Not many young people qualified for the military
75 percent of young people are not eligible to enlist because of their criminal record or for lack of physical fitness or lack of a high school education.
Out of the remaining 25 percent, all with GED or high school diploma, another 20+ percent fail to score even 31 points out of a possible 99. The questions are hardly impossible; many are like if 2+x=4, what is x?
The cutoff is higher for every other branch of the service.
The test is valid—-in today’s armed forces, almost every task has a technical element, a computer component. Those who can’t pass the test can’t do the job.
Educators expressed dismay that so many high school graduates are unable to pass a test of basic skills.
“It’s surprising and shocking that we are still having students who are walking across the stage who really don’t deserve to be and haven’t earned that right,” said Tim Callahan with the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, a group that represents more than 80,000 educators.
Kenneth Jackson, 19, of Miami, enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school. He said passing the entrance exam is easy for those who paid attention in school, but blamed the education system for why more recruits aren’t able to pass the test.
“The classes need to be tougher because people aren’t learning enough,” Jackson said.