Vocabulary in Context
Use the surrounding sentence to pin down the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
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🔤 Vocabulary in Context
Part 1 of 7 — Word Knowledge on the CAT-ASVAB
Topic Overview
| Part | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Word Knowledge on the CAT-ASVAB |
| 2 | Definition and restatement clues |
| 3 | Contrast clues |
| 4 | Example and cause-and-effect clues |
| 5 | Words with more than one meaning |
| 6 | Test strategy and common traps |
| 7 | Mixed mastery set |
What the Word Knowledge Subtest Looks Like
Word Knowledge (WK) is the third subtest on the computer version of the ASVAB (the CAT-ASVAB), right after General Science and Arithmetic Reasoning.
| Fact | CAT-ASVAB |
|---|---|
| Scored questions | 15 |
| Time limit | 9 minutes |
| Time per question | about 36 seconds |
| Answer choices | 4 |
On the paper test (and the high-school CEP paper test), WK has 35 questions in 11 minutes, which is about 19 seconds each. Either way, WK is the fastest-moving subtest on the whole exam. You either know the word, can work it out quickly, or make a smart guess and move on.
The Two Question Types
| Type | What you see | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Word in a sentence | A short sentence with one word in bold | Pick the choice closest in meaning to the bold word as it is used in that sentence |
| Word alone | "Brisk most nearly means" | Pick the closest synonym with no sentence to help you |
This lesson is about the first type: using the sentence to pin down a word. The skills carry straight over to the second type, because a word you have met in a few sentences is a word you can define alone.
🔤 Vocabulary in Context
Part 2 of 7 — Definition and Restatement Clues
The Sentence That Explains Itself
The friendliest clue a sentence can give is a definition or restatement: the writer uses a hard word and then, right next to it, says the same thing in plainer words.
These clues hide behind punctuation and a handful of signal words:
| Signal | How it looks |
|---|---|
| Comma pair (appositive) | The debris, broken boards and twisted metal, covered the road. |
| Dash | The warning light was conspicuous — impossible to miss. |
| or | The medic checked for lacerations, or deep cuts. |
| that is / in other words | We need to expedite the order; in other words, speed it up. |
| which means / meaning | The unit is on standby, which means ready to move on short notice. |
| is / are / was (a linking verb) | A novice is someone who has just started learning a skill. |
Key Fact: When you see one of these signals, the plain-language meaning is usually sitting right beside the bold word. Read a few words past it before you look at the choices.
🔤 Vocabulary in Context
Part 3 of 7 — Contrast Clues
When the Sentence Tells You What the Word Is NOT
A contrast clue sets the bold word against something that means the opposite. If you understand the other side of the contrast, you can flip it to find the word.
| Signal words | Example |
|---|---|
| but, yet | The first hill was gentle, but the second was steep. |
| however | The ship was old; however, its engines were reliable. |
| although, though, even though | Although the food was plain, it was filling. |
| unlike, instead of, rather than | Unlike his chatty brother, Sam is quiet. |
| while, whereas | One squad was early, while the other was late. |
| despite, in spite of | Despite the rain, the parade went on. |
Key Fact: A contrast clue gives you the opposite. Find the plain word on the other side of the signal, then pick the choice that means the reverse of it.
🔤 Vocabulary in Context
Part 4 of 7 — Example and Cause-and-Effect Clues
Two More Ways a Sentence Helps
Example clues list cases of the word. Figure out what the examples have in common, and you have the meaning.
| Signal words | Example |
|---|---|
| such as, including | Wear protective gear around hazardous materials, such as acids and fuel. |
| for example, for instance | Some jobs are physically demanding; for example, loading cargo all day. |
| like, especially | Like most desert plants, the cactus needs little water. |
Cause-and-effect clues show what the word leads to, or what led to it. Ask: if this caused that, what must the word mean?
| Signal words | Example |
|---|---|
| because, since | Because she was diligent, she finished every checklist on time. |
| so, therefore, as a result | The road was icy, so the convoy slowed down. |
| if … then, when | When water is contaminated, it must be boiled before drinking. |
Key Fact: Example clues answer "what kind of thing is this?" Cause-and-effect clues answer "what does this do, or what made it happen?"
🔤 Vocabulary in Context
Part 5 of 7 — Words with More Than One Meaning
The Easy Word That Isn't
Some of the trickiest Word Knowledge questions use words you already know. The catch is that the sentence uses a less common meaning, and the most common meaning is waiting among the choices as a trap.
| Word | Common meaning | Other meanings |
|---|---|---|
| charge | the price of something | an attack (the cavalry charge); a duty or responsibility (in charge of the keys) |
| post | to mail a letter | an assigned position (the guard's post); a job; to put up a notice |
| brief | short | to give someone instructions or information (to brief the squad) |
| sound | a noise | healthy, in good condition (safe and sound); sensible (sound advice) |
| yield | to give way (yield to traffic) | to produce (the savings account yields interest); the amount produced |
| grave | a burial place | serious (a grave mistake) |
Military life is full of these: a detail is a small group given a task, to muster is to gather troops, to relieve a guard is to take over the post, and a drill is a practice routine as well as a tool.
Key Fact: When a short, everyday word shows up on Word Knowledge, assume the test may be using a second meaning. Let the sentence decide, never your first instinct.
🔤 Vocabulary in Context
Part 6 of 7 — Test Strategy and Common Traps
Pacing: 36 Seconds a Word
On the CAT-ASVAB you get 9 minutes for 15 scored questions, about 36 seconds each. The screen shows your remaining time and remaining questions in the lower-right corner.
| Checkpoint | Where you want to be |
|---|---|
| After 5 questions | about 3 minutes used |
| After 10 questions | about 6 minutes used |
| After 15 questions | done, with a little time to spare |
Most questions will not take the full 36 seconds. If you know the word, answer in a few seconds and bank the time for the hard ones.
Rules of the Road
- You cannot skip or go back. You must answer each question to move on, and an answered question is locked.
- Finish the subtest. Questions left unanswered when time runs out are scored as if you had guessed at random, and a string of wrong answers at the very end of a subtest carries a relatively large penalty. Pace yourself so that you are still reading and genuinely answering at the end, not clicking wildly.
- Treat every question as scored. Some questions may be unscored tryout items, and you cannot tell which ones.
- Expect harder words if you are doing well. The test adapts upward after correct answers.
Key Fact: On the paper test there is no penalty for guessing, so you answer every item. On the computer test you also answer every item, because the screen will not let you move on without one.
🔤 Vocabulary in Context
Part 7 of 7 — Mixed Mastery Set
How to Use This Set
Twelve questions, mixed the way the real subtest mixes them: sentence questions and word-alone questions, easy words and hard ones, every clue type from Parts 2 to 5.
Work them like test day:
- Give yourself about 36 seconds per question. Twelve questions is about 7 minutes.
- For sentence questions: cover the choices, predict, match, check.
- For word-alone questions: think of where you have heard the word (a phrase, a sign, a news story), then eliminate.
- Watch for the five traps: opposite, fits the sentence, common meaning, look-alike, wrong form.
| Clue type | Signal words |
|---|---|
| Definition / restatement | or, that is, in other words, dashes, commas |
| Contrast | but, however, although, unlike, rather than |
| Example | such as, including, for example |
| Cause and effect | because, so, since, as a result |
| More than one meaning | the rest of the sentence decides |
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