I take the ASTB in a week...

[Woodsman]

It's my second time to take the ASTB for the USMC PLC program. What is a good way to mentally prepare for the HOTUS throttle and joystick test? That was the ONLY thing I failed last time. Any advice is helpful.

 

[Hopeful Hoya]

Not much you can do, it basically tests raw ability. Focus on doing the emergency procedures correctly and quickly, and concentrate on the 2D tracking. Otherwise I would focus on studying the other sections, you probably have a better change of improving your scores there.

 

[4Runner Duck]

You know what to expect now, but here's what I say:

-Take advantage of the UAV practice on the test. You can practice an infinite number of times.
-Tilt your head towards the target ear on the listening test.
-Nail the emergency procedures towards the end.
-Don't stress out on the tracking portion. Lots of people on here had a hard time and still passed, so just stay focused.

My second try comes in December, after scoring a 6/5/5. Thought I would be a genius and remove one headphone on the listening test...

 

[Woodsman]

Not much you can do, it basically tests raw ability. Focus on doing the emergency procedures correctly and quickly, and concentrate on the 2D tracking. Otherwise I would focus on studying the other sections, you probably have a better change of improving your scores there.

Do you know where I can find a list of the actual emergency procedures? I remember someone from my OSO mentioning that it helps to memorize those.

 

[mb1685]

They're so simple that I wouldn't worry much about memorizing them. I think there were only 3 and each one only had two steps. Just write them down on your scratch paper when it shows you the instructions and you'll be golden.

 

[4Runner Duck]

There are 3 emergency scenarios. Each emergency procedure is 3 simple steps in this format:

-Increase or Decrease the large knob
-Increase or Decrease the small knob
-Press the thumb button

The key is quick reaction time and doing the steps correctly.

Before you start the emergency procedures section, write down the steps for each scenario. Then, set both knobs to either minimum or maximum, so you have an exact starting point already. That will help you react quicker and get through the steps.

 

[PMPT]

Do you know where I can find a list of the actual emergency procedures? I remember someone from my OSO mentioning that it helps to memorize those.

I see you've already taken the test again anyways, but for others reading, they aren't legitimate. They're made up for the purpose of the test as far as I can tell. Your efforts are better and more efficiently directed elsewhere. You get time to memorize the EPs before you start the test in the practice section, so just do it there. It really isn't very hard at all and I think 'emergency procedures' actually makes it sound way more intimidating than necessary when we're talking about 'if X happens, twirl knob Y to full and twirl knob Z to full, then hit reset'. It was quite a bit easier than I had thought it would be tbh.