Hi all, Just took the OAR portion and scored a 60. I honestly wanted to do better given my GPA, but I am going to apply anyway and adjust the package accordingly if need be. There are so many helpful posts in this thread, so I will try my best to add to it!
First, my materials used (mainly studied math and mechanical), in order of importance to me: Barron's Flight Aptitude Tests edition 3, ASTB Personal Study Guide, OAR Math Guide, and anything else I could get my hands on. There is an online Peterson's practice test that has questions representative of the test, but it is not adaptive so you do not really get a good feel for how your test will turn out. Better than nothing, and paired with the practice exams from Barron's FAT, you will have more than enough material.
Math: This is the section I studied the most for. Of the allotted 40 minutes, my test finished around 25-30 minutes. Started off with basic probability (e.g. 5 green, 4 yellow, 3 red marbles. If randomly chosen, what are the chances of choosing a green or yellow marble?) then basic factoring, DRT problems, a sums problem (e.g. sum all numbers from 2 to 233), rates (multi-leg car trips @ different MPH) and percentages (e.g. w/ random numbers: 74, 70, and 80 on first 3 tests. Test 4's score was 2/3 of the average of the first 3, and test 5's score was 10/9 of test 4's score. What does the student need to score on test 6 and 7 to average 80 on the 7 tests?).
At this point I knew I was doing well because I had a matrix multiplication problem and then a few logarithmic questions of increasing difficulty (e.g. log-base x (sq-rt 2) = 1/6 . and asked to solve for x. Still don't really know the answer to this one.. choices were 1/3, sqrt(6), sqrt(12) and 8 .. yeah, idk. guessed and moved on). Felt I did pretty well given that the problems kept getting more and more difficult.
Not on my test: multi-part work problems (THANK GOODNESS! lol. e.g. Worker A can paint a house in 60 minutes, worker B can paint a house in 40 minutes. How will it take for both of them to paint? I'd be prepared for this though), mixture problems (dk the word for this. How much 100% acid solution needs to be added to make a 12 ounce 40% acid solution 60%?), and that's about it. Saw a lot of what I had found in the ASTB prep in this thread.
My tips for this section (studying): study Khan Academy to refresh (or learn for the first time!) basic factoring, exponent rules, log rules, percentages, rates, and then less-frequented concepts like Matrix Multiplication, Binomial Probability, etc). After you have the basics back in your head, do as many problems and practice tests as you can find. Do them timed, do them untimed. I've attached a document called "OAR Math Guide" that was compiled by a user here. Has a BUNCH of problems and explanations for the answers. ASTB Personal Study Guide was also, as many before me have said, very helpful.
My tips for this section (taking the exam): Do not freak out! Because this test is adaptive, you are necessarily going to get a question that you do not know (unless you get a perfect score, I'm guessing..). So, do your best and then move on. You do not have to be frantic and try and finish all of the questions, but also do not spend too much time on a particular problem so that you can get a solid number of questions in. Use the scrap paper and take nice deep breaths
Reading: This is the section I studied least for, which I really regret. I do not know if I had such difficulty on this because I was tired from the Math (didn't feel tired, but you never know) but honestly the passages were really dense and boring. Usually I do well on reading sections (see: 90th percentile on Reading GRE, SAT, etc) but I do not feel like I did very well here. Only thing I wish I would have changed would be to have practiced a bit more. Wasn't surprised by anything asked, just wasn't prepared mentally to tackle this section.
My tips for this section (studying): Even if you are a good reader and usually test well, take a few practice exams. I usually skipped over practicing for Reading in the practice tests because.. well, I was cocky I guess. Do not be cocky and prepare by reading a lot and practicing under test conditions!
My tips for this section (taking the exam): Gonna repeat: Do not freak out! (that's how you get someone to not freak out, right?????) Adaptive, so probably will not make it through the whole 30minutes. Be thorough but do not dawdle. One tip that I find useful on these reading comprehension-type exams: try to be interested in the paragraph. The military/Navy code paragraphs are pretty dense and irrelevant to you now, but the other questions are usually about cool stuff like cellular biology or astronomy. Do not read between the lines or use your own knowledge on the subject, but try and be interested in what you are reading because it helps to stay concentrated! One more thing that is very important, IMO, with this section: eliminate choices! Math and Mechanical concepts are pretty cut and dry. Reading comprehension isn't so much. Definitely use process of elimination. Probably could have done better here.
Mechanical: lots of questions on force, simple machines (how to equal forces on a lever arm, for example, or how much force needed to pick up a weight on a multi-pulley system), an electricity question about a coil around a screw with a 1.25amp charge (something something, asking for resistance of screw), a question that multiple people have mentioned about two cylinders with the same height but two different radiuses (what's the relationship between them, ... wish I would have practiced this problem beforehand, if you can find it anywhere), Bernoulli's principle, buoyancy question, heat transfer, something about what determines the efficiency of an engine (Friction of engine parts, heat loss, and something else..), and a bunch of other things I do not remember. Did not take the whole 15minutes and felt like I Did better here than the Reading, but worse than the Math.
Not on my test: Ideal Gas Laws, Gears, Pistons, Pendulums, maybe something else.
My tips for this section (studying): Khan Academy simple machines, electricity, fluid dynamics, take practice exams to know what you don't know. Focus on concepts and NOT equations.
My tips for this section (taking the exam): For the last time: do not freak out! Honestly, this section was the least taxing. Lots of conceptual questions, only wrote on my scrap paper once or twice for this section. Have fun and, if you are only taking the OAR portion, you've made it!!!
Overall, thank you everyone for all of the gouge and for being such a great community here. This forum is a wonderful resource that I hope to use far into my Navy career.
See you all around (and hopefully in RI!).
P.S. attached the 3 files I mentioned and extra one.
1) OAR Math Guide (a bunch of math problems)
2) ASTB Personal Study Guide (SUPER HELPFUL!!)
3) Free online test:
http://www.nelnetsolutions.com/dod/DODHubPage.aspx?sponsor=12894&HubPage=15150
4) The extra one: a really helpful concept-based file compiled by a user here with questions, too ("Air Warriors Study Material")