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

[spalclark3]

Thank you to everyone on this forum! I was able to raise my score from a 39 (first attempt) to a 49 (second attempt) on the OAR. Obviously would have liked over a 50 for intel, but that’s okay. I’m looking at either Crypto or SWO but don’t really know which one I’d prefer. Crypto would be nice because I feel like it would be “easier” to laterally transfer to Intel, however, SWO is a lot more hands on which I know I would strive in. My fiancé is already active duty and does think I would enjoy SWO more, but I’m worried if I want to laterally transfer in the future to IO how hard would that be? I suck at math as is so I really do think Crypto would be pretty difficult due to that. How difficult is it to laterally transfer? IO is my main goal, but I was not risking taking that exam again and getting a much lower score. Looking at doing the June board for Crypto and SWO

Don't quote me on this, but I think there are deals in which you could get SWO-intel where you'd have to serve a tour as a SWO and get fully qualified and then you could go to Intel. Might just be ROTC and USNA though. Someone might want to fact check me. My dad had an OIC who did that.

 

[sawyer_719]

Some

Hey guys, took the ASTB a few weeks ago and scored a 6, 7, 7 with my OAR being 53 and having a GPA of 3.3. Kinda bummed out I didn't get another 7 to be first select for SNA but this was my second time taking the test and I am not too sure if taking it again would be beneficial considering they take your latest scores and I am hesitant to know if could improve on that. I do have previous flight experience due to taking formal flight lessons but never finished my PPL. Any kind of advice you guys would have for me in how to move ahead? Waiting to get a date into MEPS in the meantime.

Best of luck to you guys.

someone else probably knows better than me but I would suggest sticking with 6/7/7 those at least for the next board those are pretty good scores and should most likely be fine. You could retake it later if absolutely necessary.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Thank you to everyone on this forum! I was able to raise my score from a 39 (first attempt) to a 49 (second attempt) on the OAR. Obviously would have liked over a 50 for intel, but that’s okay. I’m looking at either Crypto or SWO but don’t really know which one I’d prefer. Crypto would be nice because I feel like it would be “easier” to laterally transfer to Intel, however, SWO is a lot more hands on which I know I would strive in. My fiancé is already active duty and does think I would enjoy SWO more, but I’m worried if I want to laterally transfer in the future to IO how hard would that be? I suck at math as is so I really do think Crypto would be pretty difficult due to that. How difficult is it to laterally transfer? IO is my main goal, but I was not risking taking that exam again and getting a much lower score. Looking at doing the June board for Crypto and SWO

Whatever you go into do so knowing that may end up being what you do for however long you are in the USN, a lateral transfer is possible as long as several things line up just right. The majority of people that get picked up CW (and IP) have STEM degrees, there are people that do get picked up that don't but they are not as common at all.

Don't quote me on this, but I think there are deals in which you could get SWO-intel where you'd have to serve a tour as a SWO and get fully qualified and then you could go to Intel. Might just be ROTC and USNA though. Someone might want to fact check me. My dad had an OIC who did that.

SWO-Intel is not a thing for OCS, several of the SWO options are no longer available via OCS now.

 

[Maddie12]

Whatever you go into do so knowing that may end up being what you do for however long you are in the USN, a lateral transfer is possible as long as several things line up just right. The majority of people that get picked up CW (and IP) have STEM degrees, there are people that do get picked up that don't but they are not as common at all.

SWO-Intel is not a thing for OCS, several of the SWO options are no longer available via OCS now.

Which is another big reason why I’ll probably just stick with SWO and call it a day. I have a PoliScit degree so everything in CW will probably be foreign language. Thankfully my fiancé is in and told me that SWO is more up my alley

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Which is another big reason why I’ll probably just stick with SWO and call it a day. I have a PoliScit degree so everything in CW will probably be foreign language. Thankfully my fiancé is in and told me that SWO is more up my alley

We have enlisted for foreign language needs with the exception of FAO, not one Intel or CW I know has ever needed to know a foreign language.

 

[dfrost]

OAR - 63
AQR - 8
PFAR - 8
FOFAR - 9
Bachelor's in Poli Sci and Env. Sci.
GPA 3.96
Community: SNA

Just took the ASTB this week, and will be applying I-SEL soon. Wanted to share some study tips. Prioritized ANIT and Mechanical while studying.

Math - ASTB Prep App is good. Personally, did not study much for this section because I had already studied most the covered topics for the GRE a couple years ago - but if you have not done algebra/precalculus/geometry in a while, definitely carve out some time. Make sure you know how to simplify complex expressions and standard geometry. Also got a matrix multiplication question which is worth taking fifteen minutes to learn ahead of the test. Good video here.

Reading - Did not study for this section. Questions are reading comprehension of dense informative/legal style writing. Biggest thing is staying focused during this section. I would suggest reading the question and answer options before reading the passage so you know what information to be on the search for.

Mechanical - Having never taken physics, this was my top priority while studying. Gomez Drive and Kyle Drive are good resources to scope what you need to know. Took practice tests to see what I needed to study and then prioritized where I did poorly. Also crammed with the ASTB App syllabus ahead of the test. Organic Chemistry Tutor’s Physics videos are great if you need a concept explained more in depth also, just stick with practice tests/ ASTB prep app syllabus in terms of deciding what to study as the linked video playlist has way more info than you need for the test.

ANIT - ASTB Prep App is great, especially for cramming for this section quickly. Having done some at-home ground school for Private Pilot License was also very helpful. The questions I got mostly focused on Aviation and I had several questions on the plane’s control surfaces and basic instruments. The Fighter Pilot Podcast is a good way to passively study and learn more about Naval Aviation generally and I would listen to episodes while at the gym or running.

PBM - Used the ASTB Prep App for UAV and Terrain Identification practice. I also used the compass rose strategy while taking the test (just make sure you can answer quickly still). Used the updated Jantzen sim, but probably should have practiced this more.

 

[Maddie12]

We have enlisted for foreign language needs with the exception of FAO, not one Intel or CW I know has ever needed to know a foreign language.

Haha I meant it’ll look like a foreign language to me

 

[hhwatson]

Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone knows how well the prep apps pbm and test scores translate to the actual testing score. I’m getting like 1 second average with a mouse for the UAV and like 100 and 80 for the Jantzen sim. How well do the prep app practice test on the MCT and math really help? Thanks for the help!

 

[StrotherBrown]

Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone knows how well the prep apps pbm and test scores translate to the actual testing score. I’m getting like 1 second average with a mouse for the UAV and like 100 and 80 for the Jantzen sim. How well do the prep app practice test on the MCT and math really help? Thanks for the help!

I would say that is really solid. I think the terrain id in the app is harder than it is on the actual astb so if you can get a good grasp of that too you should be all good.

 

[Dom0220]

First astb attempt today, 5,7,5. My recruiter said that the navy is only accepting immediate select(7,7,7) and that I need to retake again to be more competitive. I'm at a bit of a loss honestly. He also mentioned that earlier he would have submitted the scores but now he won't because the navy has the pilots they need.
Math: not anything very difficult. square roots, probability, but no matrices or logarithms. Percent and geometry problem that I was wholly unprepared for. No combined work or DRT problems.
Reading: a bit confusing since usually there's a prompt like in SAT but I just read a passage and infer what was given for the answer choices you had to choose the best possible answer.
Mechanics: Never took HS physics. Some questions threw me off, a few pipe passing through water greatest velocity etc. Not sure how well I did.
PBM
UAV I missed 3.
Tracking wasn't that hard but I have a feeling I messed up the dichotic listening since it's different from the Jantzen sim. I could follow it but couldn't confirm my accuracy in practice tests. I think I missed 1 EP. I followed the instructions on test but when I clicked clutch the screen went red. Don't know why.
Terrain ID: I think this tanked my score. I have never liked this part of the test and possibly why my score is so low.

Overall a bit irritated not only that I have no idea what I did wrong, but that I have no idea how to improve since I didn't see what I did wrong. Thanks to everyone who has helped me navigate this test
Any comments, questions, or recommendations on how to improve and succeed are greatly appreciated.

 

[spalclark3]

First astb attempt today, 5,7,5. My recruiter said that the navy is only accepting immediate select(7,7,7) and that I need to retake again to be more competitive. I'm at a bit of a loss honestly. He also mentioned that earlier he would have submitted the scores but now he won't because the navy has the pilots they need.
Math: not anything very difficult. square roots, probability, but no matrices or logarithms. Percent and geometry problem that I was wholly unprepared for. No combined work or DRT problems.
Reading: a bit confusing since usually there's a prompt like in SAT but I just read a passage and infer what was given for the answer choices you had to choose the best possible answer.
Mechanics: Never took HS physics. Some questions threw me off, a few pipe passing through water greatest velocity etc. Not sure how well I did.
PBM
UAV I missed 3.
Tracking wasn't that hard but I have a feeling I messed up the dichotic listening since it's different from the Jantzen sim. I could follow it but couldn't confirm my accuracy in practice tests. I think I missed 1 EP. I followed the instructions on test but when I clicked clutch the screen went red. Don't know why.
Terrain ID: I think this tanked my score. I have never liked this part of the test and possibly why my score is so low.

Overall a bit irritated not only that I have no idea what I did wrong, but that I have no idea how to improve since I didn't see what I did wrong. Thanks to everyone who has helped me navigate this test
Any comments, questions, or recommendations on how to improve and succeed are greatly appreciated.

Not a bad first try. For the dichotic listening part don't use Jantzen's sim for that. The most accurate you will get for that will be on the ASTB Prep App, same with the Terrain ID (harder on the app than the test).

 

[LSHD4]

First astb attempt today, 5,7,5. My recruiter said that the navy is only accepting immediate select(7,7,7) and that I need to retake again to be more competitive. I'm at a bit of a loss honestly. He also mentioned that earlier he would have submitted the scores but now he won't because the navy has the pilots they need.
Math: not anything very difficult. square roots, probability, but no matrices or logarithms. Percent and geometry problem that I was wholly unprepared for. No combined work or DRT problems.
Reading: a bit confusing since usually there's a prompt like in SAT but I just read a passage and infer what was given for the answer choices you had to choose the best possible answer.
Mechanics: Never took HS physics. Some questions threw me off, a few pipe passing through water greatest velocity etc. Not sure how well I did.
PBM
UAV I missed 3.
Tracking wasn't that hard but I have a feeling I messed up the dichotic listening since it's different from the Jantzen sim. I could follow it but couldn't confirm my accuracy in practice tests. I think I missed 1 EP. I followed the instructions on test but when I clicked clutch the screen went red. Don't know why.
Terrain ID: I think this tanked my score. I have never liked this part of the test and possibly why my score is so low.

Overall a bit irritated not only that I have no idea what I did wrong, but that I have no idea how to improve since I didn't see what I did wrong. Thanks to everyone who has helped me navigate this test
Any comments, questions, or recommendations on how to improve and succeed are greatly appreciated.

I wouldn't stop using Jantzen's sim for the DLT. Rather, instead of following the Jantzen DLT instructions which is different than the ASTB, just do it the way it is on the test; odds on the left clutch and evens on the trigger. The sim will grade you wrong, but it doesn't matter because you get the most realistic practice. This is what I did. The app however is superior bottom line for straight DLT, terrain, and UAV practice. Keep at it and stay positive.

 

[Dom0220]

I wouldn't stop using Jantzen's sim for the DLT. Rather, instead of following the Jantzen DLT instructions which is different than the ASTB, just do it the way it is on the test; odds on the left clutch and evens on the trigger. The sim will grade you wrong, but it doesn't matter because you get the most realistic practice. This is what I did. The app however is superior bottom line for straight DLT, terrain, and UAV practice. Keep at it and stay positive.

LSHD4,
Thankyou for your response and advise. I'll continue to use the prepapp however to confess I never used the DLT part of app. The TBASPREP app is a great resource for the terrain id section and more accurately represents the field of view from what I saw on the test. I'm undeterred by the score and know I can always improve from here. Thanks again.

 

[Dom0220]

Not a bad first try. For the dichotic listening part don't use Jantzen's sim for that. The most accurate you will get for that will be on the ASTB Prep App, same with the Terrain ID (harder on the app than the test).

spalclark3,
Thankyou for the recommendation, however, as LSHD4 pointed out I will attempt both methods for the DLT section. The terrain ID is much harder but I bought the TBASPrep app for a more accurate version. Thanks again.

 

[dfrost]

First astb attempt today, 5,7,5. My recruiter said that the navy is only accepting immediate select(7,7,7) and that I need to retake again to be more competitive. I'm at a bit of a loss honestly. He also mentioned that earlier he would have submitted the scores but now he won't because the navy has the pilots they need.
Math: not anything very difficult. square roots, probability, but no matrices or logarithms. Percent and geometry problem that I was wholly unprepared for. No combined work or DRT problems.
Reading: a bit confusing since usually there's a prompt like in SAT but I just read a passage and infer what was given for the answer choices you had to choose the best possible answer.
Mechanics: Never took HS physics. Some questions threw me off, a few pipe passing through water greatest velocity etc. Not sure how well I did.
PBM
UAV I missed 3.
Tracking wasn't that hard but I have a feeling I messed up the dichotic listening since it's different from the Jantzen sim. I could follow it but couldn't confirm my accuracy in practice tests. I think I missed 1 EP. I followed the instructions on test but when I clicked clutch the screen went red. Don't know why.
Terrain ID: I think this tanked my score. I have never liked this part of the test and possibly why my score is so low.

Overall a bit irritated not only that I have no idea what I did wrong, but that I have no idea how to improve since I didn't see what I did wrong. Thanks to everyone who has helped me navigate this test
Any comments, questions, or recommendations on how to improve and succeed are greatly appreciated.

What was your OAR? If that's lower it may indicate the Math/Reading/Mechanical sections were where you did not score as well.

For the Terrain ID, this video was helpful. The strategy I used was to find a straightish line on the terrain and rotate the compass rose I made to align with that. I prioritized accuracy over speed on that section and just worked as quickly as I could without running out of time on each question (usually had about 2/3 of the time left on each question with this strategy).