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

[tbrenn05]

Does anyone happen to know the page that describes the compass trick in detail? I will continue to search but if someone has it or has there own version it would be greatly appreciated.
From my understanding of it:
draw a compass, when the heading is read out orient the compass in that way.

Is that really it?

Draw a compass on an index card with the cardinal directions on it, then whatever direction it tells you that you are flying orient it so that is the upper direction that you are looking at. For example, if it tells you that you are flying East, rotate E to be at the top, the North parking lot will be on the left, south to the right, and west at the bottom. Whichever direction you are flying will be in front of you, then orient it from there.

From what I remember it doesn't tell you which direction you are actually flying in, but there is a vector which shows a direction. You might want to double check on that with someone who's taken it more recently. If you Google it there are practice flash cards online for this part of the test, just do them a bunch of times and it'll become much easier

 

[Caleb Chapley]

So I went in to today take my ASTB. All ready to go and turns out there was a problem with the connection. So I would get like one question done and the next screen would not load. Happen three times and finally they call it. Guess I have a week to get ready again. Can't really complain the officers there were really cool and told me a lot about OCS. I will say I got nervous on those first few question and everything I study just left my mind. So in a way this was good I now have a small feel for it. Hoping that they rest my test so I can start from scratch.

 

[RRupe24]

For those seeking advice for the test:
Math skills: I did mediocre...because I'm rusty...but the question that got to me was something I did not study was this supposed to be easy question... #^(n+3) = big# what is n...WTF n is not in the answer choices...these are too big for n...omg I'm gonna die...why! (Obviously I wasn't doing it right. I mean there's no way they had the wrong answer choices, right?)
Fractions, algebra (factoring, solve for variable, simplify), probability (playing card, marbles), square root, perimeter, and area are the types of question I remember I had...
(my test kept locking me out...so I literally spent nearly 2 hours just on this test because of the system...and then we discovered hitting backspace works during my reading test...which I timed out of because i didn't realize hitting backspace made the timer continue LOL).

Reading Comprehension: This was very very BLAND...I was taking too long on my test because the information was very bland and I just couldn't deal with the drama anymore (2 hours on math with the test screwing up every question sort of ruined my test adrenaline). I previously took the ASVAB. When I studied for the ASVAB I used the Kaplan book...which was amazing...their obvious strategy is very useful in this test. Read over the answers first, read the passage, then choose your answer. Reading the answers first will show you what you're looking for since the directions are the same for the entire test.
It's easy...I just made a dumb mistake and started choosing random answers when the time clock was running out. DO NOT DO THAT...you're graded on right answers.

MCT: Obviously I did very bad. A lot of theoretical questions...mostly about where more force will be exerted, pulleys, high school physics. There were 3 or 4 random questions that use equations. One of the easiest questions (even for me) that you will have is F= ? obviously mass times acceleration...right?
There were questions that asked which item would hit the ground first...assuming wind or no wind...something like that. I think they're called projectile-motion questions.
Learn about gases, liquids, solids (pressure, velocity, density, buoyancy) and those fancy words I fail at.
That is all I can recall right now...if I think of anything else...I'll post it later.

ANIT: I got a 4...because I didn't study aviation. This portion is easy to pass for those of you who study and memorize aviation and nautical terms, some aviation/nautical history (I remember questions about what the titles of certain planes are that have specific specialties/ability/uses...hope you understand what I mean). There was a historical question about the official name for a certain ship. There are also questions that measure your knowledge of flying and operating naval ships...sort of like physics concept questions, scenarios, etc.

NATFI: ...the most annoying thing ever...especially when you wish they had the choice "none of the above" or..."never done that". Not really a test you study for.

PBM: To all those who posted about the compass trick...god bless you. I focused on accuracy and not speed...but made sure to speed up once I finally figured out the direction to click.
The listening was easy...but at times I knew I messed up on my left ear for some reason...just take a deep breath and remember which is the button for odd and which is for even. I missed 2 easy points because I accidentally clicked odd for an even number...
Do the practice rounds as many times as you can FOR ALL THE TESTS. Trust me...especially for people with no flying knowledge/experience...and non-gamers.
Multitask games are are good idea to try out... especially for the last few tests.
I am a gamer...but I am not a FPS type...never tried aviation simulators...etc. So being a gamer might help you...but I think it depends on your game choice...but I promise you...if you're a gamer...don't think for a second you're guaranteed to do very good...especially if you are shooting for the aviation field.

http://multitaskgames.com/index.htm
not sure...but someone posted this in the boards before...hope it helps.

WRITE DOWN the emergency procedures before you start that portion of the test.

I hope this helps...but the best advice I can give you...STUDY...because I didn't study properly and I did bad. If you want to go in and take the test just to get to know it so you can do it better your second try (which is sort of what I did)...at least study for a week to get a better idea of what you can improve on.

 

[RRupe24]

I will be taking the test in a month...my 2nd try...did very bad on my first try.
I didn't really study properly...which is why I failed...work and other problems just killed me for that.

I really need to ask about Mechanical Comprehension...

Those who have tried Khan Academy...is their AP Physics 1 and 2 "classes" a good resource for studying for this portion? I am extremely useless when it comes to science. Physics and Chemistry...were my horrors of high school.

I need refreshers...good..simple...refreshers on physics...ASTB physics lol

What, aside from the study guides on Air Warriors, would be a very good resource to use (textbook,etc.) in order to help a 25 year old who hasn't been in physics since 10th grade...get a good refresher so I do not FAIL miserably on the MCT on my 2nd try. Mechanical Knowledge in general...might be my issue...I just fear the resources on this forum might not be enough to help me comprehend the theoretical aspect of this section. I hope there is another person out there like me...because man did that MCT destroy me.

 

[not_the_lasagna]

Took the test for the first time yesterday. Scored 58 8/9/9
58 OAR | 8 AQR | 9 PFAR | 9 FOFAR |

Math Skills Test (MST): KNOW ALL YOUR RULES OF EXPONENTS. Numbers to fractional exponents and negative exponents. Polynomials. Lots of distance equals rate x time style problems. Mostly algebra and precalculus concepts. Didn't see logarithms but studying them helped me anyways. Some probability. Those average type problems where if a guy scores x points over some amount of games and doesn't score at all in his next few games, how many points does he need to score to average some higher amount of points. Lots of percentages, and taking percentages of percentages, or fractions of fractions. It came in handy sometimes to use the answer choices to check my answer. I was able to calculate some percentages quickly, like say, whats 25% of 500, by thinking, okay, 10% of 500 is just 50, so 50 x 2 is 100, plus half of 50 is 25 is 125. 125 is 25% of 500. I don't know if that's a common thing that everyone does but it sure helps me calculate numbers more quickly.

Reading Comprehension Test (RCT): Like everyone in this thread has said. Long, boring Navy jargon. Tough to read without falling asleep. ELIMINATE INCORRECT CHOICES TO HELP YOU DECIDE. Seriously.

Mechanical Comprehension Test (MCT): I finished this section with 10 seconds to spare. Know simple machines. Didn't get asked about pulleys or gears, but there was some Power equation and levers. Lots of strings connected to blocks of varying weight. One mechanical advantage. Lots of conceptual stuff that I unfortunately do not remember. Some really off-the-wall stuff that I just had to use logic to figure out. There was one about a balloon floating up to higher altitude, and it asked what happened to the volume of air inside the balloon as it floated higher in the sky. Don't even remember what I answered. Know the difference between a period and a group on the periodic table, AND KNOW ABOUT VALENCE ELECTRONS. I want to say I had 3 questions that in some context concerned the movement of electrons, or the number of valence electrons.

Aviation and Nautical Information Test (ANIT): This is what you can study for. The private pilot's handbook and the FAR/AIM are your friend. Know each and every part of an airplane and what they do. Know the terms for different parts and areas on a ship. Know your runway lights, light gun signals, and shipboard lights. Know that Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1. Know current AND past naval aircraft. I was given lists of aircraft and asked which one was say, a dive bomber, or which was an interceptor. You can absolutely crush this by studying alone and there's no excuse for not doing well here, in my opinion.

Naval Aviation Trait Facet Inventory (NATFI): I won't waste anyone's time saying what's already been said a thousand times over in this very thread.

Performance Based Measures Battery (PBM): I'll repeat here what has been said to me because it was such vital advice.
1.Use the flashcards floating around here to familiarize yourself with the UAV section. Be able to do it fast and 100% it every time. Draw. The. Compass. Do it.
2. Lean towards the ear you are instructed to react to.
3. Write down the emergency procedures from the instructions so you can refer to them during the emergency. Just like an actual pilot's emergency checklist, right? Works for them, works for us.
4. Most importantly though: DON'T GET FRUSTRATED. Remember that it is a computer game that was designed to make you feel like you suck. Your mindset should be aggressive. Treat it like you're actually trying to shoot down an adversary. This isn't something everyone will have access to, but playing flight simulator games I feel helped me out a lot here. I actually found the multitasking quite fun. Additionally, if any of you have Starcraft II sitting around, I can't think of a better way to force yourself to learn to multitask. I attribute some of my success to that, as well.

I'm not going to waste time talking about the BIRV either.

Miscellaneous Tips: I received from someone else and took to heart:
-Bring water and trail mix. You're going to be nervous and that uses energy that your brain needs.
-Do some pushups between sections to work off any nervous energy.
-Don't be phased if you run out of time. The scoring algorithm for the test is proprietary so we can only guess what matters more: speed, accuracy, or difficulty of the question?
-Before I took the test, I was expecting to do well. During the test, I had no idea how I was performing. After the test, I was stunned that I did as well as I did. Moral of the story is do your best, keep trying, and trust yourself even if you're not sure how it's going overall.
-The more you do to prepare and familiarize yourself with what you'll encounter, the easier it will be to walk into the test with the attitude you need -- "I'm going to own this."
-Today is your day and if you don't like something about your testing center's conditions, do something about it! Adjust the controls to where you want them on the desk. If the chair is too low, ask for something to sit on. If it's too high, ask for a different chair. Make sure you have a mouse for the compass rotation -- and honestly for the OAR too because who needs a misclick? My testing center was noisy and I considered asking during a break for the people right outside the door shooting the snot to be asked to take it elsewhere. In the end I didn't, but that doesn't mean it's not an option!

For my personal studying:
-I went through THIS ENTIRE THREAD. Yes, quite literally every page. This was BY FAR the most helpful thing. I printed off study guides and took them to my university's tutoring center. I did every problem I could get my hands on until I was sure that I had it down. Took me a couple weeks. Yeah.
-Barron's was okay. It was easier than what I actually saw on the test but was a good introduction to what was coming. I would recommend it.
-All the other books people recommended to get were actually kind of bad. The study guides posted around here made by members of the Airwarriors forum were infinitely more valuable than any book I bought. You, however, are not me, and at the risk of sounding like an arrogant tool, may need more tutoring than even I did. I had the tremendous advantage of taking Calculus last semester, and Pre-Cal the semester before that, so some concepts were much more fresh for me. If you've been out of the game for awhile, you've got some serious studying to do.
-Everywhere I went, I brought packets of ASTB practice. Every little bit of downtime I got, I was working through problems. I can't tell you how many hours I spent in the University library eating muffins and just poring over all the information I gathered in this thread and printed off. If you take away anything from my post at all, let it be that this was one hundred percent the most helpful thing I did. Not the muffins, though. In fact, I think those are probably going to cost me more time in the gym.

I wish all the rest of my fellow hopefuls the best going forward. I cannot be more ecstatic to have scored the way I did. (I needed to, because my GPA is uh... a few corn dogs short of a picnic...)
Anyways, best of luck to you all. I'm going to go binge watch some Netflix, eat a doughnut for the first time in a year, and ease my mind with some 80 proof holy water.

 

[Sar12]

I will be taking the test in a month...my 2nd try...did very bad on my first try.
I didn't really study properly...which is why I failed...work and other problems just killed me for that.

I really need to ask about Mechanical Comprehension...

Those who have tried Khan Academy...is their AP Physics 1 and 2 "classes" a good resource for studying for this portion? I am extremely useless when it comes to science. Physics and Chemistry...were my horrors of high school.

I need refreshers...good..simple...refreshers on physics...ASTB physics lol

What, aside from the study guides on Air Warriors, would be a very good resource to use (textbook,etc.) in order to help a 25 year old who hasn't been in physics since 10th grade...get a good refresher so I do not FAIL miserably on the MCT on my 2nd try. Mechanical Knowledge in general...might be my issue...I just fear the resources on this forum might not be enough to help me comprehend the theoretical aspect of this section. I hope there is another person out there like me...because man did that MCT destroy me.

I used the ASTB-E secrets study guide: ASTB-E test review for the aviation selection test battery. I think you can just put that title into amazon. I believe the company who made it now has one that focuses just on the OAR which might be better if that's all you need to take. I just happened to order this book before I knew I just needed to take the OAR. It really has a great section on simple machines. It seems like simple machines showed up for other people a lot. I unfortunately only got one when I took the exam. I will say that if you didn't do well the first time it might be better if you also focus on math. I think the online materials and book helped me do really well on math and it was the only section I was able to finish. I ended up with an OAR of 58 in the end and I didn't finish the reading section or the mechanics section. I studied a little bit for about two months but really buckled down two weeks before. I graduated in May with a degree in Political Science so I can relate to not being strong in math and mechanics. Anyways, I hope this helps you.

 

[Birdbrain]

Wow, congrats man! And thanks for posting all of that. With some motivation and giving my liver a break I know I can muster up a score like that too and hopefully snag SNA. I'll be calling my recruiter later today to set up a test date. Last time we talked he said the April board would really be pushing it and he recommended to wait for the next one, and that makes sense to me. It also gives me all the more time to prepare.

Here's an overview of me

Credentials
Age: 21
Sex: M
GPA: 3.3
(soon to be) BA in Economics with a minor in German
HS sports: varsity shooting
College sports: club rugby, intramural football
Fraternity: senior member educator
Consistently working since legally allowed
Consistently doing community service
Clean criminal record
Medically healthy
LORs to come but nothing finalized yet

I've gone through some gouge on here as well as taking an example ASTB and here's what I think

Concerned Areas
Math: Math, other than geometry, has never been my strong suite. I wasn't a star student in HS math so I know I need to review my basic algebra, I just need to find a good book.
Mechanical Comprehension: I took Accelerated Physics in HS senior year and did well but that was also the last time I took physics. I'll study up on that.
Aviation and Nautical Information: I know the basics of ship and airplane parts and what they do, but this section seems to have gotten much more in depth according to recent posters with the ASTB-E(?).
Physical fitness: This should be the most no-brainer part, but for me it's not going to be. I spent this last half year coming down from a lifting bulk that went on much longer than it should have i.e. I was a fat@$$. I've been doing running every week and I could get under a 10 min 1.5 mile but it would be a real bear. Curl ups are coming along ok, maxing out as fast as possible I can hit 45 but it needs improvement. Pushups...not so much. I really need to improve my pushups but I keep stalling at an embarrassingly low count. Does anyone have any pushups suggestions (besides "do more")?

In short I'm getting pretty excited about this and I'm preparing to study my butt off. I'll continue to lurk for more gouge instead of asking the same tired old questions...no promises though

 

[DONOSAURU5REX]

Just took the ASTB-E today. I scored a 54/6/7/7.

I used a lot of the gouge from this site and it helped quite a bit. I think the toughest part of the test for me was the Performance Based Measures Battery (PBM). This was mostly because of the initial learning curve. The practice it gives you before each section is hardly enough to get used to the controls, and the throttle and stick you use can vary depending on where you take it. I would recommend doing a flight simulator in order to prepare (really its the only way). However, AFTER taking the ASTB-E I think I could do much better on this portion. Simply doing it for the first time helps to adapt your body for the movements necessary to pass. That being said, WRITE DOWN THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. This isn't a recommendation. This is REQUIRED if you want to do well in that scenario. If anyone has any questions let me know!

Overview:
Current Navy E-6
Clean Record
Strong EVALS
Age: 27
GPA: 3.7
Degree: BS in Management of Information Systems
LOR: O-6 Navy Instructor, O-6 Commodore, O-5 CDR Ret., O-5 Aviator, College Professor

 

[George222]

Heyo, took my ASTB-E today, 56 7/6/8. College senior graduating with a 3.3 in Political Science from a good school. Messed up the emergency procedures but I'm pretty sure I got all of the UAV questions correct. Don't want to be a bad example but my test prep basically consisted of practice tests and ANIT flash cards. Just curious if I'd be competitive for pilot/NFO, my recruiter says the Navy's hurting for pilots right now.

 

[DONOSAURU5REX]

Heyo, took my ASTB-E today, 56 7/6/8. College senior graduating with a 3.3 in Political Science from a good school. Messed up the emergency procedures but I'm pretty sure I got all of the UAV questions correct. Don't want to be a bad example but my test prep basically consisted of practice tests and ANIT flash cards. Just curious if I'd be competitive for pilot/NFO, my recruiter says the Navy's hurting for pilots right now.

Is your degree a BA or BS? Either way thats a pretty good ASTB score. Check here for some more specifics: https://www.airwarriors.com/community/index.php?threads/what-nrc-considers-competitive.41212/

 

[Brandon11911]

OAR - 50
GPA 2.8 From University of Georgia in Criminal Justice
Selected for SWO

Basically don't get discouraged by a low GPA. Mine is garbage. Study hard. Read all the books and take all the practice tests. Get a good score. You will get selected.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

OAR - 50
GPA 2.8 From University of Georgia in Criminal Justice
Selected for SWO

Basically don't get discouraged by a low GPA. Mine is garbage. Study hard. Read all the books and take all the practice tests. Get a good score. You will get selected.

The OAR is a very very tiny part of selection, you were just plain lucky, there were many that were a pro N with better OAR and GPA than you. Take the lucky shot you were given and run with it.

 

[Safashton]

Just took ASTB and scored 56 7/8/7.

Been studying for over a month for 3 to 4 hours a day or more. Despite the amount of studying I was still not confident with the math, and neglected alot of the other stuff.

Math. I studied heavily on DRT, weighted averages, work together, basic order of operations and other random stuff. I saw only one DRT, and none if the rest I listed. No logs, no binary, no fractional exponents. Saw lots of rectangle perimeter with two times, base, blah, blah. I think i honestly knew 2 questions for sure out of the 15 I got. Rest were educated guesses. Test stopped with time on clock.

Reading. Straight forward and painful reading. Ran out of time.

Mechanical. Not a single thing I studied was on this. Thankfully only 3 choices. Not a single question, was I like "That's the answer for sure".

Aviaton/Nautical. So random, lots I knew, some I guessed.

PBM. Dot with the UAV was fairly simple with studying. I got all correct. I personally didn't need the compass on paper trick, and could answer in 2 to 3 seconds.

Tracking. What the eff. Super annoying. My joystick felt using a cable machine. The inverted control was super awkward. The listening portion by itself I did great, the combined I Def effed a few up. Emergencies, just write it down.

Big pointers, use official books. The gouges on here were riddled with errors or awkward ways of solving problems. I recommend reviewing them, see what types of problems, then study from more official sources.

 

[Birdbrain]

Well I took it today and got a 54 6/6/5! I was a bit concerned with the comparatively lower scores but the recruiter said they're good so I'm going to leave well enough alone.

I spent a good couple of weeks just reading through the FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and a little less than a whole week of studying 6 hours/day from the Barron's guide and some gouge from here. Unfortunately due to school I didn't get in nearly as much studying as I wanted to, but I'd still like to thank the AW community for being a great wellspring of information.

I took the BI-RV beforehand. Just answer the questions and don't sweat it.

Math: Very much like the stuff I studied from Barron's and the gouge, but ranging from "WTF" to "EZPZ" in difficulty level. Know order of operations, percentages, fractions, exponents, DRT, geometry, and probability. I couldn't tell whether the test ended early or not but it didn't feel like 40 minutes.

Reading: Honest to God, was not ready for how tough this section was going to be. I found it harder to concentrate than anything else because it's all legalese type stuff. There are a decent number of gimme questions though. Really pay attention to the wording of the answers and don't let your eyes glaze over. Probably used up all 30 minutes.

Mechanical: Nearly all conceptual, I had a few calculation problems but nothing harder than F=m*a levels of difficulty. Know how to read a circuit, how mechanical advantage works with pulleys/levers/etc., how gravity works, and all that jazz. I considered it to be a breeze compared to the other two. Probably used up 15 minutes.

Break: Walk around, take a leak, do some pushups, whatever it is you do to clear your mind and prepare for the next sections.

Aviation and Naval Information: You should burn right through this if you study just from Barron's and browse AW, but I would highly recommend reading through the Pilot's Handbook. Know a bit of history, aircraft names, aircraft and ship controls, aircraft and ship lights, blah blah blah you get it.

NATFI: Would you rather hit-and-run a pedestrian, or lie on your tax returns?

PBM: I should have done much better here but I really screwed up the UAV portion. As for doing well on the stick and throttle...just give it your best shot.

• UAV: Click on the parking lot it asks for. The flashcards with the yellow arrowhead and red dot are the only ones worth looking at because they're just like the test. For some reason I couldn't make sense of the UAV's perspective as easily as I did in practice and I think I got about 7 wrong. I felt like sh!t after that.
  
• Dichotic listening: Lean! And make sure you really click that trigger or clutch. Mine were finicky.
  
• Throttle: Up and down. The reticle is "sticky" (i.e. has inertia) and accelerates quicker after a quarter of the way up or down.
• Joystick: All around. The reticle is once again "sticky" and accelerates quicker depending on how far you move it. Following the little plane around was difficult because without a frame of reference it's easy to think "up is forward" like in an arcade game.
• Combined: Mainly focused on the joystick. Throttle I kept on the corner of my eye.
  
• Combined + Dichotic listening: You've done them separate, now do them together.
  
• Emergency procedures: Write them down or you're really going to be in a world of hurt. When an emergency happened I stopped what I was doing and followed the procedure to clearance. The knobs can be finicky with how their position computes to the screen so watch out for that.

Besides that all I have to say is bring water and something to snack on. You'll be there a while and you're going to get mentally drained. Why be thirsty or hungry too?

So that was my experience anyway. If you have questions just ask.

 

[Daniel Allen]

Took the ASTB back in February and got a 73;9/9/9. I majored in mechanical engineering and held a high GPA so that helped a lot, but does scoring well on the ASTB have any influence on an aviation career beyond improving your chances for selection?