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

[RedRocket355]

Hey gang, I've just bought an X52 to help with the PBMs. Problem is I have been using the ASTB prep app on my iPad and have been trying to use the Janzten app on my windows surfacebook. Is there any way I can get my X52 to work on the Janzten software? I appreciate anything you all have to say!

 

[DBM]

Hey gang, I've just bought an X52 to help with the PBMs. Problem is I have been using the ASTB prep app on my iPad and have been trying to use the Janzten app on my windows surfacebook. Is there any way I can get my X52 to work on the Janzten software? I appreciate anything you all have to say!

You're gonna need an application like "anitmicro" to utilize your x52 on janz. From my experience, if you run the first version of antimicro, your controls are a bit faster and somewhat resemble the controls on the ASTB. The second version of antimicro is the latest version, this was the one I used before I took my first test. The controls on this one, in my experience, are a bit slow. I'd recommended the first version.
Once you download either version, you'll have to map your controls to the x52. You could do so yourself if you like. You can also find some others files of mappings within the forum. But to save you some time, I'll include mine down below. Let me know if you need help.

 

[RedRocket355]

You're a godsend! Thank you so much, it works great!

 

[DBM]

You're a godsend! Thank you so much, it works great!

Yeah man, no worries.

 

[Dom0220]

Maybe you've already checked out this drive but there a mechanical guide part 1 and 2 (use the pdf version, the word version is all over the place). I'd use that to understand the concepts and also check out the practice exams to apply the concepts. Long story short, I took AP Physics in HS, did eh in the class. However, so far the mechanical guide part 1 and 2 have been helping me understand the concepts better.

I am abit lost in this section for my studying. Never had a physics class in highschool or college. Do you just memorize all the equations in the mech guide? I asked my recruiter and he said just use quizlets.

 

[DBM]

I am abit lost in this section for my studying. Never had a physics class in highschool or college. Do you just memorize all the equations in the mech guide? I asked my recruiter and he said just use quizlets.

Honestly there's no need to memorize the equations, at least for me. If you do some of the practice test in the drives, it'll make sense enough to where you don't need to memorize the equations. When I first started, I did the practice test then the mech guide. I really use the mech guide to help me understand certain concepts. Then I use the mech practice tests to put to concepts to work. The exam for mech is about split, some of it requires finding the MA (mechanical advantage), how many ropes are in a pulley system, etc. Then the other half is like "which will hit the ground first, a bullet dropped from a height of 3 meters or a bullet shot horizontally at a height of 3 meters". Things like that essentially. I wouldn't stress much about it but the mech guide will help make sense of things.

 

[Dom0220]

Honestly there's no need to memorize the equations, at least for me. If you do some of the practice test in the drives, it'll make sense enough to where you don't need to memorize the equations. When I first started, I did the practice test then the mech guide. I really use the mech guide to help me understand certain concepts. Then I use the mech practice tests to put to concepts to work. The exam for mech is about split, some of it requires finding the MA (mechanical advantage), how many ropes are in a pulley system, etc. Then the other half is like "which will hit the ground first, a bullet dropped from a height of 3 meters or a bullet shot horizontally at a height of 3 meters". Things like that essentially. I wouldn't stress much about it but the mech guide will help make sense of things.

Thankyou for the insight. I was rather concerned with the amount of equations and application but am dedicating about a month to familiarize myself with the concepts. I have also looked at the information from the ASTB app.

 

[FlyJ32]

I’m a 2/C in NROTC, and my dream is SNA. I just took the ASTB for the first time this past Thursday, and got a 5/8/7. Obviously happy with the PFAR and FOFAR, but I'm very disappointed with my AQR. Having taken it, I know my weak points are math and mechanical. I focused too much on complex problems and neglected more of the high school level math (exponents, simplification, roots, radicals, etc...) that made up most of the test for me.

To those that have retaken it, or those that have done well in general, what advice would you have, and what plan would you be able to share to raise my scores? I want this more than anything and am ready to put the work in, and plan on doing 3 hours a day for the next month for my retake. All advice would be greatly appreciated. Please reply here or DM me if you can help. Thank you!

 

[DBM]

I wasn't able to finish the reading and mechanical section last time, any tips? No matter how fast I go, especially for reading, it seems like there isn't enough time to answer all the questions and I have to resort to guessing. I even try to pace myself but no avail. I know the material but I run out of time to answer them. And that's what hurts the most

 

[jacobniemeyer]

Hello all,

Could someone who has recently taken the ASTB provide a brief overview of the math and mechanical sections? Specifically, what key topics should be prioritized when studying for these sections? Thanks.

 

[ChillBeast69]

Hello all,

Could someone who has recently taken the ASTB provide a brief overview of the math and mechanical sections? Specifically, what key topics should be prioritized when studying for these sections? Thanks.

just read back a few pages on this thread a bunch of people have posted their stuff.

 

[jmerkel3]

First attempt at ASTB! (around 2.5 weeks of prep)

SCORES
OAR - 53
AQR- 8
PFAR - 9
FOFAR - 7

Huge thank you to everyone on this forum for providing; guidance, resources, advice, and direction! (especially @GoBoilers25 )!
Study Materials: Kyle's Drive, Gomez Drive, (can be found by searching on this thread), and (a majority of the time) ASTB Prep App! I didn't need much more outside of that!

OVERVIEW

MATH: Combined work problems, log problems, systems of equations, general computation, probability, matrices, geometry were all prominent staples during the math section for me. It is important to be 100% on top of exponent rules, log rules, and be able to do simple computations quickly/accurately. Utilizing the ASTB (@TwoScoops) app, there should be no surprises.

MECHANICAL: As mentioned before, it is very much theory based.there were maybe 1-2 questions where I was asked to calculate something, but a majority of the questions were of the sense "something at this (weight/force/speed/mass) is affecting another thing, what will happen?" Having a solid understanding of basic mechanical principles and how they relate to one another is going to serve you well!

READING: It's been said before, but this stuff is extremely dry. I never studied for the reading because I knew the test was different from online tests. One thing that took me by surprise is that there were no questions; the reading section was more of the format (insert long paragraph), select the answer that could best summarize and touch on the main points stated in the above paragraph. Reading aloud to yourself helps significantly with this section. I wouldn't spend too much time actually utilizing practice tests for this section.

ANIT: I got more questions aimed towards aviation than Naval knowledge, but it's good to know both sides. I didn't study for this section much as I got my degree in Flight, but knowing the naval information on the ASTP Prep app saved my ass for the few naval questions I got. For people new to aviation, read the Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge! Not only will you need to know it for the test, but it will serve you well far into your career if you're pursuing this job.

NAFTI: Just hang in there and truthfully answer everything, although neither or both answer may apply to you.

PBT: Use ASTP prep and buy the Logitech X-52! Huge help on this portion of the test! On the ASTB Prep app, I was scoring 35-40% consistently, 90%ish for the DLT @ 0.5 Sec intervals, (if you want a baseline to reference). The emergency section glitched out on me and didn't tell me the emergency procedures for the test, so I didn't have the exact ones in front of me. The terrain and UAV sections looked different, but the concept was the exact same as those found on the ASTB Prep app. During the real test, I thought the throttle/stick was a lot more sensitive than the ASTB Prep app, but other than that I could confidently say it helped me out in preparation.

Once again thank you to everyone on this forum, there is a lot of good information in here. If you are confused on something either reach out to me or take a minute to browse through this forum. Everyone seems to be here to support one another, and the test results people get while participating on this forum prove it!

Reach out to me with any questions, (assuming MEPS goes good) I am looking forward to meeting you guys/gals either at OCS or Pensacola!

 

[Dom0220]

First attempt at ASTB! (around 2.5 weeks of prep)

SCORES
OAR - 53
AQR- 8
PFAR - 9
FOFAR - 7

Huge thank you to everyone on this forum for providing; guidance, resources, advice, and direction! (especially @GoBoilers25 )!
Study Materials: Kyle's Drive, Gomez Drive, (can be found by searching on this thread), and (a majority of the time) ASTB Prep App! I didn't need much more outside of that!

OVERVIEW

MATH: Combined work problems, log problems, systems of equations, general computation, probability, matrices, geometry were all prominent staples during the math section for me. It is important to be 100% on top of exponent rules, log rules, and be able to do simple computations quickly/accurately. Utilizing the ASTB (@TwoScoops) app, there should be no surprises.

MECHANICAL: As mentioned before, it is very much theory based.there were maybe 1-2 questions where I was asked to calculate something, but a majority of the questions were of the sense "something at this (weight/force/speed/mass) is affecting another thing, what will happen?" Having a solid understanding of basic mechanical principles and how they relate to one another is going to serve you well!

READING: It's been said before, but this stuff is extremely dry. I never studied for the reading because I knew the test was different from online tests. One thing that took me by surprise is that there were no questions; the reading section was more of the format (insert long paragraph), select the answer that could best summarize and touch on the main points stated in the above paragraph. Reading aloud to yourself helps significantly with this section. I wouldn't spend too much time actually utilizing practice tests for this section.

ANIT: I got more questions aimed towards aviation than Naval knowledge, but it's good to know both sides. I didn't study for this section much as I got my degree in Flight, but knowing the naval information on the ASTP Prep app saved my ass for the few naval questions I got. For people new to aviation, read the Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge! Not only will you need to know it for the test, but it will serve you well far into your career if you're pursuing this job.

NAFTI: Just hang in there and truthfully answer everything, although neither or both answer may apply to you.

PBT: Use ASTP prep and buy the Logitech X-52! Huge help on this portion of the test! On the ASTB Prep app, I was scoring 35-40% consistently, 90%ish for the DLT @ 0.5 Sec intervals, (if you want a baseline to reference). The emergency section glitched out on me and didn't tell me the emergency procedures for the test, so I didn't have the exact ones in front of me. The terrain and UAV sections looked different, but the concept was the exact same as those found on the ASTB Prep app. During the real test, I thought the throttle/stick was a lot more sensitive than the ASTB Prep app, but other than that I could confidently say it helped me out in preparation.

Once again thank you to everyone on this forum, there is a lot of good information in here. If you are confused on something either reach out to me or take a minute to browse through this forum. Everyone seems to be here to support one another, and the test results people get while participating on this forum prove it!

Reach out to me with any questions, (assuming MEPS goes good) I am looking forward to meeting you guys/gals either at OCS or Pensacola!

Congrats on the score. On the TwoScoops app math tests I saw questions such as 5^0.5+2^0.2(just from my memory not actual examples) and wanted to know if you can across any questions like this.
Thanks

 

[georgethegreat]

Hey guys. Just shit the bed on my second ASTB attempt. First was a 52 5/5/6 48. Today I ripped a 45 4/6/6 62.
I have been using the two scoops app, gomez/kyle drives, cram flash cards, bought the x52's about a month ago.
Does anyone have advice on what I can do from here?
I got kicked out on about question 16 on math , didn't get a single log or matrice. Went till time on mech.

 

[Frostasy]

Hey guys. Just shit the bed on my second ASTB attempt. First was a 52 5/5/6 48. Today I ripped a 45 4/6/6 62.
I have been using the two scoops app, gomez/kyle drives, cram flash cards, bought the x52's about a month ago.
Does anyone have advice on what I can do from here?
I got kicked out on about question 16 on math , didn't get a single log or matrice. Went till time on mech.

How long were the gaps between your first and second test dates? I think you can try to dedicate 3 months of day-in and day-out practice for the test. You need to study all of these resources and practice exams, so much that you know in your soul that you can't get any of these questions wrong. I was in a similar situation to you, what helped me was doing an insane amount of practice exams, worksheets, and renting out every study book from the library. Some people didn't have to put in that much work to get good scores on the ASTB, but for me I had to literally become like a Navy historian lol.

Some random tips off the top of my head that helped me:

1) Lean your head towards the target ear on the listening portion of the PBM. It made it a lot easier for me, I think I only missed one.

2) You cannot get any of the UAV or Terrain ID questions wrong. None. Those are freebies, there are videos on Youtube that explain how to solve those.

3) The ANIT practice tests on the ASTB Prep app were pretty good and similar to the actual test.

4) This is just something I did, Use the scrap paper that they give to label which hand should be pressed for Odd or Even numbers and then put them on your right/left side. Helps with remembering for the listening portion.

5) Write down all of the emergency procedures on the provided scrap paper. You get an unlimited time before pressing the Next section when you get to that section, you should take the time before proceeding to write down all of the steps.

Your scores aren't really the best to be honest, I would look into taking the test for a 3rd time after you've studied the test so much that it's become part of your soul. It just really comes down to how bad do you want it? Depending on how high your GPA is and whether or not you are a STEM major... you could try to submit with your current scores, but I doubt they will take the minimums (or close to the minimums). When I got 49 4/5/6, I wasn't very happy because even though I knew I "technically" qualified I knew I didn't really have a decent shot at getting SNA. We don't shoot for the minimums.