According to the Defense Language Institute’s (DLI) student handbook, you are only required to receive a 95 or above to be admitted to the Language school. You can find this information from the direct source here on page 19:
http://www.dliflc.edu/generalcatalog.html
However just because you get below a 95 on the DLAB, does not mean you cannot attend DLI. As with most things in the military, you can always get a waiver, so don’t be discouraged and instead ask your recruiter or CO to endorse you in the waiver process. Or if you are one of those that that receives a 94 or below, then also remember that you can retake the DLAB. The DLAB only requires that you wait 6 months before you take it again. So as we say at the DLAB Prep, take it early and take it often.
Now some people will argue the requirement of a score of 95 and to an extent they are right. In some cases, certain programs will “state” that they require a 100 or above or some other score. There are too many programs out there to list them all and in most cases, this requirement that they make is only by word of mouth and can’t be found. Sometimes what they are really saying is “Yes 95 is the requirement but we recommend a 105 for this program.” But there are some programs that do have strict requirements and have listed them in official documents. I will list some below however if you know of others please add them to the comments box below and we will update the list:
Foreign Area Officer (FAO): Requires you to achieve a 105 so as to be able to enroll in any category language. However, if you are applying to become a FAO, then it is recommended you achieve at least a 120 or above so as to be competitive in the board.Olmsted Scholar: The Olmsted Scholarship program states that you need at least a 105 however also states that the average scores of all selected for the program
Olmsted Scholar: The Olmsted Scholarship program states that you need at least a 105 however also states that the average scores of all selected for the program is a 130.While the DLI requirement is 95, you are best served
While the DLI requirement is 95, you are best served to try to get as high a grade as possible. In most cases, you are competing against others for a spot. Even if you are looking to enter Crypto or become a linguist, the military only has so many spots for this and your DLAB score will be one of the most critical factors is deciding whether or not you will move on in the world of languages. So even if you have a 95, it is the DLAB Preps highest recommendation that you take our advice and strive to acquire a score above 105 and even higher.