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

[SoCal_Warrior]

however i would like some input from people who have retaken the test with better results I am curious to find out what study methods and materials you found most helpful.

My first ASTB was pencil/paper and I got a 5/5/5/50.

I moved and the new recruiter told me NOT to retake it, but I studied my ass off and on the electronic version I got a 8/9/9/62.
(Oct'09 Boards I was pro-rec'd SNA/SWO/NFO)

STUDY MATERIALS

• ARCO Books (Both of them)
• Navy/Marine Gouges & ASTB Study Materials
• FAA Pilot Manuals - Instruments, Flight Basics, Navigation, Weather
• Google Searches - I studied naval aircraft/ahip designators, basics of flight, mechanical comp, math, naval/aviation history and anything useful that cropped up.
• AirWarriors

METHODS

• Flashcards
• Note Cards
• I would read the information then write out the important highlights I wanted to remember. Then I would reread the information and study my note cards.
• I actually did any practice exams I found as actual exams and my sister timed and graded them. Then we went over which type of problems I was continually having difficulty with.
• LATHER, RINSE, REPEAT

Hope it helps and good luck!

 

[ASCzero]

Thanks , I do not know exactly which areas I did poorly on , although I think that I did well on all the sections except for maybe the math section and the reading comprehension section, I think that was tricky. Should I retake the test? or stay with the score I got and see what happens.

 

[SoCal_Warrior]

Thanks , I do not know exactly which areas I did poorly on , although I think that I did well on all the sections except for maybe the math section and the reading comprehension section, I think that was tricky. Should I retake the test? or stay with the score I got and see what happens.

When I studied for the retake I started from the baseline as if I had never seen the material before. I didn't want to risk being cocky about anything.

Ultimately, whether you go with your current scores or retake with higher aims is up to you. When I saw my 5/5/5/50 I knew I could and would do better than that. Part of me was nervous about bombing the test but I calculated the risk and went for it.

 

[ASCzero]

Thank you for your insight,do you know how heavily G.P.A is weighed into the selection process?

 

[SoCal_Warrior]

Thank you for your insight,do you know how heavily G.P.A is weighed into the selection process?

I don't think anyone knows that except the board. What I do know is that you shouldn't stress over the parts of your package you can't change, boost the parts that you can and leap into the fray head first.

 

[jtom]

How important is vocabulary on the asbt? I took the GRE about 9 months ago and vocabulary is extremely important. All the GRE books give you tips for eliminating answers but in the end they cannot eliminate all of the answers and if you dont know what the word means you still have to guess.

I have noticed that some astb review books do not give a vocabulary list to study. I noticed that barrons gives a nice vocabulary list but have been told not to use it otherwise.

Thanks!

 

[CUPike11]

How important is vocabulary on the asbt? I took the GRE about 9 months ago and vocabulary is extremely important. All the GRE books give you tips for eliminating answers but in the end they cannot eliminate all of the answers and if you dont know what the word means you still have to guess.

I have noticed that some astb review books do not give a vocabulary list to study. I noticed that barrons gives a nice vocabulary list but have been told not to use it otherwise.

Thanks!

I took the GRE and the ASTB and GRE don't even compare to each other in terms of math and verbal.

The "verbal" section of the ASTB is reading comprehension. "Read this paragraph and interpret which of the sentences best infers what the paragraph is about" or something along those lines. You should still know some vocab, but it is nothing, NOTHING as heinous as the GRE vocab.

 

[jtom]

Yes the GRE vocabulary was difficult. I studied about 500-600 new words back then. I still know quite a few of them but I would really not feel comfortable going into the exam without looking them over a bit.
While I understand that reading comprehension plays more of a role, obviously the fill in the blank questions will require vocabulary.

I guess I was mistaken about the verbal portions of the astb because I saw in the review books going over the synonyms but just realized that that is for the air force exam. So I guess then that the astb verbal is only reading comprehension and fill in the blanks?

I was wondering: is the computer based asbt similar to the computer based GRE in that the questions are changed based on whether you get a question right or wrong? On the GRE the first questions are average difficulty and if you get it right you then get a harder question and if you get it wrong you get an easier question. Not to mention that the first few questions are worth far more then the later questions in terms of your final score. Basically the GRE computer based test is manipulated while you are taking it. I thought since the asbt can also be taken through a computer they might do the same.

Thanks!

 

[clyz318]

Having a hard time pacing myself with the practice tests, especially in the math section. I'm pretty solid at math (I was a finance major) but because I end up rushing I don't do all that well. Does anybody have some suggestions or advice for this?

Also, does anybody have any tips for test day? Like, should you review before hand or just go and take it? Thanks!!

 

[PSULion07]

find the FAA pilots manual and actually /read/ it.

Do you mean the FAA's Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge that i found here: http://www.faa.gov/Library/manuals/aviation/pilot_handbook/

Or are you talking about something entirely different?

 

[JhwK08]

That's the one. There were a lot of questions on my test from it. Concentrate on the sections that deal more with actual flying, as opposed to all the complicated stuff dealing with control surfaces. Also, know as much as you can about weather / atmosphere, etc.

 

[GlennH]

Just took my 3rd and final try. I got a 55 7/7/7 (going for SNA only). Overall I'm pretty happy with that since I improved every time I took it.

My advice to anyone taking it would be to study a mile wide and an inch deep. There's not gonna be any astro-physics on there, but theres something about everything.

 

[PSULion07]

Took it this morning. Got a 61 7/7/7

 

[TCL001]

Hey, I'm new to Air Warriors. I am planning on taking the ASTB at the end of January..I just have a couple of questions for some of you experts out there.

1) I saw on a few study guides that we should know significant astronaut missions. Is this true?
2) I am talking to a recruiter, but I am unsure whether or not he is an officer recruiter. I am interested in enrolling in the BDCP, and I think my recruiter is a Senior Chief in the Marines.
3) While I am enrolling the BDCP, is there anything along the same lines within the Marine Corps or Coast Guard that I can apply for, just in case I am not accepted? I really need help covering my school costs and would apply for any program available.
4) Do you suggest merely taking the ASTB, or are the alternitive routes that would also allow me to enroll in the BDCP?

I appreciate your help in advance, and will be sure to post any more questions if they happen to come up within the next month.

 

[iveyc]

So, I'm a senior History Major at the University of Michigan. I just took the test and got 7/7/7 and a 63 OAR. Im not really sure how that stacks up (OK, good, really good?) Can anyone help me out