Thomas Wright
New Member
I believe it is adaptive, and that the proctor (still) isn't exactly sure of the format lol. I have a strategy either way I guess!
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1,001 questions about the ASTB (post your scores & ask your questions here!)
- Thread starter edato
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WillH
Active Member
Hi All,
I've been browsing the site a bit, this is my first time posting. I'm planning to schedule my ASTB in early June. I've read a couple times on this site(not sure which specific forum) that you can take practice ASTB tests at public libraries. Can anyone provide more info on this? I'm thinking about swinging by a local library tomorrow and trying that out.
Thanks
I've been browsing the site a bit, this is my first time posting. I'm planning to schedule my ASTB in early June. I've read a couple times on this site(not sure which specific forum) that you can take practice ASTB tests at public libraries. Can anyone provide more info on this? I'm thinking about swinging by a local library tomorrow and trying that out.
Thanks
MStevenson
Member
Hey everyone,
I have noticed quite a few people referencing the website ProProfs to study flashcards. I was wondering if it is possible to study flashcards that other users have made? These are the specific ones that I was trying to look through (https://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/search.php?search=astb) , however the site will not allow me to flip or switch cards at all. I was wondering if anyone else has encountered this issue, or if they know that I am not allowed to use other people's cards?
I have noticed quite a few people referencing the website ProProfs to study flashcards. I was wondering if it is possible to study flashcards that other users have made? These are the specific ones that I was trying to look through (https://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/search.php?search=astb) , however the site will not allow me to flip or switch cards at all. I was wondering if anyone else has encountered this issue, or if they know that I am not allowed to use other people's cards?
mb1685
Well-Known Member
I'm taking the ASTB soon and recently learned about logarithms since I had embarrassingly never learned them until now. One of the questions in the Military Flight Aptitude Tests for Dummies book is "If 4^n=9, what is the value of 4^(n+1)?". I racked my brain trying to even figure out the first part (4^n=9) without a calculator, and eventually just decided to use a calculator to see if I could reverse engineer any insight from their answer. The logarithm would of course be log4(9)=n, and converting that to base 10 to solve with a calculator yields log9/log4, which evaluates to the hairy number of 1.5849625007211561814537389439478. Raising 4 to the power of the previous number plus 1 evaluates to 36, which is indeed the correct answer choice in the book. My question is -- for something like this where the exponent doesn't end up being an integer or fairly simple fraction, is there any way it would be possible to figure that out without a calculator? Have I missed a crucial part of understanding how to solve logarithms, or did the authors just erroneously intend for that to be solved with a calculator?
I suppose maybe the intended method of 'solving' could be simply realizing that n would have to be between 1 and 2 (or getting more granular since increments of 0.5 would get you pretty close to the value of n) since 4^1=4 and 4^2=16 and then plugging in 1.5 (for example) to the second equation and picking the answer choice closest to that result, but the fact that one of the choices is "None of the above" would deter me from using rounding/estimating if I encountered that problem on the real test.
I suppose maybe the intended method of 'solving' could be simply realizing that n would have to be between 1 and 2 (or getting more granular since increments of 0.5 would get you pretty close to the value of n) since 4^1=4 and 4^2=16 and then plugging in 1.5 (for example) to the second equation and picking the answer choice closest to that result, but the fact that one of the choices is "None of the above" would deter me from using rounding/estimating if I encountered that problem on the real test.
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I agree, that looks pretty hairy. I had 2 or 3 log questions on my test and I do not recall any of them being as difficult as that question, and I managed to find the answers without too much hassle in a few minutes.
I would be surprised if you encountered something like that on the real test. In my experience you should be able to solve the math questions with 2, maybe 3, quick calculations. It's testing aptitude and how you think, not if you can slog your way through a 10 step problem without making a mistake.
I wouldn't worry too much about it. There may be a few questions where it's testing intuitive knowledge, but based off your logic in the second paragraph I would say you seem like you're on the right path.
I would be surprised if you encountered something like that on the real test. In my experience you should be able to solve the math questions with 2, maybe 3, quick calculations. It's testing aptitude and how you think, not if you can slog your way through a 10 step problem without making a mistake.
I wouldn't worry too much about it. There may be a few questions where it's testing intuitive knowledge, but based off your logic in the second paragraph I would say you seem like you're on the right path.
nightflaw
Well-Known Member
I have never heard this, but I've only been checking this site for ~7 months. What you may have read is that you can check out ASTB study guides from the library, which is what I did. If your library has an online searchable catalog, just search for ASTB or "military flight aptitude."
It's an issue with the site's certificate. You basically need to tell your web browser to trust the site. I'm using Firefox and had to click the icon that looks like a shield next to the Back button in the top left. Then there was an option for enabling content or something like that.
I just took the ASTB-E for the first time today. It was much harder than I expected it to be. Every subtest caught me off guard. I used the marine gouge, astb-e practice problems and proprofs flashcards to study but found the actual test questions to be of a higher caliber. The bulk of my time spent preparing was trying to cram aviation and nautical information into my head. I pretty much winged it for math, reading and mechanical. I read about the PBM but didn't really prepare for it in any meaningful way. Even though I felt like I was failing the whole time, I did end up with a 77 9/8/9, so I'll try to share my experience with the test here.
Math
One thing I noticed was that there weren't really very many questions that you can just look at and read the answer off (like some of the practice material). No nonsense with order of operations or "what's 0.4^2?" I saw that one in a practice booklet in Barnes and Noble. Surprisingly, I got a question on sequences. That is, I had to identify a pattern in a series of numbers and then find the sum. I haven't seen anyone else report this type of math problem showing up on the exam. I also got a "perfect number" question. I did not receive any logarithm or matrix questions. I did see multiple fractional exponent problems. Keep in mind they weren't just like "what is 3^(3/5)?" but an entire equation or expression with multiple fractional exponents (mine were negative) that needs to be cleverly simplified. It isn't exactly trivial. I did not get cut off on this section. I ran out of time. This freaked me out because the pattern seemed to be that those people who are doing well get cut off early. I'm not sure how many questions I answered, but my strategy was to take my time and focus on getting correct answers.
Reading
This is one section where the study material is pretty spot on. I don't have much to say other than read carefully, sometimes it comes down to just a single word. The long passages aren't always the hard questions. I don't know how one studies for this type of testing. Hopefully you've spent a lot of time reading books in your spare time. It's so easy to let your eyes glaze over and finish the passage without really engaging it. Sometimes I had to read a paragraph 3 or 4 times. Same strategy as before, focus on correct answers as opposed to guessing and going for a high number of questions answered. Again, I ran out of time (panicking at this point).
Mechanical
I majored in physics and was expecting to breeze through this portion. Turns out the questions are quite different from actual physics problems (and quite different from the study material I read). One thing I can't stress enough is this: be comfortable with balancing forces and torques. It's easy and there will most likely be several problems that deal with this one concept. The calculations can generally be done in your head. There is much less computing in this section than in the math section. Focus on conceptually understanding topics. I had a few circuit questions... a couple fluid flow questions... one thermo question... They cover a broad range of disciplines. I had a question about sonic booms and what happens to the gas around one. Some of these questions can absolutely be answered immediately. But on the other hand, some of these questions will refer to some tool or piece of equipment that you've never seen before and you're essentially forced to guess. My advice is to not waste time on those questions, you'll know them when you see them. I once more ran out of time (oh god why).
Aviation and Nautical Info
This part kicked my ass. I guessed on way more questions than ones I knew the answer for. Most of the questions were not anything that I studied (using the above material). I suppose if you have the background for it... you'll do fine. But I didn't and the studying was pretty much a waste of time. I don't think I saw a single "history" question. And there were only 2 or 3 "parts of the airplane/boat" questions (I was counting on there being lots of those). Noteworthy: I was asked basically the same question twice worded differently. It was on pitch. So yeah, know the axes of flight. I actually got kicked off with a lot of time remaining for this section.
Trait Facet Inventory
This part is just funny. It's a nice break before the hell to come, enjoy it. I did not go for consistency, just treated each question as independent. I finished with a lot of time remaining. Obviously no need to study.
Performance Based Measure
UAV
Other than reading about it briefly, I did nothing to prepare for this. I practiced until I felt comfortable (unlimited practice for this part). There's definitely a learning curve. I got my times down from like 8-10 seconds to around 1-4 seconds. Sometimes less than 1 s. Take advantage of the practice. One thing I noticed is that I had a tendency to wait until the guy is done talking for each question. You can cut him off by clicking on the correct parking lot as soon as you see it, getting a time of less than 1 s. My strategy for finding the correct parking lot was as follows. If your heading is N, S, E or W the answer can be ascertained fairly quickly just from observation. If the heading is "between" cardinal directions (like NE, SW, etc.) I would find the cardinal direction immediately to the left of the arrow and then use that as my reference point for the parking lots, as it always corresponds to the top left parking lot.
Example... arrow is pointing SE -> you observe that to the left of the arrow lies the cardinal direction east -> you now know that the top left parking lot is the east parking lot -> voice tells you to locate the north parking lot -> visualize a compass superimposed on the parking lots using your reference point to identify the northern parking lot (bottom left).
This isn't always the quickest way to get the answer, but if you practice you can get to be pretty consistently fast using this method. The beauty of it is its formulaic nature. It works every time, no time staring at the screen getting confused for 10 seconds and stressing yourself out. I only made 1 mistake and it was just stupid.
Dichotic Listening and Tracking
Wow. I thought this was going to be fun, it was just horrible. The throttle and stick are so jerky and unintuitive. Personally, I didn't realize that the listening would be so confusing. The letters and numbers play into both ears simultaneously; not one after the other. I recommend the head tilt strategy.
When the tasks start stacking up, some people prefer to prioritize one objective or the other. I just tried to divide my attention among all three activities because that's what the instructions said. I did prioritize emergency procedures l, however. I wrote them down but didn't end up needing to look.
That's all I've got. Good luck everyone. I'll be shooting for the October ish pilot board.
Math
One thing I noticed was that there weren't really very many questions that you can just look at and read the answer off (like some of the practice material). No nonsense with order of operations or "what's 0.4^2?" I saw that one in a practice booklet in Barnes and Noble. Surprisingly, I got a question on sequences. That is, I had to identify a pattern in a series of numbers and then find the sum. I haven't seen anyone else report this type of math problem showing up on the exam. I also got a "perfect number" question. I did not receive any logarithm or matrix questions. I did see multiple fractional exponent problems. Keep in mind they weren't just like "what is 3^(3/5)?" but an entire equation or expression with multiple fractional exponents (mine were negative) that needs to be cleverly simplified. It isn't exactly trivial. I did not get cut off on this section. I ran out of time. This freaked me out because the pattern seemed to be that those people who are doing well get cut off early. I'm not sure how many questions I answered, but my strategy was to take my time and focus on getting correct answers.
Reading
This is one section where the study material is pretty spot on. I don't have much to say other than read carefully, sometimes it comes down to just a single word. The long passages aren't always the hard questions. I don't know how one studies for this type of testing. Hopefully you've spent a lot of time reading books in your spare time. It's so easy to let your eyes glaze over and finish the passage without really engaging it. Sometimes I had to read a paragraph 3 or 4 times. Same strategy as before, focus on correct answers as opposed to guessing and going for a high number of questions answered. Again, I ran out of time (panicking at this point).
Mechanical
I majored in physics and was expecting to breeze through this portion. Turns out the questions are quite different from actual physics problems (and quite different from the study material I read). One thing I can't stress enough is this: be comfortable with balancing forces and torques. It's easy and there will most likely be several problems that deal with this one concept. The calculations can generally be done in your head. There is much less computing in this section than in the math section. Focus on conceptually understanding topics. I had a few circuit questions... a couple fluid flow questions... one thermo question... They cover a broad range of disciplines. I had a question about sonic booms and what happens to the gas around one. Some of these questions can absolutely be answered immediately. But on the other hand, some of these questions will refer to some tool or piece of equipment that you've never seen before and you're essentially forced to guess. My advice is to not waste time on those questions, you'll know them when you see them. I once more ran out of time (oh god why).
Aviation and Nautical Info
This part kicked my ass. I guessed on way more questions than ones I knew the answer for. Most of the questions were not anything that I studied (using the above material). I suppose if you have the background for it... you'll do fine. But I didn't and the studying was pretty much a waste of time. I don't think I saw a single "history" question. And there were only 2 or 3 "parts of the airplane/boat" questions (I was counting on there being lots of those). Noteworthy: I was asked basically the same question twice worded differently. It was on pitch. So yeah, know the axes of flight. I actually got kicked off with a lot of time remaining for this section.
Trait Facet Inventory
This part is just funny. It's a nice break before the hell to come, enjoy it. I did not go for consistency, just treated each question as independent. I finished with a lot of time remaining. Obviously no need to study.
Performance Based Measure
UAV
Other than reading about it briefly, I did nothing to prepare for this. I practiced until I felt comfortable (unlimited practice for this part). There's definitely a learning curve. I got my times down from like 8-10 seconds to around 1-4 seconds. Sometimes less than 1 s. Take advantage of the practice. One thing I noticed is that I had a tendency to wait until the guy is done talking for each question. You can cut him off by clicking on the correct parking lot as soon as you see it, getting a time of less than 1 s. My strategy for finding the correct parking lot was as follows. If your heading is N, S, E or W the answer can be ascertained fairly quickly just from observation. If the heading is "between" cardinal directions (like NE, SW, etc.) I would find the cardinal direction immediately to the left of the arrow and then use that as my reference point for the parking lots, as it always corresponds to the top left parking lot.
Example... arrow is pointing SE -> you observe that to the left of the arrow lies the cardinal direction east -> you now know that the top left parking lot is the east parking lot -> voice tells you to locate the north parking lot -> visualize a compass superimposed on the parking lots using your reference point to identify the northern parking lot (bottom left).
This isn't always the quickest way to get the answer, but if you practice you can get to be pretty consistently fast using this method. The beauty of it is its formulaic nature. It works every time, no time staring at the screen getting confused for 10 seconds and stressing yourself out. I only made 1 mistake and it was just stupid.
Dichotic Listening and Tracking
Wow. I thought this was going to be fun, it was just horrible. The throttle and stick are so jerky and unintuitive. Personally, I didn't realize that the listening would be so confusing. The letters and numbers play into both ears simultaneously; not one after the other. I recommend the head tilt strategy.
When the tasks start stacking up, some people prefer to prioritize one objective or the other. I just tried to divide my attention among all three activities because that's what the instructions said. I did prioritize emergency procedures l, however. I wrote them down but didn't end up needing to look.
That's all I've got. Good luck everyone. I'll be shooting for the October ish pilot board.
MStevenson
Member
Thanks! I tried using Firefox and it worked fine then!
Radar1991
New Member
[/QUOTE]
Thank you for this. I test tomorrow. Can't help but wonder how similar the exams will be considering how close our test dates are.
Thank you for this. I test tomorrow. Can't help but wonder how similar the exams will be considering how close our test dates are.
8251fansoffreedom
New Member
First time post on AW. I took the astb today. It surprised me. I am a flight engineer on P-3C Orion with 1000 hours. I felt really confident going into the test, but didn't do as well as I thought I would. My ocs package is nearly complete and very impressive aside from my ASTB score. 51 5/4/4. I thought that with my flight experience I would do well. My OAR I wasn't happy with but it was good enough. I have friends who got picked up with that score. What I want to know if anyone knows a way I can improve my PFAR score. I have an XBOX and plan on playing a lot of Aviation games to see if I can improve my stick skills. The Spatial part with the identifying the parking spots was pretty easy. This is very similar to or displays in the aircraft. Any help would be much appreciated. I plan on taking the test in Sept and hope to have a much higher score. Thank you.
Hey there,
First off I wanted to thank the air warriors for creating all of these forums they were a great help. I'm happy to service the U.S Navy in what ever community I go into, but I would love to get into the aviation specifically as a pilot. When I took the ASTB-E I got a 6/8/7 with an OAR of 53. I'm the secretary for my club at school, work over 25+ hours to support myself, and was the head coach for a YMCA team ball team for the last two years. I have my Instrument rating, with 109 flight hours, on top of an A.S. Degree in Aeronautical Maintenance Technology. The only downside is my GPA.
Currently, I am an incoming NROTC senior at school with 2.68 GPA in Engineering. I know it's not a very competitive GPA. Over the last three years I've lost many family members due to old age, cancer, and a motorcycle hit and run. Unfortunately, I have also lost a best friend (former marine) to PTSD and a long time buddy that was deployed to Iraq during that time as well. Total I've lost 9 wonderful people in my life.
I really would like to know what my chances are for getting selected for pilot this year. I know each year changes due to the demands of the navy, but a little insight would help.
Thank you.
First off I wanted to thank the air warriors for creating all of these forums they were a great help. I'm happy to service the U.S Navy in what ever community I go into, but I would love to get into the aviation specifically as a pilot. When I took the ASTB-E I got a 6/8/7 with an OAR of 53. I'm the secretary for my club at school, work over 25+ hours to support myself, and was the head coach for a YMCA team ball team for the last two years. I have my Instrument rating, with 109 flight hours, on top of an A.S. Degree in Aeronautical Maintenance Technology. The only downside is my GPA.
Currently, I am an incoming NROTC senior at school with 2.68 GPA in Engineering. I know it's not a very competitive GPA. Over the last three years I've lost many family members due to old age, cancer, and a motorcycle hit and run. Unfortunately, I have also lost a best friend (former marine) to PTSD and a long time buddy that was deployed to Iraq during that time as well. Total I've lost 9 wonderful people in my life.
I really would like to know what my chances are for getting selected for pilot this year. I know each year changes due to the demands of the navy, but a little insight would help.
Thank you.
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nightflaw
Well-Known Member
I think those are average scores from what I've seen on here. What designator are you going for? Some of them seem to care more about ASTB than others, so you may not need to retake.
Philly93
Active Member
I am applying for SNA.
RenatusRaptor
New Member
Just took the ASTB OAR for the first time today. I studied the topics covered in various gouges and study guides I could find in bookstores, online, and on forums on for about a month. In hindsight I definitely could have dedicated more time to it, and as a result I totally got my rear handed to me. I scored a 38, which I isn't anywhere near as well as I thought I'd do. I spent a majority of the time reviewing Math topics I haven't touched since 2010, learning Mechanical, and Physics concepts I never knew with the assistance of KhanAcademy. (I never took Physics.) I managed to complete each section which just a couple of minutes to spare, but I feel like I should have dedicated more time to the questions than I did. Overall, Physbrah's breakdown of each section (barring the aviation portions) is almost entirely accurate to my experience as well, and there wasn't anything that stood out significantly.
I'm angry with myself for underestimating the gravity of the situation. I plan on retaking the ASTB after the 90 day requirement between a re-test has passed, but I'm not entirely sure if more study time with perhaps the employment of a tutor would make the difference. I believe I can do better, but my recruiter seems to doubt that and suggested that I not risk a lower score until after I put in my package for SWO (my second choice) and await the results of the board.
What do you guys think? Has there been anyone here recently who has made a significant improvement on their score?
I'm angry with myself for underestimating the gravity of the situation. I plan on retaking the ASTB after the 90 day requirement between a re-test has passed, but I'm not entirely sure if more study time with perhaps the employment of a tutor would make the difference. I believe I can do better, but my recruiter seems to doubt that and suggested that I not risk a lower score until after I put in my package for SWO (my second choice) and await the results of the board.
What do you guys think? Has there been anyone here recently who has made a significant improvement on their score?