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

[bryandreis]

Having trouble with terrain identification. I've seen some post about the pencil trick, but it is not making much sense to me. Any help? Test in 9 days.

I’m having a problem with this same exact portion. I took the test 2 days ago. I couldn’t differentiate where the invincible helicopter turned based on the new terrain image on the right side. Please let me know. Also, could you explain the pencil trick? I was using my finger during this part and had no idea if I was doing it right.

 

[bryandreis]

DM me and I believe I can help. I fucked up the UAV section of my ASTB (missed like 10) but aced the terrain ID portion and stick and throttle. got a 6 PFAR.

Please help me! I really need help with the terrain portion. I took the test 2 days ago and plan to take it again in a month.

 

[seadog18]

Please help me! I really need help with the terrain portion. I took the test 2 days ago and plan to take it again in a month.

so the pencil trick. On the right image, find something that is a straight line. Such as a road, thin terrain, building, etc. stick your pencil straight forward on the object.

Then, Find that area in the photo on the left (The one always facing north). Turn your pencil in the direction that would be straight in the image on the left. Find that straight road you found, and face your pencil in the direction it is now facing

 

[seadog18]

Took the Test last week, Improved my scores from 46 4/4/5 to 47 5/8/7. Big Shoutout to the resources on this forum and especially the ASTB prep app for all the simulators help. the 5 is obviously a bit disappointing, but Im going to submit a package anyway. Worst case, I take the test one final time. Definitely need to study up more on math and mechanical principles.

 

[NEVFR]

Would anyone recommend specific areas on the Khan Academy website? I was going to start with Algebra Basics and then move on to Geometry, as well as Statistics and Probability. I was looking at Kyle's Gouge but it really only shows answers, not any of the steps to solving problems.

Just want to make sure what I am studying is not a waste of time!

 

[Danger95]

Just got don’t taking the ASTB scores 6/7/7. Not taking it again. let me reiterate the UAV plays a huge role in your scores I was flawless on everything but I missed 8 on the UAV and averaged 2.2 seconds. If you don’t do anything else practice the hell out of UAV

 

[ZachTiefel]

Good afternoon, I recently took my ASTB and scored a 53 6/7/7 I will be submitting my package for the NFO board in April. I passed my meps and I have good letters of recommendation, are my score competitive enough for NFO? Also, I recommend the ASTB app ($20) but worth it. The app has nice practice test as well as a good UAV section. Thank you.

 

[awindz9]

Does anyone have any recommendations for the mechanical portion to study from or is the ASTB app the best resource?

 

[randomguyn64]

I have to chime in here after being a longtime lurker. I'm a current schoolteacher with 2 Bachelor's in Education and Music, and I have my PPL. I think my GPA was like 3.4. My first time taking it got a 49/5/7/5, decided to roll with it and of course wasn't competitive enough so I took from like Jan through Feb to work on Jantzen's sim pretty much every single day at medium difficulty for 60sec at a time, maybe 4 or 5 times a day. I also used the ASTB Prep app which honestly has tons of typos and is arguably MORE difficult than the actual test, which is good and bad. I hit the math and mechanical stuff hard since that's where I know I did poorly the first time. The ASTB Prep app shines with the UAV and terrain stuff, that's why it was worth $20 to me. I hit those every single day until I was getting them all right mostly, especially before bed. I hit the Momentix book pretty hard too. I also flew in DCS every once in a while for fun since I recently got a VR headset; tanking and landing on the carrier and stuff. For the PBM on test-day I had an extra chair next to me and asked to set the throttle there and put the stick in my lap. That's my setup for DCS so I wanted it to be comfortable. I had to be real careful with the connection to the joystick but it paid off. I got a 61/8/9/8 on my 2nd attempt last week so I'm hopeful about this upcoming board. Funny enough, I got my PPL in the Pensacola area so I'm very familiar with the radio calls and procedures around here; hopefully I can skip a little bit of NIFE. Cheers

 

[NEVFR]

I have to chime in here after being a longtime lurker. I'm a current schoolteacher with 2 Bachelor's in Education and Music, and I have my PPL. I think my GPA was like 3.4. My first time taking it got a 49/5/7/5, decided to roll with it and of course wasn't competitive enough so I took from like Jan through Feb to work on Jantzen's sim pretty much every single day at medium difficulty for 60sec at a time, maybe 4 or 5 times a day. I also used the ASTB Prep app which honestly has tons of typos and is arguably MORE difficult than the actual test, which is good and bad. I hit the math and mechanical stuff hard since that's where I know I did poorly the first time. The ASTB Prep app shines with the UAV and terrain stuff, that's why it was worth $20 to me. I hit those every single day until I was getting them all right mostly, especially before bed. I hit the Momentix book pretty hard too. I also flew in DCS every once in a while for fun since I recently got a VR headset; tanking and landing on the carrier and stuff. For the PBM on test-day I had an extra chair next to me and asked to set the throttle there and put the stick in my lap. That's my setup for DCS so I wanted it to be comfortable. I had to be real careful with the connection to the joystick but it paid off. I got a 61/8/9/8 on my 2nd attempt last week so I'm hopeful about this upcoming board. Funny enough, I got my PPL in the Pensacola area so I'm very familiar with the radio calls and procedures around here; hopefully I can skip a little bit of NIFE. Cheers

Wow! That is awesome. What did you use to study for mechanical and math? Sounds like you're getting selected if your medical is good.

 

[bryandreis]

so the pencil trick. On the right image, find something that is a straight line. Such as a road, thin terrain, building, etc. stick your pencil straight forward on the object.

Then, Find that area in the photo on the left (The one always facing north). Turn your pencil in the direction that would be straight in the image on the left. Find that straight road you found, and face your pencil in the direction it is now facing

Thank you!

 

[randomguyn64]

Wow! That is awesome. What did you use to study for mechanical and math? Sounds like you're getting selected if your medical is good.

My method was to take notes on the ASTB Prep syllabus section and do the reviews. About a week from the test I started taking the actual timed tests on Mechanical and Math, and I also did the Momentix book tests with a timer going. Obviously not using a calculator for any of the studying except to occasionally check answers. I found the Momentix book itself not so useful as a study material for math. It was pretty good for the Aviation Knowledge and Mechanical sections, but the math section just doesn't give many examples. It's very wordy, whereas math is something you just have to keep practicing. Honestly, making up my own practice questions for simple topics like fractions, multiplying, dividing, adding, and subtracting big numbers was helpful. Just make up some numbers and multiply or divide them out on paper. Above all else, do as MANY practice tests as you can on ASTB Prep. Hit the topics you get wrong hard. Watch videos on stuff. Accept that some stuff will be above your head, for example I got a question that was definitely related to SOH-CAH-TOA, but I absolutely have no clue what the unit circle is to this day lol that never clicked.

 

[MrCorsair]

Question when using Jantzen and Mike’s ASTB simulator. When it plays an audio cue in both ears, are you supposed to click the corresponding button? For example, if you’re supposed to be listening for an even number in your left ear, and it plays an even number in both ears, do you click the button or will this count it wrong? (Both in sim and on the real test)

 

[elariosa95]

Question when using Jantzen and Mike’s ASTB simulator. When it plays an audio cue in both ears, are you supposed to click the corresponding button? For example, if you’re supposed to be listening for an even number in your left ear, and it plays an even number in both ears, do you click the button or will this count it wrong? (Both in sim and on the real test)

Click only for the corresponding ear. In your example, you’d click anyway bc it played an even number in your left ear (the target ear)

 

[OGBean]

Hello all, I recently scored 60 7/9/7 on my third attempt. I can’t say I’m not disappointed in my AQR and FOFAR but its out of my hands now but I was wondering if anyone more experienced in looking at board results and trends could let me know roughly where I stand on getting in as SNA? I’m applying to this next upcoming board.