Department of Defense Considering Calculator Use During ASVAB
Remember when your grade school teacher told you that you needed to learn math because you wouldn’t always have a calculator? With the advent of smartphones, that statement no longer applies and organizations are taking notice – including when it comes to using a calculator on the well-known ASVAB test.
The Department of Defense is moving along with the times and is considering allowing calculators during the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery or “ASVAB” testing.
According to the Military Times : “The Department recognizes that much of the current high school instruction for math, as well as the SAT/ACT, allows students to utilize a calculator,” a Pentagon official stated. “Allowing the use of calculators during the quantitative portions of the ASVAB will align ASVAB assessments with current instructional methods and other large-scale standardized test practices.”
The spokesperson added that the possible move would not be meant to make the test any less challenging, but instead would bring ASVAB standards into the modern era of instructional methods and training objectives.
The math portion of the ASVAB is an important part of the test, as it is used to determine a person’s AFQT (Armed Forces Qualification Test) score, which is used to determine eligibility for enlistment in the military. Some of the specific topics covered on the ASVAB math portion include ratios and proportions, area and volume, probability and statistics, and coordinate geometry. To do well on the ASVAB math portion, it’s important to have a solid understanding of basic math concepts, such as fractions, decimals, and percentages. If the DOD allows calculators during testing, it could certainly remove a barrier that would keep people from be able to join the military.
Sound off! Do you think the Department of Defense should allow a calculator during ASVAB testing?
8 Seemingly Unreal Places to Add to Your Travel Bucket List
Antelope Canyon, Arizona
This Arizona canyon was naturally carved by rainwater streams within the sandstone. The Navajo Nation gave it the name ‘The place where water runs through rocks.’ Visit Arizona explains that the Upper Antelope Canyon tour is more frequented due to increased sunlight and towering walls reaching 120 feet. Alternatively, the Lower Antelope Canyon tour is equally remarkable, providing visitors with an immersive encounter among the swirling sandstone walls.
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Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming
Among the world’s largest springs, the Grand Prismatic measures an expansive 370 feet in diameter, exceeding the size of a football field. Its vibrant appearance stems from bands of orange, yellow, and green that encircle the deep blue waters. These diverse colors originate from different strains of thermophile bacteria, thriving in the progressively cooler waters around the spring, as explained by Yellowstone National Park. For a bird’s-eye-like view of the Grand Prismatic, they suggest visitors follow the half-mile Fairy Falls trail to a lookout.
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The Door to Hell, Turkmenistan
Located in Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert, the Door to Hell is a large fiery crater. It emerged when a natural gas field accidentally caught fire in 1971 and has been burning continuously since then, according to National Geographic. A well-visited tourist spot, the Door to Hell permits visitors to hike down into the crater for a close view of the flames and an opportunity to experience the unique atmosphere of the site. The Door to Hell, also referred to as the Darvaza Gas Crater, is located in a rural part of the country.
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Diamond Beach, Iceland
Found along Iceland’s South Coast, the Diamond Beach is a volcanic black sand shoreline adjacent to the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. Ice blocks from the glacier lagoon wash ashore after breaking into smaller pieces at sea, as mentioned in the Diamond Beach Travel Guide. The beach is also a natural habitat for seals.
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Mendenhall Glacier Caves, Alaska
According to the Tongass National Forest, the Mendenhall Glacier is among the numerous expansive glaciers originating from the Juneau Icefield, an area spanning 1500 square miles of rock, snow, and ice. The glacier gradually advances under the influence of gravity, descending down the slope. Over time, it carves the bedrock and erodes during its 13-mile path until it reaches Mendenhall Lake.
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Thor’s Well, Oregon
Located on the Oregon coast near Cape Perpetua, there’s a large sinkhole that appears to swallow seawater continuously, resembling a bottomless pit. According to Yachats Oregon, it’s often called the “drainpipe of the Pacific.” They explain that the well is actually a hole in the rock that gives the impression of draining ocean water. Some researchers believe this well might have started as a sea cave shaped by waves. Over time, its roof likely collapsed, creating openings at the top and bottom, which spray ocean water.
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Crooked Forest, Poland
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Found close to the town of Gryfino in West Pomerania, Poland, the Crooked Forest consists of 400 peculiarly contorted pine trees. As revealed by Discovery, these pine trees were planted approximately in 1930, back when the area was part of the German province of Pomerania. Starting from the ground, the pine trees exhibit a distinctive feature: they grow with a sharp 90-degree bend towards the north, before gracefully straightening up towards the sky.
Pink Beach, Padar Island, Komodo National Park, Indonesia
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The beach is named for its pink sand, which comes from tiny organisms in the coral reefs nearby. Visitors can swim, snorkel, and see marine life like sea turtles and manta rays in the clear water. The beach also has great views of hills and turquoise waters.
