Importance of OAR score above minimum? Should I retake?

[thomas.pynchon]

My recruiter has told me and insisted repeatedly that having an OAR score above the minimum does not improve your chances of being selected. He says that as long as it is above the minimum, all scores are treated the same way. However, everything I’m reading on this forum seems to contradict that and having a higher score above the minimum does indeed improve your chances. Is my recruiter just wrong?

I am thinking of applying to Intelligence, Cryptological Warfare, Information Professional, and also possibly either SNA or NFO. My ASTB scores are:

OAR: 51
AQR: 6
PFAR: 6
FOFAR: 7

My OAR is only right above the minimum of 50 for Intelligence and Information Professional and my AQR and PFAR and FOFAR scores seem to be below average from what I’ve seen on this board. Should I retake? Since I currently live outside the US, I would have to fly to Guam at my own expense to retake, but am willing to do so if it will significantly increase my chances.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

wrong?

I am thinking of applying to Intelligence, Cryptological Warfare, Information Professional, and also possibly either SNA or NFO. My ASTB scores are:

OAR: 51
AQR: 6
PFAR: 6
FOFAR: 7

Take your stats and bounce them with the individual board threads (Pilot/NFO, Intel/IWC, SWO, etc.) to see where you stack.

 

[FloridaDad]

My recruiter has told me and insisted repeatedly that having an OAR score above the minimum does not improve your chances of being selected. He says that as long as it is above the minimum, all scores are treated the same way. However, everything I’m reading on this forum seems to contradict that and having a higher score above the minimum does indeed improve your chances. Is my recruiter just wrong?

I am thinking of applying to Intelligence, Cryptological Warfare, Information Professional, and also possibly either SNA or NFO. My ASTB scores are:

OAR: 51
AQR: 6
PFAR: 6
FOFAR: 7

My OAR is only right above the minimum of 50 for Intelligence and Information Professional and my AQR and PFAR and FOFAR scores seem to be below average from what I’ve seen on this board. Should I retake? Since I currently live outside the US, I would have to fly to Guam at my own expense to retake, but am willing to do so if it will significantly increase my chances.

Keep in mind that the scores you seen on this board are above average. Generally the people on this forum are the type to study a bit obsessively for the ASTB and are pouring over the resources here. That's why I'm sitting here with 7's and 8's and feeling barely average hahaha.

 

[Whiskeyrice]

Some communities value OAR scores more than others. Much like GPA, the higher the better is a good generalization. I see averages published from time to time and rarely do I see the OAR match the minimum. I'm submitting for IP myself and all the IPs I spoke to recommended I retook it after my first attempt. Ended up doing 7 points better second time around, but I did study. Buddy of mine retook it on a whim and got a score of 4 lower. Keep that in mind.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

You are over the age limit (your profile says 33) for SNA and SNFO and your recruiter should have told you that and not had you bother with the aviation part of the test.

The other designators really depend on your degree and GPA, those are much more important than OAR.