United States Marine Corps Officer Selection Office
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Preparation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ASTB
The ASTB is a challenging test so you should study for it before you take it. If you already have some civilian flight instruction parts of this test will be easier for you. Here are some downloads that you should review. 
These are books that you should buy if you plan on taking the ASTB. Only review the parts that pertain to the ASTB. The Officer Candidate Tests book is a good review for the math/verbal portion of the tests. These books can be bought at most big bookstores or at an online bookstore.
Here are some aviation sites with study guides for the Aviation Selection Test Battery. There is some really great information on these websites, but you must search for it.
ASTB ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES AND POLICIESThe ASTB is administered at Navy Recruiting Districts (NRDs), NROTC units, Marine Corps Officer Selection Offices (OSOs), and at numerous other permanent custody sites. The test is administered in a paper format, but at many sites it can be administered on a computer through a webbased system called APEX.NET. There are three versions of the test—Form 3, Form 4, and Form 5. Each version of the test contains different questions, but all three versions have the same format, subtests, and number of questions. The complete test battery contains 6 subtests and requires approximately 2 ½ hours to administer. 
The ASTB subtests contain the following types of items:
RETEST POLICYExaminees that would like to improve their scores on the ASTB must wait until the 31st day following their initial attempts before taking different versions of the test. For example, an individual that takes Form 3 during their first administration must take Form 4 or Form 5 during their second testing session. A third and final attempt at Form 3, 4, or 5 is authorized on the 91st day following the first retest. These test interval requirements cannot be waived, so it is important that examinees are aware of the forms taken during previous ILLEGAL TESTINGAn examinee that retests too early or retests using a form that he or she has already taken will generate an illegal test. An illegal test means that the individual will not receive valid scores for the testing administration. On the other hand, the illegal test will still be counted against the individual’s lifetime limit. SCORINGExaminees that take the entire test battery receive 4 scores that are derived from combinations of the subtests. The following three scores are relevant to the selection of aviation candidates: The Academic Qualifications Rating (AQR) is predictive of academic performance in aviation preflight instruction (API) and primary phase ground school. The Pilot Flight Aptitude Rating (PFAR) is predictive of primary flight performance for Student Naval Aviators (SNAs). The Flight Officer Flight Aptitude Rating (FOFAR) is predictive of primary flight performance for Student Naval Flight Officers (SNFOs). Along with these three scores, individuals that take the entire test battery also receive an Officer Aptitude Rating. The AQR, PFAR, and FOFAR are standardized and reported as stanines. AQR, PFAR and FOFAR scores range from 1 to 9. To qualify for Marine pilot you need a 4 on the AQR and a 6 on the PFAR. To qualify for Marine Naval Flight Officer you need a 4 on the AQR and a 6 on the FOFAR. The OAR is not used to determine eligibility for Marine Aviation Programs |
The Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB) is used by the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast
Guard as one criterion used in making selection determinations for officer aviation program
applicants. The ASTB is used by the Navy Personnel Command (NPC) and Commandant Marine Corps
to select candidates for the Navy and Marine Corps pilot and flight officer programs.
The math skills assessed by the ASTB subtests include arithmetic and algebra, with some geometry.
The assessments include both equations and word problems. Some items require solving for variables,
others are time and distance problems, and some require the estimation of simple probabilities.
Skills assessed include basic arithmetic operations, solving for variables, fractions, roots,
exponents, and the calculation of angles, area, and perimeter of geometric shapes. 
Reading comprehension items require ASTB examinees to extract meaning from text passages.
Each item requires the examinee to determine which of the response options can be inferred
from the passage itself. This is pretty straight forward, although it is very important that
examinees remember that incorrect response options may still appear to be ‘true’ – only one
answer to each item can be derived solely from the information in the passage. 
Items contained within the mechanical comprehension portion of the ASTB include topics that
would typically be found in an introductory high school physics course and the application
of these topics within a variety of situations. The questions in this portion of the test
gauge examinees’ knowledge of principles related to gases and liquids, and their understanding
of the ways in which these properties affect pressure, volume, and velocity. The subtest also
includes questions that relate to the components and performance of engines, principles of
electricity, gears, weight distribution, and the operation of simple machines, such as pulleys
and fulcrums. 
ASTB subtests also assess an examinee’s familiarity with aviation history, nautical terminology
and procedures, and aviation related concepts such as aircraft components, aerodynamic principles,
and flight rules and regulations. Of all the ASTB subtests, ANI scores are the most easily
improved by study because it is largely a test of knowledge, rather than aptitude. Examinees
can prepare for this subtest by reviewing general reference materials, such as encyclopedias,
FAA and civilian aviation books, and handbooks and manuals that provide an overview of basic
piloting, navigation, and seamanship. In addition to these sources, some examinees have used
commercially available study guides. Even though NOMI does not endorse a particular study
guide, books that are designed to prepare individuals for military aptitude flight tests and
officer candidate tests often provide a good introduction to aviation and nautical related
subjects. 
These items evaluate an examinee’s ability to match external and internal views of an aircraft
based on visual cues regarding its direction and orientation relative to the ground. Each
item consists of a view from inside the cockpit, which the examinee must match to one of five
external views. These items capture the ability to visualize the orientation of objects in
three dimensional space. 
The final subtest of the ASTB will typically contain a variety of items that are similar in
format and content to the items in the preceding subtests. There will be a link to a page
that contains sample questions for each subtest on Iowa Leatherneck Society
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