ASVAB · Line scores
Auto Information
Auto Information is the ASVAB subtest of automobile technology: its items ask what a part does and which system it belongs to, and you pick one of four answers.
- Items
- 10
- Time
- 7 minutes
- Format
- Computer-adaptive
- Answer options
- 4
- Counts toward
- Line scores, not the AFQT
Screens of the trainer
The subtest
Measures
The subtest measures knowledge of automobile technology.
It does not count toward the AFQT. It counts toward the line scores the services use to qualify applicants for jobs.
Format
The subtest is computer-adaptive: each item is chosen from your earlier answers, and an answer cannot be changed once submitted. Each item has four choices.
On the computer, Auto Information is a subtest of its own, 10 items in 7 minutes, separate from Shop Information. On paper, Auto and Shop Information is one subtest of 25 items in 11 minutes.
Scoring
The subtest is reported as a standard score. The items are scaled for difficulty, so the score is comparable between test-takers who saw different items.
Item types
Questions and statements to complete
An item names a part and asks what it does or which system it belongs to, or describes a driving condition and asks what it does to a part. Some items show a drawing of a part.
Free practice test
Item 1 of 5
What is the main job of engine oil?
Show the answer
Answer: Reduce friction
Oil films the moving metal parts so they slide instead of grinding, and it carries some heat away.
It changes neither the fuel's octane nor the engine's compression.
The radiator, not the oil, cools the coolant.
Item 2 of 5
What does the alternator do in a running vehicle?
Show the answer
Answer: Charges the battery
Driven by the running engine, the alternator makes the electricity that runs the car and recharges the battery.
The starter motor cranks the engine from cold, and the water pump moves the coolant.
The spark plug gap is set by hand with a gauge, not by a component.
Item 3 of 5
What is the purpose of bleeding a hydraulic brake system after a repair?
Show the answer
Answer: Removes trapped air
Bleeding pushes fluid through the lines and out at each wheel, carrying any trapped air with it.
Air compresses under pressure, so a bubble in the line makes the pedal soft.
Bleeding adds no fuel, cools nothing, and shortens pedal travel rather than adding to it.
Item 4 of 5
A manual transmission that grinds going into gear is most often caused by:
Show the answer
Answer: A set of worn synchronizers
Synchronizers match the speeds of the gears before they mesh; worn ones let the gears meet at different speeds and grind.
A slipping clutch disc loses power under load but does not make gears clash.
A CV joint clicks in turns, and a cabin filter only touches the air in the cabin.
Item 5 of 5
Two identical engines run the same fuel and RPM, but one has a noticeably higher static compression ratio. That engine will generally need:
Show the answer
Answer: Higher-octane fuel
Higher compression raises the pressure and heat in the cylinder, so the fuel is more likely to ignite on its own and knock.
Higher-octane fuel resists that self-ignition.
Coil strength, the oil-change interval and the fuel filter do nothing against knock.
The Frontline Forge trainer
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An explanation after each answer
Training mode shows the correct answer after each item and explains it. The clock pauses while you read, until you press Next.
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10 items in 7 minutes, ranked
Test mode runs 10 items in 7 minutes, the count and time of the real subtest, then reviews every item. Each score is ranked against other test-takers, and the Statistics page plots the ranking of every attempt.
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300 items across eight areas
Each session draws 10 items from a bank of 300 that covers the engine, the cooling system, ignition and electrical systems, transmission and drivetrain, brakes, steering and suspension, the fuel system, and maintenance and troubleshooting. The five items above come from that bank.