• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

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

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Hello! Got a 53 on OAR on first attempt. OR says this is good for Public Affairs Officer, which is what I want to do.
I got a 3.57 GPA with a Bachelors in Acting (from a top 10 program).
I'll need a couple waivers, one moral (DUI, misdemeanor) and one medical (hernia).
Thoughts on whether I should retake for a PAO app?
Almost everyone selected for PAO is prior service and was most likely a MC, you can probably count on 1 hand the number of people selected for PAO that were civilians in the past 10 years.

The other issue is your moral waiver, PAO will look for just about anything to turn a person down.

I would recommend looking at a designator like SWO that can be a bit more forgiving.
 

jake777x

Member
Hey Everyone!

I was just wondering if anyone knew how the scoring for the ASTB worked. Specifically the sections that have a definite answer such as the reading, math, mech, and anit. I saw the bell curve (attached), and wasn't sure if the 7 corresponds with a 77%-89% correct on any given test for example. If not does anyone know how it is scored so I can know roughly what I am getting on my practice tests. Thank you!

Hey Jenshotjr2013. The scores are all broken down differently on the ASTB. I can't tell you exactly how, especially on the non-OAR portion, but you're going to eventually have 4 scores: An OAR score- from 20-80, and AQR, FOFAR, and PFAR scores ranging from 1-9 I believe. The reading, math, and mechanical portions of the test contribute to your OAR score (they might contribute to the AQR etc. but I don't know). These scores and the test are calibrated so that the scores typically follow a standard bell curve (see below). The goal of the calibration is for a score of 50 to be better than 40-60% of the applying applicants. Because tests like these are constantly being calibrated, it's not easy to tell you what percent you have to get correct because it all really depends on how everyone else does on the test. My suggestion is to not focus on what you need to be competitive, and focus instead on learning as much material as you can because it will be helpful later. That may be true, may not, but it gives you a stronger reason for studying rather than to just be better than the other guys taking the test.

It's a similar system for the AQR, FOFAR, and PFAR scores. For example, a 7 doesn't indicate that you got 77-89% correct, but that you did better than 77-89% of people that take the test. The only advice I can give you for this section is this: study the ANIT flashcards on cram.com, but don't just memorize. Understand the systems and events that are being presented. When I took the test, I didn't have any of the questions from the flashcards, but I had learned enough about the systems presented in the flashcards that I could figure out what the question was asking. So if you're having a hard time understanding those cards, google the material and just spend a few minutes looking at pictures or reading the wikipedia page about lift or the the Ader Eole etc.

This probably wasn't the answer you were looking for, but you can do it. Just remember that you're studying for a reason!

27321
 
Hey Jenshotjr2013. The scores are all broken down differently on the ASTB. I can't tell you exactly how, especially on the non-OAR portion, but you're going to eventually have 4 scores: An OAR score- from 20-80, and AQR, FOFAR, and PFAR scores ranging from 1-9 I believe. The reading, math, and mechanical portions of the test contribute to your OAR score (they might contribute to the AQR etc. but I don't know). These scores and the test are calibrated so that the scores typically follow a standard bell curve (see below). The goal of the calibration is for a score of 50 to be better than 40-60% of the applying applicants. Because tests like these are constantly being calibrated, it's not easy to tell you what percent you have to get correct because it all really depends on how everyone else does on the test. My suggestion is to not focus on what you need to be competitive, and focus instead on learning as much material as you can because it will be helpful later. That may be true, may not, but it gives you a stronger reason for studying rather than to just be better than the other guys taking the test.

It's a similar system for the AQR, FOFAR, and PFAR scores. For example, a 7 doesn't indicate that you got 77-89% correct, but that you did better than 77-89% of people that take the test. The only advice I can give you for this section is this: study the ANIT flashcards on cram.com, but don't just memorize. Understand the systems and events that are being presented. When I took the test, I didn't have any of the questions from the flashcards, but I had learned enough about the systems presented in the flashcards that I could figure out what the question was asking. So if you're having a hard time understanding those cards, google the material and just spend a few minutes looking at pictures or reading the wikipedia page about lift or the the Ader Eole etc.

This probably wasn't the answer you were looking for, but you can do it. Just remember that you're studying for a reason!

View attachment 27321
Thank you! I know more now than I did before, so it was definitely helpful.
 

Coriolanus

Pro-Rec SNA
Just my two cents. I took the ASTB a few months back but only recently had this account approved.

First (and only) time
OAR: 60
ASTB: 7/6/7

I literally just used this website to study. Search this post and use the links people post. I studied for maybe a month in between my summer classes (Graduating soon). If you commit a few hours a day you should be in good shape. If I don't make this board I'll consider testing again for a higher score.

Use. This. Website. I can't stress this enough. Even as a lurker I found all I needed by reading and snooping around. That being said, if you don't understand some of the material use other resources such as Khan Academy or Quizlet. Best of luck for anyone else wishing to test!
 

Coriolanus

Pro-Rec SNA
Hello! Got a 53 on OAR on first attempt. OR says this is good for Public Affairs Officer, which is what I want to do.
I got a 3.57 GPA with a Bachelors in Acting (from a top 10 program).
I'll need a couple waivers, one moral (DUI, misdemeanor) and one medical (hernia).
Thoughts on whether I should retake for a PAO app?
Hey! Fellow actor here (B.F.A Performance) I'm putting in for SNA/NFO.

I thought about PAO but my recruiter pushed me towards pilot and said PAO is really competitive. I don't think it would hurt to test again, since 53 seems like you could improve.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Hey! Fellow actor here (B.F.A Performance) I'm putting in for SNA/NFO.

I thought about PAO but my recruiter pushed me towards pilot and said PAO is really competitive. I don't think it would hurt to test again, since 53 seems like you could improve.
OAR just qualifies you for the board, it carries little if any weight with the board.
 

EFCepeda

Member
Interested in Supply and SWO, took the OAR.
Scored a 56.
Just did MEPS on 8 Sept. and doc told me I'd be cleared.

OAR

Math

I studied a lot for distance/time/rate problems, which there were 4 of on the OAR. I used IXL to practice and Khan Academy, as well as the study guides on Google Drive from this forum.

My weak point was factoring. There were some pretty long problems involving factoring and simplfying way beyond a normal level, so I should've studied more for that. Negative exponents, cube roots were also on my exam. I think it kicked me off after I couldn't get the factoring ones. I got a 28 on the Math portion of the SAT and tried to study the most for this section.

Reading

This section wasn't too bad. I guess for reference (I never saw anyone compare scores from other standardized tests) I got a 34 and 36 on my English/Reading sections on the ACT. For this portion, 80% of the questions were simple. There were a handful that were difficult, mostly because the answers all seem very similar. Sometimes the answers are the same sentence but in a different order. Those questions + the dry reading material made those 20% of questions pretty difficult. I could not find any practice material that comes close to the reading section in terms of difficulty.

Physics/Mechanical

Nothing crazy. The gouge from this megathread, study guides, and even books like Barron's represent this portion of the exam pretty well. Was pretty bad at physics in general and never liked it, so I studied for this. Felt like I did just OK.


Thanks for everyone's advice/information from this forum. It's been awhile since I took the test but I remember some of it still.

Right now, I'm waiting to see if I pass selection from the board(s).

I know there's a big Excel sheet, so some other things about me, LORs etc.

3.5 GPA, Intl. Business from Arizona State
LORs: Professor, Former Employer, Federal Agent/Supervisor, Former Coach/Teacher

OAR wasn't too high but it seemed OK. I didn't want to chance a retake. My recruiter said they've had two applicants selected for supply, with a 45 and 55. So here's hoping.
 

bickando

New Member
Hey team. My score was 67 8/8/9, and I'm trying for NFO (1st) and Supply (2nd). I got hit on an old puberty-related medical thing, though, and MEPS told me that they'd clear me as soon as they put the records on...record... (on the plus side, it's not disqualifying), but that takes a month where I am because of high flow, so you won't be seeing me this board.

In general, other than airwarriors, I had no prior knowledge of the test, or prior knowledge of aviation, or of ships in general. This forum saved me, and I'll give the same advice as everyone else - read through it all. The more of the forum you read, the more you'll succeed. Good luck.

General

Now, backstory. I was originally looking at joining the Army, so took the ASVAB/Picat at the army recruiting base (scored 99) and they told me not to go officer. Since my family is only going to approve of this career direction if I manage to score a commission or find my way into the Navy/Air Force, I called the Navy Officer Recruiter in my area. The whole process from me leaving the Army station to taking the ASTB took me about 3 weeks (I was getting bounced around between LA and San Diego), and MEPS another month (partially because of covid).

I found that taking the ASVAB beforehand gave me a general idea on the direction the mechanics and math sections would go. You can think of it as a pre-warmup. I wouldn't take the ASVAB in addition to the ASTB unless you're thinking of going for both enlisted and officer. I definitely wouldn't take it at the Army, because they screwed me over a bit on timing - but that's a story for another time.

I watched three general youtube videos that I believe were useful for the test. Watch all three.




Math

Best advice I can give is go through the drive a couple of times. The better you understand the fundamentals, the better you'll end up doing on the OAR sections. Make sure you understand things like Distance/Rate/Time, make sure you know what 18! would mean in a question, and if you've got a solid foundation (i.e. did well in High School math) make sure to brush up on matrices - got a couple of those towards the end. I also had questions on log, sqrt, and ln. I'm linking the drive again just in case you as a viewer don't have it on file.


^
This same gouge is useful for all of the OAR sections.

Reading

I thought I failed this section, though the score means I didn't. A lot of the questions felt brain-dead easy, and a few of them felt impossible. Read the snippets a couple times over if you have to, I know it helped me. If your ASTB test date is a little ways off you can consider just reading through some news articles to improve your comprehension speed.

Mechanics

This was easy enough for me at the beginning, because it's all logic based. Think pulleys, levers, pistons, ramps. At some point something went wrong, because they asked me two just impossible questions (impossible because I haven't taken any science-y classes in 5 or so years).

The first went something like this; "If you want to increase the power flow from a nuclear control rod, do you raise it or lower it to affect electrons/neutrons." I just guessed. If you happen to know how protons, neutrons, and electrons work, your guess will probably be better than mine. The second was about how valence electrons worked. I also guessed on that question. The easier questions were very similar to the gauge, though, and I got three or four about a weight on one end of a pulley vs the force needed for the other end, and a few questions on multiple-circle-thing pulley systems.

Flight Sections

ANIT


I studied with two sets of flashcards, both of which can be found online. I only have the link saved for one of them, though, so you'll have to use that one. My ASTB was scheduled about a week after I decided to take it, for reference on how long I had to learn this from scratch.

You'll need to know by heart, at the very bare minimum:
-Parts of a ship
-Parts of a plane
-Squawking 7500, 7600, 7700, 7777. I found a neat rhyme online to remember this - "75 taken alive, 76 technical glitch, 77 going to heaven". 7777 is military designation, which was easier to remember for me because of the lack of 0's.
-Longitudinal, Vertical, Lateral axes on a plane, what parts control the movement around that axis, and what the movement is called. Pitch is nose up/down, yaw is nose left/right, roll is...roll. The three parts, in the same order, are elevators, rudder, aileron. If you want to be near a plane at all, you'll need to know this, so don't cram and forget this part.
-Warm fronts vs cold fronts

I didn't get any questions on weather, but I had the whole section memorized because that's come up pretty often in other peoples' after-reports. Having naval history and famous achievements (think the Moon, Eugene Ely, the X1) memorized will get you free points, but it all depends on how much time you have before you take the test. Prioritize the easiest to learn things, and the harder things will come more naturally.

Do these flash cards until you can answer it without even thinking. Do the memorize thing until you can get at least 400 correct in the first round.


UAV

By far the easiest section on the entire ASTB if you use the compass trick. Here it is; watch it twice, watch it thrice, try it twenty times at home, make sure you got it right, then do it exactly the same at the test. If it helps, pretend the arrow always has to go up. You'll get a chance to practice it again at the test if you click the back button in the allocated practice time, so use it carefully.



Dichotic Listening

Now, the old links for this don't work, so I went in on this relatively blind other than the leaning thing. It helped a little. Closing my eyes to center my focus helped more. They'll say a series of numbers and letters, and whenever an odd number comes up in X ear, click button A, and whenever an even number comes up in Y ear, click button B. Breathe deep between sections.

Side note also make sure you're wearing the headphones on the right way.

Stick and Throttle

This is both the easiest and hardest section of the test. Easiest because if you play a lot of games like me, parts of it will come naturally. I "studied" by turning on my PS4, putting the Nier:Automata disc in, and turning the camera to inverted and just running around for a while to get used to it. War Thunder with an XBOX controller is probably profoundly better for practice.

In your left hand will probably be the throttle, and you'll have to be careful because the more/less was a little unintuitive for me. It'll be the only thing happening at first, though, which means you have the first twenty seconds to get it right. Mine wasn't plugged in at first though, lol, so I didn't get to do the practice run.

In your right hand will be the stick, which will first make you calibrate it in non-inverted movements, and then inverts when the test begins. This felt like it was just an attempt to throw you off, so just keep in mind that it'll be inverted for the test.

When the test gets to doing both the stick and throttle at once, focus on the stick and glance over at the throttle every five or ten seconds to make sure you're hovering in the right area.

When the emergency measures occur, do those immediately, and then go back to the rest. The emergency measures are both faster to do and more important because your test ends if you don't do it properly. Make sure to hit the little button thing that they tell you to hit, you'll know what I mean. Also, once you complete two emergency measures, you should be able to guess the third one, so at the end of the second measure you can actually prepare the sequencing for the third in your head. Make sure you memorize all of the measures, and use the scrap paper to write down what you have to do as well.

Other

1. Make sure you sleep as best you can the night before. Go through everything one more time the day before, but extra cramming at that point won't help all too much.

2. Bring a drink. I got real thirsty about halfway through.

3. Don't psyche yourself out. You might feel like you're doing horribly, like you're failing yourself, but you're probably not. Stay confident, stay focused, stay calm, and it'll work out.

4. Read through this thread and other threads. Seriously, I can't stress enough how much it helped me. Work your way back in time until it no longer feels like useful information, then go find another thread to look at. The more you read the more you succeed.
 

Snack Attack

Snack Attack
Contributor
Hey Jenshotjr2013. The scores are all broken down differently on the ASTB. I can't tell you exactly how, especially on the non-OAR portion, but you're going to eventually have 4 scores: An OAR score- from 20-80, and AQR, FOFAR, and PFAR scores ranging from 1-9 I believe. The reading, math, and mechanical portions of the test contribute to your OAR score (they might contribute to the AQR etc. but I don't know). These scores and the test are calibrated so that the scores typically follow a standard bell curve (see below). The goal of the calibration is for a score of 50 to be better than 40-60% of the applying applicants. Because tests like these are constantly being calibrated, it's not easy to tell you what percent you have to get correct because it all really depends on how everyone else does on the test. My suggestion is to not focus on what you need to be competitive, and focus instead on learning as much material as you can because it will be helpful later. That may be true, may not, but it gives you a stronger reason for studying rather than to just be better than the other guys taking the test.

It's a similar system for the AQR, FOFAR, and PFAR scores. For example, a 7 doesn't indicate that you got 77-89% correct, but that you did better than 77-89% of people that take the test. The only advice I can give you for this section is this: study the ANIT flashcards on cram.com, but don't just memorize. Understand the systems and events that are being presented. When I took the test, I didn't have any of the questions from the flashcards, but I had learned enough about the systems presented in the flashcards that I could figure out what the question was asking. So if you're having a hard time understanding those cards, google the material and just spend a few minutes looking at pictures or reading the wikipedia page about lift or the the Ader Eole etc.

This probably wasn't the answer you were looking for, but you can do it. Just remember that you're studying for a reason!

View attachment 27321

Do you know if it's calculated based off of anyone who has ever taken it or if it's based off of anyone who has taken it within in a certain time period such as last 2 years ?
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Do you know if it's calculated based off of anyone who has ever taken it or if it's based off of anyone who has taken it within in a certain time period such as last 2 years ?

The scores are stand alone, that is why they have no expiration date, a person that took it 11 years ago under the old version and rec'd straight 7's is viewed the same as a person who took it last week and rec'd straight 7's.
 

Snack Attack

Snack Attack
Contributor
I finished reading the entire Barrons book and now just studying from random online sites. Will questions to this degree show up on the ASTB? I've hired a tutor who specializes in ASVAB and other Military tests and he says the Probability and Work Problems will not be at this level.

2734727348

I have the basics of it down (pulling out 2 face cards from a standard deck of cards or rolling a sum of 7 from 2 dice.)......... Not sure if I should focus on my other weaker areas or try to focus on advancing my knowledge to these kinds of problems. My test is coming up soon.
 

Lezy100

New Member
Just took the test the other day and scored 9/9/9 64, then went in for my MEPS physical and got my eyes checked at 20/20, then proceeded to completely flunk the depth perception test. So long SNA, fingers crossed for an NFO spot now! As for the computer issues, I had something similar to Jlil41, I swear the thing began to bog down at points.
What test did you take? how did you study
 
The scores are stand alone, that is why they have no expiration date, a person that took it 11 years ago under the old version and rec'd straight 7's is viewed the same as a person who took it last week and rec'd straight 7's.
I think he is talking about the scoring. Like the bell curve that the scores are based off of. How far back does that go
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
I think he is talking about the scoring. Like the bell curve that the scores are based off of. How far back does that go

That was produced as an example when the first ASTB came out, it has looked the same with the same information ever since. So the data was probably from the test subjects.
 
Top