ASTB and GRE?

[61boards]

Hello everyone! I just joined a few days ago, and am on the track to take the ASTB. My math skills are rusty and I heard (or read) somewhere that studying for the GRE is a great tool. I was comparing the questions on the ASTB and the GRE, and a lot of them are similar. Does anyone have some feedback on this? Thanks very much!

 

[FastMover]

I used both the ARCO book and a GRE study guide. The questions in the ARCO book were more representative of the questions on the real test (IMO). My recommendation would be to use the ARCO book until you know how to do the questions front and back, then move on to the GRE book if you still have some time before you take the test.

 

[TopShot]

Yeah I second the ARCO book, some of the questions were almost identical. I diligently studied 2 days before the test and got a 6 7 7 55. I would have like to have done better, but I had my Statics and Physics II midterms the days prior

 

[61boards]

Cool, thanks guys! I'll definitely dig into both books!

 

[srqwho]

The GRE book I used (forget which one) was much better at explaining the basics. It was much more comprehensive and went more in-depth. I did not look at it before the ASTB (used Barron's), but having studied for the GRE extensively about a year ago much of the knowledge from the GRE books came back and was very helpful. The questions themselves are a bit different... the ASTB questions were a bit more straightforward. The GRE questions required that you know some of the "tricks" to get through problems quicker in order to finish within the time limits. It was these short-cuts that helped me on the ASTB.

I'd say use a GRE book if you want more background and need better explanation... this is just my opinion.

 

[navy09]

I have yet to take the GRE, but I have a hard time believing the ASTB is even remotely as difficult. I studied the night before I took it and got some combination of 7's and 8's (this was a few years ago). If you have the math background to get into the program, you should be able to do ASTB math in your sleep.

Study the spacial/orientation part (cockpit view/pictures). They're not hard, but you want to be familiar with them before walking into the test.

 

[61boards]

I agree, srqwho. Some of those "tricks" probalby will come in handy! Thanks for the advice, gents!

 

[Phillyflyer57]

Hey. I just took the ASTB about a week and a half ago. Didn't do so great. my OAR score was a 40. i studied both the barrons book, as well as the arco book, but i felt the questions were different than both books. Plus the time was difficult to finish the math section. Also, the spatial apprehension questions were not even close to be similar as the arco book. In addition, I printed off the gouge on this site the practice test, as well as the mechanical sheet with the F-14 on the cover. Again, the practice test was not similar to the real test. I also bought a GRE book, which goes into to great of detail than the test entails. the test was a lot of word problems and factoring. I am taking the test again in about 3 weeks. Does anyone know what i can do to impove my score? What kind of study material would be suitable? Thank you!

 

[BullGator]

Hey. I just took the ASTB about a week and a half ago. Didn't do so great. my OAR score was a 40. i studied both the barrons book, as well as the arco book, but i felt the questions were different than both books. Plus the time was difficult to finish the math section. Also, the spatial apprehension questions were not even close to be similar as the arco book. In addition, I printed off the gouge on this site the practice test, as well as the mechanical sheet with the F-14 on the cover. Again, the practice test was not similar to the real test. I also bought a GRE book, which goes into to great of detail than the test entails. the test was a lot of word problems and factoring. I am taking the test again in about 3 weeks. Does anyone know what i can do to impove my score? What kind of study material would be suitable? Thank you!

What designations are you applying for (in order of interest)? I had test form 5 and it was somewhat different, but many of the concepts were the same (mechanical and SAT especially). Just keep practicing and PM me with specific questions/ areas you need work if needed. For the math section I can tell you that practice is key, as well as finding the shortest/fastest way to complete them. Personally, I printed the Arco Books from online and cutout the problems I got wrong to keep practicing until I got them right. If the SAT portion is foreign to you even after all your practice tests, maybe pilot is not the best spot for you (again, I don't know what you are applying for, or how long you practiced).

 

[Phillyflyer57]

hey. i am applying for intelligence or SWO. i have been practicing the math problems in Barrons, as well as arco and the practice gouge on this site. The ASTB i took had a lot of factoring questions. I didnt know any short cuts on how to do it. I tried plugging in the answer choices to get the answer, but that took too long. I mean most of the math section was word problems with trains and stuff. It's just that time was a big factor when i took it. I am usually good at math, but i felt the reading was the easiest section. The mechanical part had a lot of math and not a lot of diagrams like the arco book. I never took physics in high school, so i've been trying to learn it, but a lot of the questions were concepts one had to know, which weren't diagrams. Plus the spatial part pissed me off because it was completely different compared to arco. I had to take the last three sections because of intellgence. i got a 2,3,2 which is terrible, but i had no experience in this area. I really don't understand why i would have know about planes, but i studied that section hard with practice questions. thanks!

 

[BullGator]

From what I understand, Intel is very competitive and it would help you to do much (much, much) better on the ASTB. SWO may be a more realistic goal as far as these scores go. For SWO you would need to greatly increase your scores also. Good luck man; just keep studying until most of it is second nature to you, even if it seems that you know it at the time -keep studying. I think 3 weeks is enough time to greatly increase your scores, and if not you can always study longer.

The math section is about practice, and with a lot of practice the numbers become familiar to you and you can manipulate them quickly.

Sounds like Verbal is your stronger section and it is hard to improve that any way, so I would focus on the rest.

The mechanical section is also about practice, but more importantly understanding and conceptualizing each problem (and look out for a few possible tricks on the exam, although the answer choices caught those easily for me).

The SAT section is about being comfortable with the drawings. Know the 3 steps: Bank (direction, and steep{=45 degrees} or baby bank), Pitch (either up or down, or level...easy), and Direction. The direction part is probably the hardest, there are along coast, to sea, to sea diagonally, to shore, and to shore diagonally.

The aviation and nautical parts are about studying as much as you can, and then more. First of all know the basic aviation things, i.e. pitch, roll, yaw. Know those in depth, everything about them. Know about what causes lift (physics wise) too. That is the absolute basic stuff. There is a Marine gouge study list on this section. Try and know all this stuff.


This is a very understated gouge, but it should help at least get you to 50, 5, 5, 5. Like I said, just keep studying. If you have school or a job put aside 2-4 hours a day to study. Even studying 1 hour a day should increase your scores. And if you do well, shoot for the Intel spot. Good luck and PM me with questions if you have them (i.e. mechanical concepts).

 

[Phillyflyer57]

thanks man! I will keep plugging away. I graduated college in may, so I have been studying since then. Hopefully taking it the first time will help me when i take it again. I know intelligence is a long shot, but its worth the attempt. Thanks for everything!

 

[snake020]

I don't see how you can compare the two tests. Verbal on the GRE is a lot tougher and does not exist in the same sense on the ASTB which only looks at reading comprehension. The math sections are somewhat comparable as they're both mostly bonehead algebra and geometry.

 

[C00LAS1CE]

hey. i am applying for intelligence or SWO. i have been practicing the math problems in Barrons, as well as arco and the practice gouge on this site. The ASTB i took had a lot of factoring questions. I didnt know any short cuts on how to do it. I tried plugging in the answer choices to get the answer, but that took too long. I mean most of the math section was word problems with trains and stuff. It's just that time was a big factor when i took it. I am usually good at math, but i felt the reading was the easiest section. The mechanical part had a lot of math and not a lot of diagrams like the arco book. I never took physics in high school, so i've been trying to learn it, but a lot of the questions were concepts one had to know, which weren't diagrams. Plus the spatial part pissed me off because it was completely different compared to arco. I had to take the last three sections because of intellgence. i got a 2,3,2 which is terrible, but i had no experience in this area. I really don't understand why i would have know about planes, but i studied that section hard with practice questions. thanks!

I am applying for SWO and Intel too...I thought you didn't have to take spacial apperception and aviation/nautical info unless you are applying for aviation?Spatial Apperception

 

[Slammer2]

...much better at explaining the basics...

Definately the key there when studying for a test like this. The point isnt to know that you got somethign wrong, but more to know why you got it wrong so do dont make the mistake again. Some books just do a piss poor job of explaining things. Then again different books work good for different people. I just used the ARCO book and did good on my test.