There are several U.S. Army prerequisites that you must complete before you can successfully enlist. You must be at least 18 years old, possess a high school diploma, and successfully pass a basic physical examination, along with a short interview that discusses your background. You will then need to complete an extensive aptitude exam that will help an Army recruiter place you in a suitable military occupational specialty. Most U.S. Army prerequisites focus on the qualifications that you need in order to fit these occupational specialties, though some of them apply to all potential enlistees. Some prerequisites only apply to recruits who are attempting to enter officer candidate school or the U.S. Military Academy.
The most basic U.S. Army prerequisites apply to all potential enlistees. If you do not have a high school diploma, you may enlist if you complete a GED program as well as 15 credit hours at a community college. You must also be 18 years of age or older to to enlist, but you can begin the process if you are at least 17 and a half years of age and on track to complete your high school diploma. If you begin your enlistment at this age, you will not be processed, swear your oath, or be officially enlisted until after your 18th birthday.
Upon an initial review by an army recruiter, you will be given a very basic physical exam that will determine if your height, weight, and body fat percentage meet army prerequisites. Although these prerequisites change based on constantly evolving policy, if you have a healthy body mass index score you will meet the requirements. You will then be asked if you have a criminal record, if you have had any chronic or debilitating medical conditions, or if you have any tattoos or other body modifications.
After the interview with the recruiter, you will need to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) exam. The ASVAB is a multiple choice exam that tests math, language, science, engineering, reading comprehension, and other subjects. Once you complete the exam, you will be sent the results. The recruiter will match your ASVAB results to military occupations for which you may qualify. If your scores are high enough, you may also qualify for officer candidate school.
