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1,001 questions about the ASTB (post your scores & ask your questions here!)
- Thread starter edato
- Start date
Heard the same thing from my recruiter, but that was over a month back and they'd been hearing the same thing for the three months prior to that. So who knows when/if that'll ever make it down the line.
Question about scores overall and what makes me look like a better SNA candidate.
1st attempt (Form 3) - 6/6/6 59
2nd attempt (Form 4) - 6/7/8 50
The head recruiter in the district office told me that my 59 OAR looked better than my 50 OAR with higher PFAR and FOFAR.
Is that really the case?
(And there's a good reason for the drop in OAR but I won't start bitching just yet)
1st attempt (Form 3) - 6/6/6 59
2nd attempt (Form 4) - 6/7/8 50
The head recruiter in the district office told me that my 59 OAR looked better than my 50 OAR with higher PFAR and FOFAR.
Is that really the case?
(And there's a good reason for the drop in OAR but I won't start bitching just yet)
that mike guy
JSUPT primary @ VAFB, Enid, OK
Lucy said:
Yes. Three is the minimum required, but you can have as many as you want (ten would probably be redundant and pointless). My reasoning for a possible more than three letters is to make sure you cover all your bases.
For example, I had my Dad's college roommate who has known me since birth and just so happens to be a retired Navy pilot and airboss (all around character/"military potential" POV), a professor from 2 graduate school courses, A's in both (academic POV), a boss from a tutoring/mentoring/teaching job (work ethic/academic POV), another retired Navy pilot who works at the pentagon, and a retired Army O-8 who has known me for about 8 years.
Some people may not have access to some of these sources, while some people may have even better sources; I guess I kind of lucked out on a couple of these, but i do know that my recruiter was impressed with the source and quality of LoRs I had. While the first 3 letters were probably ample in describing my all around aptitude for becoming a Naval officer and pilot, those last two letters were both from very solid sources and only helped to make me look like a more sound decision on paper. In an application where all you are is another stack of paper, don't you want that stack of paper to be of as high of a caliber as possible? If you (and your OR) feel that you have all these bases covered, then you should be golden.
And yes, Lucy's right,you definitely have time to get your package in for the April board. Good luck and let us know how it goes!!
that mike guy
JSUPT primary @ VAFB, Enid, OK
IMHO, yes.
And also, if there had been a video game section on that test, I'd have been full of more winning than Charlie Sheen currently is. I second the motion to put a video game section in
.
A 9 point drop in the OAR section for a 1 point gain in the PFAR section and 2 point gain in the FOFAR section? (You do the math).
To be honest, I think your scores were fine just how they were. Why did you retest?
I was told the same thing but have yet to hear anything confirming it.
I took form 5 today and im laughing because you just reminded me all the questions that threw me for a loop! However you scored much higher than me... I ended up with a 5/5/5 44. I studied like crazy but i just wasnt prepared for the time limits. I thought the math and mechanical was a little tricky for the time alloted. Fair questions, but to average 30 secs a question was tough. Reading comprehension on the other hand seemed much easier than the stuff in the gouge. Am I insane or did you get the same feeling?
So I am going to be re-taking the ASTB and I'm just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for study guides outside of the gouge found here. (btw god bless everyone who posted gouge!) I heard the FFA handbook is good for the A/N info stuff but I really need a refresher on some of the mechanical and math material. I feel like I know how to do the questions, but I'm doing them the hard way, hence why I struggled with the time limits on my first test.
GreenLantern330
Active Member
I took form 5 about a month ago and got a 5/5/4 50, it was a little difficult and that was after having studied everything I found here for about a month. I think I'm going to retake it and just spend a lot more time studying everything more thoroughly. That said, if you read through all 75 pages of this thread, you'll find a large variety of study guides, gouge, and info that, when used properly, can set you up for success.
When I studied the first time around, I used
ARCO MFAT
Marine Gouge
FAA PHAK
Barron's Practice Tests (PDF online)
Math and mechanical websites
Boating website
atrickpay's personal study guide
I'll be honest, I only skimmed the FAA PHAK. And I could have spent more time on some harder math. Everyone says Form 5 is the hardest, though, I'm not sure how true that is. Use these sources, and scroll through the rest of the thread to find more info. I already found a lot more than what I mentioned above that I plan on studying for my second attempt. Good luck.
johnnyfive
FY12 STA-21 Selectee (NFO), WINGED AVIATOR
This question may seem a little out of place but the STA-21 board doesn't seem very responsive lately. My question is this: do you think the ASTB scores are an important factor in the overall STA-21 package? I have the test scheduled for Thursday and have been studying as much as possible. I'm really not sure what I'll get but at this point I want to take it and see how I do in order to get my package rolling. I just studied my ass off for the SAT. Looking through the Math section in my Barron's book, I don't think that will present a problem. The mechanical and aviation sections are what I am focusing on, as these seem to be the areas I know the least about. Any thoughts? Should I maybe postpone the test a little to study more?
As with OCS applications STA-21 applicants have a "whole person" concept as well. Your application will be looked at from every aspect. You have more military related items that will be put in your package which will aid the board in determining if you are the right person for the job. I don't think anyone can say truly how much emphasis the ASTB has on STA-21 applicants. I believe you should realize that any sources proving how successful academically you will be are going to be looked at pretty hard. The military will be looking at the ASTB as one of those sources. I would only recommend taking the ASTB when you are ready. If Wednesday comes and you don't feel ready then reschedule. Good Luck!
Robby
Mmm... Butter Bars
I just took the OAR yesterday morning. I mostly studied the math section. I used a few guides that I found on this website and from searching through Google. I have atrickpay's study guide, an ASTB Prep, 2 practice tests (very helpful for pacing yourself!), and Military Flight Aptitude Tests - all in .pdf format saved in my google docs. I can email them to you if you pm me your email address. I'd post them on here if I was more tech savvy. I would recommend that you learn all of the shortcuts in the math section. As for the mechanical, it is mostly over pulleys, mechanical advantage, a little bit about pressure, mass and gravity, gears, and balancing weights. As long as you have a basic knowledge of the material and common sense, you'll be fine. As for the math, I know it was my worst section. Know your formulas for area and volume for various shapes. Practice extracting the necessary info from word problems, be efficient in ratios and multiplying, adding, subtracting, and dividing fractions. Long division is a must. I had to relearn it from a kid's website. Also, know how many ounces are in a cup and pound, as well as quarts and pints in a gallon. Good luck.
johnnyfive
FY12 STA-21 Selectee (NFO), WINGED AVIATOR
Thanks for the response. My SAT scores don't come in for another few weeks so there is no reason to rush the ASTB. I am just anxious to get my package together. This will be my first time applying and I've heard that most people don't get picked up the first time around. I'm doing my best to make an awesome package to get picked first time up. After this year, I'll be too old for Core but I really want NFO anyway.