The test hasn’t changed. If you get one wrong, the test gives you easier questions. It’s adaptive. He is saying it’s better to be accurate than fast.
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1,001 questions about the ASTB (post your scores & ask your questions here!)
- Thread starter edato
- Start date
jbt171
Just here for the ride
Not sure if this is sarcastic or not. I am unsure about how wrong answers are accounted for. I just know that the first time I took it and answered everything, I did much worse than when I took my time and didn't finish.
jbt171
Just here for the ride
I do not. Unfortunately, math is one of those things that I remember the strategy but not specific questions. The only question type I recall is 2 people going in a specific direction at different speeds and which one will get there first.
Math is the one part of the test that is high effort with a relatively low reward for me. For example, studying nautical information for 2 hours will most likely buy me more on the test than learning each and every kind of math.
If you can prioritize the type of math you need to study and order them by difficulty you may have an easier time. Keep in mind this is all based on my aptitude and strategy toward math. However, I would consult some of the more adept math candidates here.
Last edited:
7KiloCharlie
New Member
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Osprey98
Member
Took the ASTB for the first time this morning in Jacksonville, FL
Score: 63 9/8/9
First I want to say thank you to everyone who has posted their experiences here on AirWarriors. I truly believe that I wouldn't have had even marginal success if I did not have the resources available on this thread. I'll give my obligatory spiel on the sections and how I prepared. I'll also link a Google Drive folder with every resource I used to study.
MATH: Honestly was a lot easier than I was anticipating, but I think that was because of the sheer volume of material I studied beforehand. I relied heavily on the OAR Math guide and the worksheets I put on the Google Drive. I also used the newest Barron's book which was really helpful contrary to some opinions out there. I had one really complicated log problem that I completely guessed on, but I still studied the basic log properties just in case. I had a complicated average problem that I figured out (with the tests, quizzes, homework, given certain weights, etc..) No matrices, a couple basic probability questions that the study guides hit perfectly. One DRT problem and zero questions on people working together to complete a task. I would say at least 75% of the problems I got were basic algebra (roots/exponents/equations). The study guides like to emphasize the harder questions, which is great for learning, but don't forget to have basic algebra/being able to divide by hand/"the easier stuff" down pat. I recall a question about the area of a circular field with a track around it (find the area of the track given its width). My best advice is to do as many practice problems as you can (study guides, Barron's, and OAR Math guide was all I used) so that during the test there won't be anything you haven't already seen.
Reading: Didn't study at all for this section. Wasn't any harder or easier than I was anticipating. Reading has always been one of my stronger suits so I never really gave this section much thought before the test. The only frustrating thing is that all the answers seem wrong on certain questions, so I just went with my gut/which one I thought I could infer DIRECTLY from the passage. It felt like I was making "educated guesses" most of the time rather than choosing an answer I knew to be correct. I never second guessed myself and it seemed to work out alright.
Mechanical: Definitely the section that ended up being the most different than what I studied. No gears, one pulley question, and one lever question. I don't even remember doing ANY calculations. I had a question on AC power and how it related to its mechanical power?? That was the only electric problem I got and I guessed on it. My second problem was the one about nuclear reactors and withdrawing rods to add electrons/power. Pretty much all conceptual scenarios. However, the study guides and gouge will teach you all the concepts you need to answer those types of questions. Even though the questions were a little different than what I was anticipating, they weren't necessarilly harder. I took one physics class in high school, which in my opinion offered no practical advantage. Again I used solely the gouge in the Drive I'll link and the Barron's book. I think more than enough ground is covered between those two. As a side note, my computer crashed with three minutes left in this section. My proctor got it up and running in about 10 minutes and it resumed where I left off. Since the 15 minute break follows this section, I skipped it since I had already been standing around waiting for the computer to come back on.
ANIT: I have a little bit of experience with aviation as I have a few hours of flight time and ground school. This helped extraordinarily. However, all of the information I learned about this section came from one book. I highly, highly, highly recommend the GLEIM PRIVATE PILOT KNOWLDGE TEST PREP BOOK. It covers everything you need to know for this section (minus the nautical/Navy portion.) The FAA handbooks are great, but they are exhaustive and cover far more ground than necessary for the test. The GLEIM book breaks down basic aviation into very digestable, structured sections. I don't think I guessed on a single question and it was largely because of reading the first three chapters (maybe 50 pages?) of that book. As for the Navy/Nautical questions, most of the information on the study guides covered the questions I got. In the Google Drive I'll link there is a word document that gives peoples' "experiences" on this section and it covers most of the history/miscellaneous questions. I had several that were verbatum from that document including the question about the "CAG" and Avenger torpedo bomber. Also which deck is the highest on a ship and what is the pressure at standard conditions (29.92) One question on VASI. Barron's does not do this section justice, although it does have some useful information. Study guides and the GLEIM book are the majority of what I studied.
Trait Facet: Not much to say. Never deliberated over the two options, just picked one off gut instinct. Some answers I felt really strongly about, most I didn't.
UAV: Didn't use the compass trick and never have. I just rotate the yellow heading marker to north and move the direction I'm looking for with it. I felt confident I wouldn't miss one but ended up missing two. I'm pretty sure I averaged around 2-3 seconds for each answer, with some being below and above that range.
PBM: Not as stressful as some people make it out to be. I actually didn't realize the dichotic listening portion was testing me at first (I thought I was still in practice) so I probably missed a couple in the very beginning but rebounded quickly. Be on your toes for when it starts the real test. It will say "test" and the give you your target ear. The vertical tracking isn't too hard, but the 2D tracking is much harder. You're always going to be one step behind the target because you don't know where it's going to go, so remember that. Just try to stay as least behind as possible. Doing them together was tough. I found myself at times focused on only one and then quickly realized I was negelcting the other. It was more going back and forth really fast between the two rather than trying to track one with my peripheral. I would focus on the 2D target more and quickly glance over at the verical when I could tell it was getting away from me. The emergency procedures are not difficult although I somehow managed to screw one up. I think it asked me one of each (fire, engine, propellor) and I successfully "handled" 2/3.
Overall it was not as bad as I thought it would be, and given that you study enough material effectively, it shouldn't be for you either. The gouge here is plentiful and useful. When you're taking it just remember the countless hours you spent pouring over study guides, problems, books, etc.. Put yourself in that position where there is nothing they can throw at you that you can't give at least an educated guess at. I started studying in early January and put in probably an hour a day (sometimes a lot more/less). Any free time I got outside of class/homework I was looking at problems/study guides. Even if it's only 10 minutes, put the time in. I probably did that dang 114 question OAR MATH guide 3 or 4 times. I knew those questions like the back of my hand. Consistency is key, and I just kept reading the same guides over and over and over until it was like second nature to me.
I know this was long winded but I really appreciated reading detailed anecdotes of the test when I was studying. Huge thanks to everyone on this forum!
Kyle
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AvPi5oH_h_13TGajDvflDWkftwXO8LS6
The Gleim Book
https://pilotshq.com/gleim-private-...2aO7vj7DxdUsiEWyLRlBX5JvatSn8rEBoCO_oQAvD_BwE
Score: 63 9/8/9
First I want to say thank you to everyone who has posted their experiences here on AirWarriors. I truly believe that I wouldn't have had even marginal success if I did not have the resources available on this thread. I'll give my obligatory spiel on the sections and how I prepared. I'll also link a Google Drive folder with every resource I used to study.
MATH: Honestly was a lot easier than I was anticipating, but I think that was because of the sheer volume of material I studied beforehand. I relied heavily on the OAR Math guide and the worksheets I put on the Google Drive. I also used the newest Barron's book which was really helpful contrary to some opinions out there. I had one really complicated log problem that I completely guessed on, but I still studied the basic log properties just in case. I had a complicated average problem that I figured out (with the tests, quizzes, homework, given certain weights, etc..) No matrices, a couple basic probability questions that the study guides hit perfectly. One DRT problem and zero questions on people working together to complete a task. I would say at least 75% of the problems I got were basic algebra (roots/exponents/equations). The study guides like to emphasize the harder questions, which is great for learning, but don't forget to have basic algebra/being able to divide by hand/"the easier stuff" down pat. I recall a question about the area of a circular field with a track around it (find the area of the track given its width). My best advice is to do as many practice problems as you can (study guides, Barron's, and OAR Math guide was all I used) so that during the test there won't be anything you haven't already seen.
Reading: Didn't study at all for this section. Wasn't any harder or easier than I was anticipating. Reading has always been one of my stronger suits so I never really gave this section much thought before the test. The only frustrating thing is that all the answers seem wrong on certain questions, so I just went with my gut/which one I thought I could infer DIRECTLY from the passage. It felt like I was making "educated guesses" most of the time rather than choosing an answer I knew to be correct. I never second guessed myself and it seemed to work out alright.
Mechanical: Definitely the section that ended up being the most different than what I studied. No gears, one pulley question, and one lever question. I don't even remember doing ANY calculations. I had a question on AC power and how it related to its mechanical power?? That was the only electric problem I got and I guessed on it. My second problem was the one about nuclear reactors and withdrawing rods to add electrons/power. Pretty much all conceptual scenarios. However, the study guides and gouge will teach you all the concepts you need to answer those types of questions. Even though the questions were a little different than what I was anticipating, they weren't necessarilly harder. I took one physics class in high school, which in my opinion offered no practical advantage. Again I used solely the gouge in the Drive I'll link and the Barron's book. I think more than enough ground is covered between those two. As a side note, my computer crashed with three minutes left in this section. My proctor got it up and running in about 10 minutes and it resumed where I left off. Since the 15 minute break follows this section, I skipped it since I had already been standing around waiting for the computer to come back on.
ANIT: I have a little bit of experience with aviation as I have a few hours of flight time and ground school. This helped extraordinarily. However, all of the information I learned about this section came from one book. I highly, highly, highly recommend the GLEIM PRIVATE PILOT KNOWLDGE TEST PREP BOOK. It covers everything you need to know for this section (minus the nautical/Navy portion.) The FAA handbooks are great, but they are exhaustive and cover far more ground than necessary for the test. The GLEIM book breaks down basic aviation into very digestable, structured sections. I don't think I guessed on a single question and it was largely because of reading the first three chapters (maybe 50 pages?) of that book. As for the Navy/Nautical questions, most of the information on the study guides covered the questions I got. In the Google Drive I'll link there is a word document that gives peoples' "experiences" on this section and it covers most of the history/miscellaneous questions. I had several that were verbatum from that document including the question about the "CAG" and Avenger torpedo bomber. Also which deck is the highest on a ship and what is the pressure at standard conditions (29.92) One question on VASI. Barron's does not do this section justice, although it does have some useful information. Study guides and the GLEIM book are the majority of what I studied.
Trait Facet: Not much to say. Never deliberated over the two options, just picked one off gut instinct. Some answers I felt really strongly about, most I didn't.
UAV: Didn't use the compass trick and never have. I just rotate the yellow heading marker to north and move the direction I'm looking for with it. I felt confident I wouldn't miss one but ended up missing two. I'm pretty sure I averaged around 2-3 seconds for each answer, with some being below and above that range.
PBM: Not as stressful as some people make it out to be. I actually didn't realize the dichotic listening portion was testing me at first (I thought I was still in practice) so I probably missed a couple in the very beginning but rebounded quickly. Be on your toes for when it starts the real test. It will say "test" and the give you your target ear. The vertical tracking isn't too hard, but the 2D tracking is much harder. You're always going to be one step behind the target because you don't know where it's going to go, so remember that. Just try to stay as least behind as possible. Doing them together was tough. I found myself at times focused on only one and then quickly realized I was negelcting the other. It was more going back and forth really fast between the two rather than trying to track one with my peripheral. I would focus on the 2D target more and quickly glance over at the verical when I could tell it was getting away from me. The emergency procedures are not difficult although I somehow managed to screw one up. I think it asked me one of each (fire, engine, propellor) and I successfully "handled" 2/3.
Overall it was not as bad as I thought it would be, and given that you study enough material effectively, it shouldn't be for you either. The gouge here is plentiful and useful. When you're taking it just remember the countless hours you spent pouring over study guides, problems, books, etc.. Put yourself in that position where there is nothing they can throw at you that you can't give at least an educated guess at. I started studying in early January and put in probably an hour a day (sometimes a lot more/less). Any free time I got outside of class/homework I was looking at problems/study guides. Even if it's only 10 minutes, put the time in. I probably did that dang 114 question OAR MATH guide 3 or 4 times. I knew those questions like the back of my hand. Consistency is key, and I just kept reading the same guides over and over and over until it was like second nature to me.
I know this was long winded but I really appreciated reading detailed anecdotes of the test when I was studying. Huge thanks to everyone on this forum!
Kyle
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AvPi5oH_h_13TGajDvflDWkftwXO8LS6
The Gleim Book
https://pilotshq.com/gleim-private-...2aO7vj7DxdUsiEWyLRlBX5JvatSn8rEBoCO_oQAvD_BwE
D
Deleted member 72085
Guest
I don’t know if this warrants its own thread, but I will try here first.
Is anyone else’s ASTB equipment down? I am in NC, trying for weeks to take it but apparently both Charlotte and Raleigh are having system issues, and won’t be up for another 3 weeks. They can’t schedule me yet because of it.
Anyone know an alternative location near NC that is working?
Is anyone else’s ASTB equipment down? I am in NC, trying for weeks to take it but apparently both Charlotte and Raleigh are having system issues, and won’t be up for another 3 weeks. They can’t schedule me yet because of it.
Anyone know an alternative location near NC that is working?
jbt171
Just here for the ride
Have you looked at colleges with Navy ROTC units in that area?
D
Deleted member 72085
Guest
I did not know they administered their own exams. I will reach out to them, thanks!
jbt171
Just here for the ride
No worries, they tend to have better equipment anyway.
Martin Peychev
New Member
Hi all! Does anyone have a working link/code for the Peterson online test? I've found and used the link before, but I cannot seem to find it again, and my old access code is not working anymore. Thank you in advance.
Just finished the oar, ill share my experience.
This is my second attempt after a miserable 42 on my first attempt. So today on the oar the system crashed and i had to retake the math again which really upset me cause i was destroying it. I ended up getting a 50 though which my recruiter said hes happy with.
Math: lots of fractions and simplifications i got a multiplying matrix problem and geometry and probability that i nailed before the system took a shit on me. When the systems came up again i got mostly geometry and fractions which i wasnt 100% sure anymore because i was upset and demoralized. (Pretty sure i would of had a much higher score if it didnt crash).
Reading: saw some of the same reading material from a month ago on my first attempt. I advise eliminating 1 answer at a time to increase your chances.
Mech: started off easy with dropping a rock and boulder at the same time then progressively turned to finding the formula, electrical questions and alot more wtf questions so i must of been doing ok cause i was guessing right and trying to use common sense.
Overall the exam isnt more so difficult rather it tests the broad range of stuff on many things. I studied in total of 4 months at 2-4 hours a day sometimes 8 hours. Shoutout to dallas,kyle, and another individual i cant remember their username as i type this on my phone. I got a 50 and my recruiter is fine with what i got. Still a little mad about the system crashing but thats life.
This is my second attempt after a miserable 42 on my first attempt. So today on the oar the system crashed and i had to retake the math again which really upset me cause i was destroying it. I ended up getting a 50 though which my recruiter said hes happy with.
Math: lots of fractions and simplifications i got a multiplying matrix problem and geometry and probability that i nailed before the system took a shit on me. When the systems came up again i got mostly geometry and fractions which i wasnt 100% sure anymore because i was upset and demoralized. (Pretty sure i would of had a much higher score if it didnt crash).
Reading: saw some of the same reading material from a month ago on my first attempt. I advise eliminating 1 answer at a time to increase your chances.
Mech: started off easy with dropping a rock and boulder at the same time then progressively turned to finding the formula, electrical questions and alot more wtf questions so i must of been doing ok cause i was guessing right and trying to use common sense.
Overall the exam isnt more so difficult rather it tests the broad range of stuff on many things. I studied in total of 4 months at 2-4 hours a day sometimes 8 hours. Shoutout to dallas,kyle, and another individual i cant remember their username as i type this on my phone. I got a 50 and my recruiter is fine with what i got. Still a little mad about the system crashing but thats life.
Osprey98
Member
I don't know if this is what you're looking for or not?
http://www.petersonspublishing.com/OfficerCandidate/
I don't they open on Saturday. can you tell me the likely question on your test?