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

[x15adam]

I found a trick with my pencil that got me almost %100 accuracy every time. I would find a landmark on the zoomed-in map that was straight up and down with my pencil, then rotate my pencil in the direction of the north-up map that matched the same landmarks. The direction that your pencil is pointing would be your new heading and answer. I could quickly find the new heading of the map once I practiced this for about an hour.

I forgot to include this in my last comment but this is an excellent strategy for the Terrain ID subtest. Helped me significantly. I really appreciate it and I'm sure others feel the same way.

 

[Wah__]

Lots of good information in this thread. Just took it today 61 9/8/7.

--MST--
Saw radians to degrees problems, probability problems, some interesting exponent and radical problems (didn't anticipate having to take the 5th root of a fraction), logarithms, a very lengthy algebra problem, a problem where I had to express the volume of a smaller shape using the variables of a larger identical shape, and a problem where I had to figure out what the diameter of a circle would be based on an arc of the circle and line across that arc.

A lot of the material I expected to see on the test wasn't there for me, such as distance rate time, work rate time, volume and surface area calculations, ounces-pounds, ounces-gallons, unit conversions, quadratic equations, sin cos tan (trig), %change, %profit, simple and compound interest, systems of equations, matrix operations, etc.

--RCT--
Nothing new or notable here.

--MCT--
For me this area was exclusively conceptual. Thankfully didn't get any problems that required scratch paper.

--ANIT--
Questions were almost exclusively aviation related. Had maybe 3 Naval/Nautical questions.

--PBM--
On the dichotic listening test the "target" ear actually switches, it doesn't remain constant. For example in the middle of the test you might hear "Right" and immediately have to switch from listening to your Left ear to listening to your Right ear. The target ear alternated maybe 3 or 4 times during my test.

--------------------------
Don't let your perception get the better of you. On a test like this it's easy to feel like you're failing, but regardless of how you feel you're doing just keep your head up and give it your all until its over. Good luck everyone.

Congrats on the scores! Did you use any specific testing material outside of what's found here? I'm planning my first test here soon and just want to be sure I've covered most of my bases. Also, do you mind going into a bit more depth on what you saw on the MCT? Out of all the sections, that's the one I'm worried the most for.

 

[x15adam]

Congrats on the scores! Did you use any specific testing material outside of what's found here? I'm planning my first test here soon and just want to be sure I've covered most of my bases.

Thank you!
Nothing that hasn't been covered here (I don't think). I mainly used:

• Barron's Military Flight Aptitude Tests (book)
• Mometrix ASTB-E Study Guide (book)
• ASTB Prep App (only available on iOS)
• Google Drive files (the ones in this thread)
• Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK) (Available free online curtesy of the FAA)
• YouTube (I basically looked up videos on anything and everything from ship terminology, to pulleys, to math tutorials)
• Note Cards (Made my own and also used ones I found online through google and this thread)

And that's about it really. Hope that helps.

 

[x15adam]

do you mind going into a bit more depth on what you saw on the MCT? Out of all the sections, that's the one I'm worried the most for.

Sure thing, for the MCT I saw primarily basic conceptual stuff surrounding

• Objects which allow for mechanical advantage (Like Pulleys, Wedges, Gears and Levers)
• Projectile Motion (how does a projectile behave and why)
• Buoyancy/Density and Pressure
• Circuits (To include the concepts of Voltage, Current, Resistance and Power)
• Basic physics terms like "Work" "Force" etc.
• Newton's Laws

I was stressed about this part of the test too, but quickly realized it wasn't as bad as the Math. It was very much skewed towards testing you on understanding the basics of these concepts rather than expecting to mathematically solve mechanical/physical problems. As example one of the questions I saw displayed two different pulley systems and asked which one created more mechanical advantage. One pulley system basically was useless, and the other actually worked (it was something the could be determined visually without the need for math). By conceptual, that's what I mean.

Thankfully there were no surprises here, what's in the books or in this thread is pretty much the scope of the type of stuff you'll see. Just look up a few YouTube videos on each of the concepts and try to develop an understanding of how they work. If you can do that then you'll be okay on the MCT.

 

[Wah__]

Sure thing, for the MCT I saw primarily basic conceptual stuff surrounding

• Objects which allow for mechanical advantage (Like Pulleys, Wedges, Gears and Levers)
• Projectile Motion (how does a projectile behave and why)
• Buoyancy/Density and Pressure
• Circuits (To include the concepts of Voltage, Current, Resistance and Power)
• Basic physics terms like "Work" "Force" etc.
• Newton's Laws

I was stressed about this part of the test too, but quickly realized it wasn't as bad as the Math. It was very much skewed towards testing you on understanding the basics of these concepts rather than expecting to mathematically solve mechanical/physical problems. As example one of the questions I saw displayed two different pulley systems and asked which one created more mechanical advantage. One pulley system basically was useless, and the other actually worked (it was something the could be determined visually without the need for math). By conceptual, that's what I mean.

Thankfully there were no surprises here, what's in the books or in this thread is pretty much the scope of the type of stuff you'll see. Just look up a few YouTube videos on each of the concepts and try to develop an understanding of how they work. If you can do that then you'll be okay on the MCT.

Great info, thank you!

 

[Ezejay_11]

Took the ASTB for the second time. This time I spent hundreds of dollars on a tutor. My scores were almost the same as the first test.
OAR 44,4/4/4/47

I can give you the tools.

 

[Empire16]

I can give you the tools.

Same here. If you have any questions hit me up! More than willing to help.

 

[Ezejay_11]

Sup,

Just took the ASTB today, and did pretty bad for the first attempt. 5/5/5. yikes.

I've been studying off and on for about a month, but it seems like the material I studied for the most didn't even appear. But, to keep a positive feedback loop going, here is my $0.02 on the test, and some tips on how to do better (or worse) than me.


MATH
- I got kicked out early on this section so not that much information to provide. Know percentages, square roots, and probability. D= RT as well.

Reading
- Boring Navy hooplah. Name of the game is to find the answer that sums up the main idea of what the paragraph is talking about.

MECH
- some pulleys, no levers, wheel and axle, and other simple machines. Bernoulli is big here

ANIT
- know how a plane works. seriously. I did not get any softball navy questions (i.e. first man in space, etc.), all were technical plane mechanics and questions such as "what's the difference between AOA and AOI."

PBM
- I sold here. if you can't get 42/42 correct and under 2s on the UAV correct, you're not ready for the ASTB plain and simple. Write down your emergency procedures and for the love of everything good in God's green Earth, LISTEN DURING THE DICHOTIC TEST (go figure right). the simulator that the one academy nerd made is great. good stuff; use that. Terrain ID is nuts. treat it like the UAV portion and just give it your best call.

Final Thoughts:

• There is a quote from a movie I like called Princess Mononoke that reads: "You may not be able to change your fate, but you can rise to meet it." That being said, the ASTB is an aptitude test, and there is only so much you can do for it. Don't sweat the details.
• If you get kicked out early from a section...you're probably, excuse my French, doing shit.
• Use an ASTB book if you want, but I will say this forum has all the gouge you may possibly need. Study up on the links here, like Kyle or Gomez's drive. Not going to repost because the links are all across the forum.

Going to retake probably next semester.

how is studying going so far?

 

[airgetlaam]

how is studying going so far?

Sup Ezejay,

Haven't really been studying as of late; school started to pick up and I need to focus on that. However, I plan on retaking it sometime in August, right after my summer break. I think I have a solid game plan on how to get my triple 7's and above, but any resources, links, methods, or rare Indian shaman knowledge you have...I'll take!

 

[kingwilliams]

There seems like there are plenty of resources on the OAR section. I don't see many resources on anything else . Can anyone point me to links?

 

[Ezejay_11]

‎ASTB Prep

‎The ASTB (Aviation Selection Test Battery) is used by the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to select candidates for pilot and flight officer training programs. A shorter version of the ASTB called the Officer Aptitude Rating (OAR) is used by the U.S. Navy to select candidates for...

apps.apple.com

That’s the best for UAV and Terrain Id Sections

 

[Mil3s]

There seems like there are plenty of resources on the OAR section. I don't see many resources on anything else . Can anyone point me to links?

Grab the astb prep app

 

[redbaronunofficial]

Wassup Y'all. I just passed my ASTB 6/6/5 ( AQR/PFAR/FOFAR) for the Marine Corps. AMA as I am willing to help.

Hi! Can I ask what you got on the OAR and what you did to study for it? I got a 44 4/5/5 (just barely under the minimums for the Marines) when I took it a week ago. I know the solution for the PFAR/FOFAR is to just keep practicing, but I’m not sure about the OAR.

 

[redbaronunofficial]

There seems like there are plenty of resources on the OAR section. I don't see many resources on anything else . Can anyone point me to links?

Are you familiar with this flight simulator? https://jantzenx.github.io/ASTB/ It's a good replica of what the actual ASTB looks and feels like, although (at least for me) the transition from mouse and keyboard to stick and throttle was difficult. I'm going to invest in an actual joystick and throttle.

 

[Ezejay_11]

Hi! Can I ask what you got on the OAR and what you did to study for it? I got a 44 4/5/5 (just barely under the minimums for the Marines) when I took it a week ago. I know the solution for the PFAR/FOFAR is to just keep practicing, but I’m not sure about the OAR.

OAR? That doesn’t matter for the corps