I took the ASTB for my first time on Jan 15 and got
64 8/7/7. My GPA is 3.52 in Aerospace Engineering at PSU.
I wasn't originally going to write a post but I thought about how much this forum helped me and figured I'd give back.
So my recruiter said the test was easy and that I didn't need to study which was probably not the best advice. I started studying a week before, downloading and reading as many sample tests, guides, and tips as possible. I did not buy any books and only used the very helpful resources on this forum(I'll attach some files I used). Something that I have not seen recommended a lot on this forum is
majoring in Aerospace Engineering pretty much sets you up for this test. I'm currently a junior and most of the stuff I have learned up until this point directly correlated to what was on the ASTB. Because of my major, all I needed to do was brush up on simpler math and physics material, take some practice reading tests, and memorize as much naval history and boat parts as possible. I'm going to try and keep my section reviews brief because a lot of it would just be repeating what other people have said.
MATH:
-Do as many practice problems as you can get your hands on in this forum.
-I made some dumb mistakes in this section because I was too hyped up about the test and rushed it(take your time and get the right answers).
READING:
-Do any practice tests you can and read through the passages like your life depends on it. It's really easy to get distracted so stay focused and pick the answer choice you feel is best represented.
MECHANICAL COMPREHENSION:
-For an engineering major the physics is pretty basic.
-Read every physics guide you can download and do the practice tests.
-This section is all memorizing and applying concepts.
ANIT:
-There is a good 400+ flashcard set in this forum that I used. Download the cram app and go through those before you go to bed each night.
(
https://www.cram.com/flashcards/astb-aviation-nautical-information-test-anit-comprehensive-4718163)
-Luckily one of my teachers gave a 4 part aviation history lecture that also covered airplane parts(THIS WAS A MASSIVE HELP) I really wish everyone taking the test had access to this flight history/parts lecture.
-Know boat parts and slang names, airplane parts and military aircraft names, and do as much research as you can.
UAV:
-Use the flashcards.
-I knew how to do the compass trick but I had an easier time mentally flipping the compass to orient to the corresponding UAV direction.
-Something that threw me off a little was that all the flashcards have the UAV travelling at 45 degree angles. The test does not. There will be many different angles of approach.
-I went for speed and sacrificed some correct answers. I missed 3 or 4 but was selecting the choice before the audio was even done playing.
PBM:
-Write everything down you think you'll need and do your best.
-The only real advice I can give is left and right on the joystick is left and right, up and down are opposite(moving the joystick up moves your target down). I visualized a target moving and did the corresponding hand movement to follow it for a solid hour to "practice" for this section.
DICHOTIC LISTENING:
-https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzWfRpyVQ18
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES:
-RED MEANS HIGH & YELLOW MEANS LOW
-I messed this part up so bad because I didn't know the fact mentioned above.
-Don't think I did one right emergency procedure.
-Write the procedures down.
Again, just collect as much information as possible and actually read and take notes(a lot of notes). I remember things better if I write them down pen to paper so I have pages of as much material as I could get down in a week. I can not emphasize enough how close my college work was with this test
. I'm not saying that aerospace engineering is the only way to do well but the correlation between my major work and this test was a huge help. When you don't want to study, think about why you are there and keep on grinding. Some people have success with studying for 20 mins and then taking a 5 min break over and over again. I did this here and there but I thought I should recommend it because it's proven to help with retention of material. Force yourself to study until your head hurts and it will all get easier as you get more exposure(College taught me this). I told the recruiters during my break mid-test that I messed up a lot and started to mentally prepare myself to take the test again before I even finished the one I was on. Just because you think you did bad doesn't mean you should count yourself out of the fight. Hopefully this was helpful. I chose to not go into depth because most of the past longer posts are straight gold. Read and take notes on as many things as you can get from this forum. The resources I collected into the link below were really helpful for me. Good luck to anyone preparing to take the ASTB and feel free to message me with any additional questions.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-Pm5swQ2xkrH_Kj3mrtUE4RBEg80YZzY