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

jlebsock

Member
Can someone verify the Barron's book has this wrong? They used the opposite formula for each problem.
Number 15 the answer should be 2 because it has twice the area.
Number 12 should be 4 because it's twice the diameter which would equal 4x the area.

Area is expressed in this case as inches squared for problem 15, and diameter is simply in inches problem 12.

For problem 15, technically speaking, cylinder B is not twice the area, but more then twice. (6^2=36) is not twice the area of (3^2=9). if it was twice the area, then cylinder B would be 18, but its not. The book has it correct.

For problem 12, its only asking to find the how much cylinder A will rise if B is pressed down by one inch, not the entire height of the cylinder. The correct answer will be cylinder A rising 2 inches per 1 inch of B pressing down.

Just be careful of exponents on problem 15 which is what I'm guessing it was confused you. hope that helps.
 

Brand0034

Well-Known Member
Area is expressed in this case as inches squared for problem 15, and diameter is simply in inches problem 12.

For problem 15, technically speaking, cylinder B is not twice the area, but more then twice. (6^2=36) is not twice the area of (3^2=9). if it was twice the area, then cylinder B would be 18, but its not. The book has it correct.

For problem 12, its only asking to find the how much cylinder A will rise if B is pressed down by one inch, not the entire height of the cylinder. The correct answer will be cylinder A rising 2 inches per 1 inch of B pressing down.

Just be careful of exponents on problem 15 which is what I'm guessing it was confused you. hope that helps.
But for 15 it gives the area of the cylinders so why would you square the area? Area is piR^2. There’s no need to square the given value because it’s not the radius.
And for 12 it gives you the diameter so then you would have to convert that to area. The book just divides the two numbers which is incorrect. That’s the ratio of diameters it finds, not the ratio of area to each cylinder.
 

Brand0034

Well-Known Member
It’d really be the volume, but the book is still wrong.
Fluids can’t compress so the volume input must equal volume output.
A1D1=A2D2
So take the area and multiply by the distance it’s pushed down. #15 gives the areas 6 and 3
A1D1=A2D2
6(1”)=3(D2)
D2=2”
#12 gives the diameters of 3 and 6. Meaning the radius of each will be 1.5 and 3. So A=pir^2
A=pi(1.5^2) and A=pi(3^2)
So once again A1D1=A2D2
Pi(1.5^2)D1=pi(3^2)(1)
2.25piD1=9pi
D1=4
If I’m missing something please explain but I just can’t see how the book is right. It’s solving the problems reverse and squaring the area which makes no sense. These problems are about volume.
 

jlebsock

Member
It’d really be the volume, but the book is still wrong.
Fluids can’t compress so the volume input must equal volume output.
A1D1=A2D2
So take the area and multiply by the distance it’s pushed down. #15 gives the areas 6 and 3
A1D1=A2D2
6(1”)=3(D2)
D2=2”
#12 gives the diameters of 3 and 6. Meaning the radius of each will be 1.5 and 3. So A=pir^2
A=pi(1.5^2) and A=pi(3^2)
So once again A1D1=A2D2
Pi(1.5^2)D1=pi(3^2)(1)
2.25piD1=9pi
D1=4
If I’m missing something please explain but I just can’t see how the book is right. It’s solving the problems reverse and squaring the area which makes no sense. These problems are about volume.

I see what your saying. I have the same book and sort of took it as truth. here is a video I found that goes along with what you were saying.

 

Brand0034

Well-Known Member
Yea it's Pascal's Law. I remember doing this in Physics 1, I just couldn't find a video asking about the distance the piston will travel. Everything dealing with Pascal's law is P1=P2 and only calculates pressure or area/diameter. I'm almost positive the book is wrong, just annoying how a professional book messes up twice on the same problem.
Reminds me of organic chemistry where you could ask three professors how to do a problem and get three different answers....
 

grizzi17

Member
Greetings everybody, took the ASTB recently. I did not encounter anything that was not in this thread. Just try to cover as much material as you can...but don't sweat it too much. To me, the OAR part was easier than the ACT/SAT.

I got: 52 6/7/7


Maybe I could've done better but my recruiter suggested not re-taking it. Of course, 9's across the board is preferable. But my recruiter told me he rarely sees 9's . As far as selection, am I automatically below people that have 8's and 9's on their PFARS? or are other factors considered too?

Other relevant stats:
Age: 21
Human Factors & Aviation Safety, 3.89 GPA
Research Assistant
PPL
No waivers
No prior service.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Good luck to everyone else!
 

SHART

Active Member
Greetings everybody, took the ASTB recently. I did not encounter anything that was not in this thread. Just try to cover as much material as you can...but don't sweat it too much. To me, the OAR part was easier than the ACT/SAT.

I got: 52 6/7/7


Maybe I could've done better but my recruiter suggested not re-taking it. Of course, 9's across the board is preferable. But my recruiter told me he rarely sees 9's . As far as selection, am I automatically below people that have 8's and 9's on their PFARS? or are other factors considered too?

Other relevant stats:
Age: 21
Human Factors & Aviation Safety, 3.89 GPA
Research Assistant
PPL
No waivers
No prior service.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Good luck to everyone else!

Those scores arent bad. When are you trying to apply? I wouldn't retake it unless your 100% sure youd be able to score higher. If you score lower that's what your stuck with so it would be a gamble to retest, and not sure if you want to gamble with a qualifying score. Also if you go to the forms with the boards you'll see some of the scores of the people were selected on the AUG 2019 board.
 

grizzi17

Member
Those scores arent bad. When are you trying to apply? I wouldn't retake it unless your 100% sure youd be able to score higher. If you score lower that's what your stuck with so it would be a gamble to retest, and not sure if you want to gamble with a qualifying score. Also if you go to the forms with the boards you'll see some of the scores of the people were selected on the AUG 2019 board.
Thank you for your response. I took a look and the average scores of the people that were selected were pretty close to mine. I'm still in college...I'm shooting for the SNA board that convenes in spring (I forget exact date). Too early too tell what my chances look like for that particular board....timing seems to be key for selection.
 

SHART

Active Member
Thank you for your response. I took a look and the average scores of the people that were selected were pretty close to mine. I'm still in college...I'm shooting for the SNA board that convenes in spring (I forget exact date). Too early too tell what my chances look like for that particular board....timing seems to be key for selection.

It seems like the last year or so (3-4 boards) selections have been roughly 75%. If they keep the same way you should be good.
 

sskanchiraju

Active Member
Hey everyone! I took the ASTB-E yesterday and finished with a 61 7/5/7. I was really happy with my scores with the exception of missing the PFAR threshold by a point, but I'm going to take the time to study and prep and hopefully increase my scores all across the board the next time around.

I don't really have much to add as far as studying tricks and tips go, other than go through the entire thread and just crank out as many practice problems as you can. There are some really good study guides and links floating around the thread. DM me and I can send you a folder I created with all the study guides I used as well. I highly recommend the google drive folder titled Kyle's ASTB Study Kit 2019 for OAR and ANIT preparation. As for the PBM, the UAV flashcards are SUPER helpful.

Math: Practice, practice, practice. Attempt every problem you see, and if you don't get it right, try and learn how to do them. For me, I didn't work on probability questions as much as I should have, and I ended up getting 5-6 on the exam. I also saw some volume/area and some exponent questions.

Reading: Reading Comprehension has always been one of my strong suits so I didn't prep a lot for this, but it was still kinda difficult. The readings were really drab and I honestly thought I was stupid while reading some of the questions because all the answer choices were very similar.

Mechanical: This section wasn't too bad. It's really quick(15 minutes), so there seemed to be a focus on conceptual questions and not math based ones. So make sure to understand the WHY and not blindly memorize formulas.

ANIT: I studied the most for this section due to not having any prior experience, and I was really happy that outside of one history question, I had seen pretty much every other one in some shape or form on a study guide or practice test. At the end of the day this section is just about memorizing and reading as much as you can about aviation/nautical terms, naval history, and really just whatever information your brain has space for.

PBM: I think the UAV portion is what dragged my score down the most, because I got nervous and got 5-6 wrong. I didn't use the compass trick because I thought it would slow me down, but I'm definitely going to try and practice it as much as I can before my retake. I think one important thing to note, is that it's easy to get comfortable with the flashcards and know the correct letter of the parking lot, but make sure you know the exact location of said parking lot and are able to quickly recognize it because you click on the actual parking lot during the exam, not a letter. I think that is what ended up really messing with me during the exam because when I studied I was flying through the cards with the correct letter but not thinking about which physical parking lot it was. Feel stupid about that now, but hey you live and you learn.

As for the joystick and throttle portion, just relax and give it your all. Everyone here said that they felt awful while they were doing it and I agree with that sentiment. Just remember to not let it get to your head. As long as you do your best, you should be fine.

I was debating whether or not to post because I didn't get the score I needed to qualify for pilot, but I'm hoping that maybe reading about the experiences of people who didn't do well on a specific section(s) and are planning on retaking can help people preparing, so they know what to focus on/fix about their prep.

I will be taking the exam again either late December/early January so hopefully I can update/post some good news in a couple of weeks. Good luck to everyone!
 

SHART

Active Member
Hey everyone! I took the ASTB-E yesterday and finished with a 61 7/5/7. I was really happy with my scores with the exception of missing the PFAR threshold by a point, but I'm going to take the time to study and prep and hopefully increase my scores all across the board the next time around.

I don't really have much to add as far as studying tricks and tips go, other than go through the entire thread and just crank out as many practice problems as you can. There are some really good study guides and links floating around the thread. DM me and I can send you a folder I created with all the study guides I used as well. I highly recommend the google drive folder titled Kyle's ASTB Study Kit 2019 for OAR and ANIT preparation. As for the PBM, the UAV flashcards are SUPER helpful.

Math: Practice, practice, practice. Attempt every problem you see, and if you don't get it right, try and learn how to do them. For me, I didn't work on probability questions as much as I should have, and I ended up getting 5-6 on the exam. I also saw some volume/area and some exponent questions.

Reading: Reading Comprehension has always been one of my strong suits so I didn't prep a lot for this, but it was still kinda difficult. The readings were really drab and I honestly thought I was stupid while reading some of the questions because all the answer choices were very similar.

Mechanical: This section wasn't too bad. It's really quick(15 minutes), so there seemed to be a focus on conceptual questions and not math based ones. So make sure to understand the WHY and not blindly memorize formulas.

ANIT: I studied the most for this section due to not having any prior experience, and I was really happy that outside of one history question, I had seen pretty much every other one in some shape or form on a study guide or practice test. At the end of the day this section is just about memorizing and reading as much as you can about aviation/nautical terms, naval history, and really just whatever information your brain has space for.

PBM: I think the UAV portion is what dragged my score down the most, because I got nervous and got 5-6 wrong. I didn't use the compass trick because I thought it would slow me down, but I'm definitely going to try and practice it as much as I can before my retake. I think one important thing to note, is that it's easy to get comfortable with the flashcards and know the correct letter of the parking lot, but make sure you know the exact location of said parking lot and are able to quickly recognize it because you click on the actual parking lot during the exam, not a letter. I think that is what ended up really messing with me during the exam because when I studied I was flying through the cards with the correct letter but not thinking about which physical parking lot it was. Feel stupid about that now, but hey you live and you learn.

As for the joystick and throttle portion, just relax and give it your all. Everyone here said that they felt awful while they were doing it and I agree with that sentiment. Just remember to not let it get to your head. As long as you do your best, you should be fine.

I was debating whether or not to post because I didn't get the score I needed to qualify for pilot, but I'm hoping that maybe reading about the experiences of people who didn't do well on a specific section(s) and are planning on retaking can help people preparing, so they know what to focus on/fix about their prep.

I will be taking the exam again either late December/early January so hopefully I can update/post some good news in a couple of weeks. Good luck to everyone!

Have you thought about NFO? Your scores are good enough, and I know you mentioned SNA. If your hard set on pilot then by all means retest for pilot. Would hate to see your scores drop although I doubt they would, but NFO isnt a bad option. Just curious what your over all thoughts were.
 

sskanchiraju

Active Member
Have you thought about NFO? Your scores are good enough, and I know you mentioned SNA. If your hard set on pilot then by all means retest for pilot. Would hate to see your scores drop although I doubt they would, but NFO isnt a bad option. Just curious what your over all thoughts were.
I have thought about NFO, and had the same concerns you raised but given the chance I would want to retake it knowing that I was so close to qualifying for SNA and knowing what I generally need to improve on all across the board. I have a solid 2-3 weeks where I can study for the exam without being distracted by university coursework so I'm confident that at the very least I can do about the same if not better in the other sections. Once I'm done with the retake I will probably consider/weigh my options and see where I'm at assuming my scores allow me too. I have nothing against NFO, I have just had my sights and goals set on pilot for so long that it would feel like a shame not to try after having been so close.
 

FreddyJ

Flyboy89
Applying SNA
OAR: 46
AQR: 6
PFAR: 6
FOFAR: 6

Hello all,

Just took the ASTB yesterday for the second time and scored a 46: 6/6/6. Second time taking it after having some brain farts on the first go around. After speaking with my recruiter, (shes's a P-3 pilot!) she recommended I keep those scores and put a package together for SNA. I know the AUG board results are floating out there somewhere but I cannot seem to find them. Want to see what scores were picked up and make a decision based off that. Unfortunately, she said I wont be able to get my package together for this next board that closes in December so I am looking at the May 2020 one.
 

SHART

Active Member
Applying SNA
OAR: 46
AQR: 6
PFAR: 6
FOFAR: 6

Hello all,

Just took the ASTB yesterday for the second time and scored a 46: 6/6/6. Second time taking it after having some brain farts on the first go around. After speaking with my recruiter, (shes's a P-3 pilot!) she recommended I keep those scores and put a package together for SNA. I know the AUG board results are floating out there somewhere but I cannot seem to find them. Want to see what scores were picked up and make a decision based off that. Unfortunately, she said I wont be able to get my package together for this next board that closes in December so I am looking at the May 2020 one.

Attached are the results. They wont show scores, but if you go to the Aug board forum you will see they created a spread sheet for the few who added their scores and this will show you some of the scores that were accepted. Still haven't seen the Oct results posted yet, so hard to say if the percent accepted or the average scores have changed.
 

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