ASTB...Tomorrow!!

[CalPolyPilot]

I am driving to Los Angeles tomorrow to take the test. I just took another practice test today out of the ARCO 6th Edition and I used the time limits and such. I didn't miss any questions from the spatial appreciation or aviation/nautical parts. I believe I averaged around 75% right in both the mechanical and math/reading portions. Does anyone have any last minute suggetions for me? Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated...Thanks.

 

[dephyler]

Get plenty of sleep.

Good luck!

 

[mc282000]

My .02 -

1. Get a good amount of rest tonight. Don't stay up late trying to cram for the test. You need to be well rested and on your "A" game tommorow.​

2. Don't try to cram for the test tonight. If you don't know it by now, cramming will probably do more harm than good. If you do any studying, just take a couple practice tests on the sections you didn't do so well on.​

3. Relax during the test. I studied hard for this test for a couple of months, and when the test came around, I blew through the sections with no time issues (and scored well if your wondering, 8/8/9/65). Hopefully for your sake, you've studied enough, and if you have, then you don't have much to worry about.​

4. Don't spend too much time on one question. Skip it if you can't figure it out within 30 sec. Once you're through that section, go back to the questions you skipped (be sure to keep track of them on your scratch paper) and look at them again, if you still can't get it, look through the possible answers and try to work backwards or just pick the one that makes the most sense.

- Case and point, I had a question that asked me about calculating something like resistance or some physics force that I had no idea how to calculate. But, I conceptually realized that the force they were asking me to calculate would be zero and so I easily found the answer by looking through the available choices for the force = 0.​

​

This is all advice you've probably heard before, but that's because it's important. Don't neglect these simple tips and definately don't overthink the test. Go out there, do your best and you'll be fine.

PM me if you have any other questions. Good luck.

 

[theblakeness]

you have to drive to LA to take the ASTB now??? I did it at the SLO recruiting office years ago.

 

[LoneSailor]

Manage your time well during the spatial apperception portion of the test. Eat well the morning of the test day, and also make sure you rid yourself of bodily waste before the test so it won't distract you . Good luck.

 

[CalPolyPilot]

Yea, Chief Bonilla was afraid if he mailed the test to the SLO office it might get lost. I guess several have gotten lost in the past. And when I take it on the computer tomorrow I'll get my scores instantly. I only have one class tomorrow and I can afford to miss it so I dont mind.

 

[Praying4OCS]

Good Luck!

 

[CalPolyPilot]

Thanks for all of your input. It seems like the the general theme is to eat well tonight and tomorrow morning and get a good night sleep. I definitely plan to and I think I 'm going to go over few more nautical and mechanical ideas today, but thats it.

 

[Mattatron]

First off, relax. Get a good night sleep prior, wear comfortable clothes and try to calm yourself as much as possible before you go in (take deep breaths and so on). Its not that bad man, I promise. Plus you can take it over if you do dork it up. Do your best, watch the time and don't get frustrated if a question stops you up. believe in yourself and do the best you can. If it makes you feel better I studies the same books you did and got picked up for SNA. Luck doesn't matter at this point, if you believe you have prepared enough you'll be fine.

 

[SailingSkyHawk]

Good luck man, I hope you do well.

 

[theblakeness]

Thanks for all of your input. It seems like the the general theme is to eat well tonight and tomorrow morning and get a good night sleep. I definitely plan to and I think I 'm going to go over few more nautical and mechanical ideas today, but thats it.

yeah, back when I took it they only had written tests.

Anyway..good luck and dont stress over it. I thought the hardest part was the Spacial only because of the time restraint.

Do good so you maybe you wont have to work for the bullshit that is the jet center anymore

 

[JJH]

Good luck to you, I take the test in 2 days.
Did anyone take the test recently that can tell me what to expect as far as the nautical questions? Is the coverage in Arco a good representation? What about naval history? Rank? Overall how does the actual test compare to what is covered in questions in Arco?
Thanks

 

[red_ryder]

Not much on rank at all, that I remember. History was limited to probably the very most important date or two, like when the navy began.

Nautical terms were pretty basic.

 

[SkywardET]

Good luck to you, I take the test in 2 days.
Did anyone take the test recently that can tell me what to expect as far as the nautical questions? Is the coverage in Arco a good representation? What about naval history? Rank? Overall how does the actual test compare to what is covered in questions in Arco?
Thanks

I found Barron's to be more useful than Arco in general. The nautical questions are not too tough if you have the gouge for them that's found on the web or in the study books designed for the ASTB. Stuff like the port/stbd running light colors, colors of an airfield's lights at night, various parts of a ship such as the bow, etc.

I don't recall any questions over rank or naval history, but there are three versions of the test so who knows?

 

[Navel_Avatar]

Good luck to you, I take the test in 2 days.
Did anyone take the test recently that can tell me what to expect as far as the nautical questions? Is the coverage in Arco a good representation? What about naval history? Rank? Overall how does the actual test compare to what is covered in questions in Arco?
Thanks

Here's one that caught me off guard on the exam:

"Where on the ship is the 'forecastle' located?"