ASVAB Scores for Navy Jobs: 15 Rating Requirements

Real composite cutoffs from Culinary Specialist to Cryptologic Technician

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July 2, 2026

Every Navy job, called a rating, requires a minimum composite score built by adding specific ASVAB subtest standard scores together. The range is wide: Culinary Specialist qualifies at VE+AR of 76, Hospital Corpsman needs VE+AR+MK+GS of 208, and Cryptologic Technician (Networks) asks for AR+2MK+GS of 255 on its primary formula. Your AFQT percentile decides whether the Navy will take you, but these composites decide which rating you can contract for.

What ASVAB scores do Navy jobs require?

Here are 15 real ratings ordered from the lowest cutoff to the highest, so you can see the full spread.

Rating Job Composite requirement
CS Culinary Specialist VE+AR ≥ 76
LS Logistics Specialist VE+AR ≥ 92
YN Yeoman VE+MK ≥ 99
BM Boatswain’s Mate VE+AR+MK+AS ≥ 163 or MK+AS+AO ≥ 126
MA Master-at-Arms VE+AR+MK+MC ≥ 192
OS Operations Specialist AR+2MK+GS ≥ 198
MM Machinist’s Mate VE+AR+MK+AS ≥ 180 or VE+AR+MK+AO ≥ 185
GM Gunner’s Mate AR+MK+EI+GS ≥ 205 or AR+2MK+GS ≥ 205
HM Hospital Corpsman VE+AR+MK+GS ≥ 208 or MK+GS+2VE ≥ 208
EM Electrician’s Mate VE+AR+MK+MC ≥ 210 or AR+MK+EI+GS ≥ 210
IT Information Systems Technician VE+AR+MK+GS ≥ 212 or VE+MK+GS ≥ 156
AT Aviation Electronics Technician VE+AR+MK+MC ≥ 217 or VE+AR+MK+AO ≥ 217
MT Missile Technician VE+AR+MK+MC ≥ 218 or VE+AR+MK+AO ≥ 218
AC Air Traffic Controller VE+AR+MK+MC ≥ 220 or AR+MK+PC ≥ 166
FC Fire Controlman AR+MK+EI+GS ≥ 222 or AR+2MK+GS ≥ 226

At the very top of the enlisted list, Cryptologic Technician (Networks) and Cyber Warfare Technician both require AR+2MK+GS of 255 or VE+AR+MK+MC of 235.

How do you read a Navy rating requirement?

Each formula is a sum of subtest standard scores. VE is Verbal Expression, a combined score from Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension. AR is Arithmetic Reasoning, MK is Mathematics Knowledge, GS is General Science, MC is Mechanical Comprehension, EI is Electronics Information, AS is Auto and Shop Information, and AO is Assembling Objects. A coefficient means the subtest counts twice, so AR+2MK+GS weights Mathematics Knowledge double.

When a rating lists two formulas joined by “or,” you only need to clear one. That matters for planning. A recruit weak in Auto and Shop Information can still reach Machinist’s Mate through the VE+AR+MK+AO route instead of the AS route.

Standard scores center around 50 per subtest. A four-subtest cutoff of 208, like Hospital Corpsman, means averaging 52 across those subtests, which is realistic. A cutoff of 222 means averaging over 55 on every subtest in the formula, and 255 with a doubled MK demands genuinely strong math.

Why is the nuclear field the high bar?

The Navy nuclear field (machinist’s mates, electrician’s mates, and electronics technicians who run reactor plants) is widely treated as the hardest enlisted pipeline to qualify for, with its own composite requirements, a required academic screening, and heavy math and science demands [NOTE: verify current nuclear field ASVAB composite requirements, this table’s source data does not include the nuclear ratings]. If the nuclear field is your goal, plan for scores comfortably above the conventional engineering ratings like EM at 210, and confirm the current cutoffs with a recruiter.

Special programs sit in their own lane too. Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) requires VE+AR of 108 with MC of 50 and AR+MK of 100, or GS+MC+EI of 167 with AR+MK of 100, and then the physical screening does most of the filtering.

How do you prepare for a specific rating?

Pick your target rating, write down its formula, and drill those subtests specifically. Everyone needs AR, MK, and VE work because those four subtests also produce your AFQT. Beyond that, an aspiring Fire Controlman should be drilling Electronics Information and General Science, while a future Boatswain’s Mate gets more value from Auto and Shop practice.

ASVABDRILL is an ASVAB practice test platform focused on AFQT improvement, built for military recruits, covering ASVAB, PiCAT, and verification-style practice. Subtest-level practice results let you add up your own composite and compare it against the cutoff before test day instead of finding out at MEPS.

FAQ

What Navy job has the highest ASVAB requirement?

Among conventional ratings in this table, Fire Controlman at AR+MK+EI+GS of 222 and the cryptologic and cyber ratings at 255 on the AR+2MK+GS formula sit at the top. Nuclear field ratings are comparable or higher [NOTE: verify].

What Navy jobs can I get with a low ASVAB score?

Culinary Specialist qualifies at VE+AR of 76 and Logistics Specialist at 92. Boatswain’s Mate is reachable at VE+AR+MK+AS of 163. These are real jobs with advancement paths, not dead ends.

Do Navy rating requirements change?

Yes, the Navy adjusts cutoffs and formulas as manning needs shift, so treat any published table as a snapshot [NOTE: verify against current Navy recruiting standards] and confirm with a recruiter before signing.

Does a high AFQT guarantee the rating I want?

No. The AFQT and rating composites use overlapping but different subtests. A strong AFQT with a weak Electronics Information score can still miss an FC or AT cutoff, which is why subtest practice matters more than chasing one number.

See which of these ratings your current scores would reach. Take a full-length ASVAB practice test and get subtest-level results today.