U.S. Navy · Special Operations

SO Special Warfare Operator (SEAL)

Navy Special Warfare Operators (SO / SEAL) conduct direct action, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, and unconventional warfare. The Navy Special Operations Matrix in the Navy Recruiting Manual publishes four alternative ASVAB paths into the rating, and three of them can be scored on the current test battery: VE + AR ≥ 108 (which also carries a Mechanical Comprehension floor of 50), GS + MC + EI ≥ 167, or AR + MK + VE + AO ≥ 216. Whichever path you clear, the manual also requires AR + MK ≥ 100. The fourth printed path, VE + MK + MC + CS ≥ 216, is scored on Coding Speed — a subtest the ASVAB no longer contains — so it is documented below rather than evaluated here.

last verified 2026-08-03

SO (Special Warfare Operator (SEAL)) is in the Navy and requires a minimum AFQT of 50 and any one of VE+AR ≥ 108 (which also requires MC ≥ 50), GS+MC+EI ≥ 167, or AR+MK+VE+AO ≥ 216, plus AR+MK ≥ 100 in every case. Last verified 2026-08-03 against COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8Q (Navy Recruiting Manual — Enlisted, 30 Jan 2025), Exhibit 5-7 Navy Special Operations Matrix.

Quick check

Can I qualify for this job?

Enter the scores you already know. Leave a box blank if you do not have that score yet. Any one listed line-score path can qualify.

AFQT minimum 50Enter AFQT
VE+AR minimum 108Enter VE+AR
GS+MC+EI minimum 167Enter GS+MC+EI
AR+MK+VE+AO minimum 216Enter AR+MK+VE+AO

Plain requirement

What you need.

  • Min AFQT50
  • Training~64 weeks
  • VE+AR line score≥ 108
  • GS+MC+EI line score≥ 167
  • AR+MK+VE+AO line score≥ 216

Meet any one listed line-score path.

AFQT 50 is a percentile. The line scores above are not — they are Navy composites, weighted sums of your ASVAB subtest standard scores. Work yours out from your score sheet with the Navy ASVAB line score calculator.

Source: COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8Q (Navy Recruiting Manual — Enlisted, 30 Jan 2025), Exhibit 5-7 Navy Special Operations Matrix · last verified 2026-08-03.

Role brief

About SO — Special Warfare Operator (SEAL).

Navy Special Warfare Operators (SO / SEAL) conduct direct action, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, and unconventional warfare. The Navy Special Operations Matrix in the Navy Recruiting Manual publishes four alternative ASVAB paths into the rating, and three of them can be scored on the current test battery: VE + AR ≥ 108 (which also carries a Mechanical Comprehension floor of 50), GS + MC + EI ≥ 167, or AR + MK + VE + AO ≥ 216. Whichever path you clear, the manual also requires AR + MK ≥ 100. The fourth printed path, VE + MK + MC + CS ≥ 216, is scored on Coding Speed — a subtest the ASVAB no longer contains — so it is documented below rather than evaluated here.

Starting pay · 2026

What this job pays as a junior enlisted member.

Base pay is set by pay grade, not by job — every Navy enlistee at the same grade earns the same monthly base pay. These are the 2026 active-duty rates (3.8% raise, effective 2026-01-01).

GradeRankMonthly base payService
E-1Seaman Recruit (SR)$2,407after 4 months of service
E-2Seaman Apprentice (SA)$2,698under 2 years
E-3Seaman (SN)$2,837under 2 years
E-4Petty Officer 3rd Class$3,142under 2 years
  • Plus food allowance (BAS)$460/moFlat enlisted rate, tax-free, paid on top of base pay.
  • Plus housing allowance (BAH)Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is paid on top of base pay and is tax-free, but it varies by duty-station ZIP code, pay grade, and whether you have dependents — there is no single nationwide figure. Use the official DoD BAH calculator for your assignment location.DoD BAH rate lookup →

Source: DFAS 2026 active-duty basic pay tables (3.8% raise, effective Jan 1 2026) · last verified 2026-05-23 · date retrieved 2026-05-23.

Eligibility notes

What SO candidates should check.

  • The three paths are alternatives: clear any ONE of VE + AR ≥ 108, GS + MC + EI ≥ 167, or AR + MK + VE + AO ≥ 216. On top of whichever path you use, AR + MK ≥ 100 is required in every case, and the VE + AR ≥ 108 path additionally requires a Mechanical Comprehension (MC) score of at least 50.
  • A fourth path printed in the same table, VE + MK + MC + CS ≥ 216, cannot be scored on the test you will actually sit. CS is Coding Speed, and the subtests the DoD ASVAB program currently publishes are General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information, Auto Information, Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension and Assembling Objects — Coding Speed is not among them. The manual publishes AR + MK + VE + AO ≥ 216 at the same 216 minimum and Assembling Objects (AO) is on the current battery, so that is the four-test path this page evaluates. The manual writes that sum in more than one order — VE + AR + MK + AO on the SEAL row and AR + MK + VE + AO elsewhere — but it is the same four scores added together. If a recruiter quotes you the Coding Speed combination, ask which current-battery path applies to you.
  • Widely reproduced SEAL score lists still quote VE + AR = 110, GS + MC + EI = 170 and VE + MK + MC + CS = 220, and present the MC ≥ 50 floor as applying to every path. Those figures do not match the 30 January 2025 recruiting manual, which publishes 108, 167 and 216 and attaches the MC ≥ 50 floor to the VE + AR path only. This page follows the manual.
  • The manual's line-score waiver guidance (paragraph 050602f) lets Navy Recruiting Command consider a waiver of up to six points on a two-test combination, nine points on a three-test combination and twelve points on a four-test combination, but authorizes no waiver at all for a single-test minimum such as MC ≥ 50. SEAL applicants are additionally interviewed and approved by a Naval Special Warfare coordinator, so treat any waiver as case-by-case rather than expected.
  • The Special Operations Matrix lists no AFQT minimum for SO beyond the Navy enlistment floor of 31. The AFQT 50 shown on this page is the SEAL program figure published by the SEAL community reference below; the same reference notes that men who succeed at BUD/S traditionally post AFQT scores of 78 or better.

What ASVAB score do you need to be a Navy SEAL?

There is no single SEAL ASVAB number. Per the Navy Special Operations Matrix in COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8Q (30 January 2025) you qualify on the line scores by clearing any one of VE + AR ≥ 108 (which also requires MC ≥ 50), GS + MC + EI ≥ 167, or AR + MK + VE + AO ≥ 216 — and in every case AR + MK ≥ 100. The Navy enlistment AFQT floor is 31; the SEAL program figure is 50, and successful BUD/S candidates typically score 78 or higher.

Do you have to meet all of the SEAL line-score combinations?

No. The composite paths are alternatives — clearing VE + AR ≥ 108, GS + MC + EI ≥ 167, or AR + MK + VE + AO ≥ 216 each satisfies the requirement on its own. AR + MK ≥ 100 is the one combination you must meet in every case, on top of whichever path you pass, and the VE + AR path carries the extra MC ≥ 50 floor.

What is VE+MK+MC+CS = 220, and can you still take the Coding Speed test?

VE + MK + MC + CS is a legacy SEAL path: CS is Coding Speed, which is not one of the subtests on the ASVAB the Department of Defense publishes today, so a current results sheet has no CS score to put in that sum. The recruiting manual prints the combination at 216 (older SEAL score lists say 220) alongside AR + MK + VE + AO ≥ 216, which uses Assembling Objects and is scored on the current battery. Qualify on one of the three current-battery paths and ask your recruiter to confirm which combination they are scoring you against.

What are the rating requirements for SO Special Warfare Operator (SEAL)?

The Navy Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) rating (SO) requires a minimum AFQT of 50 and any one of VE+AR ≥ 108 (which also requires MC ≥ 50), GS+MC+EI ≥ 167, or AR+MK+VE+AO ≥ 216, plus AR+MK ≥ 100 in every case, with initial training of about 64 weeks. Those are the ASVAB-based entry requirements; a recruiter confirms the full enlistment picture (medical, background, and current openings). Source: COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8Q (Navy Recruiting Manual — Enlisted, 30 Jan 2025), Exhibit 5-7 Navy Special Operations Matrix, last verified 2026-08-03.

How long is SO Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) training?

SO initial training runs about 64 weeks. Source: COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8Q (Navy Recruiting Manual — Enlisted, 30 Jan 2025), Exhibit 5-7 Navy Special Operations Matrix, last verified 2026-08-03.

Source: COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8Q (Navy Recruiting Manual — Enlisted, 30 Jan 2025), Exhibit 5-7 Navy Special Operations Matrix · last verified 2026-08-03 · date retrieved 2026-08-03.

Nearby targets

Related Navy score targets.

Related

Practice AFQT plus SO line-score subtests.

AFQT + VE+AR / GS+MC+EI / AR+MK+VE+AO practice targets

Compare Navy ASVAB requirements

Independent test-prep — not affiliated with DoD or the ASVAB program. See officialasvab.com for the test program.

Sources