ASTB - Prep/Study Guide feedback

[woemajor]

ayjay the math portion seemed to be easier than the arco books but they help if you reviewed them.

Did anyone use anything other than the arco books to prepare for the reading comprehension? I felt the reading comprehension killed me so if there is any suggestions anyone could give me it would be very appreciated.

Thanks

The best thing I could tell you for reading comprehension is to read for at least 2 hours everyday. This should certainly help.​

 

[woemajor]

a big thing that helped me was that i made flash cards of key terms which i found in the prep books...if i was ever bored, i would just whip them out and quiz myself real quick. it was a great supplement to my regimented study...i would definitely recommend the barrons book, and i also thought the arco book was good too. the most important thing is to make a study plan and stick to it...if this is really important to you, you will make the time to study...[/QUOTE ]

A Very true and great statement. I could not have put it better. Thanks!

 

[woemajor]

Holy crap the ARCO books are freakin' expensive! I know there are other books out there, and I've taken into thought all the different personal study guides posted on AW, and all the other books everyone has talked about, but my OR said even though he's not allowed to endorse any study guide, one aviator told him to pass out a flyer of the book she used, which happened to be the ARCO book. Apparently she "blew her scores out of the water" after using ARCO to study. So, anyone know where to find a version of it that isn't between 90-100 bucks?

Well I do not remember my book costing that much, however, I did not pay for it. I would try barnes and nobles if you have not done so already. They will have the 8th edition.

 

[woemajor]

Thank you everyone on this forum! I followed the advice on this thread and read the study materials, and took the ASTB today. 9/9/9 73!

My GOD man Magnificant score! I must know what you did to get that score because that is the score that I need and want. Hell if I got within 5 points of that I would be estatic! Please tell me what you did? How many hours a day did you study and what materials did you use to study? What helped you on the reading comprehension? PLEASE HELP ME!

 

[JMonte85]

My GOD man Magnificant score! I must know what you did to get that score because that is the score that I need and want. Hell if I got within 5 points of that I would be estatic! Please tell me what you did? How many hours a day did you study and what materials did you use to study? What helped you on the reading comprehension? PLEASE HELP ME!

I honestly don't think a score like that is necessary unless the ASTB is all you have going for you. I think there is a Level of ASTB that matters... not a % of it. Because everyone knows as well as the selection board that people can be book smart but suck at flying. So that's why they look at the whole you.. How involved you are, leadership skills (can you actually put what you learned to use?), do you have patterns of inexperience or failure.. Have you actually flown? Do you ever leave your room.. Stuff like that.. Although I would be concerned about getting good scores, but 9's across the board and top percentile for OAR isn't a guarantee for anything. Just my 2 cents... Good luck though regardless..

 

[Stalin]

woemajor,
I studyed periodically for a period of 2 and a half months using the ARCO and Barron books, but I didn't study as nearly as much as I should have. I get most of the answers I didn't know on the last 3 days of studying... there is some word document a member put on one of these forums I looked at, did some nautical studying, and did a practice test (helps you see how fast you'll have to work.) Honestly, most of what I know is background knowledge, I am good at retaining things and I got my dad's math/science with my mom's english/history/etc... deadly combination

Eaglei22,
I tend to think of the worst case, which is stressful but helps me take very necessary procautions, but I have down graded myself based on some scary factors--I don't have many hours (0.8 lol) and I view my background as just okay-ish. Hopefully I am being hard on myself, because honestly, I see myself as above average, but the scare tactics on this forum have me worried! I will do my best, hopefully I'll get that slot!!

 

[woemajor]

woemajor,
I studyed periodically for a period of 2 and a half months using the ARCO and Barron books, but I didn't study as nearly as much as I should have. I get most of the answers I didn't know on the last 3 days of studying... there is some word document a member put on one of these forums I looked at, did some nautical studying, and did a practice test (helps you see how fast you'll have to work.) Honestly, most of what I know is background knowledge, I am good at retaining things and I got my dad's math/science with my mom's english/history/etc... deadly combination

Eaglei22,
I tend to think of the worst case, which is stressful but helps me take very necessary procautions, but I have down graded myself based on some scary factors--I don't have many hours (0.8 lol) and I view my background as just okay-ish. Hopefully I am being hard on myself, because honestly, I see myself as above average, but the scare tactics on this forum have me worried! I will do my best, hopefully I'll get that slot!!

Thanks so much for the info, it certainly means a lot coming from you and I think you getting answers to what you did not know in the last 3 days is something that happens to a lot of ppl. Something triggers in persons mind when they have a test coming up and only a little more time to study. I call it the last minute sydrome which is where in that last week for some reason you are really productive. If we could all find a way to treat every week like the last week then we would be unstoppable.

 

[Stalin]

I agree. I honestly can't tell you what to study those last 3 days because it's all up to the person. I was re-reading those books and I thought, "I already know all this! What questions have I been getting wrong on the test?" Clouds, nautical terminology, lights (at airports,) aircraft/boat right-of-way. That helped me a lot, studying the stuff I didn't know. Also, be concrete with the math/science hypotheticals, learn what you don't know! Those concepts will appear on the ASTB...

 

[kbeavers]

you scored high on your OAR, what material did you use to study with

HA! All this ASTB talk got me to looking... I just found my scores from 2002!

I remember, I actually took this on watch. My Chief came back and supervised. Funny stuff.

I don't know what the three numbers you guys are writing down are but...

AQR- 7
PFAR- 8
FOFAR- 7
PBI- 6
OAR- 57

 

[theimpal3r]

hey, anyone know what happened to this link?

www.columbia.edu/~mmx1/astb/

everyone recommended using it, but the link seems to be dead. Anyone here know of another location to find it in, or has it in a PDF or something and woudlnt mind sending it?

Thank you

 

[kbeavers]

What were the ARCO and BARRONS books called.

I know that many people will tell you not to get the ARCO, BARRONS, etc. books to study. On one hand this is correct, on the other hand it is not. For those of you who do not have a technical degree that requires a lot of math, you may have been out of practice for the last two years of your collegiate careers, so head my advice and start practicing. I was personally able to complete all questions in the arithmetic and math knowledge portions of the test, but it took a lot of practice.

The spatial aperception section didnt seem very difficult, they really dont try to trick you that much on this section. The rest of the test is much like this...the standard reading sections that you will remember from any standardized test. So if you are going to use ARCO, make sure you are using it for the practice sections that the book subscribes for the force that you are applying for be it the USAF, USMC, USN, etc. If you gt the Barrons book, dont worry about the word recognition, though I did add about 200 words to my vocabulary, not a total waste. Look through the mechanical knowledge section also, but most of this will in order to guide you principally. Make sure you pay attention to the Nautical terms, for those of you whose parents do not own a sailboat, this will be more difficult, just make sure that you have a general knowledge of what goes on in and around the ship, dont get too specific and you'll be fine I'm sure.

Time and effort will be the top reasons why people did well no the test. So practice, practice, practice, and you should be fine.

I put in a decent amount of work and wound up with a 7,7,7 67. Maybe not the best grades ever scored, but the key is that they are certainly good enough.

If you need any advice, feel free to write back.

 

[theimpal3r]

hey, anyone know what happened to this link?

www.columbia.edu/~mmx1/astb/

everyone recommended using it, but the link seems to be dead. Anyone here know of another location to find it in, or has it in a PDF or something and woudlnt mind sending it?

Thank you

nvm, found it. ignore my previous post.

 

[Phoenix2019]

What were the ARCO and BARRONS books called.

I have 2 from Barrons:

Officer Candidate School Tests by Powers
and Military Flight Aptitude Tests by Duran
The ARCO book is also called Military Flight Aptitude Tests. It is by Wiener. It can be found here: http://www.grafitto.com/~mark/astb/MilitaryFlight.pdf

Like has been said before, watch out for errors, there are many, especially in the math and mechanical comprehension sections. It shouldn't be too much of a problem if you approach it critically, which I find is a good study strategy anyhow. I would avoid the Spacial Apperception in Powers, as it contains many wrong answers or answers with no valid answer choices. ARCO seems to be better for this.

 

[philipa]

In response to the person who asked before, Atrickpay's solution to the math question about the business woman is notcorrect. The question:

• A businesswoman spends 1/5 of her income for rent, and 3/8 of the remainder goes towards salary. How much does she have remaining.
• First take 1/5 away from 1, giving her 4/5. Multiply 4/5 * 3/8 = 12/40 = 3/10.
• 3/10 is the final answer


So, the question is asking how much the businesswoman has remaining:

5/5 - 1/5 = 4/5 (after rent)

4/5 * 3/8 = 12/40 (amount spent on salaries, NOT amount remaining)

Since we have 2 different denominators, we need to find a common one:

4/5 = 32/40 (amount remaining after rent)

32/40 - 12/40 = 20/40 = 1/2 (amount remaining after both rent and salary subtractions)

 

[APBoston85]

In response to the person who asked before, Atrickpay's solution to the math question about the business woman is notcorrect. The question:

• A businesswoman spends 1/5 of her income for rent, and 3/8 of the remainder goes towards salary. How much does she have remaining.
• First take 1/5 away from 1, giving her 4/5. Multiply 4/5 * 3/8 = 12/40 = 3/10.
• 3/10 is the final answer


So, the question is asking how much the businesswoman has remaining:

5/5 - 1/5 = 4/5 (after rent)

4/5 * 3/8 = 12/40 (amount spent on salaries, NOT amount remaining)

Since we have 2 different denominators, we need to find a common one:

4/5 = 32/40 (amount remaining after rent)

32/40 - 12/40 = 20/40 = 1/2 (amount remaining after both rent and salary subtractions)

Agreed