For instance, one of the themes may refer to scientific words, or perhaps your weakness lies in descriptive words. Whatever theme you discover, jot it down as this can serve as a convenient guide in determining how you approach your overall study strategy. With this in mind, always keep to hand some form of dictionary, preferably an online dictionary. The reason for this is you can consult the dictionary not only for meaning, but also regular synonyms you can consult at the same time. This kills two birds with the one stone, allowing you to absorb more vocabulary at a quicker rate. Try to fill up the notepad each and every day, as it’s this type of consistency that establishes a solid result on the day of your ASVAB Word Knowledge exam.

Still, filling the notepad isn’t sufficient. You need to actively engage in how you write new vocabulary as well as how you approach revising these words. To illustrate this, let’s take the following word – Masquerade – and see how we should note this new word:

When you see numerous examples on the Internet for a given word, try to avoid directly copying down the example. Instead, try to formulate an example sentence in your own words. This helps your mind think actively about the new word, assisting its shift from your short-term memory stores into your long-term memory stores. If you directly copy and paste definitions and examples, you run the risk of falsely assuming you understand the word when, in fact, you simply deluded yourself. Try to avoid this delusion and make that little extra effort in the formulation of these example sentences. In addition to this, try to formulate the description of the ‘meaning’ in your own words too.

Set out some goals and how many words you’d like to know at the end of month one. Even if you only aim for 1-2 words a day, this can manifest itself up to 60 words per month, or 720 words per year! This is quite an astonishing difference for only a small investment each and every day. Your study goals should also include revision time, allowing you to go over and revise the words from the weeks before. This is a crucial component of your ASVAB Word Knowledge preparation, as it’s through this revision process that words become fully solidified in your memory. In addition, try to actively use these words in everyday speech, as this further helps to stick the word permanently into your long-term memory stores.

One of the best ways of learning new vocabulary is to simply read that little bit more! By reading, you’re not only learning new vocabulary, beneficial though this is, but are also learning how the word is used in context. This makes the word vastly more memorable. You should choose a book, or interesting blog, whose level of English is slightly above that of your own. This means it’s simple enough for you to grasp the meaning of the text, but complex enough to be dotted with some useful and interesting vocabulary that may appear on your ASVAB Word Knowledge test. Again, try to avoid overly abstract or complex texts, as this is surplus to the requirements of this particular exam.

Even if you read more through the Internet, magazines, and newspapers and so on, every little helps in this regard! If you are a keen reader, you will pick up words, phrases, contexts, and meanings almost through osmosis, and even if you dislike reading you can always choose a source from which you find a topic interesting – whether it is travel, sport, science, or fitness – you’re sure to find some source you find both vocabulary-rich and interesting. Though, try to diversify if possible as this exposes you to ever more vocabulary. As well as this, try to engage in writing, word puzzle games, and use of flashcards – additional mechanisms that bolster your learning in fun ways.