Coast Guard Jobs and ASVAB Scores: Rating Requirements

Real subtest requirements for 14 Coast Guard ratings, explained plainly

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July 6, 2026

Coast Guard jobs are called ratings, and each one requires a specific sum of ASVAB subtest standard scores rather than a named composite. Requirements run from VE + AR of 100 or higher for Maritime Enforcement Specialist up to VE + AR + MK + MC of 208 or higher for Gunner’s Mate, and several technical ratings add a floor on a single subtest, like AR of 52 or higher. You also need to clear the Coast Guard’s AFQT minimum of 36 [NOTE: verify], the highest published floor of the five branches.

How do you read Coast Guard rating requirements?

Each requirement lists the subtests that get added together and the total you must reach. The abbreviations are the standard ASVAB subtests: VE is Verbal Expression (Word Knowledge plus Paragraph Comprehension), AR is Arithmetic Reasoning, MK is Mathematics Knowledge, EI is Electronics Information, GS is General Science, MC is Mechanical Comprehension, and AS is Auto and Shop Information.

So “VE + AR ≥ 106” means your Verbal Expression and Arithmetic Reasoning standard scores must total at least 106. A requirement like “with AR ≥ 52” adds a second check on that one subtest, so a strong verbal score cannot carry a weak math score.

What ASVAB scores do Coast Guard ratings require?

Here are 14 real Coast Guard ratings with their requirements. The Coast Guard adjusts these periodically, so confirm current numbers with a recruiter [NOTE: verify all requirements against the current Coast Guard recruiting standards before publishing].

Rating Job title Requirement
ME Maritime Enforcement Specialist VE + AR ≥ 100
BM Boatswain’s Mate VE + AR ≥ 101
DV Diver VE + AR ≥ 104
OS Operations Specialist VE + AR ≥ 106
CS Culinary Specialist VE + AR ≥ 106
YN Yeoman VE + AR ≥ 106
MK Machinery Technician VE + AR + MK + AS ≥ 150 or VE + AR ≥ 106
DC Damage Controlman VE + AR + MK + MC ≥ 152
EM Electrician’s Mate VE + AR + MK + EI ≥ 152 with AR ≥ 52
HS Health Services Technician VE + MK ≥ 154
AST Aviation Survival Technician (Rescue Swimmer) VE + AR + MK + MC ≥ 162 with AFQT ≥ 65
ET Electronics Technician AR + MK + EI + GS ≥ 171 with AR ≥ 52
IT Information Systems Technician AR + MK + EI + GS ≥ 171 with AR ≥ 52
GM Gunner’s Mate VE + AR + MK + MC ≥ 208

A few ratings publish no ASVAB minimum at all. Intelligence Specialist (IS) and Investigator (IV) screen applicants through other means, and Musician (MU) requires an audition instead.

Which Coast Guard ratings are hardest to qualify for?

By raw numbers, Gunner’s Mate at a four-subtest total of 208 and Aviation Maintenance Technician at VE + AR + MK + AS of 213 or higher sit at the top. The electronics cluster (ET, IT, and Avionics Electrical Technician at AR + MK + EI + GS of 171 or higher) is demanding in a different way, because it leans on Electronics Information and General Science, subtests many applicants have never studied.

Aviation Survival Technician deserves its own mention. The score requirement includes an AFQT floor of 65, and the rescue swimmer physical pipeline washes out more candidates than the ASVAB does.

How should you prepare for a Coast Guard rating?

Notice how often VE and AR appear in the table. Those two feed the AFQT as well, so Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Arithmetic Reasoning practice improves your enlistment eligibility and most rating totals at the same time. If you want an electronics or engineering rating, add Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information, and General Science drills on top. ASVABDRILL is an ASVAB practice test platform focused on AFQT improvement, built for military recruits, covering ASVAB, PiCAT, and verification-style practice.

FAQ

What is the easiest Coast Guard rating to qualify for on the ASVAB?

Maritime Enforcement Specialist at VE + AR of 100 or higher and Boatswain’s Mate at 101 or higher have the lowest published totals in this data. Low bar does not mean easy to get, since the Coast Guard fills small numbers of seats per rating.

Do I pick my Coast Guard job before or after boot camp?

Most Coast Guard recruits enter as non-rates and compete for rating school (A School) slots after boot camp [NOTE: verify current program details, some ratings offer guaranteed A School contracts]. Your ASVAB scores follow you, so testing well now matters even if you pick a rating later.

What if my scores miss a rating by a few points?

You can retest after a one-month wait for a first retest [NOTE: verify current retest policy], and targeted practice on the two or three subtests in that rating’s formula is usually enough to close a small gap.

Does the Coast Guard use MAGE or line scores?

No. Ratings list direct subtest sums, which makes requirements easy to read once you know the abbreviations.

Find the rating you want in the table, then measure yourself against it. Take a full-length ASVAB practice test and get your baseline today.