CAT-ASVAB study plan

Identify and state the function of at least 25 hand and power tools commonly listed on the test, sorting them by trade (auto vs. carpentry vs. metalwork).

Distinguish between the major fastener types (bolts, screws, nails, rivets, anchors) and select the correct one for eight described fastening situations.

Explain how thread pitch, grade markings, and torque specifications affect fastener selection in automotive and structural work.

Describe shop safety and measurement practices, including how to read a micrometer, caliper, and feeler gauge to a stated precision.

Calculate mechanical advantage for all three lever classes and solve five load-effort-distance problems without a calculator.

Compute gear ratio, drive/driven relationships, and output speed or torque for four belt-and-gear train scenarios.

Apply the principles of hydraulics and pneumatics to explain how force multiplies in a confined fluid and solve three pressure-area problems.

Predict the behavior of pulleys, inclined planes, wedges, and screws by ranking their mechanical advantage in given setups.

Combine auto/shop knowledge with mechanical principles by explaining how an engine's piston, crankshaft, and valvetrain act as a linkage and cam system.

Diagnose five described mechanical failures (slipping belt, stripped thread, seized bearing, warped rotor, binding linkage) and name the underlying physical cause.

Speed-drill 40 mixed auto/shop and mechanical items under a 60-second-per-question cap.

List the ten concepts you missed most often and define each in a single sentence.

Translate word problems into equations for percent change, discount, tax, and simple interest, solving ten in a row accurately.

Solve rate, distance, and work problems using unit-label cancellation rather than memorized formulas.

Set up and solve ratio and proportion problems, including scale drawings and mixture problems.

Check answers by estimation first, then verify with exact arithmetic to catch setup errors.

Identify main idea, supporting detail, author's purpose, and tone in eight short passages, writing the answer choice rationale for each.

Apply context clues to infer the meaning of 30 unfamiliar words embedded in sentences, without using a dictionary.

Distinguish commonly confused word pairs (affect/effect, principal/principle, imply/infer) in 20 fill-in items.

Paraphrase a two-paragraph passage in three sentences that preserve all key claims.

Solve linear equations, inequalities, and systems of two equations, showing each step for ten problems.

Compute area, perimeter, volume, and surface area for triangles, circles, cylinders, and rectangular solids without a formula sheet.

Apply exponent, root, and factoring rules to simplify 15 algebraic expressions.

Recite core general-science facts across biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics, and explain each in one sentence.

Identify schematic symbols for resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, and switches, and trace current flow through a simple series and parallel circuit.

Apply Ohm's law to compute voltage, current, resistance, and power in ten circuit problems.

Explain the difference between AC and DC, conductors and insulators, and series versus parallel behavior in practical terms.

Close remaining general-science gaps by re-teaching three weak topics aloud from memory.

Take two full-length timed practice tests under exam conditions and record section-by-section scores.

Rank all eight domains by accuracy and re-drill the two lowest-scoring domains until each reaches 80%.

Review every missed item from all eight weeks, re-solving each without looking at the prior answer.

Finalize a one-page master sheet of formulas, symbols, and rules and rehearse it from memory twice.