A couple of quick questions...

[Sandman]

I'm set to take both the ASTB and PFT on Friday. I will hopefully do well, I'm going to study up again tomorrow with the ARCO book and the practice ASTB test that I got on this site.


First of all, how long is the ASTB? How long is each section?

How are the sections broken down and graded? If I give you guys my scores will you be able to translate into what the would count toward as far as AQR, PFAR, etc?

What scores would I have to put down in order to be competitive for a pilot slot?

Would it be better to take it before I do the PFT or after?



That's all the questions I can think of, but any other info would help

Thanks guys,
- Sam

 

[Sandman]

Also, the practice test that I have only has the Math, Mech. Comp. and Aviation / Naut. Info. sections. I thought the ASTB had more to it?

 

[nicknight]

The ASTB has Math, Verbal, Mech comp (physics), Aviation/ Nautic Info, Spatial Apperception (Looking at a plane and deciding what the pilot sees in the cockpit) and then the last part is like a mix of all them together Each part of the test should be broken down in the ARCO book (i think in the beginning) but all in all the test and the one 15 min break should add up to around 2.5- 3 hours I'm not exactly sure how they grade you from the raw score but the ARCO says that they don't weigh the number of questions you get wrong aka educated guesses are good lol To be competitive for pilot is kind of a hard question to answer because one month they may take people with a lower score and another month they may take only really high scores but a score from 6-9 for the first three parts and a 54+ on the OAR would be pretty competetive for pilot obviously the higher score you have the better you will look on paper. The test is pretty draining mentally even though it is easier than the SATS (in my opinion) so it depends on who you are if you want to do PFT first or after the ASTB... personally I would do the PFT afterwards because I would want to be really rested and focused for the test.


The last test in the ARCO book will be the ASTB and it should have a full practice test in it if not you may not have the right book

 

[skim]

Remember that the format in the Arco is different from the ASTB. Math and Verbal are 2 seperate sections.

 

[akpswim]

I took the form 5 test a few weeks ago and did decent but not well enough to be competitive. Anyone who has taken either form 3 or form 4 tests have any suggestions? I felt like the practice tests from ARCO were different than the test.

 

[titusmcgrifth]

I took both form 3 and 5, and some of the questions are the same (espe. in the reading comprehension). They change enough on each form to make it a new test, though. What was your score? Last I remember (don't quote me) but the OAR score is based off of how well you did in the Math, Verbal, and Mechanical Comprehension (with most emphasis on the math section). The reading comprehension was the easiest part for me, so I just spent my time going over basic physics and math problems. I definitely know on the math part, there is a lot of basic and intermediate geometry as well as basic and intemediate algebra (Hero's formula, quadratic equations, factoring, etc...) so study those subjects the most!

 

[akpswim]

i got a 40 but the whole first section got screwed up because the lady told me i couldn't skip problems and go back to them so thinking that i only made it like half way through, not to mention i was so nervous, and the computer kept freezing on me. So I figure I lost some points in there. But I'm scared that 10 to 12 points is just too much to be able to make up. I never took physics in school so I'm reading a physics for dummies book hoping that will help, but word problems are a big issue for me as well.

 

[Sandman]

I took the test for the first time and got a 4 / 4 / 5

 

[CaptainRon]

Sandman, no problemo about the scores. It sounds like you jumped into it. Put in some more time. And by that I mean a ****load more time.

I honestly studied for 6 months for the exam. I treated studying for the ASTB as the most serious thing in my entire life because it could make or break my dream job.

After half a year of sweating over a million books and scraps of gouge from this site, I scored well enough to get a pro rec for pilot. If I had taken it as quickly as it sounds like you did, I would have choked big time. I first spoke to a recruiter in January and didn't even bother taking the test until July.

So keep plugging.

 

[badger16]

can anyone tell me to about what level math the ASTB covers? all the way to calc? or just algebra, and geometry? any info would be helpful. thanks

 

[skim]

algebra and geometry

 

[badger16]

thanks skim.

p.s. rad is an awesome movie..."it's bob, not blob smarta$$!"