You qualify for
51 of 112 AFSCs
Air Force and Space Force use 4 composite scores: MAGE. Each AFSC has minimum requirements for one or more.
Authority: Air Force Enlisted Classification Directory (AFECD), maintained by AFPC/DPSO. 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 AF from your ASVAB subtest scores. Each is a percentile (0-99). The mean is 50; top performers score 80+ in their strong areas.
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). Mean is 50; competitive scores for technical AFSCs are 60-70+; elite jobs (cyber, intelligence, EOD) require 64-72+. The composites overlap so improving in math helps both A and G; improving in electronics helps E.
High-value AFSC for transition
- Cyber (3D0X1, 3D0X2, 3D0X3, 1B4X1): 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≥47-56. 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.
Space Force note
The Space Force uses the same MAGE scoring and many of the same AFSC codes that transferred from the Air Force in 2019. Space-specific AFSCs (Space Systems Operations 1C6X1, Space Force Cyber, etc.) require the same MAGE thresholds. Recruiting paths and basic training differ slightly but the ASVAB matching is identical.
Space Force and the inherited MAGE — what changed in 2019
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. That choice has direct consequences for ASVAB candidates today: the MAGE composite framework, the AFECD as authoritative source, and the AFSC numbering convention all transferred intact. A Space Force AFSC like 1C6X1 (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 focuses its enlisted force around three primary specialty clusters: Space Systems Operations (1C6X1), Cyber Warfare Operations (1D7X1Q), and Intelligence Analysis with a space focus (1N0X1S). Most other Air Force AFSCs do not exist in the Space Force at all 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 AFECD. The decision turns on mission and assignment patterns. The Air Force assigns globally across about 75 installations. 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 AFECD specifies minimum MAGE for every AFSC — e.g., Cyber (3D0X1) 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 and many of the same AFSC codes that transferred from the Air Force in 2019. Space-specific AFSCs (1C6X1 Space Systems Operations) require the same MAGE thresholds. Recruiting paths and training differ but ASVAB matching is identical.
- What MAGE scores are competitive for cyber?
- Cyber AFSCs (3D0X1, 3D0X2, 3D0X3, 3D0X4, 1B4X1) require G≥64. The G composite combines WK+PC+AR — verbal + arithmetic skills. To compete for selection (not just qualify), aim for G 70+ given high demand for these slots.
- 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.
