of the words used on the test (say, from an ASVAB study book) and then drill on each of them, such as with flash cards. The second, and probably better in the long run, is to just start using a dictionary all the time. Sit and read a book, then Google any word that you don't know. If you don't have a dictionary or Internet handy, underline the word and come back to it when you do. Same thing goes for people using words in conversations. If you have the humility to ask what something means eventually you will not have to.

During the test, be sure to read each choice. Sometimes a wrong answer jumps right off the page at first. Also, be sure to mark questions that you're not sure about and come back to them. Sometimes the subconscious remembers while you're doing something else.

!! Paragraph Comprehension

Reading a few paragraphs and then answering questions about them. This is usually a matter of having the mental endurance to pay attention to every detail. Watch out for words like "not", "always", "mostly", etc., that are critical to understand the answer they are looking for.

A good [sample|http://www.testprepreview.com/modules/reading1.htm] from TestPrepReview.com

!! Arithmetic Reasoning

The biggest issue on this section is discovering what skills they are testing and then to learn those skills. There are some general tips that will help on any test like this:
# Be sure to double-check the answer for reasonableness. Often you can instantly estimate a range that the answer has to be within. Once you're done with the work make sure the result is in this boundary.
# Work the problem forward and backward. Let's say the problem asks you for 180 minus 13, and you get 167. Then the safe thing to do is try 167 plus 13 and see if it is 180.
# Combine both of the above tricks: Sometimes you can work backwards from the multiple-choice answers. If you pick the best looking one, plug it into the problem, you can find your answer without the heavy work. Sometimes you are close, so you adjust your next guess accordingly.

A few example questions, from [Official-Asvab.com|http://www.official-asvab.com]:
# If the tire of a car rotates at a constant speed of 552 times in one minute, how many times will the tire rotate in half-an-hour?
# One in every 9 people in a town vote for party A. All others vote for party B. How many people vote for party B in a town of 810?
# A motorcycle cost $7,250. If it depreciates by 12% per year, how much will it be worth after one year?
More samples can be found:

* [KapTest.com|http://www.kaptest.com/Military/ASVAB/Practice-ASVAB/ASVAB-Questions/ML_asvab_q2.html] (5 of them)
* [ASVABPrepInfo.com|http://www.asvabprepinfo.com/asvab_arithmetic.htm] (5 of them)

! Further Resources
* Really all you need is Peterson's [Magic Link|http://www.nelnetsolutions.com/dod/DODHubPage.aspx?sponsor=12894&HubPage=10049].
* [TestPrepReview|http://www.testprepreview.com/asvab_practice.htm] - has some good practice material.
* [4tests.com|http://www.4tests.com/exams/examdetail.asp?eid=67] - Decent practice test, uncheck everything except "Arithmetic Reasoning" and "Word Knowledge".

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