Military to allow calculators on entrance exam amid recruiting slump

In the latest effort to counteract an ongoing recruiting slump, the Pentagon has begun plans to allow applicants to use calculators on the military entrance exam. The move could help with the slump, which has been attributed in part to young Americans not scoring high enough on the entrance exam to qualify for enlistment.

“We are taking a systematic approach, which will assess the impact of calculator use, and we are developing a way forward for calculator inclusion,” one Pentagon official told Military.com.

The change would also align the exam with how test-taking has evolved. Calculators are now widely used in math classes and during college entrance exams like the ACT and SAT.

The Army, Navy and Air Force expect recruiting shortfalls for the second straight year in 2023. While the shortfalls are due to a variety of factors, the largest is a shrinking pool of qualified 17-to-24-year-old Americans from which to recruit. Many applicants have been turned away due to poor performance on the entrance exam.

In 2022, the Army launched a two-track prep course for potential recruits. One track was for applicants who came short of the Army’s standards for academic performance.

The other track was for those who fell short of the fitness standard. Of 9,216 students who have since graduated to basic training, about 76% took the academic track.

The use of calculators on the entrance exam is the latest step the military has taken to expand its recruiting pool. Other steps include:

• The Army getting rid of its high school diploma/GED requirement to enlist
• The Air Force finding future airmen at first-person view drone races
• The Air Force changing its body fat limits for new members
• The Pentagon changing the Department of Defense’s Medical Standards for Military Service