How did you do? Let’s go through each question in turn, focusing on where and where not your attention should have focused. In terms of the first question, you’ll note this is typical of the contextual style of question we outlined earlier. The question is asking us to explain what the paragraph means by “contain” as the word is used in the paragraph. The most fundamental error you could make here is to assume you know the meaning of contain and then choose the most relevant answer. It’s crucial you bear context in mind, as many words have many different meanings, even within the confines of one paragraph.

In this sense, we’re looking at the idiom “to contain a problem” and not necessarily “to contain a liquid such as water”. It’s for this reason we’re compelled to choose C as the correct answer, as to “hold off” has the same contextual value as “impossible to contain”. It’s also worth noting many of these question types tend to ask questions such as “choose the most relevant word”, meaning you may be forced to choose between two similar but competing words. In this regard, you’ll be obliged to choose the most accurate word, as opposed to choosing between a correct and an incorrect word.

For the second question, you’re asked to understand the entire value and purpose of the piece and to decide the most appropriate title with this purpose in mind. This requires you to grasp the full and central meaning of the paragraph, something you should have gathered through implementation of the strategy we explicated earlier. If you’re rusty in this regard, it might be worth your while to go back and review the previous section, as it’s this strategy that has been devised with an aversion of these errors in mind. Nevertheless, the answer is (a) given how the piece is specifically about officers defying orders and being reprimanded (or punished) as a result.

In terms of question three, we find ourselves challenged to determine falsity for one of the sentences offered as an answer. Simply put – three statements are true and one is false and we need to determine which statement is false. This is akin to the fact-check type of question we described above. The correct answer is (b) as while the officers did remark experience was important in their overall role, they nonetheless acknowledged at the end of the piece how certain limitations defined their experience – meaning they had to act within the confines of the law as set down by existing legislation, even if their own judgments contradicted this.

So, we can see the type of information required of us by analyzing this paragraph:

Only through consistent practice will you be capable of answering these questions with fluency. Let’s not forget the time constraints imposed on you courtesy of exam conditions – is this something you think you could manage? If not, you should consider registering on our subscription program – one that offers hundreds of assessment questions, each based on the needs and type of question that appears on the ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension exam. But, before that, try to soak up the detail provided here in this study guide, as this will go a long way already to helping you achieve the goal of passing this component of your test.

With respect to these questions, also note how you approached answering them. Did you follow the strategy we outlined earlier? How many questions did you get correct? These two questions go hand-in-hand and should go some way to understanding the method you used in that sample question. By knowing which step you skipped, or which step you overlooked, you’ll learn to avoid making the same mistake again, and it’s this invaluable experience you gain as part of self-assessment questions. Consider each answer separately as you answer each question – as it’s through this methodical approach that you’re more likely to discern the correct answer each and every time.