I have been lurking on this forum for a couple of weeks before taking the ASTB. This is a great source for anybody looking to take the ASTB.
Score 7,8,7 OAR 60
How I studied: I had to retake the ASVAB because my score from high school was a 72. I purchased the Kaplan ASVAB premier 2017-2018. I retook the ASVAB and got a 95. I took two weeks to study for the ASTB. I took 2 weeks’ vacation from work and studied all day every day. I was selfish with my time. Fortunately for me, my family and friends understood this and gave me time. I also purchased the Trivium ASTB study guide. This is a good start if you know nothing about aviation like I did before I started studying. The practice tests were way too easy. The Peterson’s PDF’s that are floating around the site are a little better. I also downloaded every gouge I could find on this site. I made flashcards on quizlet so I could constantly quiz myself even when I was making a head call. I found myself looking back to Kaplan book because there is a lot of material in there that is also on the ASTB. The advantage of this book is that it is more of a textbook than just a test prep book. My best advice for this test is just put in the time, read the forum, and study what you are weak on. Im not going to attach all the same study material that I got off of the site, it’s out there.
I am applying for PLC juniors. Former active duty Sergeant. MOS 0341 Mortarman. Full time firefighter. Full time student.
Mathematics: My questions did not seem to get very difficult. The pressure of the clock is the worse part for me. I go brain dead and panic even at simple problems. I knew this going into the test so I just took it slow. I was asked some mile per gallon questions, if n is a positive integer which is odd, average test grade questions. It seemed like I was cut off early which made me assume the worst.
Reading Comprehension: This was my least favorite portion. I thought this would be easier considering I usually do well on these types of tests. I don’t think there is really a way to prepare for this. This type of skill comes from a lifetime of being able to read something one time and comprehend it without you mind drifting.
Mechanical Comprehension: I had some pulley questions, I had a nuclear reactor question, I had a binary question (what is binary question, I can’t remember it exactly but it is on this forum think the answer was 100), the roller coaster question about which loop would be smoothest for passengers, air pressure through an pipe with a small section in the middle, a few questions that required some basic calculations like (a ball is thrown into the air at 30m/s then slows down at 10 m/s how high did the ball go), how does a car air conditioner work. Overall this was the easiest section for me. I was never good at mechanical comprehension so I did dedicate a significant time here
Aviation: I had a question about what is the designator for a sidewinder, who broke the sound barrier, know the dates drop tanks and ejection seats were tested. What controls roll. Dissymmetry of lift. No FAA related stuff
Nautical: I can’t remember anything form here. I took the test almost a week ago.
PBM: I used the extended compass method where you draw out 8 compasses and label each one for each possible direction. I would just look at the screen and get the heading “left” “down” “Up Right” then listen for the desired parking lot “down left, East.” I averaged 1.5 to 3 seconds and didn’t miss one here.
Dichotic listening: Read the directions thoroughly and Do the head tilt method. Easy test.
Vertical Tracking: It takes a second to get the hang of it but I was on the green for a good portion of it. I would make bold adjustments and as it starts to move I would give little tiny corrections forward and back constantly until it jumped again. Bold correction/very small moved forward and back to stay on.
2 Dimensional Tracking: Its difficult, just try your best. I couldn’t tell if it was inverted or not I just developed a muscle memory quickly. Years of video games paid off here. Especially first person shooters.
Combined: I was all over the place. Individually the tests are not too bad but combined its rigorous.
Emergency Operations: Super easy in my opinion. Write down the procedures, “big knob” “little knob” “clutch” Know where the knobs are at. Make a small adjustment on the knob to know which way is up then move it accordingly.
and second what were you thinking?! Practically your entire chances are based on the test scores.[/QUOTE
