Hey guys, took the ASTB for my third and final attempt on Friday and scored a
62 8/8/7.
Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone on AirWarriors. This forum has been hugely instrumental to me in the ASTB prep process, and I honestly don't think I could have gotten the scores I did without you all.
Here's a breakdown of how the test went for me/how I studied for each section:
MST:
- exponents, exponents, exponents...
- lots of probability (know your standard deck of cards)
- some rational equations
- geometry
- some complex systems of equations
- factoring
- radical equations
I used a plethora of resources to study for this section, but the most valuable in my opinion is Kyle's Drive. It has a TON of useful information on it, not only for math but also for the other portions.
Some other resources I found useful were IXL, Organic Chemistry Tutor, GRE test prep book (if you're currently in college, your college library probably has a TON of GRE test prep resources to check out), Newstone Prep, the ASTB app, and Barrons. I found the problems in Barron's practice tests a little bit easy in relation what I've seen on the test, but it's a great starting point.
*I really wished I practiced simplifying big fractions and multiplying/dividing out large numbers very quickly more though, because I think it took me a while to do this on the test*
RCT:
Super boring, super dry... I kept spacing out while reading the passages, and had to keep re-reading and re-reading the passage. Process of elimination is the best way to go here. I didn't really study for this section, but LSAT reading comp problems are pretty similar to what you get on the ASTB, so studying some practice problems might help.
www.lsac.org
MCT:
I felt like I did really well here, don't think I got any questions wrong. Some questions I got were:
- superconductivity question
- pulley questions
- kicking a football in the center of gravity, what happens?
- spiders sitting on a spinning record, which has the fastest linear speed?
- yo-yo problem
surprisingly, the FAA Pilot's Handbook is also a great resource for MCT. I found that while reading the pilot's handbook after studying MCT concepts, I could better understand the MCT material by applying it to aerodynamics/aircraft structural concepts covered in the handbook. There's also the added fact that a lot of the MCT questions are geared towards aviation-based concepts. For example, is linear speed faster on the outside of a spinning disc or on the inside? Hint: think of a propeller.
NATFI:
Just be honest. It's a refreshing break from the rest of the test, so just take your time and really think about which statement suits you best.
ANIT:
I also felt like I did really well on this section. I'm a private pilot so I knew a lot of the written-geared questions, but nevertheless I still prepared A LOT for this section.
Some questions were:
- beam of a ship
- night flying fuel minimums
- which one is NOT a type of flap?
- when do vortices form?
of course I got one or two questions I couldn't have possibly known the answer to, but seems like that's a pretty frequent trend (from what I've read in other posts).
A great way to study for this part is to read the FAA Pilot's Handbook. On Kyle's drive, you can find specific highlighted chapters you should read. Additionally, the 415 cram flashcards were pretty useful as well.
Study Flashcards On ASTB Aviation/Nautical Information Test (ANIT) [comprehensive] at Cram.com. Quickly memorize the terms, phrases and much more. Cram.com makes it easy to get the grade you want!
www.cram.com
UAV:
I averaged about 2-3 seconds on each target (took a little bit longer on one), didn't miss any.
I practiced really hard for this section, because in previous test attempts this portion kind of kicked my ass. I highly recommend studying the flashcards, and USING THE COMPASS TRICK! on my first attempt, I was really stupid and thought I could be quicker if I didn't use the compass trick but this plan backfired horribly because I missed a TON of targets plus took way too much time to answer.
Study Answer ASTB UAV Direction Test Flashcards Flashcards at ProProfs - Start studying and answer the ASTB UAV direction test with these flashcards quizzes. Anyone who is interested in these ASTB UAV direction topic can attempt the test through these flashcards quizzes
www.proprofsflashcards.com
Dichotic Listening:
I practiced by randomly generating strings of numbers and letters and putting it into a TTS engine which generated MP3 files. I sent one file to my phone, and kept another on my laptop and I would play one file in one ear and another file in the other ear while pressing the corresponding buttons for even/odd on my joystick and throttle. Also, whenever I was studying for school or just lounging around I would play one podcast in one ear, and another podcast or music in the other to help me get used to picking out information from a selected ear.
I feel like I did really well on this part, don't think I missed any cues. I wrote E on my right hand and O on my left hand to further help me remember which hand was for which numbers.
Vertical Tracking/Airplane Tracking:
A big difference between this attempt and the previous attempts on the test was that this time, I was actually really excited for this section. On the other two attempts, I dreaded the PBM portions because I convinced myself I would do badly on them. Have CONFIDENCE! Also, have fun. I actually caught myself smiling while tracking, and I basically just treated it like a video game.
I HIGHLY recommend buying a joystick/throttle set and practicing in the ASTB trainer. Besides using the ASTB trainer, I also played War Thunder where I would just take a plane for a test flight and fly around. I think this really helped
Combined Dichotic Listening/Vertical Tracking/Airplane Tracking:
Chaos, but totally doable. I think it was actually easier to listen to the dichotic listening tracks during this part just because of how tuned in I was.
Emergency Procedures:
Some may say to "just drop the controls and do the emergency procedure when the emergencies pop up", but I don't recommend this. For starters, the instructions on the test explicitly say to NOT stop "flying" the plane when the emergencies come up. Secondly, in real life you wouldn't just drop the controls while flying in the event of an emergency.
To anyone currently studying for their first, second, or third attempt - best of luck, and don't give up! remember that the test really isn't that bad when you put in the time and effort to thoroughly prepare, and remember to show up to the exam site confident and knowing you'll absolutely ace the test.
Fly Navy!
