1,001 questions about the ASTB (post your scores & ask your questions here!)

[BullGator]

Makk, I think you may have read some old gouge. From what I have read recently, all three forms' additional section (section #6 of 6, after the ANT section) are almost entirely based on aviation questions, and you get twice as much time to answer the same amount of questions as in the ANT section. I took form #5, by the way.

ASTB Format:
Math
Verbal (paragraph comprehension)
Mechanical
-15 min break-
Spatial Apperception (SAT)
Aviation and Nautical Info (ANT)
Additional section (Aviation)

When you take the exam, you are randomly assigned your ASTB form number.

 

[Makk85]

Thanks for the info, can't get enough of it

 

[femaviator]

help

I took the ASTB today after a week of studying for it and I didn't do that hot. I got a OAR 44 and then 3 3 3 for the aviation sections. I studied the Barron's book and the gouge on this website. Anyone have suggestions of what else I should study? I'm going to retake it again in 30 days. I just want to be an officer in aviation. I don't really care whether i'm a pilot or an NFO as long as I get to be in aviation. Which aviation section is easier to study for position-wise and is my best chance of getting a 5? Please let me know. Thanks.

 

[ea6bflyr]

I took the ASTB today after a week of studying for it and I didn't do that hot. I got a OAR 44 and then 3 3 3 for the aviation sections. I studied the Barron's book and the gouge on this website. Anyone have suggestions of what else I should study? I'm going to retake it again in 30 days. I just want to be an officer in aviation. I don't really care whether i'm a pilot or an NFO as long as I get to be in aviation. Which aviation section is easier to study for position-wise and is my best chance of getting a 5? Please let me know. Thanks.

My advice would be to re-study and this time take the studying seriously. Would you only study a week for the SAT/LSAT/MCAT/GRE? I think not....unless your name ends in Einstein. Take the 30 days and study your materials with passion. You can get better scores.

-ea6bflyr

 

[OUSOONER]

I took the ASTB today after a week of studying for it and I didn't do that hot. I got a OAR 44 and then 3 3 3 for the aviation sections. I studied the Barron's book and the gouge on this website. Anyone have suggestions of what else I should study? I'm going to retake it again in 30 days. I just want to be an officer in aviation. I don't really care whether i'm a pilot or an NFO as long as I get to be in aviation. Which aviation section is easier to study for position-wise and is my best chance of getting a 5? Please let me know. Thanks.

Think positively. Now you know what it is like. The questions aren't that difficult, it is the time allowed to complete each section that is the killer.

Also, you need to shoot as high as you can. Take a look at the stats of people who have been getting selected, they all have pretty high scores..(7 and up range). If 5 is your goal..you may get disappointed when you submit.

The information you have to study is more than adequate to score in that range. Just practice and practice, some people have studied for a month or longer. If you don't feel ready within 30 days..just extend it, it doesn't HAVE to be 30. If you don't do so hot, then you are stuck with the pressure of taking it your one and only last time...and that pressure would suck.

With regards to the aviation/nautical section. I suggest finding a private pilot license study guide, that is where they pull those questions from for the most part. Nautical, just know some basic stuff about a boat.

The mechanical area just focus not so much on doing math, but learning the concepts..if you try to memorize it you're going to fumble through the section and mix things up.

The spatial apperception section trips people up as well. If you know anyone who has a flight simulator game on the computer or something, that actually WILL help a lot. (Assuming you don't have prior flight time.) If you do not, then just like the math section...just do them over and over.

This is coming from someone who went from 5's and 6's to 8's and 9's. Good luck.

 

[BullGator]

I took the ASTB today after a week of studying for it and I didn't do that hot. I got a OAR 44 and then 3 3 3 for the aviation sections. I studied the Barron's book and the gouge on this website. Anyone have suggestions of what else I should study? I'm going to retake it again in 30 days. I just want to be an officer in aviation. I don't really care whether i'm a pilot or an NFO as long as I get to be in aviation. Which aviation section is easier to study for position-wise and is my best chance of getting a 5? Please let me know. Thanks.

The scores are mostly taken from different sections. If I remember correctly (they do break it down in the Barron's book, so check that for better gouge):
The pilot score is based more on ANT, SAT, and Mechanical sections.
The NFO score is based more on the ANT and Math sections.

As you can see, it is important to know the ANT info. That is also probably the hardest section to study for most people. It is a lot of information but not that in depth; as said before on AW, "a mile wide and an inch deep."


What gouge did you study?

___
ea6bflyr and OUsooner gave good advice. Study much harder and your scores will go up. Good luck.

 

[femaviator]

thanks

thanks for the advice everyone. i printed out a lot of stuff today and i was also told to read this book called "stick and rudder" so i got it. the gouge i studied was the navy one on navygouge.com

 

[getmeinaf18]

Sorry to butt in on this thread but I have some related questions.

What is pro-rec? Just started seeing that, I'm guessing its something to do with a recommendation?

Also, what's yall's advise on trying to get into activities now that I am 1/2 way through college and I have just been working full-time since I was 16, no sports or clubs or anything until now. Any recommendations?

I joined a local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and did some training and volunteer work with them, but I just joined about a year ago, when I decided to pursue a commission.

I have been trying to think of other things I can be doing. I obviously am not going to make it onto any of my college's athletic teams, but there has to be something. Ever since I was a teenager I have stayed active, I do a lot of snowboarding, hiking, wakeboarding, sailing, spearfishing and free diving, but not for any teams and there's no recognition for the things I've been doing. It's pretty frustrating, I wanna go back in time and kick my butt for not staying on the football team.

Anyone else in or was in this situation?

I took my ASTB last week: 8/8/8/64, and my GPA is 3.8.
Will those numbers mean nothing when they see I don't play any team sports?

 

[BullGator]

Sorry to butt in on this thread but I have some related questions.

What is pro-rec? Just started seeing that, I'm guessing its something to do with a recommendation? Professional recommendation

Also, what's yall's advise on trying to get into activities now that I am 1/2 way through college and I have just been working full-time since I was 16, no sports or clubs or anything until now. Any recommendations?

I joined a local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and did some training and volunteer work with them, but I just joined about a year ago, when I decided to pursue a commission. Sounds good

I have been trying to think of other things I can be doing. I obviously am not going to make it onto any of my college's athletic teams, but there has to be something. Ever since I was a teenager I have stayed active, I do a lot of snowboarding, hiking, wakeboarding, sailing, spearfishing and free diving, but not for any teams and there's no recognition for the things I've been doing. It's pretty frustrating, I wanna go back in time and kick my butt for not staying on the football team. Volunteering is good, like your CERT above; anything that shows leadership and initiative (school clubs...), imo

Anyone else in or was in this situation?

I took my ASTB last week: 8/8/8/64, and my GPA is 3.8.
Will those numbers mean nothing when they see I don't play any team sports?

Congrats on your ASTB scores. Some notes in red print above. Good luck!

Your GPA is also BAMF, congrats on that too. Have you talked with an OSO yet? You sound like a very strong candidate, though I don't know if the ASTB scores will help you much with the Marines since they use a pass fail system... It may help though, I really have no idea (note at first I thought that you were applying Navy, then saw your profile).

 

[getmeinaf18]

Congrats on your ASTB scores. Some notes in red print above. Good luck!

Your GPA is also BAMF, congrats on that too. Have you talked with an OSO yet? You sound like a very strong candidate, though I don't know if the ASTB scores will help you much with the Marines since they use a pass fail system... It may help though, I really have no idea (note at first I thought that you were applying Navy, then saw your profile).

Thanks. I initially was going for Marine PLC, but I was turned away by the OSO, which I am pretty sure was because of a drug arrest from 6 years ago. They didn't say it was because of that, but I am pretty sure it was. They never even let me get started on the application process, other than take my physical.

Now I am talking with the Navy, I guess I need to update my profile. I think the drug charge is going to kill me, so I am doing everything I can to make up for it and show that I am not the same guy I was back then. That's why I am really interested in finding out more about the subjects in this thread.

What makes a pro-rec different from a regular rec?

 

[BullGator]

Thanks. I initially was going for Marine PLC, but I was turned away by the OSO, which I am pretty sure was because of a drug arrest from 6 years ago. They didn't say it was because of that, but I am pretty sure it was. They never even let me get started on the application process, other than take my physical.

Now I am talking with the Navy, I guess I need to update my profile. I think the drug charge is going to kill me, so I am doing everything I can to make up for it and show that I am not the same guy I was back then. That's why I am really interested in finding out more about the subjects in this thread.

What makes a pro-rec different from a regular rec?

For the Navy (at least) you get pro-rec'd and then final select. Pro-rec is the hardest part of the process. After being pro-rec'd they look at your security clearance, MEPS (physical), and PRT (some OR make you do this before sending in your packet;mine does at least).

So the process is this:
1a. send in package
1b. wait for pro-rec or non-pro-rec

2. If pro-rec'd you go to MEPs and if you haven't already you take the PRT
2b. wait for final select

3. final select
3b. Get your OCS date and then sign the papers

____
PM on the way

 

[8WOOD]

I just took the ASTB and am waiting for the results. Honestly, I feel that I didn't do very well or as well as I usually do on tests. Did anyone that got higher scores than 6/6/6/ feel this way? The easiest part for me was the spacial apprehension.

Yup, waiting is driving me insane

 

[Junkball]

I just took the ASTB and am waiting for the results. Honestly, I feel that I didn't do very well or as well as I usually do on tests. Did anyone that got higher scores than 6/6/6/ feel this way?

I got a 7/8/7 and felt I could have done better with just a bit more studying.

 

[THendry]

So was mine. I got pro-rec'd no problem. Sure, a technical degree such as aerospace engineering is preferable to a degree in finance or basket weaving, but in the end it's more about:

For the professional recommendation (pro rec)
- ASTB
- GPA (ie. how well did you weave baskets or calculate the WACC)
- recommendation letters
- your motivational statement (do you just want to be like those buttslappers in Top Gun or do you really want to be a naval officer?)

For the Final selection
- are you in good shape (good low)
- security clearance (ie. have you been arrested?)
- are you healthy (MEPS)

Feel free to PM me, I just completed this whole process and I'm awaiting my FS letter. Don't sweat the finance degree, it's always a great backup in this economy anyway. You shouldn't have any problem getting a great 6 figure salary on Wall Street:icon_smil

I'm a finance major and am scared that my major will not help me out if I were to apply. I graduate next year and I'm thinking about BDCP instead of waiting until next year. I havn't even spoke to a recruiter yet. I've just been doing research online and reading a lot of what people have to say. It's nice to know another finance major made it through. Gives me some comfort.

 

[getmeinaf18]

Did anyone that got higher scores than 6/6/6/ feel this way?

I got 8/8/8 and I know that I could have done better. There were plenty of questions that I had to guess on, and I know if I do some more math practice and read an Aviation/Nautical book I would have more correctly answered questions. I told my recruiter that and he said that he wasn't going to let me take the ASTB again, so I guess my scores are good to go. Maybe I got lucky on all of those guesses.