How much time did you study for the ASTB?

[gordian]

Can you ballpark how many hours or days you studied?

I'm a USMC applicant and my OSO told me today (Monday) that he wants me to take the ASTB on Thursday. I don't want to overkill the studying but I'm not sure this is a realistic time frame (I have not yet begun to study).

Anyone with relevant experience please chime in!

 

[eas7888]

Really, the ASTB should be a measure of your aptitude. There are some sections where memorization will help, such as aeronautical and nautical information. That, and history.

However, you shouldn't need much time to study for the rest of the test. My suggestion to you is to pick up an ARCO book, or some of the gouge on here, and study the sections you feel you are the weakest in. The nicest part about the ARCO, is that it gives you very nearly identical questions as what you'll see on the ASTB. I studied less than the time you have available, and was still able to pull off a 7/8/8 and a 59. Probably middle high range, but I was still selected with those scores.

Long story short, study with what time you have, and take as many practice tests as possible. If you don't feel comfortable, or ready, tell your recruiter that. They can't FORCE you to take the ASTB if you don't feel your ready. Just know, the sooner you get it done, the sooner you can start the application process!

 

[MIDNJAC]

I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't try to game an aptitude test (such as the ASTB), but, since like everything else, nuking things has become SOP, my advice would be to pick up one of those study books from B&N or Borders, spend a couple hours with it looking at the types of questions being asked, and then figure out what you need to brush up on. If you are a tech major (ie engineering, math, physics), then you honestly shouldn't need a lot of prep....the math stuff is just basic word problems using relationships, ratios, basic arithmetic and algebra....if you are struggling there, you have bigger problems. If you aren't a tech person, reviewing techniques for these kinds of problems will help you. Other than that, I kind of feel like you either have "it" or you don't. Worst case, if you goon it up or unprepared, you can always retake with a little experience under your belt. It isn't hard, and it isn't rocket science. It's been a long time since I took mine, but I remember borrowing the book from a friend, leafing through it for a couple hours on a saturday afternoon, taking it on Monday, and doing well. Don't overthink it.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

I walked into my OSO's office and he handed me the test. Studying would have helped a little bit, but it is an aptitude test. It's not something to get wrapped around the axle about, and you can take it again if you fuck it up anyway.

 

[that mike guy]

Can you ballpark how many hours or days you studied?!

Don't know exactly, but I think I took 3 practice tests from the study books then studied up on some aviation and nautical information. If I hadta guess I'd say 4 - 5 hours total, definitely less than 10 hours though.

I guess it depends to an extent on how well you need to do. If the rest of your package is outstanding, you don't have as much ground that you need to make up and can get away with a slightly lower score. If your package is lacking heavily in any one area, the ASTB is the best place to make up for it (to my understanding, at least).

The 3 replies above me are all bang on. Don't over-think it or worry too much about it; yes it is important, but you can retake it. If you are an engineering, math, or physics major, you should be okay with that time frame; just study up to remember the tips & tricks to do the problems quickly and review or cram for (if you don't know that much) the aviation/nautical sections. Run down to a book store tomorrow, read through one of those books in the store (maybe even take a piece of paper and a pencil and take the sample test lol), and see how you feel about it; if you think you need more time, its your job to tell your recruiter that. If you think you're good then perhaps buy the book (or don't) and get some of the gouge from this site and good luck on Thursday

 

[mbraesicke]

The worst thing you can do is run yourself into the ground before taking the test, trust me. I was that guy who studied several hours everyday for the better part of a month, and by the time I had to take the test I was so overworked and stressed about it I couldn't sleep. Took the test on, I sh!t you not, 1.5 hours of sleep and pulled a 6/6/7/ 54. I ended up getting pro recc'd with that, but if I were to do it again i'd thumb through a few study guides and concentrate only on the questions I needed to. Besides that, don't worry too much about it. The ASTB is an aptitude test, don't screw your scores up by stressing over it or over-studying to the point that you can't perform to your potential.

 

[Wudgles]

I snagged one of the study books from my aviation LT, put it in the bathroom, and studied whenever I had to drop a deuce. That was the study schedule for about a month.

If you get a book and look through it for 5-6 hours over two days, get plenty of rest, and can do basic math, you'll be fine. Hell, you should be good with just the last two. And if you do screw the pooch, you can always take it again.

Good luck!

 

[81montedriver]

none

 

[SynixMan]

A week or so. Get the books, get the gouge online, study, you should be fine. If you tank it after studying for more than a week, that's why they call it an aptitude test...

 

[Lucy]

I would say I studied off and on for about a month. I was all but new to the mechanical/aviation sections so that took some studying(would've been really bad if I had gone in blind about those sections). Math I needed to review (last math class was sophmore year of HS and I barely got by then). Overall I did alright, 5's and a 56. Might be retaking because I know I can up at least the subsets, and work on the quickness of my math, which was the only section where I had to rush. With getting a 56 (above average) and only 5's in the subsection, I know that math was my weak point, so if I restest I will study the most for that section, and more about planes. :-P

Just put some time into whichever practice session is the worst and you should be good. And as others said, if not, redo!

 

[C420sailor]

I didn't study at all. I figured I'd use the first test as a benchmark and study for the second. I ended up being happy with the scores on the first test.

 

[Yardstick]

I didn't study at all. I figured I'd use the first test as a benchmark and study for the second. I ended up being happy with the scores on the first test.

yeah ok I dont believe that for a second, your scores were unbelieveable from what I heard haha...I took the same approach and was happy also. I think someone said it correctly that you either got it or you dont to a certain extent.

 

[BUDU]

I bought the Barron's study guide and skimmed through it periodically. Most of it was familiar, the mechanics and English and whatnot...just none of the aviation stuff (and at the time, I wasn't thinking about it because I was applying for Intel and hadn't considered NFO). Didn't really take the practice tests, but I read them and reviewed the questions I didn't immediately understand. I probably studied for 6-7 hours the week before, spread out over a few days. Took the exam at 8 AM and drove back to campus five minutes before my first class of the day. Ended up with a 59 7/8/7.

 

[twobecrazy]

3 days of hard review but mainly aviation stuff. That is it and I got a 7/8/7/55 I think.

 

[A4sForever]

... How much time did you study for the ASTB?

Ne nulle ... none ... nunca ... niks ... non uno ... reido ... никакой ... nóna ... zero ... nada.

We just took the back-in-the-day 'equivalent'. It's an aptitude test, not an achievement test. There were no study guides. If you use one -- you're just gouging from previous tests/answers.

Aviation: you either 'have it' ... or you 'don't' ... sorry to burst any bubbles.