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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:

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HERE AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS — WE HAVE BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF THE VARIOUS WAYS THE U-S MILITARY HAS BEEN TRYING TO COUNTERACT AN ONGOING RECRUITING SLUMP.

NOW — THE PENTAGON SAYS IT IS PLANNING TO ALLOW APPLICANTS TO USE CALCULATORS ON THE MILITARY ENTRANCE EXAM.

A MOVE TO ALLOW CALCULATORS COULD HELP WITH THE RECRUITING SLUMP — WHICH IS IN PART ATTRIBUTED TO YOUNG AMERICANS NOT SCORING HIGH ENOUGH ON THE ENTRANCE EXAM TO QUALIFY FOR ENLISTMENT.

THE CHANGE WOULD ALSO ALIGN THE EXAM WITH HOW TEST-TAKING HAS EVOLVED — WITH CALCULATORS NOW WIDELY USED IN MATH CLASSES AND DURING COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS LIKE THE A-C-T AND S-A-T.

THE ARMY — NAVY AND AIR FORCE ARE CURRENTLY EXPECTING RECRUITING SHORTFALLS FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR.

WHILE THE SHORTFALLS ARE DUE TO A VARIETY OF FACTORS — THE LARGEST IS A SHRINKING POOL OF QUALIFIED 17-TO-24-YEAR-OLD AMERICANS TO RECRUIT FROM.

MANY APPLICANTS ARE BEING TURNED AWAY DUE TO POOR PERFORMANCE ON THE ENTRANCE EXAM.

LAST YEAR — THE ARMY LAUNCHED A TWO-TRACK PREP COURSE — ONE FOR APPLICANTS WHO CAME SHORT OF THE ARMY’S STANDARDS FOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE — AND THE OTHER FOR THOSE WHO FELL SHORT OF THE FITNESS STANDARD.

OF THE OVER-9-THOUSANDS STUDENTS WHO HAVE GRADUATED TO BASIC TRAINING — ABOUT 76 PERCENT TOOK THE ACADEMIC TRACK.