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

[RomotoWitten]

Veteran Lurker, new poster. Just took the ASTB today after a few months of hard studying. I believe I did very well on everything but poor on the math, despite doing very well on the math practice tests. Scores little lower than I expected:

6/6/5/54. I'm told it's competitive, but comparing to many posts on here it doesn't seem that way, at least not for SNA. What do you guys think? Should I sit on it?

Extra background info: 3.86 GPA BS Criminal Justice, few hours of volunteer work. Ex Sea Cadet.

 

[matthewARCH]

Hello everyone. I just took my Tests and was wondering about scores and such. I have a Master's degree in Architecture with a cummulative 3.4 GPA. I'm applying for CEC, Civil Engineering Corps. I was told that CEC doesn't look at test scores, you just have to maintain the minimum requirements to be eligible for OTS. Keep in mind I have no pilot/aviation training, and have no interest in applying, but my scores were 5/4/5 54.
Is this going to be adequate for CEC? My recruiter told me, he's very confident in this 54, but looking at this website it seems I'd need 60+? Any information would be helpful.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Hello everyone. I just took my Tests and was wondering about scores and such. I have a Master's degree in Architecture with a cummulative 3.4 GPA. I'm applying for CEC, Civil Engineering Corps. I was told that CEC doesn't look at test scores, you just have to maintain the minimum requirements to be eligible for OTS. Keep in mind I have no pilot/aviation training, and have no interest in applying, but my scores were 5/4/5 54.
Is this going to be adequate for CEC? My recruiter told me, he's very confident in this 54, but looking at this website it seems I'd need 60+? Any information would be helpful.

CEC does not require ASTB, not a single person I submitted or had accepted into the CEC took the ASTB. They do require an interview with a CEC accessions officer though.

CEC is currently closed for FY13, they have 21 that have been issued FS letters and 17 spots.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Veteran Lurker, new poster. Just took the ASTB today after a few months of hard studying. I believe I did very well on everything but poor on the math, despite doing very well on the math practice tests. Scores little lower than I expected:

6/6/5/54. I'm told it's competitive, but comparing to many posts on here it doesn't seem that way, at least not for SNA. What do you guys think? Should I sit on it?

Extra background info: 3.86 GPA BS Criminal Justice, few hours of volunteer work. Ex Sea Cadet.

If you were my applicant I would tell you to retake it, the reason being in over 3 years of officer recruiting I never had an applicant with a 6 get picked up for SNA, one had a GPA like yours, but some people on this site have been, odds are though a 6 is a longshot.

 

[matthewARCH]

CEC does not require ASTB, not a single person I submitted or had accepted into the CEC took the ASTB. They do require an interview with a CEC accessions officer though.

CEC is currently closed for FY13, they have 21 that have been issued FS letters and 17 spots.

Yes, that's helpful. They said the next review is in January of 2013, and I am working on my package to submit then. How come I had to take the ASTB then? Is it because I have to at least be eligbile for OTS?

Also, I have solid grades in school, and have "best project in my class" nominations and awards. What types of things do they look for, and is there anything that can help my chances?

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Yes, that's helpful. They said the next review is in January of 2013, and I am working on my package to submit then. How come I had to take the ASTB then? Is it because I have to at least be eligbile for OTS?

Also, I have solid grades in school, and have "best project in my class" nominations and awards. What types of things do they look for, and is there anything that can help my chances?

January would make sense, if they have a goal increase they could adjust then, and if not they would just wait for a FY14 spot.

Why did you have to take the ASTB? maybe because your recruiter doesn't read the checklist or instruction for CEC submissions?

You will have to blow away the interview, if you and the interviewer don't click you are done. I saw a person with an awesome GPA get turned down because of a poor interview and I had a person with a 3.0 GPA get picked up because the interview went so well.

One of the best interview stories that went south was a person was asked if they weren't picked up had they thought about enlisting to serve their country, the response was, I worked hard and earned my degree so I didn't have to go enlisted, as it turns out the interviewer was prior enlisted. The interviewer told me that application would be the first rejected at the board with his comments.

 

[matthewARCH]

I see. The person interviewing me is Lt. Chapdelaney, western regional commision. I've spoken to her on the phone, and it seemed that she was excited. She asked me a couple questions about the Navy, and my grades... I let her know, I recently was awarded best of jury Nomination by Gensler Architects of Nevada (the largest firm in the world), that taught our graduate studio. I was scheduled to intern with them, but because of the economy they ended up not being able to hire, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because it lead me to this opportunity which I'm looking foward to. And things happen for a reason. She said thats a great way to look at things.

I also let her know I have an affinity with the Millitary services because several of my family members served. Father, 20 years Air Force, Grandfather Navy, Uncle Coast guard... ect. So I've always wanted to be in the millitary.

She then explained that I wouldn't be doing DESIGN work yet, I'd be doing CAD and technical work first, and I told her its very similar to that in the real world, and that I know I have to pay my dues and learn the process before I can be a designer, I don't mind starting at the bottom and working upwards.

She seemed really happy about the positive attitude, and eagerness. So first impression I'd say went fairly well, I'm Hoping. I definately understand how people having a negative attitude towards enlisted could be offensive. My father served 20 years so I could have the opportunity of a better life, and I'm very appreciative of that.


So that was a quick glance... I'm hoping to just stay positive, because I'm really looking forward to serving - and IMO Navy has better opportunities for Engineering than the other services. Air Force would only commission me as an officer with no specific field. I'd much rather serve Navy, and be in my direct line of work. I'm also not arrogant to think that I"ll start straight at the top.... I'm going to have to build my way up, and I'm looking forward to that.


So all in all, I'm guessing that staying positive, and goal driven will be a plus on my side. Do you know of any other characteristics they might look at?

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I see. The person interviewing me is Lt. Chapdelaney, western regional commision. I've spoken to her on the phone, and it seemed that she was excited. She asked me a couple questions about the Navy, and my grades... I let her know, I recently was awarded best of jury Nomination by Gensler Architects of Nevada (the largest firm in the world), that taught our graduate studio. I was scheduled to intern with them, but because of the economy they ended up not being able to hire, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because it lead me to this opportunity which I'm looking foward to. And things happen for a reason. She said thats a great way to look at things.

I also let her know I have an affinity with the Millitary services because several of my family members served. Father, 20 years Air Force, Grandfather Navy, Uncle Coast guard... ect. So I've always wanted to be in the millitary.

She then explained that I wouldn't be doing DESIGN work yet, I'd be doing CAD and technical work first, and I told her its very similar to that in the real world, and that I know I have to pay my dues and learn the process before I can be a designer, I don't mind starting at the bottom and working upwards.

She seemed really happy about the positive attitude, and eagerness. So first impression I'd say went fairly well, I'm Hoping. I definately understand how people having a negative attitude towards enlisted could be offensive. My father served 20 years so I could have the opportunity of a better life, and I'm very appreciative of that.


So that was a quick glance... I'm hoping to just stay positive, because I'm really looking forward to serving - and IMO Navy has better opportunities for Engineering than the other services. Air Force would only commission me as an officer with no specific field. I'd much rather serve Navy, and be in my direct line of work. I'm also not arrogant to think that I"ll start straight at the top.... I'm going to have to build my way up, and I'm looking forward to that.


So all in all, I'm guessing that staying positive, and goal driven will be a plus on my side. Do you know of any other characteristics they might look at?

Elise is VERY good at her job she will tell it to you straight and another thing that is good about her is that if the person being interviewed maybe answers a question a bit off, she will remain positive so the person doesn't see an odd response and get thrown for the rest of the interview.

 

[BDfan88]

If you were my applicant I would tell you to retake it, the reason being in over 3 years of officer recruiting I never had an applicant with a 6 get picked up for SNA, one had a GPA like yours, but some people on this site have been, odds are though a 6 is a longshot.

My score is 7/8/6 61. Im going for SNA only, would they even care about the 6 since its only for the flight officer rating?

 

[matthewARCH]

Elise is VERY good at her job she will tell it to you straight and another thing that is good about her is that if the person being interviewed maybe answers a question a bit off, she will remain positive so the person doesn't see an odd response and get thrown for the rest of the interview.

Yeah, I've got that impression. I'm much obliged for the info. From the sound of things, I'd say that you also interview candidates for CEC? If so, what kind of things do you look for, and questions do you ask on interviews? I'd imagine they look at weather its going to be a good investment for them, not just someone who's going to take off after a short time, but someone who's going to see it through. Also, someone who works well as a team member, can follow directions and adhere to the moral codes/ethical codes set by the US Navy... stuff like that?

 

[John wright]

For those who have taken the computer ASTB version of the test, I just wanted to know if you get your scores right after you finish, or if they are withheld and later sent to your recruiter/other officer.

I got my answers instantly as well

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Yeah, I've got that impression. I'm much obliged for the info. From the sound of things, I'd say that you also interview candidates for CEC? If so, what kind of things do you look for, and questions do you ask on interviews? I'd imagine they look at weather its going to be a good investment for them, not just someone who's going to take off after a short time, but someone who's going to see it through. Also, someone who works well as a team member, can follow directions and adhere to the moral codes/ethical codes set by the US Navy... stuff like that?

I would do interviews on the recruiter side, then send them off to Elise/schedule them for her interview. You hit many of the key items, the CEC is a small community so you could end up working for her sometime, or you could be in the same battalion, part of what they look at is "is this a person I could go on liberty with at the end of the day".

 

[rjkwas]

I just have a few questions about the ASTB. If i take the computer version vs. the written version will i be able to go back and check my answers on the section if i have time, and will it be as quickly as a written one? Also, what USUALLY gets you selected for a pilot slot? I took a practice test and scored it out to be 8/7/8 and a 52 OAR. How is that score, good bad? Cause I don't know.

 

[PaulforASTB]

I just have a few questions about the ASTB. If i take the computer version vs. the written version will i be able to go back and check my answers on the section if i have time, and will it be as quickly as a written one? .

The computer version provides you the ability to go back and select individual questions. In addition, as another nice feature, you can actually highlight questions on the computer you would like to return to if you have time at the end. Most testing centres all make you take the computer version. I believe the only one I know of that still administers the paper version is NRD San Diego. When I took the test, I asked if I could take the paper version, but the answer was that I was only allowed to take the computer version.

Also, what USUALLY gets you selected for a pilot slot? I took a practice test and scored it out to be 8/7/8 and a 52 OAR. How is that score, good bad? Cause I don't know

To answer your first question about the pilot slot, there are a lot of factors that go into it - and everyone on here will tell you that. The highly sought after pilot slot is more about the "whole person" concept. Of course, your ASTB counts as a part of that, but there are many other factors, including your medical/physical qualifications (maximum 20/40 vision correctable to 20/20), your GPA, your extracurricular activities, your motivational statement, your officer interview, and many other things that they take note of.

I called my Officer Recruiter (OR), and I told him my score of 7/6/7 59; he had a positive tone in his voice, and said that this is a good score. Of course, a better score would be more competitive, but he seemed pleased with this score. So, a score of 8/7/8 52 I think is a good score - of course it would be nice to have your OAR up even higher if possible.

Edit: Another small piece of advice: focus on doing your absolute best on the test, rather than the score itself. You can only do your best!

 

[exNavyOffRec]

The computer version provides you the ability to go back and select individual questions. In addition, as another nice feature, you can actually highlight questions on the computer you would like to return to if you have time at the end. Most testing centres all make you take the computer version. I believe the only one I know of that still administers the paper version is NRD San Diego. When I took the test, I asked if I could take the paper version, but the answer was that I was only allowed to take the computer version.



To answer your first question about the pilot slot, there are a lot of factors that go into it - and everyone on here will tell you that. The highly sought after pilot slot is more about the "whole person" concept. Of course, your ASTB counts as a part of that, but there are many other factors, including your medical/physical qualifications (maximum 20/40 vision correctable to 20/20), your GPA, your extracurricular activities, your motivational statement, your officer interview, and many other things that they take note of.

I called my Officer Recruiter (OR), and I told him my score of 7/6/7 59; he had a positive tone in his voice, and said that this is a good score. Of course, a better score would be more competitive, but he seemed pleased with this score. So, a score of 8/7/8 52 I think is a good score - of course it would be nice to have your OAR up even higher if possible.

Edit: Another small piece of advice: focus on doing your absolute best on the test, rather than the score itself. You can only do your best!

The higher the ASTB the less whole person concept comes into it, I have had people that had high ASTB scores with a good GPA and nothing else, no sports, leadership, etc... and they were picked up.

7 on the PFAR is generally the lowest score I would consider good, 8 or 9 is what you want, I never had a person I submitted with an 8 or 9 not pro rec'd.