jaygatsby10492
New Member
OAR: 53
Bachelor's and Master's in Computer Science
GPA: 3.69
Community: Cryptologic Warfare
I came in and took the test for the first and last time on Friday. Only took the OAR portion as I'm not getting into aviation. This puts me in the clear for ISEL. Currently waiting on MEPS to give me the thumbs up to schedule an appointment to come in.
Math:
I did not run out of time, I answered 13 questions and then it moved me onto the next section. The questions I ran into were interest rate problems, system of equations, compound discounts, simplifying imperfect squares, exponent rules, combined work, converting radians to degrees, converting hz to rpm (what the heck?), and simplifying complex polynomials. The math topics I studied the most were the ones I was weakest at... and then they didn't even show up on the test (binomial distribution, permutations, and combinatorics). I glazed over interest rate word problems and it ended up being the most recurring question in that section, which I was not ready for. I also neglected memorizing the 45-45-90 rule as there was a question that required me to know its lengths to solve the length of a square attached to the triangle. To be honest, it felt like a wash and I could have prepared more thoroughly.
Reading:
Answered 13 questions then ran out of time. Didn't study. Just read the choices before reading the passage. I also read out loud which helped a lot.
Mechanical:
Answered 23 questions then ran out of time. I never took physics, so the ASTB Prep app was a fantastic resource in learning the concepts. Much like how past posts have mentioned, the majority of the questions test your understanding of the concepts rather than plugging equations in. The questions I ran into involved Bernoulli's Principle, mechanical advantage, pressure, and pulleys. There were two rotational speed questions I knew I got wrong. Linear speed of an object is higher the further you are from the center, and I answered that there is no difference. A few questions gave me a parabola with marked points with the context of an object being kicked or thrown. It asked, "which marked point of the given trajectory is the velocity of the object bigger/smaller?" I also got one question where I had to balance a lever and find the missing weight. I also got the "thing shot horizontally and thing dropped vertically, which hits the ground first" question. Again, I felt like I could have prepared more. More practice problems and more questions that show me a picture or diagram asking me about how something would interact that demonstrated my understanding of physics concepts.
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I studied for about a month. 5-6 hours a day doing practice problems and studying what I didn't understand. I'm a little disappointed in myself for not scoring higher given the amount of time I've studied, but I still scored within ISEL range so I'm satisfied. I also suggest starting on page like 650 of this thread and reading from then until the latest post. This gave me a good idea of what to expect, as well as many other study material others have shared. Thank you to everyone in this thread for all the helpful info!
Resources used to study:
Bachelor's and Master's in Computer Science
GPA: 3.69
Community: Cryptologic Warfare
I came in and took the test for the first and last time on Friday. Only took the OAR portion as I'm not getting into aviation. This puts me in the clear for ISEL. Currently waiting on MEPS to give me the thumbs up to schedule an appointment to come in.
Math:
I did not run out of time, I answered 13 questions and then it moved me onto the next section. The questions I ran into were interest rate problems, system of equations, compound discounts, simplifying imperfect squares, exponent rules, combined work, converting radians to degrees, converting hz to rpm (what the heck?), and simplifying complex polynomials. The math topics I studied the most were the ones I was weakest at... and then they didn't even show up on the test (binomial distribution, permutations, and combinatorics). I glazed over interest rate word problems and it ended up being the most recurring question in that section, which I was not ready for. I also neglected memorizing the 45-45-90 rule as there was a question that required me to know its lengths to solve the length of a square attached to the triangle. To be honest, it felt like a wash and I could have prepared more thoroughly.
Reading:
Answered 13 questions then ran out of time. Didn't study. Just read the choices before reading the passage. I also read out loud which helped a lot.
Mechanical:
Answered 23 questions then ran out of time. I never took physics, so the ASTB Prep app was a fantastic resource in learning the concepts. Much like how past posts have mentioned, the majority of the questions test your understanding of the concepts rather than plugging equations in. The questions I ran into involved Bernoulli's Principle, mechanical advantage, pressure, and pulleys. There were two rotational speed questions I knew I got wrong. Linear speed of an object is higher the further you are from the center, and I answered that there is no difference. A few questions gave me a parabola with marked points with the context of an object being kicked or thrown. It asked, "which marked point of the given trajectory is the velocity of the object bigger/smaller?" I also got one question where I had to balance a lever and find the missing weight. I also got the "thing shot horizontally and thing dropped vertically, which hits the ground first" question. Again, I felt like I could have prepared more. More practice problems and more questions that show me a picture or diagram asking me about how something would interact that demonstrated my understanding of physics concepts.
---
I studied for about a month. 5-6 hours a day doing practice problems and studying what I didn't understand. I'm a little disappointed in myself for not scoring higher given the amount of time I've studied, but I still scored within ISEL range so I'm satisfied. I also suggest starting on page like 650 of this thread and reading from then until the latest post. This gave me a good idea of what to expect, as well as many other study material others have shared. Thank you to everyone in this thread for all the helpful info!
Resources used to study:
- This Google Drive had a ton of practice tests for math and mechanical comprehension, and also links Kyle's and Gomez's drives as well
- I picked a random practice test and took note of the questions I didn't know/struggled with, then studied that topic. ChatGPT/Deepseek helped so much generating practice problems and explaining what I got wrong in a problem
- TwoScoops' ASTB Prep app for the timed tests and mechanical concepts
- Grammar Hero's Playlists covering math and mechanical concepts
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