ASVAB Line Scores for Marine Intelligence MOS (02, 26)

Marine intelligence is one of the smallest fields in the Corps by headcount, but it runs some of the most selective screening packages of any enlisted occupational field. OccFld 02 has only a handful of active enlisted MOS codes. The competition for each one is real. And unlike combat arms fields where physical fitness and character are the main gates, intelligence fields put your ASVAB composites in the spotlight first.

The two composites that matter most are GT and CL. GT measures general cognitive ability. CL measures verbal and clerical reasoning. Both feed from the same ASVAB subtests, which means your study plan can serve both composites at once if you build it correctly.

Intelligence MOS scores at a glance

The 02 Intelligence occupational field covers five enlisted MOS codes. They range from a broad analyst entry path to technical imagery and geospatial specialties to the senior leadership role. The public ASVAB requirements differ significantly by MOS, partly because some are entry-level jobs and others are lateral move paths for experienced Marines.

A few important notes on the table above.

First, the public requirements shown here come from current Marine Corps intelligence career sheets and MOS documentation. Recruiters may have updated checklists. Always verify with the recruiting station or career planner who handles the actual package.

Second, 0231 Intelligence Specialist does not publish a single line-score cutoff in the same way 0241 does. That does not mean there is no floor. It means the field screens holistically, and Marines who plan for it should target the same score range as 0241 and 0261 candidates. Treat GT 105 as a working planning floor, not a guarantee.

Third, 0211 is a lateral move field only. It is not an option at initial enlistment. You earn your way to it after proving yourself in another MOS. The ASVAB cutoff for 0211 gives you three paths to qualify: a strong GT, a strong CL, or a competitive AFQT. That flexibility matters, but the other screening requirements, including a counterintelligence-scope polygraph and SCI eligibility, are far more demanding than the score threshold alone.

Fourth, 0291 Intelligence Chief is a senior enlisted progression role. There is no standalone ASVAB gate because no one enters the Corps as an 0291. You build into it through years of 02XX service.

Why GT and CL both matter for intelligence

Understanding how these composites are built helps you study smarter.

GT (General Technical) is calculated as VE + AR + MC.

• VE is the Verbal Expression score, which combines Word Knowledge (WK) and Paragraph Comprehension (PC)
• AR is Arithmetic Reasoning
• MC is Mechanical Comprehension

GT is the Corps’ broadest measure of cognitive reasoning. It shows up across dozens of MOS requirements as the primary gate. For intelligence fields, a strong GT tells the screener that you can read complex material, reason through ambiguous problems, and handle the academic load of intelligence schooling.

CL (Clerical) is calculated as VE + MK.

• VE is the same Verbal Expression score from WK and PC
• MK is Mathematics Knowledge

CL measures verbal precision and math accuracy. That combination lines up directly with what intelligence analysis demands: reading and writing clean reports, following structured procedures, working with databases and reporting formats, and handling detail-heavy tasks without errors.

Notice that VE appears in both formulas. That is the most important fact in this article for an intelligence candidate. If you raise your VE score, you raise both GT and CL at the same time. VE is built from WK (vocabulary and word relationships) and PC (reading passage understanding). These are coachable skills. They respond to deliberate study in a way that some of the other ASVAB subtests do not.

AR is next in importance. It feeds GT directly and also helps your AFQT, which is the overall qualifying score the Corps uses for accession. MK feeds CL and AFQT. Between WK, PC, AR, and MK, you have the four subtests that move the composites intelligence candidates care about most.

MC is listed in the GT formula but matters less for intelligence-specific planning. If your MC is low and you have limited study time, prioritize WK, PC, and AR before circling back to MC.

Security clearance and the full intel package

ASVAB composites get you into the conversation. The security clearance investigation determines whether you stay.

Every active 02XX MOS requires at minimum a Secret clearance. Most require a Top Secret clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI). The CI/HUMINT path for 0211 adds a counterintelligence-scope polygraph on top of that. These are meaningful filters that sit completely outside the ASVAB process.

The clearance investigation looks at several categories.

Finances. Delinquent accounts, unpaid collections, bankruptcy, and consistent patterns of financial irresponsibility are problems. The investigation is not looking for wealth. It is looking for financial judgment and the absence of circumstances that could make someone vulnerable to outside pressure.

Foreign contacts and travel. Close relationships with foreign nationals, foreign travel, dual citizenship, or family members who are citizens of countries with adversarial relationships with the United States are not automatic disqualifiers, but they require full disclosure and are scrutinized carefully.

Criminal history. Arrests, charges, convictions, and even incidents that did not result in conviction can come up. Minor issues disclosed honestly are handled differently than issues that surface during investigation and were hidden.

Drug use. Marijuana use is the most common issue for young applicants. Most programs have recency windows. The key is accurate and complete disclosure rather than hoping something will go undetected.

Personal conduct and honesty. Falsifying any information in your paperwork is a serious problem regardless of the underlying incident. Honesty during the process is evaluated independently from the content of what is disclosed.

The clearance timeline adds a practical planning issue. An SCI investigation can take months. Until a clearance is granted, a Marine cannot fully enter the intelligence pipeline. That means delays in school dates, assignment timing, and career progression. If you are targeting an intelligence MOS, start the process with no loose ends in your background. Clean up outstanding debts, close delinquent accounts, and disclose everything accurately and early.

Score planning for intelligence candidates

The goal for an intelligence candidate is to clear both the GT and CL thresholds with room to spare. Minimum-score thinking does not serve you well in a selective field. A score right at the cutoff leaves no margin if one section of the test comes in lower than expected.

Working targets before you test:

• GT: 110 or above (0241 and 0261 published minimums; a useful planning target for 0231 as well)
• CL: 110 or above (0261 published minimum; planning target for other 02XX paths)
• AFQT: 50 or above (builds buffer above the 31 minimum and meets the 0211 AFQT threshold)

Here is how to build toward those targets efficiently.

Four-week study structure

One practical note: PiCAT is available as an unproctored prescreen before a formal verification test. If your recruiter offers it, it can give you a real-conditions score picture before you sit for the official CAT-ASVAB. A strong PiCAT result that holds up through the verification test puts you in a good position early in the accession conversation.

The ASVAB guide covers Marine line-score formulas, subtest structure, and study resource options in more depth. Read it before you decide on a prep course or study guide.

Intelligence work is not a field you drift into. The screening is thorough, the clearance process is serious, and the competition is real. The candidates who get there are the ones who built a score profile that supports the composites the field actually uses, kept their background clean, and showed up to every step of the process prepared rather than reactive.

Read ASVAB Scores for Marine Intelligence and Cyber MOS for the broader score map across 02 and adjacent fields, or visit ASVAB Line Scores for Marine Communications and Cyber MOS (06, 17) if you are also weighing EL-heavy technical paths.