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

[gspock]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know how to solve these questions:

1. Find the 10th term in the series.

sqrt2, 2, 2sqrt2 (I had this one on my test and froze when I saw it.)

2. Sum of all numbers from 2 to 223

Also, did anyone have any questions on infinite series converging?

Thanks

 

[servewithpride]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know how to solve these questions:

1. Find the 10th term in the series.

sqrt2, 2, 2sqrt2 (I had this one on my test and froze when I saw it.)

2. Sum of all numbers from 2 to 223

Also, did anyone have any questions on infinite series converging?

Thanks

for the 2nd question, I found the following videos to be the most helpful:

 

[Chrisrm]

Hey everyone, it's finally time to give my 2 cents back to the website that saved me and gave me the materials to pass the ASTB.

For my first ASTB attempt I entered woefully underprepared and with a very weak math foundation and it reflected in my scores. My first attempt was a 50 5,6,4 and I absolutely bombed the UAV portion. I watched the compass trick the night before but didn't think it was worth practicing all that much and let me tell you, it absolutely killed my score. I was feeling way too sorry for myself and decided to actually use the resources I had at my disposal and comb this website for all the information I could use and find to help me pass.

I just got out of my second attempt today and I scored a 47 6,8,6. Yup, thats right, my OAR actually went down 3 points somehow but my subscores all improved to where I needed them to be and ultimately these are the scores that matter the most in pilot selection (according to my recruiter). In preparation for my second run at the exam, I did numerous practice tests from Kyle's Google Drive folder and did a ton of private sessions for math tutoring with Kieno Thomas, read the entirety of the Barron's book, and hundreds of math generic math practice problems. If you have a weak foundation in math, there is NO ONE I could recommend more than him. He keeps an active timeline with each client and exposes your weaknesses and makes you work to turn them into your strengths, and all at what was a very reasonable hourly rate. He also hosts 2-3 weekly facebook/youtube livestreams that you can attend for free and ask any questions you may have about the exam and I would highly recommend attending as many of those as you can and participating. His facebook/youtube/business pages are all Stemwithkieno.com.

Math

Kicked my ass again despite all the studying I did that focused on different math concepts. The best thing I can recommend is relearning and mastering as much algebra as you can. My exam was very heavy on algebra and very little geometry, no DRT, lots of fractions, systems of equations, and that sort of stuff. You can tell when you get a question right or wrong and I knew that the second time they were significantly harder than my first attempt so that was a good sign. I got booted out pretty early with a decent amount of time left so it was most likely my weakest area but I am still happy with the score I got. There will always be 1-2 answers that are blatantly wrong if you have a basic understanding of what you should be looking for. This section is incredibly important. You HAVE to know this stuff to succeed.

English

Boring and really odd questions and passages that will make you want to rip your hair out. But it is also not that difficult. Just long and boring. Definitely prepare somewhat with the passages in the Barron's book, but don't stress this section too much.

Mechanics

Mostly conceptual and I got off pretty easy on this section compared to my first attempt. I was doing well enough to have questions requiring calculations in Ohms and Amperes thrown my way though so it's good to know those concepts and equations. Don't slack on mechanical studying, it's shorter than math and english but can be just as difficult.

ANIT

A lot of people struggle with this section due to the sheer volume of information that can ask you about. This was actually by far the easiest for me though, since I have been obsessed with aviation since I was 7-8 years old and have learned a ton about it over the years. I practiced with the flashcard set found on others posts in this thread and went through all 400+ flashcards at least 3 times. I know for a fact that I killed this section and it reflected in my score with an 8.

NATFI

There is no real preparation or way to "game" this section. Be true to yourself.

UAV

Learn the compass trick. And then practice it a couple of hundred times, it will pay off on the test. I went from probably getting 70% of them wrong my first time to getting all of them right on my second time and most of them answered in under 2 seconds. I averaged about 3 seconds while practicing at home.

Stick and Throttle

Good luck. Write down your procedures. Tilt your head to the side they are asking you to listen to. Don't expect to do well tracking the two targets at the same time. Just try your best. Seriously, good luck.

Conclusion

Use all your available resources and don't be discouraged when you see people post their insane scores on this thread and say "ehh it wasn't so hard" or "I feel like I could have done better", worry about you and you alone. Don't compare yourself to others, just work on yourself and improve every single day that you can. Do some DRT problems, practice a couple of UAV flashcards, watch videos on airplanes and flight. Be willing to learn and ready to make mistakes. It will be worth it when you get the score you desire.

Oh, and when they give you a 15 minute break, USE IT. I was almost ready to piss myself during the stick and throttle portion because I didn't take my break and had been drinking water prior to and during the exam.


Good luck, it really isn't that bad!

Do you have a contact point for Kieno Thomas?

 

[alexng30]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know how to solve these questions:

1. Find the 10th term in the series.

sqrt2, 2, 2sqrt2 (I had this one on my test and froze when I saw it.)

2. Sum of all numbers from 2 to 223

Also, did anyone have any questions on infinite series converging?

Thanks

For question number one, the series is basically (sqrt2)^n where n is the position in the series. So (sqrt2)^2= 2 where n=2. And in the series above we can see that the second number equals 2.

So the 10th number would be (sqrt2)^10 which equals 32. You can simplify that because sqrt2 = 2^(1/2) so (2^(1/2))^10 = 2^5= 32.

 

[Howler24]

ASTB: 52 6/7/6

Second attempt. First Attempt: 50 6/5/6.




Math
Not my strong suite. DRT, Algebra. No logs, no geometry. Use math tutorials and the gouges found throughout this forum to study. I watched Keino Thomas videos on YouTube to assist with practicing quick math and answering questions without having to do extra work.

Reading
Not complicated. Choose the statement that can ONLY be deduced from the paragraph, nothing more. Don't overthink it. Read the question aloud if you can't comprehend it, do it 2-3 times if needed. Other choices may be true, but only one can be directly taken from the paragraph. Reading documents put out by the Navy assists in the dryness.

Mech
Basic physics. I have taken a handful of physics courses, the theories are not foreign at all. Levers, pulleys, MA, gravity, velocity, electrical systems, volume. If you read through the gouge in Kyles and other resources throughout this form you will be fine.

ANIT
Strong suite. I have my PPL and grew up an Air Force brat. Air Shows (including Blue Angles Homecoming Show) were a childhood staple. The flash cards found below are helpful, though most of the aviation knowledge was review. The gouges should have ample nautical and aviation history within in them to help.

PBM

UAV: Use the flashcards floating around here to familiarize yourself with the UAV section. Be able to do it fast and 100% it every time. Draw. The. Compass. Do it. Draw a compass on scratch paper, and orient the compass you drew in the heading indicated by the problem. Then just look at that target destination based on that. Find it on YouTube. for us.

Dichotic Listening: Lean towards the ear you are instructed to react to. The test will ask you to listen to a list of numbers and letters. You must filter out information from one ear, and react to information from the corresponding ear. Lean towards that ear.

Stick & Throttle: Invert controls on your console/PC remote if you play video games to understand movement of the stick. I play Warzone nightly with the boys. Flight time/flight sims also help teach this also but no little more if you do not understand what overcorrection is. Don't overreact, just stay with the targets to the best of your ability without making aggressive moves. Don't get caught in corners. DON'T GET FRUSTRATED. Remember that it is a computer game that was designed to make you feel like you suck. Your mindset should be aggressive. Treat it like you're actually trying to shoot down an adversary.

Dichotic Listening and Stick & Throttle eventually become one. Focus on Dichotic Listening, however, balance tracking as well. It is not supposed to be easy.

Emergency Procedures: Write down procedures. Have them in eyesight to refer to when the emergency notification comes on. Practice them again and again before starting. Just like an actual pilot's emergency checklist, right? Works for them (me), works for us.

Misc.
I did not have an outstanding score, but is competitive. So I share wisdom (little of my own) of others: Barron's is a good resource to start. Reading this entire thread is better and will lead to success. Open and take from every gouge. Take time to go through that material and if you get stumped, stop and learn what you need to answer it correctly. There are many posts throughout this thread that cite posts from successful individuals that include how they did it. Learn from them. Take you study materiel with you wherever you go. If you have 15 free minutes, use it to review. If you need tutoring, GET TUTORING. Don't let your ego get in the way of getting where you want to go. Use Kieno Thomas (stemwithkieno.com, website/youtube/facebook). I used his videos, not his tutoring. I have talked to many who have used his resources and tutoring and were selected for SNA or a pilot slot for the Air Force. The guy is passionate about getting people selected whether they're taking the ASTB/OAR/AFOQT/SIFT.

I made, what many would say, a dumb decision. I studied vigorously for weeks leading up to my second attempt. The day before my test date, my recruiter "indefinitely" postponed it due to someone in her office having to quarantine who had come in contact with someone with COVID. I appreciated her concern for everyone health, though was bummed due to the amount of work I put not having definite end. I then drank a beer and decided to ease on the studying. Earlier this week she offered me to take it yesterday. I then only slightly studied for the two days leading up. Therefore, my score only slightly increased. Moral of the story: drink a beer but don't stop studying.

I say this in humility: My recruiter is confident if I can clear MEPS I have very good chances to get picked up. My score is now competitive. My GPA is not outstanding, though the rest of my packet is. Great LORs and great leadership/involvement/volunteering experience. I have my PPL. There are people on this thread with higher scores and lower scores who get picked up. Control what you can and don't stress about the rest. It will get you no where.

Get after it.

 

[gspock]

For question number one, the series is basically (sqrt2)^n where n is the position in the series. So (sqrt2)^2= 2 where n=2. And in the series above we can see that the second number equals 2.

So the 10th number would be (sqrt2)^10 which equals 32. You can simplify that because sqrt2 = 2^(1/2) so (2^(1/2))^10 = 2^5= 32.

Thank you!!!

 

[gspock]

There are 15 students in a class: 8 boys and 7 girls. If the teacher picks a group of 4 at random, what is the probability that everyone in the group is a boy?

I was curious about how one might go about this.

Would you just take the prob of boys: 8/15 * 7/14 * 6/13 * 5/12 to find the percent?

Thanks!

 

[Turbo7]

There are 15 students in a class: 8 boys and 7 girls. If the teacher picks a group of 4 at random, what is the probability that everyone in the group is a boy?

I was curious about how one might go about this.

Would you just take the prob of boys: 8/15 * 7/14 * 6/13 * 5/12 to find the percent?

Thanks!

Yep! You got it.

 

[gspock]

Yep! You got it.

Thank you!!!

 

[gspock]

What types of D=RT problems did everyone see?

I've been using the ARCO book and Kuta software to study these types of problems.
Is that good enough for these types of problems?

Thanks!

 

[ajgrf]

I took just the OAR portion a couple weeks ago, with very little prep time. Scored a 61, which I'm happy about, although I don't know what I'm going to do with it.

The math section had quite a few problems which I was too rusty to fully calculate myself, but I was able to the eliminate wrong answers by intuition or reasoning through the problem. That came as quite a relief, since I've been out of school for a while and haven't really done math in 10+ years.

 

[cadethopeful#3000]

Hello! Got a 53 on OAR on first attempt. OR says this is good for Public Affairs Officer, which is what I want to do.
I got a 3.57 GPA with a Bachelors in Acting (from a top 10 program).
I'll need a couple waivers, one moral (DUI, misdemeanor) and one medical (hernia).
Thoughts on whether I should retake for a PAO app?

 

[jake777x]

New to this site, but used it to start studying for the ASTB about a month ago. I took the test two days ago and got a 71 9/9/9.
I just wanted to thank everyone on this site for posting helpful information.

Background:
Finishing my master's degree in Structural Engineering in December: 3.74 GPA
Undergrad GPA: 3.84 in Civil Engineering
Semipro ATV racing while in high school and undergrad.
No flight experience outside of a relative letting me steer his little cessna around after takeoff.
A bit of flight simulator game experience.

 

[Jenshotjr2013]

Hey Everyone!

I was just wondering if anyone knew how the scoring for the ASTB worked. Specifically the sections that have a definite answer such as the reading, math, mech, and anit. I saw the bell curve (attached), and wasn't sure if the 7 corresponds with a 77%-89% correct on any given test for example. If not does anyone know how it is scored so I can know roughly what I am getting on my practice tests. Thank you!

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Hello! Got a 53 on OAR on first attempt. OR says this is good for Public Affairs Officer, which is what I want to do.
I got a 3.57 GPA with a Bachelors in Acting (from a top 10 program).
I'll need a couple waivers, one moral (DUI, misdemeanor) and one medical (hernia).
Thoughts on whether I should retake for a PAO app?

Almost everyone selected for PAO is prior service and was most likely a MC, you can probably count on 1 hand the number of people selected for PAO that were civilians in the past 10 years.

The other issue is your moral waiver, PAO will look for just about anything to turn a person down.

I would recommend looking at a designator like SWO that can be a bit more forgiving.