Some clarification about ASTB scoring

[AirGuy]

From what I understand, an AQR, PFAR, FOFAR, and the OAR scores are given. The AQR, PFAR, and FOFAR are given in Stanines. So who are they comparing you with? I've read that you can get your scores instantly if you take the web version. Apparently, there are also only 3 forms of the ASTB. So this means there is a group that you are compared with and then given you stanine scores right?

So are you being compared to a group that previously took the ASTB or are you being compared to the people that took the test when you did? If the comparison is to the latter, then what is a large (50%) of people in your "test group" make perfect scores in the math, and aviation sections? Then would that mean that the guy who missed one question would suddenly have a 4 - 5 stanine score?

Thanks.

 

[Renegade One]

From what I understand, ...there is a group that you are compared with and then given you stanine scores right? Then would that mean that the guy who missed one question would suddenly have a 4 - 5 stanine score? Thanks.

You "had me" at stanines...

Seriously…probably a good question…But I've got nothing...

 

[AirGuy]

You "had me" at stanines...

Seriously…probably a good question…But I've got nothing...

Let's say that you have 100 guys (call them guys 0 - 99) that took the ASTB. Let's also say that the ASTB sections (Math, Reading, Mechanical etc..) had 100 questions and were scored from 0 - 99, 1 point for every right question (this is called "raw score"). And guy #0 has a score of 0, guy #1 has a score of 1 and so on.

Look at this picture:

Guys 0 - 4 would have a stanine score of 1 because they were the lowest 4% of scores. Guys 96 - 99 would have a 9 because they were the top 4% of scores. The majority of people (guys 23 - 77) would fall between a score of 4- 6 (the 23 - 77 %). So when people put their ASTB scores out like 4/6/5, those are the stanine numbers. It is not a means to predict their "raw score" on the actual subsections like Math, Reading etc. Because if everyone made a perfect except for 1 guy, then that 1 guys would be the bottom 4% percentile, even if he only missed 1 question. And it works the other way around too. If everyone failed miserably and made 0 except for 1 guy who got exactly 1 question right, then that 1 guy would have a 9. Those are usually not real life scenarios, but you know what I mean.

So I was wondering who you are being compared with when you receive you stanine scores, a set standard, or the others who took the test. Since there are only 3 forms of the actual ASTB test and people take it at different times, it's hard to tell how they rank.

 

[wlawr005]

You are too smart to be a pilot...seek employment elsewhere.

 

[jbweldon04]

You're Nuking it. Study hard and it'll all come together.

 

[ea6bflyr]

Not sure why it matters.

In the end, you'll receive a score and it may or may not be competitive.

-ea6bflyr

 

[LFCFan]

This test cannot be compared to everyone you took it with that day like the AFOQT or other standardized tests outside of the military, if that is what you are concerned about (you get your results right after hitting submit). You'll have to ask an Aerospace Experimental Psychologist how it is actually scored (you vs. initial test group, you vs. everyone to have taken it previously, etc)

So you needn't worry about doing it the same day as all the NROTC detachments at awesome engineering schools or anything like that.

 

[AirGuy]

You are too smart to be a pilot...seek employment elsewhere.

I wasn't trying to showoff, I was just trying to explain it to Renegrade. Although looking back, he was probably being sarcastic too.

 

[AirGuy]

This test cannot be compared to everyone you took it with that day like the AFOQT or other standardized tests outside of the military, if that is what you are concerned about (you get your results right after hitting submit). You'll have to ask an Aerospace Experimental Psychologist how it is actually scored (you vs. initial test group, you vs. everyone to have taken it previously, etc)

So you needn't worry about doing it the same day as all the NROTC detachments at awesome engineering schools or anything like that.

So you get your raw scores after submitting but have to wait until you get the 1 - 9 scores?

About the NROTC dets, what do I have to do eventually? I'm not sure what you are referring to.

 

[Jim123]

I wasn't trying to showoff, I was just trying to explain it to Renegrade. Although looking back, he was probably being sarcastic too.

Don't worry about it. You didn't seem to be showing off for showing off's sake (JMHO); you actually did a pretty decent job of explaining a bell curve/stanines/NSS (which are basically all the same thing).

It was actually a little funny to watch the thread unfold. You unwittingly hit a nerve--in a good way--in the sense that it frustrates a lot of guys that they don't really understand how those scores are calculated. You see, everybody is blessed with certain gifts and talents but not everybody is blessed with the gift of math.

And wlawr005 zinged you pretty good

 

[AirGuy]

Don't worry about it. You didn't seem to be showing off for showing off's sake (JMHO); you actually did a pretty decent job of explaining a bell curve/stanines/NSS (which are basically all the same thing).

It was actually a little funny to watch the thread unfold. You unwittingly hit a nerve--in a good way--in the sense that it frustrates a lot of guys that they don't really understand how those scores are calculated. You see, everybody is blessed with certain gifts and talents but not everybody is blessed with the gift of math.

And wlawr005 zinged you pretty good

Haha. That's a good way to look at it. Thanks Jim.


This is a bit off topic but since you brought it up... I looked at NSS. So just to make sure students are given a raw flight score and that is compared with your class to make your NSS (the score during flight training)? I know that's far ahead but can't hurt to know right?

 

[exNavyOffRec]

From what I understand, an AQR, PFAR, FOFAR, and the OAR scores are given. The AQR, PFAR, and FOFAR are given in Stanines. So who are they comparing you with? I've read that you can get your scores instantly if you take the web version. Apparently, there are also only 3 forms of the ASTB. So this means there is a group that you are compared with and then given you stanine scores right?

So are you being compared to a group that previously took the ASTB or are you being compared to the people that took the test when you did? If the comparison is to the latter, then what is a large (50%) of people in your "test group" make perfect scores in the math, and aviation sections? Then would that mean that the guy who missed one question would suddenly have a 4 - 5 stanine score?

Thanks.

It is straight scoring, a person that takes it tomorrow and answers every question the same as a person that took it 5 years ago will get the exact same score, that is why test scores are good for life, something that is scored stanine would have to have an expiration date as it would be unfair to those who took it at different times, in addition the test versions generated are random, so it is possible for form 3 to have been given 40% of the time, form 4 30% and form 5 30%

 

[Renegade One]

Not sure why it matters.

In the end, you'll receive a score and it may or may not be competitive.

-ea6bflyr

^^^ This. I mean…even if you knew…what could/would you do about it?

Don't worry about it. You didn't seem to be showing off for showing off's sake (JMHO); you actually did a pretty decent job of explaining a bell curve/stanines/NSS (which are basically all the same thing)... You see, everybody is blessed with certain gifts and talents but not everybody is blessed with the gift of math.

I think I want to say "ouch"…but don't know why. I might be "Guy 0". Not that there's/was anything wrong with that...

 

[AirGuy]

It is straight scoring, a person that takes it tomorrow and answers every question the same as a person that took it 5 years ago will get the exact same score, that is why test scores are good for life, something that is scored stanine would have to have an expiration date as it would be unfair to those who took it at different times, in addition the test versions generated are random, so it is possible for form 3 to have been given 40% of the time, form 4 30% and form 5 30%

I see. So it's not really stanine that you are being compared in percentiles. Rather they give the stanine numbers to make it easier to understand, because the AQR, PFAR, and FOFAR are determined by a combination of other scores? Is this right?

 

[Jim123]

I think I want to say "ouch"…but don't know why. I might be "Guy 0". Not that there's/was anything wrong with that...

I didn't want to phrase it "cursed with the gift of math" and end up discouraging the young man

This is a bit off topic but since you brought it up... I looked at NSS. So just to make sure students are given a raw flight score and that is compared with your class to make your NSS (the score during flight training)? I know that's far ahead but can't hurt to know right?

The short version is yes, that's it more or less (except that you and the students who finish at the same time as you don't figure into the average until the next group finishes). The detailed version is search engine... search engine... search engine...