Hey everyone,
Just took my ASTB-E for the second time. (First time I took the original ASTB back in freshman year of college when it was computerized without the PBM, and got a 4/5/5). I am now a second semester senior. Sports Medicine/Health Science major. Today, I scored a 7/8/8 and a 57 OAR. I thought it might be useful for others to absorb how the test went for me:
Preparation: I spent about two weeks preparing for the test. I thought Barron's, Peterson's, and this forum were the most helpful resources. Arguably however, I felt that this forum was the best preparation for what to expect and strategies to do well.
Math: I felt that the math wasn't too bad. I saw about 4 word problems. These consisted of mainly rates and questions such as "one person leaves at this time, the other leaves two hours later, how long will it take one to reach two if two is traveling faster than the other" etc... I also saw basic algebra, fractional exponents, and simplifying equations. I did not see binary or matrices like other people have claimed here.
Reading: GOD was this boring. The best advice I can give test-takers here is to just pay attention as best you can. The material is dry. And it gets harder, the answers are more and more alike and you must choose the best fit for the material. Watch for subtle changes such as word placement or incorrect word usage in answers in reference to the paragraph at hand. At times I had to read the passage 3-4 times just to stay focused.
Mechanical: There was nothing in the mechanical section that I had not seen while reviewing with Barron's or Peterson's. A lot of it is simple equations such as F=MA, W=FD, or simple pulley systems. Some other things I saw were the water flow question about which valves need to be open. Additionally, I also saw a question or two about levers/fulcrums. An example was " this wrench requires x ftlbs of torque to operate, but if the user wanted to use y ftlbs, what would the length of the wrench have to be?" Nothing out of the ordinary.
Aviation/Nautical: This section was interesting. It ended pretty quickly. I studied this meticulously before taking the test and thought I knew everything there was about the Navy. My biggest suggestion is know airplane fundamentals ie: how the airplane banks, rolls, and general plane anatomy and its function. I got some really random questions that I had no idea about, but had to just make an educated guess.
Don't worry about the personality part. Is what it is. Just be truthful about who you are.
PBM:
1)UAV: USE THE COMPASS TRICK. I missed maybe 3 or 4 and that was my own fault. The compass trick is a lifesaver!!!!!
2) PBM: The tracking is hard. No question about it. Just do your best to track the plane. For the dichotic listening, LEAN IN LIKE EVERYONE SAYS. IT TRULY HELPS! And for the Emergency Procedures, I felt it necessary to write them down. I recited them a few times before doing the actual "Test" part. It helps. My best advice with the PBM that helped me was really try to concentrate. Lean in and only listen for what you need to hear. Close your eyes if that helps you. It helped me! Everyone is different though. Hopefully someone has picked up maybe a tip or two from reading this however. This forum was INSTRUMENTAL to my success.
I will be submitting my app ASAP for the next board. Hoping for the best here! 3.1 GPA, good references and then the results of the ASTB after today. My top choices are SNA, NFO, SWO.