ASTB last attempt.

[Ezejay_11]

Hey ya’ll. I’m currently in the marine officer program trying to get a commission. My PFT scores are sitting at a 277 and it will surely get higher as I am aiming for the march 2024 boards.

I’m trying to get an aviation contract and I’ve built some great relationships with my recruiters, but I am having a TOUGH time trying to pass the Astb. First and second times I got a 3/2/2 and I can easily say that’s absolutely abysmal and I am beating myself up about it. This is a dream of mine to be an aviator in the Corps.
Ive used the mometrix study guide ( bought for 20 bucks) to study for the second time, but that didn’t help at all. I didn’t see any of the material that I saw in the mometrix practice tests, on the Astb. I’m not a dumbass but holy fuck. I understand it’s my last time taking it whenever I do take it and that’s literally giving me anxiety.

I need all the advice and resources I can get. Help!

 

[carviator]

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

Hello all, I just found this great site, I wish I had known about it earlier. Here's my situation, I'm a fifth year senior majoring in electrical engineering (graduating in Dec.) I do pretty well in school, and I've been thinking a lot about my future lately and I guess I don't want to sit in...

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Start reading here. It has all the info you'll ever need. Study like crazy, do the Simulator. Good luck!

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Hey ya’ll. I’m currently in the marine officer program trying to get a commission. My PFT scores are sitting at a 277 and it will surely get higher as I am aiming for the march 2024 boards.

I’m trying to get an aviation contract and I’ve built some great relationships with my recruiters, but I am having a TOUGH time trying to pass the Astb. First and second times I got a 3/2/2 and I can easily say that’s absolutely abysmal and I am beating myself up about it. This is a dream of mine to be an aviator in the Corps.
Ive used the mometrix study guide ( bought for 20 bucks) to study for the second time, but that didn’t help at all. I didn’t see any of the material that I saw in the mometrix practice tests, on the Astb. I’m not a dumbass but holy fuck. I understand it’s my last time taking it whenever I do take it and that’s literally giving me anxiety.

I need all the advice and resources I can get. Help!

There’s an entire forum here for you to find resources and answer questions.

 

[Ezejay_11]

Has anyone ever been on the fence having to take their last ASTB attempt? How did it feel for you? Kind of feeling defeated cuz I’ve failed 2 attempts but I know I have a lease on life with the last try. It just feels like any recruiters I’ve had, have lost some confidence in me. Any advice ?

 

[MotorCookie]

What resources did you use when studying? Was the Mometrix book the only thing you used to study? If so, you need to really branch out and use a lot more study resources.

Two of the biggest things I recommend focusing on are math and the ANIT/PBM portion. I think math has the biggest impact on all of your scores and the ANIT/PBM will have a big impact on your pilot score. You can practice for the PBM by buying an X52 Hotas and using Janzten and Mike's ASTB simulator. Use Alex Hasting's ASTB Prep app to practice for the UAV section and the brand-new map identification section. Use videos, readings, and flashcards for the ANIT section.

What you should do is create a study schedule. Every day for at least 1 - 2 hours you should be studying for several months. I know it really sucks to hit the books when you don't want to but you gotta really push yourself if being a Marine pilot is what you want.

I'll copy and paste below what I shared with others before:

The documents found in this Reddit post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/newtothenavy/comments/l2e1lj

Buying the X52 HOTAS and using that to practice on the ASTB sim is a good idea. I bought mine from the Mercari app for like $70. No need to spend $200 on a brand-new X52. Once you have your HOTAS, use AntiMicroX to map the controls so it works on the sim.

Gomez Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IxIizps2bu2ljw1bYjFPajWv8RYvLWyv?usp=sharing

Udemy Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/algebracourse7245/ (Don't spend the $95 price, usually Udemy offers constant discounts for like $10)

Updated Mike and Jantzen Sim: https://jomo1-1.github.io/ASTB-remade/ (This is a version of Petersonjr's sim but I made minor changes to correct the direction of the knobs for the EP section)

Cram Flash Cards: https://www.cram.com/flashcards/astb-aviation-nautical-information-test-anit-comprehensive-4718163

ASTB Prep App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/astb-prep/id1549216388 (Primarily for UAV section and the NEW map identification section)

MIT Ground School:

(You probably only need to watch the first 5 videos in the playlist. Everything else is overkill)

I highly recommend using other materials too like the PHAK, Barron's Flight Aptitude book, etc. What I found helpful is to buy a whiteboard or go somewhere that has a whiteboard to use and pretend you are a teacher teaching a class about what you are studying. Stand up, walk around, talk out loud, and write on the whiteboard the things you are studying. Helps to make things stick.
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Tips for the test:

1. During the UAV section, the voice used is distracting and if you wait for the voice to tell you which direction to target, you will have lost about 2 seconds. Instead, take off the headphones or ignore the voice and focus on the text displayed on the screen. The ASTB Prep App by Alex Hastings recently had an update that incorporates the voice. It would probably be a good idea to practice with the voice so you can learn to adjust to it if you decide to leave the headphones on during the test.
2. On the ASTB Prep App, I can get every UAV question right with a reaction time of about 1.2 seconds. This was not the case on the real test. My nervousness played a huge role and I had an average reaction time of about 1.8 to 2 seconds. Assume you will do worse on the real test. It is helpful to create a paper compass, stick a pencil through the middle, and spin the compass around using the pencil. It is much faster than turning the compass with your hands as it allows one hand to remain on the computer's mouse and one hand can spin the compass. It is also more reliable than doing it mentally. But if you are confident with doing the UAV questions mentally, then do it. Mentally is the fastest method. Again, do not wait for the voice to tell you which direction to target, you should have already chosen an answer by the time you hear the voice start talking.
3. During the dichotic listening portion, I found it very helpful to repeat every letter and number you hear out loud. For example, if the test says to target the left ear, repeat every number and letter you hear in the target ear out loud.
4. It is also helpful to tilt your head in the direction of the target ear. So if the test says to target the right ear, tilt your head to the right. During my first attempt at the ASTB, I did not use the head tilt tip and in the middle of the listening portion, I completely forgot which ear I was supposed to be targeting. Tilting my head to the target ear helped me to remember which ear I was focusing on.
5. Don't feel discouraged if you don't do well on your first attempt. I scored 5/6/5 on my first try but it really helped me to know what to expect the next time I took the test. After my first attempt, I knew I sucked balls at math and screwed up the UAV portion and the audio portion. I focused on what I felt really weak on and BAM! 8/9/9 score on my second try.
6. On the OAR section (Math, reading, mechanical), if the questions are getting hard as hell then you're doing good. This is especially true for math.
7. Math likely has the biggest impact on all of your scores. Make sure you are confident with math before taking the test. I have always sucked at math (I almost failed a remedial elementary math class in college) but I still managed to score an 8 for the AQR.
8. If you're like me and have a hard time studying at home because you'd rather be playing video games or watching stupid Instagram reels/TikTok videos, go to a library or somewhere similar and study there. I firmly believe that studying at my University's library was much more effective than studying at home because of the lack of distractions and the "academic atmosphere".
9. In Gomez Drive, go into Math and into the "Worksheet with Answers" folder. Complete AT LEAST 1 of the worksheets a day. When you finish all of them which is honestly pretty doable in like a week, start over and go through them all again. Use ChatGPT to spit out similar math problems if you need more practice. Don't rely on ChatGPT to give you the right answer because sometimes it'll get them wrong, instead use symbolab.com to confirm your answers.
10. Get real comfortable with factoring. See this problem: {x^2-x-6}/{x^3+3x^2+2x} ... This math problem is VERY similar to a math problem on the real test. Check out this ChatGPT chat I had which is an example of how I used ChatGPT to study https://chat.openai.com/share/676183eb-479c-4883-938a-3418d8357163

 

[MotorCookie]

I commented some tips and study material on your other post. Hope it helps you out!

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Has anyone ever been on the fence having to take their last ASTB attempt? How did it feel for you? Kind of feeling defeated cuz I’ve failed 2 attempts but I know I have a lease on life with the last try. It just feels like any recruiters I’ve had, have lost some confidence in me. Any advice ?

Check out the ASTB section, there's an entire FAQ for you.

 

[Ezejay_11]

Hey man thanks for the tips. Yeah I used mostly the mometrix book to study and to some extent the ASTB prep that my OSO’s gave me. None of those things worked obviously. The math was not really on point on either of those, neither was the mechanical comprehension. Ofc they both explain the concepts but it’s one thing to explain the concepts one by one like “ power is this” or “ a lever is that” but when there is problems that ask you “ sally is sitting this far, she weighs this much, how far from the center does the other girl have to sit in order to balance it” it’s like I don’t have a concept of how to do that.

So I definitely messed up there. The flight part was what I messed up on badly. Like 5/48 from UAV, every single one of the aireal orientation problems wrong. The flight sim also got me.

 

[MotorCookie]

Hey man thanks for the tips. Yeah I used mostly the mometrix book to study and to some extent the ASTB prep that my OSO’s gave me. None of those things worked obviously. The math was not really on point on either of those, neither was the mechanical comprehension. Ofc they both explain the concepts but it’s one thing to explain the concepts one by one like “ power is this” or “ a lever is that” but when there is problems that ask you “ sally is sitting this far, she weighs this much, how far from the center does the other girl have to sit in order to balance it” it’s like I don’t have a concept of how to do that.

So I definitely messed up there. The flight part was what I messed up on badly. Like 5/48 from UAV, every single one of the aireal orientation problems wrong. The flight sim also got me.

Yup that's your problem right there. You didn't use much to study. An issue with a lot of these ASTB study books is that the math is always a lot easier than what is on the test. Barron's flight aptitude book is the best imo but the math is also weak on it too.

Really hammer out math until you're comfortable with it. Try to find Kyle's Drive on this website and use the Gomez Drive I linked above for math.

Like I said above, start practicing the stick and throttle portion by buying an X52 and using Jantzen and Mike's sim. UAV section can be found on the ASTB Prep app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/astb-prep/id1549216388

Practice for a few months and you should be golden. If you play video games, some say playing with inverted controls helps out with the stick and throttle portion.

For mechanical comprehension, I recommend watching the videos in this playlist:

There's also a guy named Kieno Thomas on YouTube who has a couple of useful videos on mechanical comprehension.

If all else fails, look into hiring a tutor.

 

[Ezejay_11]

Yup that's your problem right there. You didn't use much to study. An issue with a lot of these ASTB study books is that the math is always a lot easier than what is on the test. Barron's flight aptitude book is the best imo but the math is also weak on it too.

Really hammer out math until you're comfortable with it. Try to find Kyle's Drive on this website and use the Gomez Drive I linked above for math.

Like I said above, start practicing the stick and throttle portion by buying an X52 and using Jantzen and Mike's sim. UAV section can be found on the ASTB Prep app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/astb-prep/id1549216388

Practice for a few months and you should be golden. If you play video games, some say playing with inverted controls helps out with the stick and throttle portion.

For mechanical comprehension, I recommend watching the videos in this playlist:

There's also a guy named Kieno Thomas on YouTube who has a couple of useful videos on mechanical comprehension.

If all else fails, look into hiring a tutor.

For sure. This is clutch time cuz it is my last try after all. So major question, I was thinking about taking the final try in December, but should I wait a little longer in your opinion or would you say that’s solely up to me and when I’m ready aiming for the march board.

 

[MotorCookie]

For sure. This is clutch time cuz it is my last try after all. So major question, I was thinking about taking the final try in December, but should I wait a little longer in your opinion or would you say that’s solely up to me and when I’m ready aiming for the march board.

I'd definitely wait longer. December is way too early in my opinion and you need to study as much as you can. It would only make sense to take it in December if you were aging out soon. If not, then what's the rush

 

[Ezejay_11]

I'd definitely wait longer. December is way too early in my opinion and you need to study as much as you can. It would only make sense to take it in December if you were aging out soon. If not, then what's the rush

Real shit. Thank you so much. A couple more questions, so I already bought an ASTB study app as of yesterday, it seems pretty cool. It’s the ASTB prep by DeBratta Das. Doesn’t have a UAV section, but should I just be good trying the UAV stuff with flash cards? Also I plan on using the “ gauge” study guide. Don’t know how good that is but if you have any input on that lmk. I’ll also be using your resources as well.

 

[MotorCookie]

Real shit. Thank you so much. A couple more questions, so I already bought an ASTB study app as of yesterday, it seems pretty cool. It’s the ASTB prep by DeBratta Das. Doesn’t have a UAV section, but should I just be good trying the UAV stuff with flash cards? Also I plan on using the “ gauge” study guide. Don’t know how good that is but if you have any input on that lmk. I’ll also be using your resources as well.

Never heard of that app and I don't think I heard anyone on this site recommend it either. But it wouldn't hurt to use it I guess.

The great thing about the ASTB Prep app by Alex Hastings is the creator is a current Navy pilot or NFO and he is active on this website and goes by the username @TwoScoops . The ASTB has a new section called "Terrain Identification", which you can practice for on that app, and at the moment I think it's the only place where you can practice for it. The UAV flashcards are good but I think the app does a better job overall of having more variety and has a rapid fire mode which is very useful. Speaking from experience, TwoScoops' app was a game changer for the UAV section. I used the flashcards too but I felt they were kind of a pain in the ass to use. Ngl the app is kinda expensive with its $20 price but its worth it. I know this sounds like an ad for the app lol but I promise it was super helpful. I'm sure a lot of other users here will agree.

I don't know what the gauge study guide is so can't help there.

 

[Ezejay_11]

thanks so much for all the advice. Bought the app and it’s solid from what I’ve seen. Time to put everything to work. I’ll keep you updated!

 

[goofygoober7]

3 AQR tells me you did BAD on the OAR section. The only solution to this is to study more. 150+ hours more. Buy every book, do every problem, then do it again. Don't to the problems till you get them right. Do it until you can't get them wrong!

2 PFAR means you did HORRIBLE on the PBM / UAV / ANIT sections. I'm safe to assume your ability to track the targets with the stick and throttle was terrible. You were likely panicking and throwing the stick around while missing most of the audio cues. YOU MUST BUY THE HOTAS X52 AND USE JANTZENS SIMULATOR. Do it every single day. Track your scores. Watch the logarithmic improvement. Try and recreate the testing conditions as best as possible. You must train this to the point where its subconscious. Same with the UAV. Do those flashcards and BUY THE APP. Do it so much that you don't even know how you know the answers. I don't recommend the "Compass Trick" that will only slow you down. Do it in your head. ANIT? Flashcards, Flashcards, Flashcards.

I got a 9 PFAR. During the test I don't even remember tracking the targets. I was just listening for the audio cues and emergencies. I didn't miss one. I drilled this into my subconscious over two months. Same with the UAV, I got all right under 2 seconds AVG. ANIT? I go almost all them right. I had 1000 flashcards and new 950 of them instantly. I read the FAA book. I played Microsoft flight sim.

If I were you, I would dedicate 3 months to the test. 4 if by Feb you don't feel like you're killing it. 12 if you still feel lost.

My advice: WORK HARDER. DO MORE.