exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
also the max age for SWO is commissioned by age 31, not sure when you started the process as it may have been a while ago.
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1,001 questions about the ASTB (post your scores & ask your questions here!)
- Thread starter edato
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I have compiled numerous documents from previous threads, and I am very hopeful for my exam in September. I am aimimg for the December 4th board. Does anyone know how quickly selections are made and if quotas exist for each commissioning program? I am prior enlisted Navy, and I am trying to get picked up for SWO.
Last edited:
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
The numbers vary. Your best bet is to check out previous SWO boards to find out how quickly results come out as well as stats/finsel turnaround/etc
Minuteman
"Speak softly and carry a big stick" -TR
I just took the OAR portion of the ASTB last week and must say that the best gouge is in this thread.
My score came out to be a 57, which my OR was happy with. Not much more I can add that hasn't already been said...
The math consisted of rate of change problems, and basic algebra.
The reading is what really lowered my score, I went in confident as I had high 90% in all of the practice reading tests that I practiced.
However, I must say that the reading section of the OAR is extremely boring and filled with Navy jargon and regulations.
My best advice to future test takers is to use the few minutes of breaks to relax your eyes and really act like you are interested in the reading passage.
Lastly, the M.C. on the OAR was fairly straight forward. Study the gouge on here and you'll be fine.
Also, don't freak out if the computer stops you early or start getting harder problems. It most likely means that you are doing well.
The OAR only took an hour and 15 minutes for me to complete, so time is not really an issue if you study.
I used the the gouge here, the Mometrix book and as many online tests I could fine to prepare.
Good luck to future applicants.
My score came out to be a 57, which my OR was happy with. Not much more I can add that hasn't already been said...
The math consisted of rate of change problems, and basic algebra.
The reading is what really lowered my score, I went in confident as I had high 90% in all of the practice reading tests that I practiced.
However, I must say that the reading section of the OAR is extremely boring and filled with Navy jargon and regulations.
My best advice to future test takers is to use the few minutes of breaks to relax your eyes and really act like you are interested in the reading passage.
Lastly, the M.C. on the OAR was fairly straight forward. Study the gouge on here and you'll be fine.
Also, don't freak out if the computer stops you early or start getting harder problems. It most likely means that you are doing well.
The OAR only took an hour and 15 minutes for me to complete, so time is not really an issue if you study.
I used the the gouge here, the Mometrix book and as many online tests I could fine to prepare.
Good luck to future applicants.
Mason0924
Member
I absolutely love this forum and all the information that is generously passed on to others such as myself. I recently downloaded a file to study from Jacob1792 who scored 72 9/9/9 and had a great addition to the UAV flash card trick. Below I attached his original file, which he drew before starting the UAV portion, as well with one that I updated that I feel simplifies the heading. Also, I attached the link to the UAV practice flashcards. I really hope this helps someone! And thanks a million to Jacob1792 for the added trick on the UAV flashcards.
UAV Practice Link
https://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/story.php?title=_36014
UAV Practice Link
https://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/story.php?title=_36014
Attachments
Okay guys, I have a question for the people that have taken the ASTB-E. I am curious as to how much the mechanical comprehension portion plays into your scores. I know that it is factored into the OAR score, but how about the AQR, PFAR, and FOFAR? I ask this because the mechanical part is certainly my worst subject when studying. I have mainly been focussing on the math and ANIT portion because I feel like those are most important to getting a competitive SNA score. I am taking my test in two weeks and would appreciate any feedback or knowledge you guys have about this! Thanks for the help.
highspeedlowdrag
Member
First post here on the site. I have been lurking for the past week or two about what to expect on the test and material to study. I took the test on Friday and scored 72 9/8/9. I studied for a little over a week and probably spent about 2 hours per night doing as many problems as I could get my hands on. I'll give you a basic rundown of what I studied and what to expect...
_____
Math
The math section was exactly like I expected. It started very simple, two equations with two variables and solving for x. A question which asked to factor into the most simple form. They started to get a bit more difficult after that, tricky word problems involving rates, time, ect. I had probably 3 logarithmic equations and a matrix multiplication problem. My best advice is to use an ACT study guide and then just go over solving equations with log in them and understand your linear algebra. Math isn't something which is learned overnight, just do as many problems as you possibly can until you feel confident.
Reading Comprehension
Not really much to say, just don't lose focus. The content is very boring and dry and if you don't stay focused, it can be pretty easy for your mind to start wandering and then you wonder wtf you just read. Be careful to read all the answers carefully and don't make any assumptions. Just use your head and don't take too much time on each question. I didn't finish all of the questions in time.
Mechanical Aptitude
I didn't study much for this section. It was pretty much what I expected. I honestly don't remember what was on this section, I flew through it and it ended pretty quick. Some of this stuff you just can't study for so I don't have much to recommend on this section.
Aviation and Nautical Information
I surprisingly didn't get a single question about nautical information. I didn't know jack ish about nautical info and put a bunch of time into learning as much as I could. If I could recommend anything, read the FAA manual. I didn't but I looked at the table of contents and a lot of the info from this section could probably be found in here. There were a few questions on aerodynamics, functions of certain components on aircrafts, aircraft dynamics, ect. Know some history and what types of aircraft do what.
NATFI
Don't lie on this section. You will get the same question more than once and may forget what you stated. What I did was put myself in that situation and asked myself "Would I rather do this, or would I never do that?" Some were really tough answering because both described myself and others were both horrible, so this seemed to help me. Just answer honestly because after all, the whole point is to determine if you are fit for being a pilot so you might as well let the test do its job.
Performance Based Measures
Practice the UAV flashcards everyone has been posting. Be able to do them in your sleep like you don't even have to think about them. Also, the test has the option to go back after you do the practice problems so you can literally practice as long as you want before you start the actual test. I was answering them in around 1.00 - 1.25 seconds and didn't miss any.
For the listening only portion, it helped if I tilted my head and looked in the direction of the ear I was supposed to be listening to.
For the throttle portion, I noticed it helped if you push the throttle in small increments then back it off. Never keep it in one position, always be moving it around the plane. You don't have to be spot on the plane, just in a certain range. Might not work for you but thats what pilots who air refuel do, they are always moving them throttles around to vary thrust or keep tight on their wingman flying formation.
For the joystick section, just try your best to hold it on the target. About all you can do... I tried to keep my movements more steady than I did with the throttle as it seemed a little more touchy and was really easy to get off position. It is going to be moving vertically and horizontally so steady wins the race on this one.
When they combined the two together, it helped if I almost squinted a little and didn't focus on either of the targets. I know this sounds crazy but I let my natural instinct kick in and it was like I was able to keep tracked on both targets without focusing on either. When the headphone commands got added in, I did the same thing as before but obviously didn't look in the direction, just tilted my head.
For some reason, something went wrong during the last portion where you have to perform the emergency procedures. It gave me the directions, I clicked the trigger to continue to the test, and next thing I know the screen goes black and my OAR score comes up. I was pissed at first but after seeing the 72, I was like no way in hell am I retaking because of that hahaha. Pretty sure I would have gotten a 9 for pilot if this didn't happen
_____
Math
The math section was exactly like I expected. It started very simple, two equations with two variables and solving for x. A question which asked to factor into the most simple form. They started to get a bit more difficult after that, tricky word problems involving rates, time, ect. I had probably 3 logarithmic equations and a matrix multiplication problem. My best advice is to use an ACT study guide and then just go over solving equations with log in them and understand your linear algebra. Math isn't something which is learned overnight, just do as many problems as you possibly can until you feel confident.
Reading Comprehension
Not really much to say, just don't lose focus. The content is very boring and dry and if you don't stay focused, it can be pretty easy for your mind to start wandering and then you wonder wtf you just read. Be careful to read all the answers carefully and don't make any assumptions. Just use your head and don't take too much time on each question. I didn't finish all of the questions in time.
Mechanical Aptitude
I didn't study much for this section. It was pretty much what I expected. I honestly don't remember what was on this section, I flew through it and it ended pretty quick. Some of this stuff you just can't study for so I don't have much to recommend on this section.
Aviation and Nautical Information
I surprisingly didn't get a single question about nautical information. I didn't know jack ish about nautical info and put a bunch of time into learning as much as I could. If I could recommend anything, read the FAA manual. I didn't but I looked at the table of contents and a lot of the info from this section could probably be found in here. There were a few questions on aerodynamics, functions of certain components on aircrafts, aircraft dynamics, ect. Know some history and what types of aircraft do what.
NATFI
Don't lie on this section. You will get the same question more than once and may forget what you stated. What I did was put myself in that situation and asked myself "Would I rather do this, or would I never do that?" Some were really tough answering because both described myself and others were both horrible, so this seemed to help me. Just answer honestly because after all, the whole point is to determine if you are fit for being a pilot so you might as well let the test do its job.
Performance Based Measures
Practice the UAV flashcards everyone has been posting. Be able to do them in your sleep like you don't even have to think about them. Also, the test has the option to go back after you do the practice problems so you can literally practice as long as you want before you start the actual test. I was answering them in around 1.00 - 1.25 seconds and didn't miss any.
For the listening only portion, it helped if I tilted my head and looked in the direction of the ear I was supposed to be listening to.
For the throttle portion, I noticed it helped if you push the throttle in small increments then back it off. Never keep it in one position, always be moving it around the plane. You don't have to be spot on the plane, just in a certain range. Might not work for you but thats what pilots who air refuel do, they are always moving them throttles around to vary thrust or keep tight on their wingman flying formation.
For the joystick section, just try your best to hold it on the target. About all you can do... I tried to keep my movements more steady than I did with the throttle as it seemed a little more touchy and was really easy to get off position. It is going to be moving vertically and horizontally so steady wins the race on this one.
When they combined the two together, it helped if I almost squinted a little and didn't focus on either of the targets. I know this sounds crazy but I let my natural instinct kick in and it was like I was able to keep tracked on both targets without focusing on either. When the headphone commands got added in, I did the same thing as before but obviously didn't look in the direction, just tilted my head.
For some reason, something went wrong during the last portion where you have to perform the emergency procedures. It gave me the directions, I clicked the trigger to continue to the test, and next thing I know the screen goes black and my OAR score comes up. I was pissed at first but after seeing the 72, I was like no way in hell am I retaking because of that hahaha. Pretty sure I would have gotten a 9 for pilot if this didn't happen
I just returned home from having taken my first ASTB. My score was an 8/8/8. To say that I'm pleased with my results would be an understatement, as I was positive that I bombing the PBM section throughout the duration of the exam. This forum and the study material it provides have been invaluable in my studies for the test, so here is my take on it. Hopefully it helps someone.
Math
This is the section that carries the most weight of the OAR parts regarding aviation, valuable to take note of that if you're trying to weigh your studying more heavily on certain sections under limited time.
Do all the practice problems you can get your hands on. And I do mean all of them, even the ones that seem immensely simple. Work through them all. I have taken one math class (CALC I) since graduating high school in '14. If you're in the same boat, brush up on everything covered in the review books and then some. Several people on here stated that their exams had logs, matrices, or binomials on their exam. For that reason, I studied all of these. The first two I already had knowledge of but I didn't have a damn clue as to how to write a binomial number. A matrices question did show up on my exam, not the latter two. Mostly simple questions other than those. There were a lot of percentiles and DRT. The average questions that I receiver were more complicated than your primary example in review books, such as "The average of the test scores was 80, the first four were 72 86 87 91, what was the fourth?". Mine were more along the lines of "X, Y and Z count for 30% of the final average, A is 40% of the final average, and B is 30% of the final average. B was 20units higher than Z. X,Y,A equal this amount, the final average is this amount. What is the value of B?" Super tedious stuff. I ended this section with plenty of time left.
Reading Comprehension
I actually did not study for this portion of the exam. You're either good at reading or your not. You have to pick one of the sentences that is correctly deducted from the passage, while the other three will be either blatantly wrong or just have a single detail wrong. I didn't take all the time on this section, although I wish I had. I felt like I was taking too long reading over my answer choices and rushed a little more than was necessary.
Mechanical
This section was very straight forward. Simple machines, a lot with air pressure/temp/volume, and some concepts that I had not covered. Barrons review book does a good job covering the majority of the things you will need to know for this section. Be sure to practice example problems, knowing the concept is entirely different form being able to apply it when given a problem. This is the section I actually studied the most for. I haven't had any college courses covering physics, only one simple class in high school. I was expecting this part of the exam to be brutal but I ended up being over prepared for it.
Aviation/Nautical
Study. Study. Study. If you are not in ROTC or prior enlistment, this section is where you should focus most of your time. Having not taken any courses pertaining to this section, I studied a lot. Unfortunately, I think studying on this section is hit or miss. Expand your history and terminology knowledge beyond what is found in the review books. They do not cover everything. Given, also know everything in the review books. I studied 4 ASTB prep books and not all of the material on this exam is in there, I'd say closer to 40%. I also went through every page of this thread that was posted in 2014 or later (because of the change of exams in 2013) and made sure I knew or would at least recognize answers to specific questions people said were on their exams. Know all the parts of an airplane and know how they work. DEFINITELY know what happens when you move the ailerons/rudder/elevators/flaps a certain way (ex. how to move them up/down or left/right and what it does to AOA/Camber/lift/drag/etc).
NATFI
ha ha
PBM
UAV: STUDY THE FLASH CARDS THAT EVERYONE ON THIS SITE RECOMMENDS. And then study them some more. Quite a good number of people suggested using the compass drawn on paper method but I felt like that took far too long so I just got accustomed to working it out in my head.
Listening Portion: Like many others before me have recommended, lean into the side that you're suppose to be focusing on. I also jotted if I was suppose to press a button for even/odd numbers on the joystick or throttle.
All Remaining PBM Sections: Do your best. I have no flight training whatsoever and have never played joystick/throttle video games. This portion sucked with just the individual sections before they were combined. When they were all combined I genuinely thought I was going to end up with a 3 in the PFAR section. Many recommend to write down the emergency codes when they're given to you, which is what I did, but I also had them memorized going into the exam.
My general advice would be to bring earplugs, a pen that will not run out of ink, and study as much as you can prior to the exam. If you're having to use a laptop hooked up to a monitor, be careful to not tap the mouse pad and accidentally select an answer. The office I took my exam in was loud and the specific room I was in had people occasionally walking in to get stuff. The computer I was on also was going to automatically restart, so the SSgt overseeing my exam had to restart it in between the OAR sections and remaining parts for me. Do what you can to not get distracted, ear plugs were my life saver.
Math
This is the section that carries the most weight of the OAR parts regarding aviation, valuable to take note of that if you're trying to weigh your studying more heavily on certain sections under limited time.
Do all the practice problems you can get your hands on. And I do mean all of them, even the ones that seem immensely simple. Work through them all. I have taken one math class (CALC I) since graduating high school in '14. If you're in the same boat, brush up on everything covered in the review books and then some. Several people on here stated that their exams had logs, matrices, or binomials on their exam. For that reason, I studied all of these. The first two I already had knowledge of but I didn't have a damn clue as to how to write a binomial number. A matrices question did show up on my exam, not the latter two. Mostly simple questions other than those. There were a lot of percentiles and DRT. The average questions that I receiver were more complicated than your primary example in review books, such as "The average of the test scores was 80, the first four were 72 86 87 91, what was the fourth?". Mine were more along the lines of "X, Y and Z count for 30% of the final average, A is 40% of the final average, and B is 30% of the final average. B was 20units higher than Z. X,Y,A equal this amount, the final average is this amount. What is the value of B?" Super tedious stuff. I ended this section with plenty of time left.
Reading Comprehension
I actually did not study for this portion of the exam. You're either good at reading or your not. You have to pick one of the sentences that is correctly deducted from the passage, while the other three will be either blatantly wrong or just have a single detail wrong. I didn't take all the time on this section, although I wish I had. I felt like I was taking too long reading over my answer choices and rushed a little more than was necessary.
Mechanical
This section was very straight forward. Simple machines, a lot with air pressure/temp/volume, and some concepts that I had not covered. Barrons review book does a good job covering the majority of the things you will need to know for this section. Be sure to practice example problems, knowing the concept is entirely different form being able to apply it when given a problem. This is the section I actually studied the most for. I haven't had any college courses covering physics, only one simple class in high school. I was expecting this part of the exam to be brutal but I ended up being over prepared for it.
Aviation/Nautical
Study. Study. Study. If you are not in ROTC or prior enlistment, this section is where you should focus most of your time. Having not taken any courses pertaining to this section, I studied a lot. Unfortunately, I think studying on this section is hit or miss. Expand your history and terminology knowledge beyond what is found in the review books. They do not cover everything. Given, also know everything in the review books. I studied 4 ASTB prep books and not all of the material on this exam is in there, I'd say closer to 40%. I also went through every page of this thread that was posted in 2014 or later (because of the change of exams in 2013) and made sure I knew or would at least recognize answers to specific questions people said were on their exams. Know all the parts of an airplane and know how they work. DEFINITELY know what happens when you move the ailerons/rudder/elevators/flaps a certain way (ex. how to move them up/down or left/right and what it does to AOA/Camber/lift/drag/etc).
NATFI
ha ha
PBM
UAV: STUDY THE FLASH CARDS THAT EVERYONE ON THIS SITE RECOMMENDS. And then study them some more. Quite a good number of people suggested using the compass drawn on paper method but I felt like that took far too long so I just got accustomed to working it out in my head.
Listening Portion: Like many others before me have recommended, lean into the side that you're suppose to be focusing on. I also jotted if I was suppose to press a button for even/odd numbers on the joystick or throttle.
All Remaining PBM Sections: Do your best. I have no flight training whatsoever and have never played joystick/throttle video games. This portion sucked with just the individual sections before they were combined. When they were all combined I genuinely thought I was going to end up with a 3 in the PFAR section. Many recommend to write down the emergency codes when they're given to you, which is what I did, but I also had them memorized going into the exam.
My general advice would be to bring earplugs, a pen that will not run out of ink, and study as much as you can prior to the exam. If you're having to use a laptop hooked up to a monitor, be careful to not tap the mouse pad and accidentally select an answer. The office I took my exam in was loud and the specific room I was in had people occasionally walking in to get stuff. The computer I was on also was going to automatically restart, so the SSgt overseeing my exam had to restart it in between the OAR sections and remaining parts for me. Do what you can to not get distracted, ear plugs were my life saver.
R.Dougie
Live•Laugh•Love
I took the OAR for the second time today.
My first score was 38 26Jan16. My second score was the same thing. (18Aug17)
I am an IT1 with 13 years AD.
I pondered a moment and asked myself what did I do wrong? What could I have done differently. I hired a tutor and have dedicated the past two months to studying at least 2 hours a night. I utilized the guides here along with the officer candidate test for dummies and an oar Secrets book from Mometrix.
I plan to retake in November and have a date set. My package is complete aside from the score which my CO wanted me to improve. I plan to ask him for a waiver but I'm not holding my breath on that one. I'm posting so that someone who may be taking the test soon may be able to benefit from my experience.
I'm not certain how much each portion weighs on your scores but here is my .02.
Math 40min
Do not waste too much time on any problem!! I did it feel and like this weighed heavily on my score and how I completed the rest of this section. I saw a lot of probability, distance rate time problems, system of equation problems, variables and percentages.
E.g. c = 2a b=3c what is c? A plane traveled 300 mph for the first 1200miles, 500 mph for the rest of the trip.
The trip was 2400 miles. How long did it the trip take?
If you roll a pair of dice, what is the probability that they add up to 12?
Two cars traveled 40mph and 30mph respectively. After 30min, how far apart were they?
y=3 Y raised to y exponent (Y raised to y exponent -y) Word problems.
This stuff looks simple now that the test is complete. I had really bad anxiety today.
Mechanics 15min
Pretty simple.
E. g.Which wrench has greatest torque?
At what point should the fulcrum be placed to lift the boulder easiest?
At which point does fluid travel fastest?
When is the mechanical advantage at greatest?
If a pedestrian got hit by a car at 20 miles per hour while crossing the street when was the force the greatest?
Volume questions.
Reading 30min
For anyone that may be AD, use what is given and not what you know.
The paragraphs were about the auditor in general, Navy career program,the Milky Way galaxy, how artists paint pictures and use sight tricks, how children learn their native language and Exceptional Family Member Program. They were kind of interesting but I still caught my mind drifting.
I took headphones, wore comfy clothes,rested the night before and had a good breakfast. I had a small teardown session for myself and will just get back to it. No breaks. I re test 15Nov.
My first score was 38 26Jan16. My second score was the same thing. (18Aug17)
I am an IT1 with 13 years AD.
I pondered a moment and asked myself what did I do wrong? What could I have done differently. I hired a tutor and have dedicated the past two months to studying at least 2 hours a night. I utilized the guides here along with the officer candidate test for dummies and an oar Secrets book from Mometrix.
I plan to retake in November and have a date set. My package is complete aside from the score which my CO wanted me to improve. I plan to ask him for a waiver but I'm not holding my breath on that one. I'm posting so that someone who may be taking the test soon may be able to benefit from my experience.
I'm not certain how much each portion weighs on your scores but here is my .02.
Math 40min
Do not waste too much time on any problem!! I did it feel and like this weighed heavily on my score and how I completed the rest of this section. I saw a lot of probability, distance rate time problems, system of equation problems, variables and percentages.
E.g. c = 2a b=3c what is c? A plane traveled 300 mph for the first 1200miles, 500 mph for the rest of the trip.
The trip was 2400 miles. How long did it the trip take?
If you roll a pair of dice, what is the probability that they add up to 12?
Two cars traveled 40mph and 30mph respectively. After 30min, how far apart were they?
y=3 Y raised to y exponent (Y raised to y exponent -y) Word problems.
This stuff looks simple now that the test is complete. I had really bad anxiety today.
Mechanics 15min
Pretty simple.
E. g.Which wrench has greatest torque?
At what point should the fulcrum be placed to lift the boulder easiest?
At which point does fluid travel fastest?
When is the mechanical advantage at greatest?
If a pedestrian got hit by a car at 20 miles per hour while crossing the street when was the force the greatest?
Volume questions.
Reading 30min
For anyone that may be AD, use what is given and not what you know.
The paragraphs were about the auditor in general, Navy career program,the Milky Way galaxy, how artists paint pictures and use sight tricks, how children learn their native language and Exceptional Family Member Program. They were kind of interesting but I still caught my mind drifting.
I took headphones, wore comfy clothes,rested the night before and had a good breakfast. I had a small teardown session for myself and will just get back to it. No breaks. I re test 15Nov.
Jamie_D
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone! I just took the ASTB-E on Thursday Aug. 17th and wanted to share my experience. I studied for maybe a solid four days ahead of time. My scores were 57 7/8/7. I was pleased with how they came out, I just wish I could have gotten a higher PFAR. But, I wanted to thank all of you! I spent quite a bit of time on here reading gouge, it was a big help! Here's some notes I have from it:
Math
Get your hands on as much material as possible. I went through the Barron's book, Jacob1792's math gouge (on page 260), and the AFOQT math section. I spent hours learning how to do every possible problem. The biggest things on mine were probability (the one thing I forgot to study), distance and mileage, and proportions. Don't spend too much time on one problem but don't get flustered. Biggest advice I have is do multiple practice exams where you're timed. It'll help you get used to the time constraint. Also, don't be worried if you finish before the whole 40 minutes is up. I ended with 15 minutes left and thought I did absolutely horrible! If you know the theoretical way to solve the math problems, you should be fine.
Reading
I don't have much input here besides practice with the time constraint. I don't think the Barron's book helped me much here, sadly that was all I used too. The sections I was reading on the test were worded much harder and trickier than in the book, so I'd say try and use some of the gouge from here.
Mechanical
Since I have an BS in aeronautical engineering, I didn't study much for this section. I don't think the Barron's book did much help anyways, it was more geared towards the general science on the AFOQT. The major questions have to do with fulcrum position, density, levers, torque, and mechanical advantage with pulleys. The gouge on this thread looked pretty good for this section.
Aviation/Nautical
For the aviation knowledge, try to know the simple mechanics around how a plane flies. What does the elevator control? Or the ailerons, or the rudder. Definitely know the axes in the plane and which one each control surface rotates about. Study Bernoulli's principal and how airplanes generate lift. Lastly, know the parts of the airplane. For the nautical section, I would know the parts of a ship (draft, freeboard, etc.).
PBM
Study those flashcards on this thread! I studied only them for this test. I also used a trick, I know there's one going around now where they memorize the eight different positions and write them down. I just made a compass with all of the directions and turned the compass in the direction the aircraft was flying and voila! got my answer. Ex: If an aircraft was flying SW, I put the SW line on my compass up, or north, and it worked.
For the listening portion, I wrote down which button I was supposed to hit for what and wrote down what ear I was listening in. That became especially important later on because while you're moving around it gets easy to forget what ear you're supposed to be listening in.
For the rest, I would also spend some time playing a simulator if you can. It gets tricky near the end and my joystick didn't move so fluidly either. I didn't have any experience flying or using a simulator that much. The one I did use, for a total of an hour, moved a lot easier than the one I used on the exam. Definitely write down the emergency procedures in the last section, it helps. Other than that, just go in being a strong multitask-er.
General advice would be to eat before but not too much and get in the zone. It was hard for me at mine because my recruiter was busy and there was a lot of noise. Just try to focus on the exam and block it out. If you can, take the BI-RV first. Then you get your full scores right then and there. Otherwise you'll just get your OAR.
Good Luck!
Math
Get your hands on as much material as possible. I went through the Barron's book, Jacob1792's math gouge (on page 260), and the AFOQT math section. I spent hours learning how to do every possible problem. The biggest things on mine were probability (the one thing I forgot to study), distance and mileage, and proportions. Don't spend too much time on one problem but don't get flustered. Biggest advice I have is do multiple practice exams where you're timed. It'll help you get used to the time constraint. Also, don't be worried if you finish before the whole 40 minutes is up. I ended with 15 minutes left and thought I did absolutely horrible! If you know the theoretical way to solve the math problems, you should be fine.
Reading
I don't have much input here besides practice with the time constraint. I don't think the Barron's book helped me much here, sadly that was all I used too. The sections I was reading on the test were worded much harder and trickier than in the book, so I'd say try and use some of the gouge from here.
Mechanical
Since I have an BS in aeronautical engineering, I didn't study much for this section. I don't think the Barron's book did much help anyways, it was more geared towards the general science on the AFOQT. The major questions have to do with fulcrum position, density, levers, torque, and mechanical advantage with pulleys. The gouge on this thread looked pretty good for this section.
Aviation/Nautical
For the aviation knowledge, try to know the simple mechanics around how a plane flies. What does the elevator control? Or the ailerons, or the rudder. Definitely know the axes in the plane and which one each control surface rotates about. Study Bernoulli's principal and how airplanes generate lift. Lastly, know the parts of the airplane. For the nautical section, I would know the parts of a ship (draft, freeboard, etc.).
PBM
Study those flashcards on this thread! I studied only them for this test. I also used a trick, I know there's one going around now where they memorize the eight different positions and write them down. I just made a compass with all of the directions and turned the compass in the direction the aircraft was flying and voila! got my answer. Ex: If an aircraft was flying SW, I put the SW line on my compass up, or north, and it worked.
For the listening portion, I wrote down which button I was supposed to hit for what and wrote down what ear I was listening in. That became especially important later on because while you're moving around it gets easy to forget what ear you're supposed to be listening in.
For the rest, I would also spend some time playing a simulator if you can. It gets tricky near the end and my joystick didn't move so fluidly either. I didn't have any experience flying or using a simulator that much. The one I did use, for a total of an hour, moved a lot easier than the one I used on the exam. Definitely write down the emergency procedures in the last section, it helps. Other than that, just go in being a strong multitask-er.
General advice would be to eat before but not too much and get in the zone. It was hard for me at mine because my recruiter was busy and there was a lot of noise. Just try to focus on the exam and block it out. If you can, take the BI-RV first. Then you get your full scores right then and there. Otherwise you'll just get your OAR.
Good Luck!
VermontSoccer
Member
I appreciate this a lot, for your math section, how much geometry was on yours?
VermontSoccer
Member
I appreciate your post as well. I have a quick question as I think you may have written one of the compasses wrong? On the right column, when you are heading North-East, shouldn't the orientation be N - E on top and W - S on bottom? You both have the same orientation drawn for traveling North-East and North-West.
dreamtoserve
Active Member
Hi Everyone,
This is my first post on here, so a little background I'm 22 years old and just graduated in May from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. I took the ASTB for the first time on Friday and scored a 54 7/8/8. I walked out of the exam feeling worse about myself than I ever have, and like there was no way I scored anything that would be worth applying with. Don't let your feelings get the best of you, I honestly still think I am going to wake up and realize I dreamed those scores, that's how poorly I felt I did.
For studying, I used everything that was mentioned here and made these flashcards https://quizlet.com/218123459/astb-e-flash-cards/
The only sections I really studied for were the mechanical and ANIT sections. For the UAV I used the compass trick which I felt is the only reason I did well (I'm sure everyone has a different method that worked best for them.
What got me on the OAR portion was not knowing how many questions total there were, how many I had completed, or how many I had left, my best advice is to work as fast as possible and check the clock every 5 or so problems.
For the Emergency procedures, I wrote them all down and had them sitting right in front of me.
I have no aviation background and was never much into video games, I felt like I totally embarrassed myself in the PBM section.
I am hoping to apply for SNA for the October board, happy enough with my scores as is my recruiter. Packets are due September 1 and I haven't made it to MEPS yet so fingers crossed!
This is my first post on here, so a little background I'm 22 years old and just graduated in May from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. I took the ASTB for the first time on Friday and scored a 54 7/8/8. I walked out of the exam feeling worse about myself than I ever have, and like there was no way I scored anything that would be worth applying with. Don't let your feelings get the best of you, I honestly still think I am going to wake up and realize I dreamed those scores, that's how poorly I felt I did.
For studying, I used everything that was mentioned here and made these flashcards https://quizlet.com/218123459/astb-e-flash-cards/
The only sections I really studied for were the mechanical and ANIT sections. For the UAV I used the compass trick which I felt is the only reason I did well (I'm sure everyone has a different method that worked best for them.
What got me on the OAR portion was not knowing how many questions total there were, how many I had completed, or how many I had left, my best advice is to work as fast as possible and check the clock every 5 or so problems.
For the Emergency procedures, I wrote them all down and had them sitting right in front of me.
I have no aviation background and was never much into video games, I felt like I totally embarrassed myself in the PBM section.
I am hoping to apply for SNA for the October board, happy enough with my scores as is my recruiter. Packets are due September 1 and I haven't made it to MEPS yet so fingers crossed!
VermontSoccer
Member
Not sure where you saw due dates Sep 1, Rufio posted in the October board thread that packets are due Sep 17 for October 3 board date.
Rufio posted in the day/month/year format the military uses, not month/day that civilians use. The due date is September 1.