Exam Structure & Scoring
Not publishedof exam
Math Skills Test (MST)
Not publishedof exam
No CalculatorDistance Rate TimePercent ChangeRatios And PartsLinear EquationsArea And PerimeterPythagorean Theorem
Reading Comprehension Test (RCT)
Not publishedof exam
Main IdeaInferenceVocabulary In ContextAuthor PurposeSkim Then Question
Mechanical Comprehension Test (MCT)
Not publishedof exam
LeversPulleysGearsPascal's PrincipleOhm's LawCenter Of Gravity
Aviation & Nautical Info (ANIT)
Not publishedof exam
Four ForcesControl SurfacesAircraft AxesAngle Of AttackNautical MileMETARVOR
NATFI & PBM
Not publishedof exam
Non-Cognitive InventoryHonest ResponsesJoystick And ThrottleAPEX SystemTracking And Multitasking
Quick Facts
- Exam
- ASTB-E
- Full Name
- Aviation Selection Test Battery Edition E
- Administered By
- NAMI / NMOTC
- Branches
- Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard
- Format
- Computer-adaptive, six subtests
- Time Limit
- About 2 to 3.25 hours
- Cost
- Free (official testing)
- Calculator
- Not allowed, any subtest
- Retest Wait
- 30 calendar days
- Max Attempts
- 3 total attempts
- OAR Scale
- 20 to 80
- Aviation Composites
- 1 to 9 stanine
OAR Composite Recall
OAR = Math + Reading + Mechanical, scored 20 to 80
MSTRCTMCT20-80 scale
OAR vs Aviation Composites
OAR
- From MST+RCT+MCT combined
- Scale is 20 to 80
- Used across all branches
AQR/PFAR/FOFAR
- Aviation-specific stanine scores
- Scale is 1 to 9
- Screen pilot and NFO tracks
OAR is general, composites aviation-specific
Six Subtests
- MST
- Math Skills Test
- RCT
- Reading Comprehension Test
- MCT
- Mechanical Comprehension Test
- ANIT
- Aviation Nautical Info Test
- NATFI
- Trait Facet Inventory
- PBM
- Performance Based Measures
Composite Scores
- OAR
- MST+RCT+MCT, scale 20-80
- AQR
- Academic aptitude, stanine 1-9
- PFAR
- Pilot aptitude, stanine 1-9
- FOFAR
- NFO aptitude, stanine 1-9
- OAR Use
- General officer qualifier
- Score Type
- Composite, not raw percent
Retest Rules
- Max Attempts
- 3 total attempts
- Retest Wait
- 30 calendar days
- Score Mixing
- Not allowed across attempts
- Test Fee
- Free, no cost
- Language
- English only
Distance vs Ratio Problems
Distance Problems
- Has rate and time words
- Use distance = rate x time
Ratio Problems
- Has a part-to-part comparison
- Add parts, divide, then multiply
Time word means rate formula
MST Problem Router
- See rate, speed, or time→Apply distance = rate x time
- See before/after value change→Apply percent change formula
- See part-to-part ratio→Add parts, divide, multiply
- See list of values, average→Sum values, divide by count
- See isolate x in equation→Undo operations in reverse order
- See right triangle, missing side→Apply a^2 + b^2 = c^2
Core Math Formulas
- Distance
- Rate x Time
- Percent Change
- (New-Old)/Old x 100
- Average/Mean
- Sum / Count of values
- Perimeter Rectangle
- 2 x (Length+Width)
- Triangle Area
- 1/2 x base x height
- Circle Area
- pi x radius squared
- Pythagorean
- a^2+b^2=c^2
Algebra & Ratios
- Isolate Variable
- Reverse order of operations
- Ratio Word Problems
- Add parts, divide total
- PEMDAS
- Parens, exponents, multiply/divide, add/subtract
- Cross Multiply
- a/b = c/d method
- No Calculator
- Mental math, estimate smart
Main Idea vs Inference
Main Idea
- Explicitly stated in the text
- Central point every paragraph supports
Inference
- Not directly stated in text
- Still must be text-supported
Main idea is stated, inference implied
RCT Reading Strategy
- Main Idea
- Central point, all paragraphs
- Supporting Detail
- Fact or example used
- Inference
- Logical conclusion from evidence
- Vocabulary In Context
- Use surrounding sentence clues
- Author Purpose
- Inform, persuade, describe, narrate
- Reading Order
- Skim, then questions, then reread
Lever Class Order
First fulcrum, second load, third effort in middle
1st: direction2nd: force3rd: speed
Pulley vs Lever MA
Pulley
- MA = rope segment count
- Direction can also change
- Combines fixed and movable
Lever
- MA from fulcrum placement
- 1st changes direction only
- 2nd and 3rd trade force
Pulleys use ropes, levers arms
MCT Concept Router
- See object balanced, tipping→Check center of gravity
- See lever, fulcrum position→Identify class 1st 2nd 3rd
- See rope, multiple pulleys→Count supporting rope segments
- See two meshed gears→They spin opposite directions
- See enclosed fluid, pressure→Apply Pascal's principle
- See voltage, current, resistance→Apply Ohm's Law V=IR
- See circuit branches, components→Determine series or parallel
Levers, Pulleys, Gears
- 1st Class Lever
- Fulcrum between effort, load
- 2nd Class Lever
- Load between fulcrum, effort
- 3rd Class Lever
- Effort between fulcrum, load
- Pulley MA
- Number of rope segments
- Meshed Gears
- Rotate opposite directions always
- Gear Size Effect
- Smaller gear: faster, less torque
Series vs Parallel Circuit
Series
- Current identical at every point
- Resistances add together directly
- One break stops all current
Parallel
- Voltage identical across each branch
- Resistance drops as branches add
- One break, others keep working
Series shares current, parallel shares voltage
Forces & Circuits
- Pascal's Principle
- Pressure transmits equally, enclosed fluid
- Work Formula
- Force x Distance
- Ohm's Law
- V = I x R
- Series Circuit
- Current same, resistance adds
- Parallel Circuit
- Voltage same, resistance drops
- Center of Gravity
- Lower + wider = stable
1st vs 2nd Class Lever
1st Class
- Fulcrum between effort and load
- Example: seesaw or crowbar
- Can change force direction
2nd Class
- Load between fulcrum and effort
- Example: wheelbarrow
- Always multiplies force applied
Fulcrum position separates the classes
Four Forces Mnemonic
Lift up, Weight down, Thrust forward, Drag back
LiftWeightThrustDrag
Nautical vs Statute Mile
Nautical Mile
- About 6,076 feet long
- Used in aviation, naval nav
- Pairs with knots for speed
Statute Mile
- Exactly 5,280 feet long
- Standard US land measure
- Not used for air speed
Nautical mile is longer
ANIT Concept Router
- See plane flying straight, level→Lift = weight, thrust = drag
- See wing losing lift suddenly→Check critical angle of attack
- See bank left or right→Ailerons control the roll
- See nose up or down→Elevators control the pitch
- See nautical distance or speed→Use nautical miles, knots
- See hourly weather report format→That is a METAR
Aerodynamics Basics
- Four Forces
- Lift, weight, thrust, drag
- Lift Generation
- Airfoil shape, faster airflow top
- Angle of Attack
- Chord line to relative wind
- Stall Cause
- Exceeds critical angle of attack
- Level Flight
- Lift=weight, thrust=drag
Control Surface Axes
Ailerons roll, elevators pitch, rudder controls the yaw
Aileron: rollElevator: pitchRudder: yaw
Warm vs Cold Front
Warm Front
- Gradual rising cloud layers
- Steady precipitation ahead of it
- Shallow sloping leading edge
Cold Front
- Fast-moving, often severe storms
- Steeper leading edge angle
- Shorter, more intense precipitation
Cold fronts move in faster
Controls & Axes
- Ailerons
- Control roll, on wings
- Elevators
- Control pitch, horizontal stabilizer
- Rudder
- Control yaw, vertical stabilizer
- Longitudinal Axis
- Roll axis, nose to tail
- Lateral Axis
- Pitch axis, wingtip to wingtip
- Vertical Axis
- Yaw axis, top to bottom
NATFI Response Rule
Answer honestly and consistently, never guess the ideal profile
Be honestBe consistentDon't fake it
NATFI vs PBM
NATFI
- Non-cognitive personality inventory
- Not scored right or wrong
- Scoring criteria not published
PBM
- Performance-based, computer tasks
- Uses joystick and throttle
- Tests tracking, multitasking, orientation
Personality test versus skill test
NATFI & PBM Basics
- NATFI
- Non-cognitive personality inventory
- NATFI Scoring
- Proprietary, not published
- NATFI Strategy
- Answer honestly, consistently
- PBM
- Performance-based multitasking measures
- PBM Platform
- APEX, joystick and throttle
- PBM Skills
- Tracking, spatial orientation, multitasking
Common Traps
No Calculator Allowed
Mental math must be fast ≠ Practice estimation, not just formulas
Confusing OAR With Aviation Composites
OAR is not aviation-specific ≠ AQR/PFAR/FOFAR gate flight tracks
Mixing Scores Across Attempts
Retest scores do not combine ≠ Each attempt stands on its own
Second Vs Third Class Levers
2nd always multiplies force ≠ 3rd always trades force away
Nautical Mile Vs Statute Mile
Nautical mile is longer ≠ Aviation uses nautical, not statute
Treating PBM Like Multiple Choice
PBM is a live control task ≠ Static practice only approximates concepts
Overthinking NATFI Responses
It is not scored right/wrong ≠ Consistency matters more than 'ideal'
Last Minute
- 1.ASTB-E has six total subtests
- 2.No calculator on any subtest
- 3.OAR scored on 20-80 scale
- 4.AQR PFAR FOFAR use 1-9 stanines
- 5.Retest requires a 30-day wait
- 6.Maximum of three total attempts
- 7.NATFI has no right answers
- 8.PBM uses joystick and throttle
- 9.Four forces: lift weight thrust drag
- 10.Ailerons roll, elevators pitch, rudder yaw
- 11.Nautical mile is about 6,076 feet
- 12.Testing is completely free of charge
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