ASTB-E: A Simple Guide

[@d4v3g18]

To all future officers, I have a bit of insight I can provide (just took the ASTB 2 weeks ago, scored 57 7/8/7). Math - The Barron's Book is excellent for the ANIT section of the exam (one question on the actual exam came straight from it!)...HOWEVER, this book does not prepare you adequately for the Math section at all. The math section killed me because it started asking cube roots (don't even remember the last time I saw this) and other obscure math I can't remember. In addition to the math section in the Barron's Book, take a look at a few SAT and ACT algebra questions as well. There were a ton of questions like (If Bob has x amount of gas, going y amount of miles per hour, and each hour he uses z amount of gas how much gas would he use after going a certain amount of time blah blah). Reading Comprehension - The Barron's book did a fairly good job of preparing me for the verbal section, but to be honest I only did the practice sections in the book and no additional studying. Every single reading question was asking me to select the ONLY answer that can be inferred from reading the paragraph, even if all statements were technically true. It's a pain, especially since the hardest part in this section is staying focused reading such dry material, but this section is more a test of focus than anything else. Mechanical Comprehension - Easiest section on the exam. Know your simple machines, how to calculate forces and pressure, as well as basic electricity problems. The Barron's book was more than enough for this section. Faith does an excellent job breaking down the rest. You have to see it first hand. For the UAV section DRAW THE COMPASS. I don't care how confident you are...draw it, use it. This is the URL I used to prepare for this section. Drill this at least once a day leading up to the exam. www.proprofs.com/flashcards/story.php?title=_36014.

[@henrienene8877]

I definitely will be needing your help please. If you don't mind.

[@erinhumphrey2970]

@@henrienene8877 samee

[@henrienene8877]

@@erinhumphrey2970 when are you taking yours?

[@erinhumphrey2970]

@@henrienene8877 April 19.

[@R456jen]

Cool taking mine in July

[@MoarRednecl]

Just got picked up in the latest board for student naval aviator, i watched these videos about two years ago when prepping. Thanks for all the tips.

[@FaithByFlight]

Nice man! Congrats

[@FaithByFlight]

I will be making another video on this topic that is more updated when I get back from OCS. Also, I plan on making a video regarding the entirety of the OCS experience (may be a couple parts due to the detail I want to get in to). Got my orders to leave on May 26th. Whoever is going that date, feel free to contact me. It'd be better going in knowing a few people vs not.

[@jacobguzman6355]

The test I took had a certificate revoke warning and when I clicked out as instructed the test launched without me being able to read the listening instructions. I feel like this absolutely tanked my scoring. I am retaking this in eleven days and I feel absolutely ready. Good luck to anyone out there reading this! Remember to stay calm and just try your best!!

[@nickmiller2475]

taking my ASTB in August, Im a current dual rated helicopter/fixed wing commercial and prior service army. this was a helpful video

[@airmanfpv964]

How'd it go?

[@Hazelrat10]

Just for an extra bit of info for those reading the comments, the BIRV is no longer part of the ASTB. It was taken out in early 2019

[@collinhelstien8942]

Oh snap can you post a link to that update?

[@Hazelrat10]

@@collinhelstien8942 Sorry, I couldn't find a link after some google searching. However, I was told this a week ago after calling my recruiter and asking if I could complete the BI-RV before coming in to take the test (I take it Tuesday). Best of luck!

[@FaithByFlight]

@@Hazelrat10 How did the test go? Did not know that they removed the BI-RV section. That's pretty interesting. Thanks for viewing.

[@alecjohnston4010]

Thanks this helped a lot! UAV trick and zoning out a little during PBM helped a lot. Scored a 67 8 7 7

[@FaithByFlight]

Hell yeah man! Good stuff

[@nathanninja2]

Congrats! Mines next month, do you have any extra input on what you were asked and what to study for?

[@Joshbaker425]

Thank you for the video, I watched this after I ended up getting all 3's. After a few months of preparation with an oculus and your uav video I ended up getting all 7's.

[@FaithByFlight]

Good work man! And best of luck getting a slot

[@harkerbarker7608]

what did you use on the Oculus to study?

[@TheComedicPCGamer]

Took the test March 29th. Passed it on the first try! Got a 6-7-6 and a 57 on the OAR. My recruiter says I did really good for my first attempt :) . I might go back and shoot for straight sevens and get a waiver but I'm not sure yet. Thank you for this vid!

[@boberens205]

hey sorry to bother but I am getting ready to take mine at the end of the month anything else besides all the tips in this video I should know or resources I should look at? Also congrats on a really good score! Any advice is helpful thanks.

[@TheComedicPCGamer]

@@boberens205 study A LOT of math and get good at airplane games. You need to be able to pull back to go up and push forward to go down on instinct. Also get good at compass directions. Like if you’re heading east you need to be able to quickly be able to point where north is. Have a friend say a direction and tell you what heading to point at. Get good at that and you should do well. Reading and mechanical were easy for me. Math kicked my butt.

[@ngatchoutolen3607]

Any other advise on this exam?

[@justins1830]

Why would you need a waiver? Do you need a waiver if you take it more than once?

[@TheComedicPCGamer]

@@justins1830 a waiver would’ve let me bypass the selection process and just get in right away.

[@HeyBigChriss]

One of my friends just got selected to fly jets (fighters) for the U.S. Navy. He got a 47 6/8/6 on his ASTB and is now going to fly fighters.

[@golfwidg07]

you sure he’s not WSO? I thought minimum for Pilot score was 7/7/7.

[@SlingBladeK]

Thanks man just got a 63 7/8/8

[@FaithByFlight]

Hell yeah dude! Good stuff

[@awbooth44]

Great Video, but your scores are out of date with the current program authorization for SNA/SNFO. The current scores required are AQR- 5 PFAR- 6 FOFAR- 6.

[@FaithByFlight]

Thank you for watching the video! Where did you find this information? From what I just recently looked at, the scores have not changed for SNA or SNFO. If you could provide a link or citation, I would like to look into that.

[@awbooth44]

FaithByFlight you can either read it on the OCS checklist 2018 or the SNA/SNFO program authorization

[@FaithByFlight]

@@awbooth44 Thanks for the info. I took a look at it and you are correct. I will pin your comment so that others may see the appropriate information.

[@_Arkenzie]

It's 4/5/5 now

[@smiletrain09]

COMPREHENSIVE... Love it. Thank you! Did the Marines change? I though you needed a 4/x/6?

[@FaithByFlight]

Thanks for watching! I got that information from the Barron's test book that I was using. It could be a 4/x/6. Looks like on the other site I used, it was, so you may be correct there.

[@relentlessmenaceee]

I'm a bit puzzled. The test now includes a section on terrain. They present an image on the left and another on the right, depicting different terrains, and then ask you to determine the direction the invisible helicopter turned to see the terrain depicted on the right. Can anyone provide assistance with this? This part of the test is new, so I haven't been able to find any information on AirWarriors or Reddit.

[@relentlessmenaceee]

By the way, I just barely took the test yesterday. Didn’t do that well and really want to improvise my score.

[@LukeArellano-hs1uk]

That section messed me up😂 i tried using the compass rose method on the scratch piece of paper but that was no luck for me

[@Devinci297]

I scored a 52 5/4/5 but I didn't study at all. Also hated the inverted joystick. I have thousands of hours in flight sim and 50 hours flight time irl but this was nothing like it. It's even easier to land on a carrier in DCS!

[@FaithByFlight]

Nice man! Id give it another run if youre able to, but thats not bad for not studying.

[@braddriver6092]

This video really helped a lot. Thank you for making this. Do you have any suggestions for simulations (games or anything that might be good practice for the controls)?

[@FaithByFlight]

DCS is a good simulator. Using Microsoft Flight Sim would work as well.

[@joeflyeraloha]

Quick question on the stick and throttle portion, when you push forward on the stick the cursor goes down and when you pull back on the stick the cursor goes up?

[@FaithByFlight]

@@joeflyeraloha when I did it, pulling the stick back made the cursor go down and pushing it made it go up. It was very strange.

[@moises8795]

I just took mine glad I watched this video I scored a 50

[@tashewaldon2760]

Which test did you take?

[@FaithByFlight]

Good job man! Thanks for reporting back.

[@moises8795]

Tashe Waldon it was the ASTB-E

[@MooMoo69556]

Failed the test both times, got my third and final attempt Monday

[@claytonhawk8512]

I really fucked the stick and throttle portion with the memory portion cuz I accidentally clicked the trigger while reading the instructions and didn't get to look at the instructions to respond to the problems

[@maggievw6357]

How long would you recommend studying for before taking this test? I have some flight experience (70 hours) and scored an 82 on the ASVAB which they told me is high enough to do any enlisted job. My plan right now is to study for 6 weeks before taking ASTB as I feel that would make me fairly comfortable to achieve a high enough result in order to be a competitive applicant.

[@FaithByFlight]

I took two weeks or so to study and did just fine.

[@aidanburnside2990]

Hey Sir I was just wondering if for the UAV section if the two planes are the same plane or if you are using the throttle to get to one and the stick to get to another. Could be a dumb question but I am a little confused. Attempt #1 is coming shortly so figured I would ask.

[@FaithByFlight]

For the UAV section, you are not using the stick and throttle. It'll be an image of a scene and you are given a direction that you are heading (lets say North). They will tell you to look for something in the North East corner. There will be letters corresponding to each item, so you would pick the letter corresponding to an item 45 degrees to the right of your location.

[@aidanburnside2990]

​@@FaithByFlight Sorry. I meant in the stick/throttle section. I watched the video on the UAV trick and that is definitely super helpful. Just wondering if the left and right planes are the same planes in the stick and throttle section or if you're using the stick to address one target and the throttle to address the other target. Thank you for your quick response!

[@FaithByFlight]

@@aidanburnside2990 From what I remember, the one on the left corresponds to the movement of the throttle and the one in the big box corresponds to the movement of the stick. They are separate the entire time.

[@aidanburnside2990]

@@FaithByFlight Thank you!

[@caseyblowe5005]

Hey there! Thanks for the video! I just took the test yesterday but when I got to the end with the EPs, the throttle stopped working. What process did you use to go to Houston when the headphones died on you?

[@FaithByFlight]

I simply just told them that my headphones didnt work properly and they rescheduled me. Should be the same for you. Wont have to take the entire thing again, but will have to do the whole flight portion again.

[@TheMountain295]

Hey Faith, I have a question. I got a 4/4/3 on my first ever attempt at the ASTB. What sections is the PFAR and FOFAR mainly graded on?

[@FaithByFlight]

Pilot Flight Aptitude Rating (PFAR): This score is affected by performance on all subtests, but the greatest contribution is made by the Aviation & Nautical Info and Spatial Apperception Tests. Flight Officer Flight Aptitude Rating (FOFAR): This score is affected by performance on all subtests, but the strongest influence is made by the Math Skills Test

[@TheMountain295]

@@FaithByFlight Thanks for your reply. Now I know what I need to work on. Take care sir.

[@great604]

@FaithByFlight Hello sir, What advice would you give to someone, like me, who is broke asf to afford any type of sims to prepare for the PBM? None of my friends have any set up for the sims so that option wouldn't work for me. I did take the ASTB and scored 66 on OAR but jacked up my PBM because it was super new to me. Before i take it again, i want to do reallly good on the PBM but not sure how to prepare for it without sims. Please let me know if you have any alternate options in mind. Thank you for your time and consideration in advance.

[@FaithByFlight]

Unfortunately, theres really no "cheap" sim setup out there. FSX, X-Plane, and MSFS 2020 all cost a good amount of cash and thats without investing in a stick and throttle setup which will run around $200 on the low end. I honestly wouldnt worry too much about it. Just take the time to mess with the controls during the practice portion of it and then move from there. A 66 for the OAR is killing it, so you shouldnt have too much to worry about

[@rickyalexander459]

Thanks for the video man! Since you also fly DCS, is it true that the joystick used is the Saitek x-52? If so what are the buttons you gotta press on the throttle? Thanks again

[@davidjean506]

Just took it the other day. You will be using a throttle with two rotating buttons and you will have the click the buttons as well. You will also have to use a joystick with a trigger obviously. Practice tracking targets with the joystick and vertically with the throttle.

[@kalaiahuna9710]

Has the requirements for Naval Aviation Officers? I scored a 45/5/5/5 and was told I didn’t qualify for a pilot slot. Everywhere I look online it says what you said so I’m a little bit confused on what is going on. Thanks for the help in advance🤙🏽

[@FaithByFlight]

The scores have not changed, but the pipeline may be more competitive/requiring a higher score to get in. Most of the guys I went into OCS with had scores in the 7's/8's for their SNA/SNFO scores. I'd take the test again after studying hard for it and see what you come up with. If youre dead set on aviation, get those numbers up. Should always be shooting for that 100, not the minimum.

[@marianitapilicita6781]

Hi ! I have a quick question, I just took my exam today didn’t do as well as I thought but I am going to retake it. The machine would not work and quit on me a couple of times. However, on the last two exercises I think I got confused. Can you explain me if I did this correctly or not. The stick and throttle and hearing. Are we supposed to keep following and click the stick or just click when we hear the even or odd number? And for the emergency section are we also clicking and following before and after the emergency? Thank you

[@FaithByFlight]

From what I remember, there is both tracking and clicking either the stick or throttle to match with certain letters or numbers. It should be explained before the section starts as to what is expected. The emergency procedures are simply clicking/rolling things on the stick and throttle as directed for each procedure. Make sure to read/listen to the instructions carefully before beginning the test. If it doesnt make sense, ask.

[@davidnelson7505]

To confirm: on the PBM if I push my stick forward the crosshair goes up, and if I pull my stick back the crosshair goes down, correct?

[@FaithByFlight]

Correct. Like I said, mess with it for a bit before doing the actual portion that is graded

[@AssyrianKing4ever]

Hey, can you please break this down for me. What response do you get when you push the throttle forward vs when you push the joystick forward? please explain this in terms of push away/pull (throttle and joystick) and Up/down (screen) I'm gonna have to retake the test and it's been a while Thanks

[@FaithByFlight]

Pushing the throttle moves the item on the left up. Pulling the throttle moves the item on the left down. Moving the stick left/right moves the item in the larger box left/right respectively. Moving the stick forward/back moves the item in the big box up/down respectively. The item in the big box can be moved in combination as well meaning that if both a forward and left stick input are made, then the item moves up and left in the box. There's a practice section that gets you ready for it on the test.

[@AssyrianKing4ever]

​@@FaithByFlight Hi, thanks for replying to my comment. So in both controls pushing forward makes the crosshair go up. Throttle makes sense as that's how it is in real life. I will start spending some time with my Y-axis inverted so I can get used to it. Cheers.

[@menelick007]

May you please tell me if i will be required to answer the other portions of the test after the MST, MCT and the RCT? i do not intend to have anything to do with being a pilot

[@FaithByFlight]

You will not have to do the performance based measures portion of the test as that is primarily reserved for Pilots/NFOs.

[@Joey9in4you]

I thought you had to take the afoqt. Did they change things or is this some thing different?

[@FaithByFlight]

The Man That’s the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test. This is for the Navy.

[@KhoaNguyen.08]

@The Man, the AFOQT is the Air Force equivalent of the standardized exam for Naval officers and officer aviators. It is comprised of 12 sub tests and lasts approximately 5.5 hours. [But] like the ASTB-E, the AFOQT is also required for general officers and officer pilots #GoAirForce

[@Julia.Cook.]

DO you have a software where can practice the flight sim part?

[@joeyjenkot348]

It is not exactly like the test, however DCS world it the best you will be able to get with a flying sim. That is what I have been using to practice for the ASTB.

[@FaithByFlight]

There is no specific software to practice the sim portion. The only thing you can really do is practice with actual sims like XPlane, Microsoft Flight Sim, or DCS. Or just play some video games. If your hand-eye coordination is good, then you wont have an issue.

[@gingermattjungwirth296]

Was there calculus involved in the mathematics portion? I didnt see it listed. And was the physics or "mechanical" portion physics with calculus??

[@AssyrianKing4ever]

I took it once in June 2018. There is absolutely no calc involved

[@FaithByFlight]

No calculus whatsoever. Just basic math/formulas.

[@CptSnowLoss]

Wait, they actually give you all the formulas? That seems way too easy. I've been pecking all over trying to put together a study guide for myself and this video is recent and seems rather straight to the point. My main concerns are the history portion since it seems so broad as well as getting familiar with terminology since I'm pretty bad with that. I've heard you can split the OAR and aviation portions separately up to 30 days apart which seems questionable. Any math/ mechanical videos or resources you could recommend as well as history portions?

[@FaithByFlight]

Just get the study guide that I did. It helped a lot. No need to split the two. The test really isn't that bad. The only other video is the compass trick for the UAV section that is linked in the description. The history does not change and the question bank that was used in the study guide works well for the test.

[@uglybih123]

did you use the Barrons 4th edition?

[@spenserneel2906]

Are the sections of the exam timed? The math or reading comp of the OAR are they timed? Say 30 minutes for x number of questions?

[@FaithByFlight]

All sections are timed. I do not remember the amount they give, but I finished all the sections with 20 minutes to spare. Theres plenty of time to complete all the tasks.

[@spenserneel2906]

@@FaithByFlight Okay thanks. I am not worried about my ability to solve the questions I just have struggled with timed standardized exams in the past. I just can't calm my nerves even if I am prepared.

[@FaithByFlight]

@@spenserneel2906 No need to stress over this test. If you know it, you know it. If you dont, youve got plenty of other questions to follow. Plus, you can take this one multiple times.

[@spenserneel2906]

@@FaithByFlight Hey man thanks! I Should have replied sooner. I scored 57 7/8/7. Not too happy with the OAR but I am fairly confident it was the reading that got me. I finished both the math and MC early.

[@stephen7125]

Do All parts count for the score? Or mostly does mechanical parts are for the jobs like the asvab?

[@FaithByFlight]

I honestly don't know the exact answer to that one. I believe the first portion of the ASTB is for your OAR. Then the mechanical portions are for the other scores.

[@stephen7125]

FaithByFlight thanx, I still have some more questions, do you have an email I could write?

[@brettdforman2178]

Does anyone know if answering yes or no to the question regarding ever flying sims affects your score or difficulty of stick and throttle section?

[@FaithByFlight]

It does not change the scoring/difficulty of the stick/throttle section.

[@brettdforman2178]

I got a 51-5-5-7 btw. Missed pfar min by 1. Click right for even and left for odd on listening. And read directions carefully before starting.

[@solofuagrey7344]

So I scored A 45 on the OAR and what do you mean that they will send some questions my way about my score?

[@FaithByFlight]

The average score is a 50 for the test. Some will get picked up below this score, but it is advised to score higher than a 50 to be picked up for OCS. These "questions" are metaphorical in that you will more than likely have to retest to get a higher score if you dont get picked up or you can end up on the DNR (Do Not Return) list for the board. Either way, you have 3 attempts to take the test, but if you surpass those attempts you will not be granted entry, thus the DNR scenario comes into play. Best idea would be to study hard and retest when you are able to achieve higher than a 50 on the next one to possibly gain entry to OCS of you dont get picked up with that score.

[@solofuagrey7344]

@@FaithByFlight Thank you! and is there any study guides that I can use to help improve my score?

[@FaithByFlight]

@@solofuagrey7344 Barron's is what I used

[@henrienene8877]

PA 106 is been updated. Now 4 5 5...

[@larryboy25]

What flight simulator would you highly suggest for someone with no flight experience? I’m looking to get accustomed to the technology.

[@FaithByFlight]

I currently use DCS. It has a fully modeled F/A-18C. All controls are mapped. A stick and throttle are a necessity, so buy in can be quite expensive depending on the rig setup. Each plane on DCS has to be bought separately as well and can rage in the price range of $50-$80. There are lots of tutorials in-game and on KZbin as well. Look up Matt Wagner and his F/A-18 videos to get an idea of what I'm talking about. If you want to see the Hornet in action in the game, I would suggest watching Growling Sidewinder, Grim Reaperz, MAGZTv, or Ralfidude. Instead of a flight sim, I would recommend going to your local airport and asking to fly with someone. The aviation community is really cool and will usually let someone that is new to the industry go on a few discovery flights. If you are near a college that has aviation: Embry Riddle, Liberty, LeTourneau, Moody, UND, OSU, etc, go to one of those and see if you can get a preview flight. Even if you don't plan on attending the college/university, it is good to get your feet wet somehow. Hopefully this helps. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Thanks for watching!

[@larryboy25]

FaithByFlight can you drop your email please. I took my first discovery flight yesterday!

[@FaithByFlight]

@@larryboy25 I thought I had put my email down here a long time ago. Apparently I did not. Sorry! [e-mail]

[@aisu8481]

Is it left hand throttle and right hand stick? Or the other way around?

[@FaithByFlight]

Left (PORT) - Throttle Right (STARBOARD) - Stick

[@gabrielvazquez1691]

Is it true that your first attempt is the most important one? Do they actually disregard attempts 2 and 3 on the opinion side?

[@FaithByFlight]

If you take another test, that other test is what is shown as your score. For instance, you don't do well on the first one, the second score is taken if the score is better than the first.

[@AssyrianKing4ever]

Nope. Your later test score is what matters

[@billydulay3246]

Do you have any information on what scores are considered good or “competitive” for boards? Took my ASTBE recently and scored a 55 7/8/7 and I’m worried about not being selected especially cause I do have a low GPA, but it’s a technical degree.

[@FaithByFlight]

You should be good to go. I dont know what the boards are really looking at right now. I was told there was a slow down in aviation slots. That's about the same scores I had when I took the ASTB. and I didnt have an issue. If you have prior flight time, they like that a lot.

[@SoFly2H2D]

Whats a low GPA to you?

[@SoFly2H2D]

@@FaithByFlight what do you mean when you say there was a "slow-down" in aviation slots? Im going to graduate college in a year and am looking to go the naval aviation route. Was hoping the low recruitment rn would kinda boost my chances of getting accepted😅

[@FaithByFlight]

@@SoFly2H2D From information I've gathered from people all through the pipeline, it is about a year or two wait to get to OCS with an Aviation slot. The next aviation board was pushed to June/July of next year (allegedly). After completing OCS, there's another year wait to get a slot in NIFE and the cycle continues down the line. Recruitment is normal, COVID just ruined the pipelines and caused a massive backup that wont be fixed until some things change. If this is your dream, go for it! The acceptance rates and recruiting rates are still about the same. It'll just take a bit longer to get to the final destination. Join the Discord for more information

[@SoFly2H2D]

@@FaithByFlight thanks for getting back. hopefully it sorts itself out in the next year, I really don't want to sit around waiting for a year+ to get started😅. I've been feeling stuck ever since I started college (even though im 3/4ths through now) and just want to get my career started. Its already a huge commitment being 8+ year contracts so.

[@DGG.85]

how did you verify the headset worked?

[@FaithByFlight]

It'll beep in the right and left ear separately

[@andresmagdaleno8251]

What study materials did you use?

[@FaithByFlight]

13:55

[@ChrisJamespk]

is the test timed?

[@FaithByFlight]

Yes. There is a limit to the test, I just dont remember exactly what the limit was.

[@Fitfo281]

How long did you have to study for this?

[@FaithByFlight]

Zach Maclean As soon as you know you’re signing up, start studying. I studied for about a week leading up to the exam.

[@Fitfo281]

@@FaithByFlight understood, appreciate it

[@darin1158]

Hey I was wondering if I could personally reach out to you with a few questions regarding your career path and the ASTB. Do you have an email or phone number. Thanks.

[@FaithByFlight]

@@darin1158 discord.gg/KFM3XebWdr Can reach me here. On deployment currently, so standard email is difficult to check.