Most people will take just the ASVAB. The Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) must be scheduled before you arrive at your MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station). Only those attempting to obtain a MOS/AFSC/rating that expressly calls for language training, such as linguist, cryptology, or a signals intelligence MOS, may take the test. Your recruiter will assist you in deciding whether or not you can and should take the DLAB.
The DLAB is unquestionably the most bizarre test I have ever taken. Most people react similarly. I can’t say too much about it because, among other things, it revolves around a wholly invented language. It begins simply and gradually becomes more complex, culminating in the need to remember a number of different rules that are combined at the end.
The last piece of advice is to be able to speak what you see and visualize what you say. You’re on the right track if, for instance, you can quickly analyze images and create a caption or summary of what’s shown in them. It also helps if you can visualize what is happening when you read or hear something.
Indefinite Guide to the DLAB (Defense Language Aptitude Battery)
How do you study for the Defense Language Aptitude Battery test?
The following are some study tips for the Defense Language Aptitude Battery:
Study English grammar
The DLAB exam tests potential rather than current knowledge, so studying for it may be difficult. Studying English grammar conventions may increase your chances of getting a passing grade. Chapters from a grammar book for advanced students can be reviewed, as well as online videos and other study materials. Recognize the various components of speech and how they interact. You can also become familiar with the subject-verb-object sentence structure.
Familiarize yourself with sounds
The DLAB asks students to distinguish between written words as well as differences in sound. By learning to identify word stress and accent patterns, you can get ready for this section. In order to break down words based on their pronunciation, you can also recognize where syllable breaks occur in words.
Gain some exposure to a foreign language
Even though you don’t need to be fluent in any foreign languages to take the DLAB, it might be beneficial to get some practice. Watch television programs and motion pictures with Spanish audio or captions, for instance, if you want to eventually learn Spanish for your military career. Talk to people you know in Spanish, and think about reading poetry and news articles in Spanish. You can learn that other languages don’t always use the same sentence structures as English through this exposure. You might perform better on the DLAB, which asks students to change sentence structures, if you have this attitude of open-mindedness.
Review study materials and take practice tests
Consider purchasing a study guide for the DLAB. You can gain a better understanding of the test format by using a study guide that is focused on this particular test. Additionally, it gives you a sample of a question that might appear on the test itself. You can take practice tests to gain confidence in your ability to respond to the types of questions on the DLAB before you take the real exam.
Improve your listening skills
The DLAB has an audio segment that requires students to pay close attention. Since questions on the exam are not repeated, students can benefit from honing their listening abilities. By choosing an instrument to mimic while listening to jazz music, you can hone your listening abilities for this test. Additionally, you can practice listening in public for the DLAB by paying attention to other people’s conversations and concentrating on their pitches rather than the words they say. This focused instruction can make it easier for you to recognize sounds, a skill that the DLAB assesses.
What is the Defense Language Aptitude Battery?
The Defense Language Aptitude Battery is a test that gauges a person’s proficiency in a foreign language. Since the test doesn’t assess fluency, one need not be fluent in any other languages to take it. The U. S. This test is used by the military to identify applicants with a strong likelihood of becoming fluent in a foreign language.
How does the DLAB testing process work?
Anyone serving in the U.S. military in good standing S. military can apply to take the Defense Language Aptitude. Under certain conditions, a service member’s spouse may also sit for the exam to enlist with them in the Defense Language Institute. To take the Defense Language Aptitude Battery exam at a military testing facility, applicants must apply. To locate a location with availability, they can work with their recruiter.
Candidates take the DLAB test completely online. The exam has 126 multiple-choice questions and takes about two hours to complete. After finishing, a candidate can anticipate receiving their results in two to three business days. Typically, their military branch uploads the results to an online portal so that applicants can check them whenever they like. A passing DLAB score can be used throughout your entire military career because DLAB scores never expire. Candidates who don’t pass the exam the first time can retake it six months later.
What is the DLAB test like?
The DLAB asks students a variety of questions about word structure and pronunciation. Students also must answer questions based on hypothetical grammar rules. Understanding the DLAB test’s two main sections will help you better understand how it works:
Audio section
There are five parts of the audio section. The first part has students recognize words stress patterns. In this section, the narrator speaks four words aloud, one of which has a distinctive stress pattern. The student selects the appropriate multiple-choice bubble to demonstrate this difference.
The student is exposed to made-up grammar rules in the remaining audio segments. More grammar rules are added as the test progresses for the student to remember and use. These guidelines cover ideas like how to convey object possession.
Visual section
The rules you learned in the audio section no longer hold true for the first part of the visual section. The student has some time to study the words that are displayed in this section of the test that labels pictures. A test might, for instance, include images of a canoe with the label “gapa,” a dog with the label “boller,” a dog in a canoe with the label “bollergapa,” and an image of a dog on a cruise ship with the label “bollergapi.” “.
These images can be studied by a student to discover guidelines and trends. The other images on the test can then be interpreted using these rules. The images are always connected to the ones that the rules offer.
What score do I need to pass the DLAB?
A passing score for the DLAB is 95. The Defense Language Aptitude Battery has a maximum possible score of 164. Depending on the language they wish to learn or the languages that are in demand, a person may need to obtain a higher score than the cutoff point. Depending on how challenging a language is for a native English speaker to learn, each falls into a specific category. The categories are:
The passing score for a Category I language is 95. For Categories II, III, and IV, respective passing marks are 100, 105, and 110. Some military branches may accept lower scores. For instance, the Marines accept a 90 for languages in Category I and Category II.
FAQ
What is the Defense Language Aptitude Battery test?
A two-hour long standardized government test called the Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) is used to gauge a person’s aptitude for learning a foreign language.
Where do I take the Defense Language Aptitude Battery?
At two major installations, the military receives instruction in foreign languages, and DLAB is your pass. These two schools are the Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, California (DLIFLCPOMCA), and DLI-Washington, in Washington, DC (previously known as DLI-East).
What is a good score on the DLAB?
A 95 is regarded as a passing score on the DLAB. What is a good score? Because it is the cutoff for admission to the Defense Language Institute and some basic languages, a score of 95 is regarded as passing.
Is the DLAB test hard?
For the majority of Linguist positions across all Military branches, it is a requirement. Given that the Military withholds specific information about what will be tested during DLAB, you might not be sure what to expect from the examination. The DLAB test may be challenging, but careful planning will help you succeed.
