ASVAB · Line scores
Shop Information
Shop Information is the ASVAB subtest whose items ask what a tool does or which tool a job needs, and you pick one of four answers.
- Items
- 10
- Time
- 6 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 tools and shop terminology and practices.
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 is a question or an incomplete statement with four choices.
On the computer, Shop Information and Auto Information are two separate subtests. 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
A tool, a term or a practice
An item asks what a tool is used for, which tool to use for a cut or a job, what a shop term means or why a practice is followed. Some items show a drawing of a tool.
Free practice test
Item 1 of 5
An awl is primarily used to:
Show the answer
Answer: mark a point before drilling
An awl pressed into the surface leaves a dimple that guides the drill bit to the spot.
Smoothing a hole takes a file or a reamer, and a thread is cut with a tap.
A hex nut is turned with a wrench, not pierced.
Item 2 of 5
Thread pitch on a screw or bolt refers to:
Show the answer
Answer: the spacing between a fastener's threads
Pitch is the distance between neighboring threads, and it must match the nut or the tapped hole.
Material, head diameter and head length are separate specifications of a fastener.
Item 3 of 5
A "dovetail joint" is known for:
Show the answer
Answer: interlocking pins that resist pulling apart
The angled pins and tails interlock and resist being pulled straight apart, which is why drawers use it.
Two flat surfaces butted together make a butt joint.
A groove across the grain is a dado, and a stepped recess along an edge is a rabbet.
Item 4 of 5
A dial indicator mounted on a stand is commonly used to check:
Show the answer
Answer: a surface's exact runout from true
As the part turns, the needle shows every tiny deviation from true, which is the runout.
Torque is set with a torque wrench, and hardness is read on a hardness tester.
A painted finish is judged by eye, not by an indicator.
Item 5 of 5
Kickback on a table saw is most likely when the workpiece:
Show the answer
Answer: binds between the blade and the fence
When the workpiece binds between the blade and the fence, the teeth grab it and throw it back at the operator.
An outfeed table, a slow and steady feed and a firm hold-down all reduce that risk.
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 stops while you read, until you press Next.
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10 items in 6 minutes, ranked
Test mode runs 10 items in 6 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 in eight families
Each session draws 10 items from a bank of 300: striking and cutting hand tools, power tools and drilling, fasteners, measuring tools, clamping tools, materials and abrasives, shop safety, and shop terminology and joints. The five items above come from that bank.