You qualify for
50 of 108 AFSCs
Air Force and Space Force use 4 composite scores: MAGE. Each AFSC has minimum requirements for one or more.
Authority: Department of the Air Force Enlisted Classification Directory (DAFECD), 31 October 2025 edition, maintained by AFPC. Minimum MAGE scores live in the DAFECD Attachment 4 entry-requirements table. Verify the current minimum for any AFSC with your Air Force or Space Force recruiter before signing.
Your MAGE composite scores
MAGE composites are calculated by the Air Force from your ASVAB subtest scores. Each is a percentile score (0-99): a 50 means you scored as well as or better than half of the reference population.
How MAGE scoring works
The Air Force and Space Force consolidate ASVAB subtests into 4 composite scores called MAGE:
- M — Mechanical: Auto and Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension, General Science
- A — Administrative: Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge
- G — General: Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning
- E — Electrical: Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information, General Science
Each composite is reported as a percentile (0-99): a 50 means you scored as well as or better than half of the reference population. The most demanding minimums in the current directory run from G 64 (the 1D7 cyber family and 1B4X1) through G 72 (signals and cryptologic intelligence) up to M 88 and E 85 for 9S100 Scientific Applications. The composites overlap: Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension count toward both A and G; Mathematics Knowledge counts toward A and E; Arithmetic Reasoning counts toward G and E; General Science counts toward M and E.
High-value AFSC for transition
- Cyber / IT (1D7X1 IT Systems, 1D7X5 Cybersecurity, 1D7X4 Data Engineering, 1B4X1 Cyber Warfare Operations): G≥64. Massive civilian crossover; security clearance is gold.
- Intelligence (1N0X1, 1N1X1, 1N2X1, 1N3X1): A≥64 or G≥66-72. DIA/CIA/contractor jobs post-service.
- Aircraft Maintenance (2A series): M≥41-56 depending on the specialty (most require M≥47). FAA A&P licensing pathway after separation.
- Biomedical Equipment (4A2X1): E≥70 AND M≥60. Civilian medical device industry.
- Air Traffic Control (1C1X1): G≥55. FAA ATC pathway with veterans' preference.
- Scientific Applications (9S100): M≥88 AND E≥85. Highest MAGE bar; elite technical role.
The old 3D cyber and communications AFSCs (3D0X2 Cyber Systems Operations, 3D1X1 Client Systems, 3D1X2 Cyber Transport, and the rest of the series) no longer exist — they were consolidated into 1D7X1 and then split again into the current 1D7X1 through 1D7X5 family. If you see 3D codes on a recruiting page or an old forum post, they are out of date. A non-prior-service applicant who falls short of G 64 can still be considered for the 1D7 family with G 54 plus a Cyber Test score of 60 or higher; that alternate is not available to prior-service retrainees.
Space Force note
The Space Force uses the same MAGE composites, but its own 5-series Space Force Specialty Codes (SFSCs) rather than Air Force AFSCs — for example 5S0X1 Space Systems Operations and 5C0X1 Cyber Operations. The SFSCs are listed separately from the AFSCs in the DAFECD. Recruiting paths and basic training differ slightly but the ASVAB matching is identical.
Space Force and the inherited MAGE — what carried over, what didn't
When the United States Space Force (USSF) was established as the sixth armed service on 20 December 2019 under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92), it inherited the Department of the Air Force's personnel infrastructure rather than building its own from scratch. Transfers of Air Force members into the new service began in September 2020 and continued through 2021. That choice has direct consequences for ASVAB candidates today: the MAGE composite framework, the classification directory as authoritative source, and the specialty-code numbering convention all carried over. A Space Force specialty code like 5S0X1 (Space Systems Operations) looks structurally identical to an Air Force AFSC and is gated by the same M, A, G, and E composite minimums.
What did diverge is the career-field portfolio. The Space Force maintains its own Space Force Specialty Codes (SFSCs) in the 5-series, listed separately from Air Force AFSCs in the DAFECD: 5S0X1 Space Systems Operations, 5C0X1 Cyber Operations, 5I0X1 All Source Analyst, and 5I2X1 Cryptologic Analyst. Most Air Force AFSCs have no Space Force counterpart because the USSF does not operate aircraft, run flight lines, or staff aircrew positions. If a candidate's MAGE composites qualify them for an aviation maintenance AFSC like 2A — that path is Air Force only, not Space Force.
For someone deciding between the two services, the MAGE thresholds are not the deciding factor — both pull from the DAFECD. The decision turns on mission and assignment patterns. The Air Force assigns globally across installations worldwide. The Space Force has a much smaller installation footprint concentrated around Colorado Springs, Vandenberg, Patrick, and a handful of OCONUS sites. Both services share the same Basic Military Training pipeline at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, the same uniform regulations under AFI 36-2903 (now DAFI 36-2903), and the same pay system under DoD FMR Volume 7A. The decision is about the mission, not the test.
FAQ
Air Force / Space Force ASVAB — FAQs
- What are MAGE scores?
- MAGE is the Air Force/Space Force scoring system: M (Mechanical), A (Administrative), G (General), E (Electrical). Each is a percentile (0-99). The DAFECD specifies minimum MAGE for every AFSC — e.g., Cyber/IT (1D7X1) requires G≥64; Biomedical Equipment (4A2X1) requires E≥70 AND M≥60.
- Is Space Force ASVAB different from Air Force?
- No. Space Force uses the same MAGE scoring, but its own 5-series Space Force Specialty Codes (5S0X1 Space Systems Operations, 5C0X1 Cyber Operations) rather than Air Force AFSCs — they are listed separately in the DAFECD and use the same MAGE thresholds. Recruiting paths and training differ but ASVAB matching is identical.
- What MAGE scores are competitive for cyber?
- Cyber/IT AFSCs (1D7X1, 1D7X4, 1D7X5, 1B4X1) require G≥64. A non-prior-service applicant can alternately qualify for the 1D7 family with G 54 plus a Cyber Test score of 60 or higher. The G composite combines WK+PC+AR — verbal + arithmetic skills. The DAFECD minimum is a qualification floor, not a guarantee of selection — your recruiter can tell you what is currently competitive.
- What if my MAGE is high but AFQT is low?
- AFQT 31 (HS) or 50 (GED) is the minimum to enlist at all. Below that, no MAGE composite helps. Above that, MAGE controls AFSC eligibility. So focus on AFQT first (Word Knowledge + Paragraph + Math + Arithmetic Reasoning) then on the MAGE composites for your target AFSC.
- Can I retest to improve MAGE?
- Yes — same retest rules apply as other services. 1 month between first and second attempts, 1 month between second and third, then 6 months. Each new score replaces the old for AF/SF eligibility purposes.
