Hey Guys and Gals, I just want to pay it forward because this site has been incredibly useful to me over the last few months. I just took my full ASTB for the second time on 11/22/2016:
First Score: 48 5/5/4
Second Score 55 7/8/7
SWO/SNA/NFO
The first time I took the test I did not do well at all. I used Atripays Study Guide, which was incredibly useful, but I also used Accepted Inc. ASTB Study Guide and it was pretty lame compared to the real test. I am a finance major and use math a good bit but I have always had trouble in math. Algebra has been a weak point for me and that is really what I focused on preparing for my second attempt. I was aiming for 58 on my second attempt for my OAR but I am pleased with the results and I still have a third attempt if need be. I will be submitting my application for the SWO board in February with my second attempt scores. Here is a list of study items I used for my second attempt:
MATH:
This was the section that I really geared up for the most. I legit rebuilt my entire base of algebra knowledge and relearned everything. I used Forgotten Algebra to do this and was really able to do much better math wise. I saw some D=RT word problems, multiple functions, I got a graphing questions that I thought was weird but was only asking about a quadratic function graph. I got a few logs and then of course some fractional exponent work. This part again was challenging for me but I felt much more confident with it than my first attempt. *Systems of Equations can be applied to so many aspects of this section.
READING:
I ran out of time... This should be an easy section for me and I was so bored I kept rereading things. I really felt like this was my weakest part of my second attempt. It is very dense reading that has sentences that run for multiple lines. I am an avid reader but this was pretty dense for me. Only advice to prepare is to read regularly and try not to get bored during the section.
MECHANICAL COMPREHNSION:
This section was probably the easiest for me. UNDERSTAND the simple equations like force, work and power. Once you know the variables and you stumble upon a question that requires a calculation you'll be able to see exactly what needs to be solved for. There is a lot of great gouge on this site and useful study material across the web for this section. Don't underestimate this section for you need to put time into studying for it. It is something that just came a lot easier and natural for me.
AVIATION AND MARITIME KNOWLEDGE:
I studied for this portion of the test very hard on my first attempt. I did not give it too much restudying my second attempt because I was really only focusing on my OAR. I come from a strong sailing background so this was really not too tough for me. This section is all facts that are memorized. There is a lot of great flashcards out there and Atripays Study Guide was a big help. Comb through this forum and you will find everything you need.
EVERYTHING ELSE:
Again, I was really focusing on my OAR so really was not too stressed for these sections. I feel I did well because I was not stressed. The UAV section you can prepare for a little but once you get into a grove you will be fine. Keep in mind you are not supposed to do well. If you are not tracking the target the entire time you will still be all right. It is tough but my only suggestions are READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND UNDERSTAND THEM and stay calm. The directions for each section are tiny yellow font and they are super easy to breeze by. Read everything thoroughly and pay attention!
If you are not good in a certain area on this test just practice practice practice. What you score on your practice tests is a strong indication of what you will score on the real test. There are not test day miracles. Good luck to all looking to gain a commission into our great fighting force. Keep going, you got it!
Reach out if you have any questions at all. Always happy to help. This test has been a good portion of my life for the past few months.