Plan your time, whether you're taking the paper or computer version of the ASVAB. The paper version of the Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) test has 30 questions and you have 36 minutes to complete it. The Mathematics Knowledge (MK) test has 25 questions and you have 24 minutes. Don't spend a lot of time struggling with one question, but answer every question. If you don't know the answer, try to eliminate obviously wrong answers and take a guess. A wrong answer is better than no answer. The computer versions of the tests have fewer questions and different time limits. On the computer, you must answer every question and can't go back to a previous question even if you finish before time is up. In both cases, watch the time to make sure you complete all of the questions within the limit.
Prepare for the tests by studying math concepts and solving practice problems. When you take practice tests, set a time limit to work through the questions. According to Military.com, the math concepts you need to know are algebra, circles, exponents, factorial, fractions, inequalities, interest, patterns and sequences, reciprocal, rounding and numbers, including real, imaginary, rational, irrational, whole, natural, integers, prime and composite numbers. The test measures skills at a high school level.
Kaplan Test Prep recommends reading every question carefully, saying, "ASVAB math is not very tough, but it can be tricky." The test questions sometimes include more information than necessary, particularly the word problems in Arithmetic Reasoning. Don't be distracted by the extra information. Make sure you understand the question and then focus on the information you need to answer it correctly.