ASVAB Line Scores for Marine Combat Arms MOS (03, 08, 18)

Every Marine combat arms field (infantry, field artillery, and combat engineering) uses GT as its primary line score. That simplifies the prep decision for candidates who already know they want ground combat work. But it also means GT is the one score you cannot afford to underestimate. A weak GT closes doors across all three fields at once.

Combat Arms MOS Scores by OccFld

The table below pulls from public MOS profile pages for each major combat arms occupational field. Where the NAVMC 1200.1L publishes a specific numeric cutoff, that number appears. Where the public source does not publish a standalone cutoff, the table says so plainly.

A few things stand out in that table.

First, the weapons PMOSs inside 03 Infantry are the only combat arms roles that publish exact cutoffs through the MOS Manual. 0311 does not have one listed because it is the baseline infantry classification, not a specialty weapons path. The weapons specialties (machine gunner, mortarman, and anti-tank gunner) show a clear pattern: the more technical the weapon system, the higher the published minimum.

Second, the 08 Field Artillery and 13 Engineer fields do not publish standalone cutoffs for individual MOS codes through open public channels. That does not mean there are no requirements. It means the recruiting and classification process fills in those details. Your recruiter will have current accession standards that are not on a public webpage.

Third, notice that 0331 accepts GT, EL, or MM at 90. That is unusual for a combat arms role. It gives a machine gunner candidate a path in even if GT is their weaker composite, provided EL or MM is strong enough. If you are set on 0331 and your GT is marginal, shoring up MM through focused Mechanical Comprehension and Auto and Shop prep can open that door.

0352 is the most selective publicly listed combat arms MOS. The GT or MM minimum of 95 is clearly higher than the 90 threshold used for 0331 and 0341. If anti-tank is your goal, build toward a GT of 100 or better so you are not cutting it close at accession.

What GT Measures and How to Improve It

GT stands for General Technical. The formula is:

GT = VE + AR + MC

VE is the Verbal Expression score, itself derived from Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension. AR is Arithmetic Reasoning. MC is Mechanical Comprehension.

That means three subtests drive your GT, and each one responds to a different type of prep:

• AR (Arithmetic Reasoning) responds fastest to targeted practice. Most AR content on the ASVAB covers ratios, rates, percentages, and basic algebra. Candidates who have been away from math for a year or two usually see the quickest gains here with consistent daily drills.
• MC (Mechanical Comprehension) measures how well you understand how machines, levers, gears, and physical systems work. It is coachable but takes longer to build than AR because it is more conceptual. Flashcards work well for this subtest.
• VE (Verbal Expression) is the slowest to move. Word Knowledge depends on long-term reading habits. Paragraph Comprehension improves with practice, but VE gains require the most lead time of the three.

If you are three to four weeks out from your ASVAB or PiCAT and your GT is below target, start with AR. The fastest score improvement almost always comes there. Follow with MC. Save any remaining time for vocabulary review.

For a full GT improvement plan, the ASVAB guide walks through subtest strategy in more detail.

Published Minimums vs. Competitive Reality

Meeting the published minimum gets your file considered. It does not guarantee a contract.

Take 0311 as an example. The Corps does not publish a standalone GT cutoff for rifleman because 0311 is part of a broader infantry classification, and the accession threshold has shifted over time with recruiting conditions. But the field operates inside a combat-arms physical and aptitude standard, and Marines entering infantry track are expected to meet that standard fully, not barely.

For 0331 and 0341, the GT of 90 is the floor, not the target. A candidate who scores exactly 90 is eligible. A candidate who scores 100 has more negotiating room if their first MOS choice is unavailable and they want to stay in combat arms.

The gap is even more visible at the specialty level. High-demand billets that feed into programs like the Basic Reconnaissance Course or other advanced pipelines set their own competitive bars above the PMOS minimum. The Corps does not publish those competitive thresholds on a public webpage. That is a conversation you have with your recruiter, and the answer changes with current demand. What you can control is building a GT score that keeps you well above the published floor, so you are never disqualified by a number that is just barely out of reach.

The practical rule: Aim for a GT of 105 or higher if combat arms is your goal. That range keeps all the publicly listed MOS options open and gives you room above the 95 minimum required for 0352.

The 08 Field Artillery field is worth calling out separately. Because the public MOS pages for 0811, 0844, and 0861 do not list standalone cutoffs, some candidates assume the bar is low. It is not. Field artillery is a technical combat arms field. The fire-control and fire-support roles in particular involve calculations, coordination, and communication under pressure. Recruiters classifying Marines into 08 are looking for candidates whose test results show they can handle that work. Clearing the minimum is the floor, not the target. A GT above 100 is a reasonable target when artillery is your goal, even without a published minimum to anchor on.

Score Planning for Combat Arms

GT is the single lever in the combat arms world. Almost everything flows from it.

That simplicity is useful because it tells you exactly where to focus. You do not need to split prep time across four composites. Identify which of the three GT subtests is your weakest (AR, MC, or VE) and build your study plan around closing that gap first.

A focused four-week plan usually looks like this:

• Week 1-2: Daily AR drills. Work through ratio, rate, percentage, and algebra problems until they feel mechanical. Time yourself on practice sets.
• Week 2-3: Add MC prep. Use flashcards for mechanical principles. Work through practice questions daily.
• Week 3-4: Add vocabulary review and Paragraph Comprehension practice. Full-length practice tests help here because they build pacing.

If your AFQT is already safely above 31, you have the freedom to spend most of your prep on GT subtests rather than splitting time across AFQT subjects. That focus matters. A candidate who raises GT from 90 to 105 opens significantly more options than one who spreads prep evenly and moves every composite by a few points.

One common mistake is treating the ASVAB as a single all-or-nothing test rather than a composite of targeted subtests. Combat arms candidates who know they want infantry or artillery should study the GT formula and work backward from it. The ASVAB guide includes a line-score breakdown that makes this planning easier.

There is one exception worth noting: if your target MOS is 0331 or 0352, MM becomes a meaningful secondary lever. Both of those roles accept MM at the same threshold as GT. A candidate with a strong Mechanical Comprehension score has a second path to qualification even if GT is slightly below target. That is not a reason to neglect GT prep. But if your mechanical instincts are naturally stronger than your verbal or math skills, leaning into MC and Auto and Shop study alongside AR can push both GT and MM at the same time. That dual-track approach is especially useful for candidates who have hands-on mechanical experience and want to use it.

Keep your AFQT at least 10 points above the 31 minimum for active-duty high school applicants. Living near the AFQT floor while chasing GT gains is a risky trade-off. A disqualifying AFQT ends the enlistment conversation before GT even matters.

For candidates comparing combat arms options, ASVAB Scores for Marine Infantry and Combat Arms MOS and ASVAB Scores for Every Marine MOS (2026) are the next logical reads.