thecrimsnchin
Active Member
I'm an aerospace engineer, Math & Science every day. Pretty sure my OAR score influenced the ASTB-E portions heavily.
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1,001 questions about the ASTB (post your scores & ask your questions here!)
- Thread starter edato
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I'm an aerospace engineer, Math & Science every day. Pretty sure my OAR score influenced the ASTB-E portions heavily.
popeye123
Active Member
So i heard the test is adaptive rather than a traditional test where you have to get everything finished. But from what im reading you didnt finish the math section but still scored 70?! Thats amazing, were you certain that every answer you had was correct?
thecrimsnchin
Active Member
76 actually. I'm not sure if everything was correct but I definitely took my time on the questions and didn't guess. I knew that the questions should be getting progressively harder but there was about 2 times where the difficulty dropped and I assumed I made a mistake (maybe I didn't) and made sure I worked through the problem correctly for the next ones. It was a week ago and I'm not sure on all the different types of questions given to me, no matrix problems, no problems in anything other than base 10. I think the last question I answered was pick the largest number out of 4 different fractions.
I didn't finish the Math or the Mechanics sections either, so I think it has to do more with the difficulty of the questions you answered. Would not recommend doing that though, as I definitely feel like I got penalized a bit in my OAR score.
Actually Math is really the only section that significantly factors into the ASTB scores, so you must have done very well on the UAV and Aviation History sections as well.
popeye123
Active Member
nice 76. man i wish i could score as high as yours. i admire your numbers. i guess it's true, the test is based on how much we know and how difficult we can get the questions up to. when i was taking the test, i guessed when i didn't know and during the last few minutes in the mechanics i randomly guessed like 7 questions, i was more concern on time and finishing the entire section rather than having every answer correct..it would make sense now why i got a low oar score.
...but if the test is based this way, do you think that finishing the entire section probably means our score is not too high because we needed that many questions to assess our math knowledge?
did you make any mistakes during the emergency procedures? i made a mistake on the engine failure, and maybe two mistakes on the dichotric during the multi-tasking part...i think those few mistakes it ate into my score...
BTW do you remember some of the questions from the aviation and nautical section?
Would you guys recommend to try and guess and finish all of the questions done or maybe spend a little longer on a question and really try to get the right answer? Also, are there are apps you guys downloaded to use to study?
thecrimsnchin
Active Member
Very doubtful on the aviation section, I guessed on every carrier group acronym question, maybe I got them right. As for the UAV, everyone here says they averaged 1-2sec but I averaged 3-4s (sometimes less/ sometimes more), I didn't get any wrong though, so I'm thinking accuracy is a more important than speed.
Good line of reasoning, the test changes the amount of questions given depending on how you answer. If you have to do more than 20, you definitely got a couple wrong.
No mistakes, as a poster here mentioned they did, I wrote down the procedures and placed them in front of me while I did it.
BTW do you remember some of the questions from the aviation and nautical section?
Sorry, no help here, kinda blacked that part out
Spend a little longer, don't guess.
Either way, you have awesome scores so congrats!
popeye123
Active Member
brother, i'm going to assume you recently joined the forum. let me tell you from what i've learned about this test. It is an "adaptive test", which means the score is based on how much in-depth knowledge rather than how many you can get correct out of all the questions. so for example, in the math section, it could start out with simple algebra where you FOIL, and then as you progress (if your math skills are good enough) you'll be doing logs, trigonometry, calculus etc like our friend thecrimsnchn, i presume.
I feel... that if you start seeing some rather difficult math questions appearing in your ASTB, than relax, your doing good so far.
in addition to this, after hearing chrmsnchn scores, I'm also starting to assume that the UAV is more based on your accuracy rather than your speed. when i did the UAV section, i got 1 wrong, but each of my answers were 1-3 seconds. meanwhile crms got 9, cause he got all his correct even tho it was in 3-4 seconds.
i had a 41 when i took the test. i was worried about not finishing all the questions in time so i guessed on quite a few, including my mechanical section where i guessed like 10 quesitons on the last 15 seconds. BAD MISTAKE on my part. i might have had a 50 if i understood how the test works.
so basically to sum it up, accuracy and in-depth knowledge is key to the score.
do not worry about finishing everything in time, or trying to beat the timer.
it's really a test to see how much you know.
dunderri
New Member
Ended up taking the ASTB yesterday. I got a call from the recruiter early last week to take it the following Tuesday, giving me only 6 days to study. Not gonna lie, it was much harder than I anticipated, especially reviewing all the delicious gouge that was given here. I did manage to pull a 49 5/6/6 which is not terrible, but honestly I was shooting for at least a 60. The recruiter wasn't worried at all by my scores apparently, which was unsettling, to say the least. Everyone on here has been getting higher scores and still worrying, so it worried me that he was confident that I could be competitive. I'm going to try with these scores, so hopefully I will be able to make it through.
MATH - I spent the past 6 days utilizing Barron's Military Flight book, Khan Academy (Prealgebra / Algebra 1 / Algebra 2), ASTB Math flashcards on ProProfs, and the study guides floating in this thread. This section still threw me for a loop. It seemed that for every question I got right, I got the next one wrong because the questions didn't really get harder, I think I was just making stupid mistakes. I didn't get that many word problems (I think 1 or 2). A lot of it was simplifying complex equations for me, which was getting tedious and annoying since I would always make a mistake here and there, look up, and see my answer not listed. There was a cubed trinomial(?) that I had to simplify which also threw me for a loop. Anyways, math has always been my weakest section so I felt this definitely showed since I was constantly getting frustrated. I highly suggest, you know everything there is to know about Algebra and even some Precalc. If you tell yourself, "Oh, I think I'm pretty good with this", chances are that you are NOT and you need to keep doing practice problems.
READING - Reading and writing are my strong suits. I always excelled in English, and this section probably helped offset my weak math section. However, the reading comprehension was more annoying than anything. I tested out with like 1 min remaining too, which was... interesting. Like whatever one else said, it's an extremely dry section. The sample questions were much more interesting and engaging and then when the real questions hit, man oh man was it hard to focus. I had to reread some sentences several times in order to fully understand what they were talking about. Some of the passages read like legal documentation too, which made it even drier and complicated. I did have a couple passages that were the exact same as previous ones, plus a few more sentences. So watch out for those and pick apart those new sentences.
MECHANICAL - This one stumped me. Some of the questions weren't even related to what I studied on Barron's, here, or even on the ProProfs flashcards. I never took physics in high school or college, and it definitely showed trying to learn concepts in only 6 days. Definitely my second toughest section after math. Just make sure you know everything there is about force, acceleration, gravity, and circuits. Also, some of the diagrams weren't all that great and I struggled to try to figure out how those systems worked. Just make sure you have more than 6 days to study for this section, lol.
AVIATION & NAUTICAL - Honestly, this section went by so fast, that I barely even remember it! I just know some of the stuff (or most, actually) weren't even on it, which made it a little more difficult to remember. Also, be sure to know people and the exact thing that they did. I feel like I got Chuck Yaeger and Alan Shepard mixed up, but I'm not sure. I also got a question about nuclear reactors and control rods, and I completely guessed on it. Make sure you know how nuclear reactors work. Another section that I had no prior knowledge of, so I was kind of pleased that I didn't completely bomb it. Just make sure you try to know as much as you can about airplane systems, history, and nautical terms (not so much history?). Also, make sure to find if there are several names meaning the same thing. They asked me what another name for a rudder on the ship was, and I was completely dumbfounded that that never crossed my mind to study.
TRAIT INVENTORY - This was fun in the most fucked way, lol. So, just try not to get sidetracked trying to figure out which statement YOU think they want to hear. They even warn you before that you will 2 really unflattering statements, and you just have to pick one that is not as bad / describes you more. Be honest, but don't be a fool about it. Sometimes, I tried to keep the "leader" theme going, so if I saw something leadership related in the following questions, I would pick that. I never picked the option that said I was a follower in group projects. Whether or not that helped, who knows. Just be truthful and not get discouraged. I kind of laughed a couple times at how awful some of the statements were.
UAV - I believe I got 44/48 which was slightly upsetting since I was able to get all the practice ones right within 2-3 seconds. The compass method was extremely beneficial. I kept my headphones on, which I think ruined my timing on all of them. I would suggest you take your headphone off for this because the timer starts IMMEDIATELY when the next one pops up so you have to be very quick. The announcer would say which direction you were flying in, and that would mess me up because my mind would want to start and tilt the compass when he ended speaking. A couple 4s ones could have easily been 2s. Just make sure you practice beforehand and use the compass trick.
DICHOTIC LISTENING - Pretty easy, I don't think I missed one, but my timing may have been off which probably lowered my score. I would suggest keeping both earphones on during this and just lean the target ear up or towards the computer because that strategy helped immensely. I ended up pushing the non-target earphone behind my ear so that I could isolate the sounds better, however, this became an issue when they would quickly switch target ears then immediately start saying letter and numbers. I had to use my hands to put the headphones on, then return my hands to the clutch button and trigger in time to get the first / second number. If I were to retake it, I would just keep both on and learn in / up towards the screen.
FLIGHT SIM - This was a pain. I'm not sure how my throttle was compared to everyone else, but it was clunky at best. It really only wanted to be in 3 positions (forward, neutral, back) and would actually make a clicking noise when moved to those positions. This made following the first airplane much more difficult. So be ready. The joystick was slightly smoother but still not that great and the airplane is EXTREMELY tough to follow. It will speed up and juke you out a lot, but try to keep up.
The combination of the throttle and joystick was so insanely hard, I thought it was fun and I probably looked like a complete idiot doing it. My tongue was sticking out of my mouth and everything. I would suggest to not try to look at either airplane but look directly in the middle of the screen so that you can try to give each one the same amount of attention. It will be hard, it's supposed to. So make sure to take a deep breath before beginning the practice since it moves directly to the real test.
Next part is the combination of what you just completed, just with the dichotic listening. This is so difficult that honestly, you just have to try your best. Don't beat yourself up over it because it's a pain in the ass. Just lean your target ear in and stare at the middle of the computer screen so you can focus on the two airplanes. I believe I only missed on 1 or 2 numbers but I was also a lot slower so I believe that lowered my score.
When the emergency procedures happen, make sure you WRITE THEM DOWN. It's been said before, but seriously, do it. It will only help. I propped them up on my keyboard, which may not have been the best location but it really was the only one I could find. I had to look down to see what I had to do, removing my eyes from the airplanes. The first emergency procedure I hit the red screen because I was too busy trying to figure out which way the knobs would lower. However, the following 2 procedures I got almost right away. Just be prepared that it might take you a little longer on the first one.
-----------
Sorry, I didn't mean to write so much. Hopefully, my experience will help y'all some, though. Does anyone have an opinion on my score? I think I should be fine but it's a little worrisome with my GPA. However, my recruiter says I'll be competitive so who knows :/ Just stressful, to say the least. I do think that a lot of us that do visit this site end up getting picked up so we might be more competitive amongst each other rather than the rest of the pool? Not sure, just my two cents.
MATH - I spent the past 6 days utilizing Barron's Military Flight book, Khan Academy (Prealgebra / Algebra 1 / Algebra 2), ASTB Math flashcards on ProProfs, and the study guides floating in this thread. This section still threw me for a loop. It seemed that for every question I got right, I got the next one wrong because the questions didn't really get harder, I think I was just making stupid mistakes. I didn't get that many word problems (I think 1 or 2). A lot of it was simplifying complex equations for me, which was getting tedious and annoying since I would always make a mistake here and there, look up, and see my answer not listed. There was a cubed trinomial(?) that I had to simplify which also threw me for a loop. Anyways, math has always been my weakest section so I felt this definitely showed since I was constantly getting frustrated. I highly suggest, you know everything there is to know about Algebra and even some Precalc. If you tell yourself, "Oh, I think I'm pretty good with this", chances are that you are NOT and you need to keep doing practice problems.
READING - Reading and writing are my strong suits. I always excelled in English, and this section probably helped offset my weak math section. However, the reading comprehension was more annoying than anything. I tested out with like 1 min remaining too, which was... interesting. Like whatever one else said, it's an extremely dry section. The sample questions were much more interesting and engaging and then when the real questions hit, man oh man was it hard to focus. I had to reread some sentences several times in order to fully understand what they were talking about. Some of the passages read like legal documentation too, which made it even drier and complicated. I did have a couple passages that were the exact same as previous ones, plus a few more sentences. So watch out for those and pick apart those new sentences.
MECHANICAL - This one stumped me. Some of the questions weren't even related to what I studied on Barron's, here, or even on the ProProfs flashcards. I never took physics in high school or college, and it definitely showed trying to learn concepts in only 6 days. Definitely my second toughest section after math. Just make sure you know everything there is about force, acceleration, gravity, and circuits. Also, some of the diagrams weren't all that great and I struggled to try to figure out how those systems worked. Just make sure you have more than 6 days to study for this section, lol.
AVIATION & NAUTICAL - Honestly, this section went by so fast, that I barely even remember it! I just know some of the stuff (or most, actually) weren't even on it, which made it a little more difficult to remember. Also, be sure to know people and the exact thing that they did. I feel like I got Chuck Yaeger and Alan Shepard mixed up, but I'm not sure. I also got a question about nuclear reactors and control rods, and I completely guessed on it. Make sure you know how nuclear reactors work. Another section that I had no prior knowledge of, so I was kind of pleased that I didn't completely bomb it. Just make sure you try to know as much as you can about airplane systems, history, and nautical terms (not so much history?). Also, make sure to find if there are several names meaning the same thing. They asked me what another name for a rudder on the ship was, and I was completely dumbfounded that that never crossed my mind to study.
TRAIT INVENTORY - This was fun in the most fucked way, lol. So, just try not to get sidetracked trying to figure out which statement YOU think they want to hear. They even warn you before that you will 2 really unflattering statements, and you just have to pick one that is not as bad / describes you more. Be honest, but don't be a fool about it. Sometimes, I tried to keep the "leader" theme going, so if I saw something leadership related in the following questions, I would pick that. I never picked the option that said I was a follower in group projects. Whether or not that helped, who knows. Just be truthful and not get discouraged. I kind of laughed a couple times at how awful some of the statements were.
UAV - I believe I got 44/48 which was slightly upsetting since I was able to get all the practice ones right within 2-3 seconds. The compass method was extremely beneficial. I kept my headphones on, which I think ruined my timing on all of them. I would suggest you take your headphone off for this because the timer starts IMMEDIATELY when the next one pops up so you have to be very quick. The announcer would say which direction you were flying in, and that would mess me up because my mind would want to start and tilt the compass when he ended speaking. A couple 4s ones could have easily been 2s. Just make sure you practice beforehand and use the compass trick.
DICHOTIC LISTENING - Pretty easy, I don't think I missed one, but my timing may have been off which probably lowered my score. I would suggest keeping both earphones on during this and just lean the target ear up or towards the computer because that strategy helped immensely. I ended up pushing the non-target earphone behind my ear so that I could isolate the sounds better, however, this became an issue when they would quickly switch target ears then immediately start saying letter and numbers. I had to use my hands to put the headphones on, then return my hands to the clutch button and trigger in time to get the first / second number. If I were to retake it, I would just keep both on and learn in / up towards the screen.
FLIGHT SIM - This was a pain. I'm not sure how my throttle was compared to everyone else, but it was clunky at best. It really only wanted to be in 3 positions (forward, neutral, back) and would actually make a clicking noise when moved to those positions. This made following the first airplane much more difficult. So be ready. The joystick was slightly smoother but still not that great and the airplane is EXTREMELY tough to follow. It will speed up and juke you out a lot, but try to keep up.
The combination of the throttle and joystick was so insanely hard, I thought it was fun and I probably looked like a complete idiot doing it. My tongue was sticking out of my mouth and everything. I would suggest to not try to look at either airplane but look directly in the middle of the screen so that you can try to give each one the same amount of attention. It will be hard, it's supposed to. So make sure to take a deep breath before beginning the practice since it moves directly to the real test.
Next part is the combination of what you just completed, just with the dichotic listening. This is so difficult that honestly, you just have to try your best. Don't beat yourself up over it because it's a pain in the ass. Just lean your target ear in and stare at the middle of the computer screen so you can focus on the two airplanes. I believe I only missed on 1 or 2 numbers but I was also a lot slower so I believe that lowered my score.
When the emergency procedures happen, make sure you WRITE THEM DOWN. It's been said before, but seriously, do it. It will only help. I propped them up on my keyboard, which may not have been the best location but it really was the only one I could find. I had to look down to see what I had to do, removing my eyes from the airplanes. The first emergency procedure I hit the red screen because I was too busy trying to figure out which way the knobs would lower. However, the following 2 procedures I got almost right away. Just be prepared that it might take you a little longer on the first one.
-----------
Sorry, I didn't mean to write so much. Hopefully, my experience will help y'all some, though. Does anyone have an opinion on my score? I think I should be fine but it's a little worrisome with my GPA. However, my recruiter says I'll be competitive so who knows :/ Just stressful, to say the least. I do think that a lot of us that do visit this site end up getting picked up so we might be more competitive amongst each other rather than the rest of the pool? Not sure, just my two cents.
Good job brother. I scored a 56 6/5/5. I'm also a little nervous because all the recruiters say it's good and want push me forward but I feel like I need a higher score. I just think it would look better since my GPA isn't that great.
Hi, thanks for your reply. There are so many version of of Barron books(military flight, mechanics and spatial, officer candidate test). Would you also tell me the name of the book please?
Are there portions with the cockpit view and you have to tell the bank/roll/pitch etc.? or is it just the UAV sections?
blackbeard
blackbeard
thecrimsnchin
Active Member
No cockpit view, just UAV.
I have no ideas since I just see those books when I google Barron's astb.