Marine ASVAB Line Scores by MOS

Your AFQT score determines whether the Marine Corps will let you enlist. Your line scores determine which jobs you can choose. Most applicants prepare for the first and never think about the second until they are sitting in a MEPS office with limited options.

This page is a reference for the second part of that problem. It explains how the four Marine composite scores are built, shows what published minimums exist for specific MOS codes, and gives you a practical framework for deciding which composites to prioritize based on your career goals.

If you are looking for a study plan, start with the Marine ASVAB Study Guide. Come back to this page when you want to check whether a specific MOS has a published minimum, or when you want to understand why certain composite scores matter more for your field than others.

How Marine Line Scores Work

The Marine Corps uses four composite scores to screen candidates for specific occupational fields. These composites are separate from your AFQT score. AFQT is the percentile score used to determine basic enlistment eligibility. Composites are field-specific and control which MOS options are open to you after you qualify to enlist.

The four composites are GT, EL, MM, and CL.

The Four Composites and Their Formulas

GT (General Technical)

Formula: VE + AR + MC

GT is the broadest cognitive composite the Corps uses. It gates combat arms fields, intelligence, military police, and cyber operations. More Marine MOS codes use GT as their primary line score than any other composite.

EL (Electronics Repair)

Formula: GS + AR + MK + EI

EL gates technical fields involving electronic systems: communications equipment, avionics, signals, ground electronics maintenance, and cyber-adjacent work. It has the most demanding study requirements of the four composites because two of its four subtests (GS and EI) require domain-specific knowledge rather than general reasoning.

MM (Mechanical Maintenance)

Formula: AR + MC + AS + EI

MM gates fields that involve mechanical systems, vehicles, aviation maintenance, equipment operation, and ordnance. It overlaps with EL through the AR and EI subtests, which means a focused study plan can move both composites at once.

CL (Clerical)

Formula: VE + MK

CL gates administrative, supply, legal, and intelligence fields. It has only two components, but both require strong verbal and quantitative accuracy: the same skills that intelligence analysis and supply chain record-keeping demand daily.

What the Subtest Abbreviations Mean

Each composite is calculated from a combination of specific ASVAB subtests. Here is what each abbreviation stands for:

VE is the subtest abbreviation you will see most often in composite formulas. It is not a standalone ASVAB section. The test computes VE from your WK and PC scores, then uses VE as a component in GT and CL. Because VE feeds two composites, improving WK and PC has a double return.

AR is the subtest that appears most often across all four composites. It feeds GT, EL, and MM. If your AR score is weak, it pulls down three composites at the same time. That makes AR the highest-priority subtest for almost any applicant trying to raise their overall line score profile.

The AFQT Floor Comes First

Before any composite score matters, you need to clear the AFQT minimum. The AFQT is a percentile score derived from AR, MK, and VE (which is itself calculated from WK and PC). For active-duty high school diploma holders, the minimum AFQT is 31. For GED holders, the minimum is 50.

The AFQT minimum is the first gate. Composite score requirements are the second gate. An applicant who meets the AFQT minimum but falls short on a specific composite cannot qualify for the MOS tied to that composite regardless of their overall test performance.

Not Every MOS Publishes a Specific Cutoff

The reference table below shows published minimums where they are available from verified open sources, including the NAVMC 1200.1L MOS Manual and current Marine career documentation. Many MOS codes do not publish a standalone numeric cutoff on the open web. That does not mean no floor exists. It means the specific threshold lives inside the recruiting and classification system rather than in a public document.

Where no published minimum is listed in this table, the notation is “Not published.” Plan to verify current requirements directly with your recruiter, who has access to the current accession standards.

Reference Table by Occupational Field

The table below is organized by occupational field cluster. Each entry shows the MOS code, the composite that serves as the primary screening score, and the published minimum where one is available from verified sources.

OccFld 02: Intelligence

0211 is a lateral-move specialty open only to Corporals and Sergeants already serving in another MOS. It is not an entry-level accession path.

0231 does not publish a single numeric floor, but candidates targeting it should treat GT 105 as a working planning target based on the published thresholds for adjacent specialties.

OccFld 03: Infantry

0311 is the baseline infantry classification. It does not carry a standalone published numeric cutoff.

0352 carries the highest published minimum in the infantry field at 95 on GT or MM. Candidates targeting anti-tank should aim for GT 100 or better to stay clear of the floor.

OccFld 04: Logistics

OccFld 04 leans on GT as its primary screening composite. Specific MOS cutoffs are not published on the open web for this field.

OccFld 06: Communications

OccFld 06 roles accept either CL or EL at the same threshold. EL is the stronger technical signal for these jobs. 0631 carries a 105 floor rather than the 100 floor used by 0621 and 0671.

OccFld 08: Field Artillery

Field Artillery is a GT-primary field. No standalone numeric cutoffs are published on the open web for individual 08-series MOS codes. The field is technical enough that recruiters and classifiers expect candidates to bring real score margin, not a bare minimum.

OccFld 13: Engineer, Construction, Facilities, and Equipment

OccFld 13 is MM-primary for equipment and mechanical roles, with GT supporting the broader problem-solving demands of combat engineer work. No standalone cutoffs are published.

OccFld 17: Information Maneuver

1721 Cyberspace Warfare Operator carries the highest published GT minimum in the enlisted structure at GT 110. It also requires a separate SCI prescreen with HQMC SSO. The ASVAB score gets you to the door; the clearance investigation is its own gate.

1732 is a reserve-component-only path. 1751 requires a formal multi-day screening assessment beyond the score threshold.

OccFld 21: Ground Ordnance Maintenance

OccFld 21 is MM-primary across all its MOS codes. The work involves mechanical systems, weapons platforms, and heavy equipment. No standalone cutoffs are published on the open web.

OccFld 26: Signals Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Cyberspace Operations

OccFld 26 ranks among the most selective fields in the enlisted structure. These are clearance-heavy, EL-primary paths. Candidates should target EL 110 and GT 110 or better when preparing for this field.

OccFld 28: Ground Electronics Maintenance

OccFld 28 is EL-primary. The work involves circuit-level diagnostics, schematics, and electronic systems. No standalone cutoffs are published on the open web.

OccFld 30: Supply Administration and Operations

OccFld 30 is CL-primary. Supply chain specialists and inventory management work demands verbal precision and quantitative accuracy, which is exactly what CL measures.

OccFld 31: Distribution Management

OccFld 31 splits between GT-primary movement and coordination roles and CL-primary administrative roles.

OccFld 35: Motor Transport

3521 is MM-primary because the work centers on vehicle mechanics and fleet maintenance. 3531 is GT-primary because the operator role emphasizes convoy operations, route planning, and tactical driving.

OccFld 58: Military Police, Investigations, and Corrections

OccFld 58 is GT-primary across all three active MOS codes. 5821 Criminal Investigator carries the same published minimum as 1721 Cyberspace Warfare Operator at GT 110, and it is a lateral-move specialty, not an entry-level accession path.

OccFld 60 through 65: Enlisted Aviation Maintenance and Support

Fields 61, 62, and 65 lean on MM because the work involves mechanical systems, hydraulics, and propulsion. Fields 63 and 64 lean on EL because the work is circuit-level avionics and electronics. No standalone numeric cutoffs are published for specific MOS codes in these fields on the open web.

Officer aviation applicants use a different screening path entirely. Marine officer aviation candidates use the ASTB-E, not the ASVAB, when program guidance requires it. See the ASTB-E study guide for that path.

OccFld 70: Airfield Services

OccFld 70 is mixed. Technical airfield systems lean EL and MM. Aviation operations and rescue work lean GT.

OccFld 72 and 73: Aviation Command and Control and UAS

OccFld 72 and 73 are EL-primary fields involving electronics, command-and-control systems, and UAS ground operations. No standalone cutoffs are published on the open web.

Which Composites Matter Most by Career Goal

If you know broadly what kind of work you want, this decision table shows which composite to prioritize in your study plan.

The dual-composite logic matters because most fields have two relevant scores. A candidate who raises only one composite may qualify for the primary gate while still falling short on the secondary. The best approach is to identify both composites that apply to your goal and build a study plan that moves them together.

AR is the single most important subtest to study regardless of which career path you choose. It feeds GT, EL, and MM simultaneously. No other ASVAB subtest appears in that many composite formulas. If your AR is weak, fixing it moves more composites at once than any other study investment.

VE (built from WK and PC) is the second most important node for most applicants. It feeds GT and CL. Because GT is the most common composite gate in the entire Marine MOS structure, a strong VE score is relevant to almost every enlisted career goal.

How to Use This Table

The published minimums in this reference are floors, not targets. Treating them as targets creates a planning problem that shows up at accession.

Minimums and competitive reality diverge in small fields

The Marine Corps does not publish the competitive scores that actually drive contract selection when seats are limited. In a field like OccFld 02 Intelligence, which has only a handful of active enlisted MOS codes, a Marine sitting at the exact published minimum for GT or CL competes against candidates who built real margin. In a field with limited seats, the recruiter fills from the strongest applicants in the pool.

The difference between a published minimum and a competitive score can be 10 to 20 points in high-demand or selective fields. The published floor tells you whether you qualify. The competitive score tells you whether you are likely to get the contract you want.

Score margin protects you from a bad test day

ASVAB performance varies. Even well-prepared candidates sometimes run into a subtest form that feels harder than their practice sessions. A score that clears the published minimum by one or two points offers no buffer if that happens. A score 10 or 15 points above the minimum absorbs normal test-day variance without putting your target MOS at risk.

The practical target for most fields: identify the published minimum for your highest-priority composite and add 10 to 15 points as your personal study target. That buffer is your protection against both a difficult test form and a competitive accession environment.

Recruiters hold internal thresholds not published anywhere

The Marine Corps does not publicize all its current accession standards. Specific MOS seats have competitive thresholds above the published floor that shift with recruiting conditions, Manning Control Authority priorities, and current demand for specific fields. These internal thresholds are a real part of the contract selection process, and your recruiter can give you a current read on them for any specific MOS you are targeting.

The best use of this reference table is as a starting point for that conversation. Know your composites. Know the published floor. Ask your recruiter what the current competitive range looks like for the specific job you want. That combination gives you an accurate picture of where your scores actually need to land.

Retesting is possible but not a safety net

If your composites fall short, Marine policy allows retesting. The first retest window opens 30 days after your initial ASVAB. A second retest requires another 30-day wait after the first. Significant score jumps may trigger a confirmation test.

Retesting delays your enlistment timeline. Planning a retest strategy before you ever take the ASVAB is a sign that you have not prepared enough to test yet. Build toward your target composite scores in practice before you schedule the actual exam, not after.

Related Resources

The pages below connect to the specific study and planning topics that follow naturally from this reference.

Study guides

• Marine ASVAB Study Guide: composite formulas, subtest strategy, and a prep plan built around GT, EL, MM, and CL
• PiCAT Study Guide: how the at-home ASVAB path works and what the verification step means for your preparation
• ASTB-E Study Guide: the separate test used for Marine officer aviation candidates when program guidance requires it

Field-specific score breakdowns

• ASVAB Scores for Every Marine MOS: the full field-by-field map with composite focus and verified minimums
• ASVAB Line Scores for Marine Combat Arms MOS: GT and MM planning for infantry, field artillery, and engineer fields
• ASVAB Line Scores for Marine Intelligence MOS: GT and CL targets for 02-series paths, plus clearance screening context
• ASVAB Line Scores for Marine Communications and Cyber MOS: EL and GT for OccFld 06 and 17 roles
• ASVAB Line Scores for Marine Aviation MOS: EL and MM for enlisted aviation maintenance and support fields
• ASVAB Scores for Marine Intelligence and Cyber MOS: the three-composite picture for 02, 26, and 17 fields together

Score improvement

• How to Raise Your Marine GT Score: study approach for the three subtests that build GT
• Marine ASVAB Line Scores Explained: a plain-English breakdown of how composites are calculated and what each one signals