FlyingWalrus
Member
You can't bring anything to the test but can make a compass from the scratch paper they provide before starting.
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1,001 questions about the ASTB (post your scores & ask your questions here!)
- Thread starter edato
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ActuallyPoetic
Member
ASTB recap post for those currently studying for it:
I retook the astb yesterday and went from a 51 6/7/6 w/ a 63 LPSS to a 63 8/9/8 w/ a 69 LPSS. So, in other words, it is definitely possible to make a comeback and achieve your desired scores with proper and adequate studying.
Some tips/concepts I saw on the test.
MST:
I remember seeing geometry problems (solving for a radius given volume, given two cylinders of equal volume but differing height and solving for the height of one cylinder in terms of the other), simplifying polynomials, perfect numbers, several probability problems (independent/dependent events, combinatorics/permutations).
Aside from what has been mentioned as recommended study material, i want to emphasize the use of the ASTB prep app - such a game changer. I also recommend focusing on your weaknesses and fully understanding it at a deep level. I also found spare worksheets online to further cement my understanding of my weaknesses (kuta software has plenty)
Reading:
I tend to lose concentration when reading so I glued my face to the screen while using my pencil to follow as a I read. Helped a ton. Used process of elimination and constantly referred back to the passage to ensure that my chosen answer is in the passage.
Same thing here, I recommend the ASTB prep app. There is hardly any prep material when it comes to this section but I do feel like the app adequately preps you for this section
MCT:
Several conceptual kinematic equations (if thrown and drop which falls to the ground first, what is the velocity of the ball at the peak of its trajectory, etc), conceptual bernoulli's eqn, pV=nRT conceptual questions (what happens to a balloon as it rises higher and higher, etc), pascal's eqn conceptual question, a couple electrical problems (what does this thing do in a circuit or even what is the equivalent resistance).
ASTB prep app once again. I can hardly find any extra material aside from what is already mentioned so I strongly recommend to understand everything at a deep level using study prep books or any material you can find online.
ANIT:
I saw questions on parts of a plane, movements of the plane, carbereator icing. The usual stuff that people have already mentioned to be honest. Also recommend the astb prep app along with all the flashcards you can find mentioned here and on quizlet.
PBM:
I also cannot stress the importance of using the astb prep app for the uav portion, dichostic listening, and terrain association. I'd recommend using the compass rose trick for both the uav and terrain association and practicing everyday. 1.5s and below is ideal for the uav and 18/20-20/20 is ideal for terrain association. As for the tracking, I recommend Jomo and aim for sub 110 while on the hardest mode. Although Jomo isn't fixed to have the proper DLT while tracking I still recommend clicking the proper buttons to emulate a similar feeling to what you will experience in the test (even though you don't have the audio cue mode on).
Other than, I definitely missed a good chunk of details here to avoid making a huge post. More than anything, I wanted to make this post to let people know that it is possible to get those scores. Had a lot of stress going into this attempt and began doubting myself a bit but you just have to stay strong. If y'all have any further questions or want me to go into further detail, feel free to let me know. Good luck y'all.
I retook the astb yesterday and went from a 51 6/7/6 w/ a 63 LPSS to a 63 8/9/8 w/ a 69 LPSS. So, in other words, it is definitely possible to make a comeback and achieve your desired scores with proper and adequate studying.
Some tips/concepts I saw on the test.
MST:
I remember seeing geometry problems (solving for a radius given volume, given two cylinders of equal volume but differing height and solving for the height of one cylinder in terms of the other), simplifying polynomials, perfect numbers, several probability problems (independent/dependent events, combinatorics/permutations).
Aside from what has been mentioned as recommended study material, i want to emphasize the use of the ASTB prep app - such a game changer. I also recommend focusing on your weaknesses and fully understanding it at a deep level. I also found spare worksheets online to further cement my understanding of my weaknesses (kuta software has plenty)
Reading:
I tend to lose concentration when reading so I glued my face to the screen while using my pencil to follow as a I read. Helped a ton. Used process of elimination and constantly referred back to the passage to ensure that my chosen answer is in the passage.
Same thing here, I recommend the ASTB prep app. There is hardly any prep material when it comes to this section but I do feel like the app adequately preps you for this section
MCT:
Several conceptual kinematic equations (if thrown and drop which falls to the ground first, what is the velocity of the ball at the peak of its trajectory, etc), conceptual bernoulli's eqn, pV=nRT conceptual questions (what happens to a balloon as it rises higher and higher, etc), pascal's eqn conceptual question, a couple electrical problems (what does this thing do in a circuit or even what is the equivalent resistance).
ASTB prep app once again. I can hardly find any extra material aside from what is already mentioned so I strongly recommend to understand everything at a deep level using study prep books or any material you can find online.
ANIT:
I saw questions on parts of a plane, movements of the plane, carbereator icing. The usual stuff that people have already mentioned to be honest. Also recommend the astb prep app along with all the flashcards you can find mentioned here and on quizlet.
PBM:
I also cannot stress the importance of using the astb prep app for the uav portion, dichostic listening, and terrain association. I'd recommend using the compass rose trick for both the uav and terrain association and practicing everyday. 1.5s and below is ideal for the uav and 18/20-20/20 is ideal for terrain association. As for the tracking, I recommend Jomo and aim for sub 110 while on the hardest mode. Although Jomo isn't fixed to have the proper DLT while tracking I still recommend clicking the proper buttons to emulate a similar feeling to what you will experience in the test (even though you don't have the audio cue mode on).
Other than, I definitely missed a good chunk of details here to avoid making a huge post. More than anything, I wanted to make this post to let people know that it is possible to get those scores. Had a lot of stress going into this attempt and began doubting myself a bit but you just have to stay strong. If y'all have any further questions or want me to go into further detail, feel free to let me know. Good luck y'all.
What is LPSS?
ActuallyPoetic
Member
I actually don't know. I think it's based on the pbm. I just thought I'd include it to be fully transparent
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
per the PA no, you would need to retake, that score is outside of the waiverable criteria.
Thank you. I have one more retake. Time to get focus and get the score I need.
Thanks for this. I took it today and scored a 39. Will definitely take your pointers and download the app.
ActuallyPoetic
Member
Yes, not paid promo but it is truly such a game changer. I bought it right after my first attempt. Admittedly I was a bit skeptical just because of the price and what it seemed to be offering but best decision. I'd also recommend to take your time going into this last attempt if you are seeking a high score. I actually took 3 months just to prepare since my last attempt back in October. But that's if you can afford to dedicate 3 months to it
NEVFR
Member
Just got back from my first attempt at the test. Absolutely bombed it with a 39 OAR, 3/5/4 and a 49 LPSS.
I gotta be honest, I haven't studied as hard as some of you. I don't have a stick and throttle setup yet, but my buddy is going to let me borrow his X52 Pro. Highly highly recommend that you borrow a friend's setup or just buy one yourself. I remember talking to a guy who scored in the 50s but scored 8's and 9's in everything else due to hammering out the Jantzen software and UAV practice.
I will be applying for the summer board. That gives me a couple months to lock in and study before I attempt again. Definitely a wake up call and a humbling experience. I believe the key to success is to get on a consistent study routine which is something I didn't do.
MST:
This section gave me a false sense of security. I thought it was way easier than the AFOQT (more on that later) and felt that it was getting harder as I went on. Maybe I bombed it? I don't know. I felt very confident in my answers. It was polynomials, probability, etc. Basic stuff. I do have access to Kyle and Gomez's drives, so I will be using their math guides more. I started looking through it and the worksheets seem great. I will definitely use these before the next attempt.
Reading:
This is where my confidence was lost. Felt that each question had two correct answers and you have to pick the more correct one. I studied absolutely no reading comprehension. I would like to start reading more before bed, as I believe this will help with my next attempt. The Barron's book I have is very similar to the test.
MCT:
Lever, gear, electrical questions. DC/AC power. I had to guess on a lot of the questions, so this will be a main focus of my study prep. I just downloaded ASTB prep on my phone, so I will be hammering out the lesson plans and doing practice questions. I felt that the test was significantly harder than the Barron's book. I have the fourth edition, so I will probably buy the new one.
ANIT:
This was easily the hardest part of the test for me. It was like night and day compared to the AFOQT. I ended up scoring a 99 on that test but I felt that the ANIT was way harder than the AFOQT. There were no history questions, nor were there any questions about specific naval planes. There were nautical questions though. I remember one asked about specific parts of ships. It's been a few months since I took the Sporty's Ground School course through their website, so I will probably redo that during spring break. I felt that it helped me crush the AFOQT.
PBM:
This is where I think everything really fell apart for me. I completely screwed up emergency procedures and terrain identification, had a few wrong during the UAV section, and felt I did horrible with the joystick and throttle section. I will definitely start incorporating the Jantzen software into my study routine, as I pretty much walked into the test blind without practice. I definitely believe this is all correctable and I will say I feel pretty confident moving forward now that I will have an idea of what to expect on my next attempt.
Also, I wanted to throw out my AFOQT scores just so you can see a comparison.
99(Pilot) 47 (CSO) 97 (ABM) 29 (Academic Aptitude) 53 (Verbal) 11 (Quantitative)
As you can see, math is not one of my strengths, but I felt that the math on the AFOQT was extremely difficult.
I gotta be honest, I haven't studied as hard as some of you. I don't have a stick and throttle setup yet, but my buddy is going to let me borrow his X52 Pro. Highly highly recommend that you borrow a friend's setup or just buy one yourself. I remember talking to a guy who scored in the 50s but scored 8's and 9's in everything else due to hammering out the Jantzen software and UAV practice.
I will be applying for the summer board. That gives me a couple months to lock in and study before I attempt again. Definitely a wake up call and a humbling experience. I believe the key to success is to get on a consistent study routine which is something I didn't do.
MST:
This section gave me a false sense of security. I thought it was way easier than the AFOQT (more on that later) and felt that it was getting harder as I went on. Maybe I bombed it? I don't know. I felt very confident in my answers. It was polynomials, probability, etc. Basic stuff. I do have access to Kyle and Gomez's drives, so I will be using their math guides more. I started looking through it and the worksheets seem great. I will definitely use these before the next attempt.
Reading:
This is where my confidence was lost. Felt that each question had two correct answers and you have to pick the more correct one. I studied absolutely no reading comprehension. I would like to start reading more before bed, as I believe this will help with my next attempt. The Barron's book I have is very similar to the test.
MCT:
Lever, gear, electrical questions. DC/AC power. I had to guess on a lot of the questions, so this will be a main focus of my study prep. I just downloaded ASTB prep on my phone, so I will be hammering out the lesson plans and doing practice questions. I felt that the test was significantly harder than the Barron's book. I have the fourth edition, so I will probably buy the new one.
ANIT:
This was easily the hardest part of the test for me. It was like night and day compared to the AFOQT. I ended up scoring a 99 on that test but I felt that the ANIT was way harder than the AFOQT. There were no history questions, nor were there any questions about specific naval planes. There were nautical questions though. I remember one asked about specific parts of ships. It's been a few months since I took the Sporty's Ground School course through their website, so I will probably redo that during spring break. I felt that it helped me crush the AFOQT.
PBM:
This is where I think everything really fell apart for me. I completely screwed up emergency procedures and terrain identification, had a few wrong during the UAV section, and felt I did horrible with the joystick and throttle section. I will definitely start incorporating the Jantzen software into my study routine, as I pretty much walked into the test blind without practice. I definitely believe this is all correctable and I will say I feel pretty confident moving forward now that I will have an idea of what to expect on my next attempt.
Also, I wanted to throw out my AFOQT scores just so you can see a comparison.
99(Pilot) 47 (CSO) 97 (ABM) 29 (Academic Aptitude) 53 (Verbal) 11 (Quantitative)
As you can see, math is not one of my strengths, but I felt that the math on the AFOQT was extremely difficult.
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Termimal4/C
Member
The LPSS is the LCAC Psychometer Test, its the emergency procedures at the end of the DLT. You just need above a 50 to pass.
Some Random Airman
SNA Selectee
I had almost the exact same scores on the AFOQT. Good to see someone else choosing the dark side lol. Hopefully that gives you some hope though. You just gotta study and practice the right things, you’ll be good.
NEVFR
Member
I agree. I am going to just go through Kyle and Gomez's study material. Barrons and the test prep books will be put on the back burner, as there is so much fluff in there that I didn't see on the tests. I went through Kyle's post and I am going to follow his study tips.
MotorCookie
Well-Known Member
If it gives you any hope, when I took the AFOQT my scores were: 63, 63, 49, 20, 77, 5
Failed the math and only did ok on the verbal section.
Studied a bit and took the ASTB twice and ended with 8/9/9.
If I can do it, you can do it too. I’m not sure if you are aware, but I’m 99% sure math plays a HUGE role in all of your ASTB scores.
NFHopeful
Member
Good evening ladies/gents,
I’m an NFO hopeful and have been spending loads of time studying for the ASTB, so far almost exclusively using Alex Hastings’ ASTB Prep app for iOS.
First and foremost, holy cow is there a wealth of information there. Save a few typos they’ve really done a great job, though I haven’t tested yet so I suppose I can’t say for sure. I really enjoy the practice tests available there. I’ve also been using Khan Academy videos for some of the more advanced math I’ve been told to expect.
Now, a few questions which I’m sure will be seen by some as stupid questions. I was reading over the program authorization my recruiter sent and saw that an AQR/PFAR/FOFAR of 6/6/6 satisfies I-SEL criteria. Realistically, how difficult is this to attain? I also saw that no waivers were allowed for a candidate to be considered for immediate-selection, does this include medical waivers? I got a waiver for a herniated disc when I joined the reserves, will I have to send off for this same medical waiver again at/after my commissioning physical or is it already on the books, so to speak? And one more question, I’ve been told that the NAFTI is looking for honesty and consistency from you, what should you do if your honest answer is not consistent with your previous honest answers?
I’m an NFO hopeful and have been spending loads of time studying for the ASTB, so far almost exclusively using Alex Hastings’ ASTB Prep app for iOS.
First and foremost, holy cow is there a wealth of information there. Save a few typos they’ve really done a great job, though I haven’t tested yet so I suppose I can’t say for sure. I really enjoy the practice tests available there. I’ve also been using Khan Academy videos for some of the more advanced math I’ve been told to expect.
Now, a few questions which I’m sure will be seen by some as stupid questions. I was reading over the program authorization my recruiter sent and saw that an AQR/PFAR/FOFAR of 6/6/6 satisfies I-SEL criteria. Realistically, how difficult is this to attain? I also saw that no waivers were allowed for a candidate to be considered for immediate-selection, does this include medical waivers? I got a waiver for a herniated disc when I joined the reserves, will I have to send off for this same medical waiver again at/after my commissioning physical or is it already on the books, so to speak? And one more question, I’ve been told that the NAFTI is looking for honesty and consistency from you, what should you do if your honest answer is not consistent with your previous honest answers?
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MARTY TARTY
Member
I just finished my First Attempt on the ASTB and scored a 41 3/3/3...
Math: was very straightforward. Surprisingly, I did not have much probability, such as dice/card problems, but I did end up with lots of algebra and geometry-based questions, which were straightforward with the formula sheets that you are given.
Reading: Can't say much about it. self-explanatory but not bad.
Mechanics: Did not study for it except to know about bernoulli's principle and I only had 2 questions about it. Not much math but lots of circuit and RPM questions. I definitely got a good understanding of Work, Energy, and Power because they asked many easy questions, as simple as choosing the correct formula for Work, for example.
ANIT: Be sure to know the in's and out's of aircraft and the type of aircrafts that are still being flown! Didn't get many questions about Airspaces which I was glad because I was having a hard understanding but do know the VFR's and IFR's heading i.e. IFR 001-179 (5k,7,9k,etc) and VFR 180-360 (2500,4500,6500) and know the runways such as the color on taxiways, runways, location/direction sign etc and know the lights that pilots must when they are on the ground or in flight i.e. "what does it mean when the aircraft is on the ground and sees a flashing white light" "Plane wanting to land sees a solid red light, what does it mean?"
PBM: Terrain bombed it for me so bad, I tried so hard to understand the pencil method, but I was still just not comprehending it for the love of Christ. UAV was also not my strongest but I know it was due to the anxiety I was feeling while taking the exam. I downloaded the ASTB prep app on IOS, and I did great in all of the PBM tests and didn't miss a single question on the hardest UAV difficulty, but I panicked and knew I was messing up big time. The same goes for the cockpit simulator. I did super mediocre when I knew I could lock on really well for a long period of time. The only portion I aced with flying colors was the Dichotic Listening, the first attempt by itself, and the 2nd attempt while also doing the cockpit simulation target.
Overall: Although I felt prepared, I let my anxiety and nervousness get the better of me, and I know I will be studying more rigorously. if you haven't downloaded the ASTB prep app I highly recommend it because the OAR portion really helped me out a lot and so did the PBM's
If you guys have any more ideas on how to help a fellow peer out, I am all ears and if someone can REALLY help me out with the Terrain portion that would be awesome
Math: was very straightforward. Surprisingly, I did not have much probability, such as dice/card problems, but I did end up with lots of algebra and geometry-based questions, which were straightforward with the formula sheets that you are given.
Reading: Can't say much about it. self-explanatory but not bad.
Mechanics: Did not study for it except to know about bernoulli's principle and I only had 2 questions about it. Not much math but lots of circuit and RPM questions. I definitely got a good understanding of Work, Energy, and Power because they asked many easy questions, as simple as choosing the correct formula for Work, for example.
ANIT: Be sure to know the in's and out's of aircraft and the type of aircrafts that are still being flown! Didn't get many questions about Airspaces which I was glad because I was having a hard understanding but do know the VFR's and IFR's heading i.e. IFR 001-179 (5k,7,9k,etc) and VFR 180-360 (2500,4500,6500) and know the runways such as the color on taxiways, runways, location/direction sign etc and know the lights that pilots must when they are on the ground or in flight i.e. "what does it mean when the aircraft is on the ground and sees a flashing white light" "Plane wanting to land sees a solid red light, what does it mean?"
PBM: Terrain bombed it for me so bad, I tried so hard to understand the pencil method, but I was still just not comprehending it for the love of Christ. UAV was also not my strongest but I know it was due to the anxiety I was feeling while taking the exam. I downloaded the ASTB prep app on IOS, and I did great in all of the PBM tests and didn't miss a single question on the hardest UAV difficulty, but I panicked and knew I was messing up big time. The same goes for the cockpit simulator. I did super mediocre when I knew I could lock on really well for a long period of time. The only portion I aced with flying colors was the Dichotic Listening, the first attempt by itself, and the 2nd attempt while also doing the cockpit simulation target.
Overall: Although I felt prepared, I let my anxiety and nervousness get the better of me, and I know I will be studying more rigorously. if you haven't downloaded the ASTB prep app I highly recommend it because the OAR portion really helped me out a lot and so did the PBM's
If you guys have any more ideas on how to help a fellow peer out, I am all ears and if someone can REALLY help me out with the Terrain portion that would be awesome