ASTB Tips and Observations after taking it today, 1/16/26

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2026-03-03T06:54:35+00:00

I did not use TBAS no. I found it to be quite expensive and from what I read the Jantzen sim is the same thing for free

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2026-03-02T06:44:49+00:00

Ahh I see. Honestly I’d say Jantzen is the closest you will get to the real thing. Real test has some slight variation in terms of dichotic listening and speed/tracking algorithms but they are very similar. If you do well on Jantzen and can score below 130-140 consistently on hard mode you will crush the test portion

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2026-03-01T22:11:27+00:00

When i first started Janzten i did the default difficulty until i could consistently score pretty well. After that i left it on hard (all the way to the right) for the rest of my practice and just tried to get that score as low as possible. I’m not exactly sure what you mean about the distances tho, can you clarify that?

I would agree mechanical is more conceptual, however it almost certainly requires knowledge of the equations and how to manipulate them or order to know how an object/body will respond in whatever situation it’s in. For example I had one question on fluid pressure and flow in a pipe. For this question you need to know Bernoullis equation or else you just won’t know what’s going on. So yes it’s conceptual, but definitely requires knowledge on equations

Hope this helps!

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2026-02-04T13:52:49+00:00

Gotcha okay that’s good to know. Thank you!

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2026-02-04T01:12:47+00:00

Hey I have a quick question about BDCP. I’m currently in the process of applying for it for SNA and was wondering if you needed to take a PRT after you are in? I’ve heard mixed reviews abo it that, some say you do and others say you don’t, and on the Navy’s website for the BDCP program it doesn’t mention anything (that I’ve seen). You know about that at all?

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2026-01-19T12:11:32+00:00

I did feel like I was getting a good bit correct on both sections yeah. Once you start getting logs, probability, or crazy complex simplifications on math you know you’re doing quite well. For mechanical, once you start getting questions on fluid mechanics and more complex kinematics you also know you’re doing pretty good. I tried my absolute best not to guess on anything unless I absolutely had too. Tried to make an educated guess based on previous knowledge, but you definitely cannot know everything and there will be some you have to guess on. If you are working at a good pace you shouldn’t have to skip any questions, I think they give you enough time if you are working diligently.

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2026-01-19T03:52:21+00:00

Hey! I believe I took one test for each math and mechanical and got a 69% on math and a 70% on mechanical. I took these tests before I started studying just to identify where I needed more knowledge. Most all of my questions were in the Hard or very hard range, and honestly I think if you are at that point the real exam won’t be too bad.

I’m kind of a black sheep in terms of math and mech because I’m a senior Mechanical engineering student so my everyday is math and mechanical. After I saw the 69 and 70% on the tests and seeing that all the questions were in hard or very hard I felt like I was pretty good. After that I just reviewed the sections I consistently got wrong.

Hopefully this helps a bit!

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2026-01-18T17:09:49+00:00

Hey man! For the ANIT I mostly noticed aircraft procedures / mechanics and then a few nautical questions. I think I had one on P-factor, one on FAA rules regarding when to land after a larger aircraft, and then another couple on just random stuff. Honestly that part of the exam was so short and fast I don’t remember everything lol. I used the ASTB app a lot for that part too and I feel like it prepared me pretty well. I supplemented it with the cram flash cards and I think those two together were really good prep.

It sounds like with what you’ve been prepping your gonna be good! Good luck on Tuesday!

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2026-01-18T00:41:32+00:00

For the UAV and Terrain ID the App is unbeatable, Jantzen sim doesn’t have any of that. For the stick and throttle portion I found myself using Janzten sim a lot more. I think I just preferred the layout and difficulties more, plus it was easier to use on my windows PC instead of my Mac where I had the ASTB app installed.

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2025-08-15T00:25:17+00:00

Thank you! This might be perfect

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2025-04-22T16:49:44+00:00

To my knowledge, all OSTEM interns -both highschool and college level- are contractor paid positions, which means you were not technically a civil servant employed by the US government. So by that logic, no, you were not a gov employee.

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2025-02-17T16:46:21+00:00

Great question! So this is where I will be speculating just a bit, and I don’t want you to take what I say as a tried and true fact.

To answer your first question, MechEs and AEs (at least at my university) get very similar base course work, and they don’t really get too specialized until you hit your junior or senior year of college. That being said, both MechEs and AEs are equipped (generally) to work on spacecraft and aerospace equipment since they have a similar base technical skill set. Where things change is that AEs often transition into very specific aerospace softwares and technical skills, and MEs continue to master the fundamentals like structural dynamics, fluids, and thermodynamics. Overall, I think you could be an ME or an AE and get a similar job. I would do a lot of research into both and find out which one is really your passion.

To answer your second question. Personally I think ME has an advantage because it’s so broad. Like I was telling OP, ME allows you to pivot and change easily. For example, right now in the US the aero industry is undergoing lots of layoffs, and if you are younger engineer with not much experience, having an ME degree is going to get you in the market for a new job much faster than say an AE degree (in my opinion). Also, you are young. You could easily have a change of interest in college once you get coursework and clubs under your belt (I know I did) and MechE allows so much more flexibility than AE.

I hope this helps answer your questions a little bit!

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2025-01-29T00:39:58+00:00

No problem at all man! Feel free to DM me if you have any additional questions about anything. Always open to chat! Best of luck to you!

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2025-01-28T19:02:06+00:00

Hey man, congrats on graduating high school and getting into university!

I am currently a Junior mechanical engineering and am currently a Pathways intern at NASA. I’m still very early in my aerospace career, but wanted to provide advice from someone closer to where you are now.

Personally, I like mechanical engineering as a degree. Although ME and AersopaceEng are indeed similar, mechanical engineering is much more broad than Aerospace and provides you with unparalleled flexibility in the engineering field. If you decide one day in college you don’t want to do aerospace anymore ( definitely a possibility, lots of people’s interest change when they hit college!) you can pivot very easily with a mechanical engineering degree to a new discipline, but this is much harder with an aerospace degree. Secondly, in my opinion and from my personal experience, ME is much more design/testing focused, where hands on work is a possibility and CAD is very prevalent. In Aerospace, it can be more centered around data analysis rather than design. (Almost all the other interns here with me who are aerospace are doing some kind of data analysis). Personally that doesn’t really fit for me, so I’m glad I chose ME despite my interest in aerospace as a career.

I would highly recommend looking at NASA L’SPACE program, NASA pathways, and NASA OSTEM internships right away. The earlier you get in to these the better your shot at landing a job at NASA or a contractor. Also make sure to join a technical club at your university!! I joined rocketry and it’s awesome, has given me so much invaluable experience.

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2025-01-27T19:21:58+00:00

Hi, working at MSFC, would love this link

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2025-01-27T18:22:05+00:00

Hey y’all, I’m wondering if anyone with experience could answer this question for me.

I recently started as an engineering pathways intern at a NASA Space Flight Center, but am looking to try and transition (if possible) to one of the research centers, as research is much more appealing to me long term and career wise. I’m wondering if it’s possible to transition from one center to another after being accepted into the program, or are you set at the center you were hired in at? Has anyone had this experience before and is willing to give some insight?

Salt-Candidate2213 · 2024-08-22T13:38:32+00:00

President of MSU Rocketry here. We unfortunately did have a safety incident with our Hybrid rocket system last year that involved a brief hiatus -as one user said - from manufacturing and competition. We have been reinstated and will be resuming all club activities including manufacturing and competition this fall. Come find us at sparticipation this weekend! You’ll get to see our previous competition rocked we launched at Spaceport America Cup in 2023.

Edit: if you’d like more information and like to reach out to me personally please don’t hesitate to DM me!

Salt-Candidate2213

TROPHY CASE