What score do I need on the ASTB-E?

There is no single passing score. The ASTB-E reports composites — the Officer Aptitude Rating (OAR) on a 20-80 scale, plus the AQR, PFAR, and FOFAR as 1-9 stanines where 5 is average and 9 is the top few percent. Each program and board sets its own minimums, and competitive applicants aim well above the floor, so confirm current targets with your recruiter.

How do the ASTB-E stanine scores translate to percentiles?

The 1-9 stanine scale is normalized to the candidate pool: a 5 sits around the 40th-60th percentile, a 6 or 7 is clearly above average, and a 9 is roughly the top 4 percent. The OAR's 20-80 t-score scale centers near 50, with most candidates landing in the 40-60 band.

What does the cheat sheet cover?

It condenses the four written ASTB-E subtests — Math Skills, Reading Comprehension, Mechanical Comprehension, and Aviation and Nautical Information — into quick-reference facts, formulas, and memory hooks, plus how the OAR, AQR, PFAR, and FOFAR composites are built. The non-written NATFI, PBM, and Biographical instruments are summarized so nothing surprises you.

How do I get the ASTB-E cheat sheet?

Click the download button (or the preview card) at the top of this page to open the PDF instantly — no account needed. Bookmark this page so you can pull it up again the morning of your test for a final review pass.

Free ASTB-E Cheat Sheet 2026 — Downloadable PDF

This ASTB-E cheat sheet distills the Navy's Aviation Selection Test Battery into a fast, printable rundown of the facts the four written subtests reward most. It's a premium cheat sheet built by Capital Prep — the one premium prep we trust — and it's yours free. Reinforce it with the rest of your free ASTB-E toolkit: the practice test, study guide, and flashcards.

ASTB-E exam at a glance

Used by: U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard officer aviation programs
Subtests: 7 total — 4 written (Math, Reading, Mechanical, Aviation/Nautical) plus NATFI, PBM, and Biographical
Composite scores: OAR 20–80 (average band 40–60); AQR, PFAR, and FOFAR are 1–9 stanines (5 = average, 9 = top ~4%)
Time: About 2 to 3¼ hours (the OAR portion alone runs roughly 1½–2 hours)
Cost: No candidate fee — scheduled through your recruiter or program via the APEX system
Attempts: 3 lifetime max (cannot be waived); 30 days before a 2nd, 90 before a 3rd; most recent scores count

What’s on the ASTB-E cheat sheet

Math Skills (MST) — OAR — no-calculator arithmetic, algebra, and geometry; d = rt, area formulas, the Pythagorean theorem, and the conversions worth memorizing cold.
Mechanical Comprehension (MCT) — OAR — levers, pulleys, and gears; Bernoulli and Boyle's law; hydraulics, the four-stroke cycle, and basic circuits.
Aviation & Nautical Information (ANIT) — the four forces of flight, angle of attack and stalls, primary flight controls, runway numbering, Zulu time, and carrier/deck terminology — the most study-able subtest.
Reading Comprehension (RCT) — OAR — passage-only answering, spotting the true-but-unsupported trap, and pacing dense passages under the clock.
Non-written instruments & scores — how NATFI, the stick-and-throttle PBM, and the Biographical Inventory work, plus how the OAR, AQR, PFAR, and FOFAR composites are assembled.

Highest-yield facts on the sheet

No single passing score exists — the OAR is a 20–80 t-score (average band 40–60) and the AQR, PFAR, and FOFAR are 1–9 stanines where 5 is average and 9 is the top ~4%.
The OAR is built from only three subtests: Math Skills, Reading Comprehension, and Mechanical Comprehension; the aviation ratings add the rest with proprietary weights.
No calculator on the Math Skills Test — rebuild mental arithmetic and memorize common conversions, squares, and core formulas.
Aviation & Nautical is the most study-able subtest: four forces, a wing stalls past the critical angle of attack, runway number = magnetic heading ÷ 10, and port = left, starboard = right.
You get only 3 lifetime attempts and your most recent scores count — even if lower — so prepare fully before your first sitting.

How to use it in your final week

Lock the four written subtests: rebuild no-calculator mental math, drill mechanical fundamentals, and memorize aviation and nautical terms — the ANIT is the most study-able subtest and the fastest score to raise.
Rehearse the score map so it's automatic — OAR (20-80) is Math + Reading + Mechanical only, while AQR, PFAR, and FOFAR are 1-9 stanines built from most subtests with proprietary weights.
Read the aerodynamics and mechanics hooks the morning of the test: four forces (lift, weight, thrust, drag), Bernoulli (faster fluid = lower pressure), runway number = magnetic heading divided by 10, and port = left, starboard = right.
Pair each review pass with a short timed practice set — the ASTB-E is adaptive and fast, so pacing under the clock matters as much as the facts themselves.

The cheat sheet is your review layer — your ASTB-E practice test drives the exam-readiness ring at the top of this page. Download it, review, then take a full practice exam (or drill with the study guide and flashcards) to see where you stand.

ASTB-E cheat sheet FAQ

Yes — the ASTB-E cheat sheet is 100% free to download as a PDF, with no sign-up required. It sits alongside Career Employer's free ASTB-E practice test, study guide, and flashcards, so your whole prep stack costs nothing.

References

1.U.S. Navy. “Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB-E) Overview.” Navy.com, 2026. ↑
2.Naval Aerospace Medical Institute. “Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB-E) Information.” med.navy.mil, 2026. ↑
3.Federal Aviation Administration. “Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25).” FAA.gov, 2026. ↑
4.U.S. Marine Corps. “Marine Corps Aviation — Officer Programs.” officer.marines.com, 2026. ↑
5.U.S. Coast Guard. “Coast Guard Aviation — Officer Accessions.” GoCoastGuard.com, 2026. ↑

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Your Free ASTB-E Cheat Sheet 2026 — Downloadable PDF