HERE SHE IS: 54 (6/7/8)
It feels like a rite of passage after three weeks of non-stop eating, breathing, and sleeping only "lift, weight, thrust, and drag" so here's my obligatory ASTB experience post. I have linked to
my Google Drive with all materials I reference in this post.
I also compiled a 40 page document of synthesized information from the most pertinent chapters of two versions of the FAA Ground Manual, complete with a lot of really critical graphics. I'll personally message this to anyone who wants it, as I think it is best reserved for those who are very serious about studying.
Very briefly-- I'm a federal economist with a BS and MS in Economics. I have a calculus and statistics background from the nature of my work. I have had no physics instruction beyond the 11th grade and my dad still changes my oil.
I studied a total of three weeks for the test, intending to only take it once. Luckily, I was able to study consistently throughout the week, averaging 6 hours a day. This is not an exaggeration. When you start to drift off in reading or become discouraged with the seemingly endless amount of materials to cover (which I did, many times) envision yourself in the exam room taking the test. What do you need to know in that moment? What bit of information would you wish you had seen before the exam? Look back at your study materials--it might be there.
1. Stay hydrated
2. Do push-ups between sections to release nervous energy
3. Do not let perceived performance on prior sections affect performance on forthcoming sections
4.
Be Confident
MST: I completed about 5 or 6 packets of 100-question samples to prepare. The math is not difficult
if you are familiar with how to solve it. Make yourself familiar with how to solve a vast array of questions for a variety of practice sources. You will be in excellent shape you are seeing a type of problem for the 3rd, 4th, 5th.. time when you see it on the exam. See posts #5241 and #5242 for a good supply of practice material. (Credit to user JbtheArchitect)
Reading: Make no assumptions. If a response employs definitive terms such as "only" or "never" it is likely making assumptions. Look at the syntax of different nouns in the responses. I found that two responses would differ only be the order in which the subjects were placed. I thought of it in terms of functions: if the paragraph indicates that X influences Y, with Z supplemental information, a response of Y makes Z with X associated is not correct. Pay attention to the subjects, especially. Chief of Naval Operations is not the same as Chief Naval Training Command or Naval Training Operations Management, etc. Admittedly, I did not study for this section, I just understood which answers tend to be correct. I felt very confident in this section.
MCT: A lot of this portion is pretty intuitive and relies mostly on a few predictable concepts: Bernoulli's Principle, relationships between temperature, pressure, velocity, and density, pulley systems, types of circuits, Newton's Laws. Reviewing the mechanical flashcards in the Drive along with the formula sheet (just to understand relationships, not for memorization) and you will be covered well.
[Take the
full 15 minute break prior to the ASTB portion. You're doing well. Drive it home.]
ANIT: I started from ground zero on this one. I began with reading The FAA Ground Manual Chapters 1-5, then selectively subsequent Flight Instrument, Performance in Take-off and Descent, and Airspace Operations Chapters. I READ THEM, not skimmed. It took about a week to fully read, understand, and compile my synthesized document. Understand Flight Aerodynamics. Understand the effects of temperature and elevation on aircraft performance. Know your density altitude characteristics. Know about that sound barrier and Mach 1. There are ample flashcards in the drive. All are a good to review. This section had me feeling like I had the answer key due to my preparation.
If you have time, read that FAA manual. It's written at a digestible level and is the foundation for everything aviation-related.
UAV/Spatial: The flashcards, obviously. Make your compass, per the Compass Trick (YouTube it.) All things you've seen on here by now. Practice exclusively with your left hand. Make your compass small enough with enough clearance to rotate between your thumb and index finger without catching. Practice keeping your left arm elevated and prevent shoulder fatigue if possible. Practice identifying and selecting a parking lot with your mouse on a computer screen (I created a template, located in the Drive.) I started learning this method 5 days prior. It didn't take too long, it's all muscle memory. My response times were consistently under two seconds with only two incorrect responses.
Dichotic Listening: Tilt your head downwards towards the target ear. Don't be trigger happy. I wrote down all odd numbers on my left to correspond with the throttle button and all even numbers on my right to correspond with the trigger button. The visual cue assisted me and took one less cognitive step out of the transaction. I did not study for this.
The 'Fun' Part: Yes, it's as chaotic as everyone says, towards the end. Heck, even in the beginning for me. I could feel the pity of the recruiter when during the screening questions he asked if I ever played video games and I responded with a keen "No, never." I suppose the equipment differs slightly at every station so try to maximize your efforts in the practice portions. When you reach the dichotic listening/simulation part,
listening is more important. I heard this tip in a YouTube video. It is worth repeating;
listening is more important. I can confidently say I was on either target zero percent of the time, but I was extremely responsive to the listening targets. The same goes for the emergency scenarios: write them down and make them the priority. Targets will not matter in an emergency scenario.
Then, my sweet friends, in the words of Frodo Baggins, "It's over, it's done."
