ASTB-E · test-day facts
How the ASTB-E runs on test day
Updated Nov 6, 2026 · facts checked Nov 6, 2026
The battery is hard in a specific way: you cannot skip or return, there is no calculator, and scores are set against other candidates rather than a pass mark. Here is how the sitting runs, with NAMI as the source for each rule.
What makes the ASTB-E hard
- Adaptive delivery. MST, RCT, MCT, ANIT and NATFI run adaptively in APEX, with no skipping, no going back and no changed answers; only PBM is a timed device task. Each next item depends on your previous answers, so hard items are not a sign you are failing.
- Finishing matters. NAMI's rule in short: finish; don't guess blindly. NAMI penalizes a subtest left unfinished, so keep a steady pace through every item.
- Paper, not a calculator. There is no calculator; the formulas you need are given and scratch paper is provided.
- No published pass mark. Ratings are scaled against other candidates, and every program picks its own minimum (ASTB-E scores).
Test-day facts, sourced
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Computer-adaptive in the APEX system for MST, RCT, MCT, ANIT and NATFI, with no skipping, no going back and no changing an answer; PBM is a timed device-based battery | NAMI · NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology [1][2] | |
| Subtests | 6 subtests (MST, RCT, MCT, ANIT, NATFI, PBM)NAMI's FAQ says "seven subtests" but lists six; the 2014 sample booklet's seventh part, a biographical inventory, is not on current lists. | NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology · NAMI [1][2] | |
| Questions | Not published, because the adaptive subtests vary in length | NAMI [1] | |
| Time at the test | 2 hours to 3 hours 15 minutes for the full battery | NAMI [1] | |
| Answer choices | 4 choices on MST, RCT and ANIT; 3 on MCTas of May 13, 2014 · from NAMI's 2014 sample questions | NAMI [3] | |
| Calculator | No calculator; the formulas you need are given and scratch paper is provided | NAMI [1] | |
| Blanks and guessing | The subtests are adaptive, so you cannot skip or go back; an unfinished subtest is penalized, and random guessing at the end usually does more harm | NAMI [1] | |
| Results | Right after you finish all six subtests | NAMI [1] | |
| Where you test | Over 250 sites, among them Navy officer recruiting stations, NROTC units, Marine Corps officer selection offices and other military institutions; you schedule with the site | NAMI [1] | |
| Cost | Free; English only | NAMI [1] | |
| Retakes | At most 3 attempts at the current version (OAR and ASTB-E attempts count together), at least 30 full calendar days apart, and the whole battery is retaken each timeAttempts at the older forms 1–5 do not count toward the three. A test taken under another name or SSN is voided and still counts. | NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology · NAMI [1][2] | |
| Score that counts | Your latest attempt counts, even if it is lower, whatever version you took | NAMI [1] | |
| Scores valid for | NAMI publishes no expiry; old scores from forms 1–5 stay valid until you take the ASTB-Eas of Nov 6, 2026 · no expiry rule is published; program offices may set their own | NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology [2] | |
| What changed | The ASTB-E has no Spatial Apperception Test and no fixed item counts; the 2005 Marine Corps overview (forms 3–5, paper, 31-day and 91-day retests) still circulates and is outdated | NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology · officer.marines.com [2][4] |
Three attempts, drawn out
OAR sittings draw on the same limit. Attempts at the old forms 1–5 do not count toward it.
- Attempt 1
The whole battery
- Wait
30 full calendar days, counted from the end of all six parts
- Attempt 2
The whole battery again
- Wait
30 days again
- Attempt 3
The last one; it counts even if lower
Performance Based Measures (PBM)
PBM is the part that is not a question booklet. You work a control stick and throttle and listen on headphones while the screen sets tasks that NAMI groups as directional orientation, dichotic listening (different messages in each ear), tracking with stick and throttle, and several of these at once. It measures processing speed, hand coordination and divided attention.
There are no right-answer items to memorize, so no question bank can copy it. NAMI's advice is mental rotation practice and stick-and-throttle simulation. Older guides still teach a Spatial Apperception Test, but the current battery has none; the paper version that had it is described in the facts table above. If you meet a horizon-picture test, it is the Army's SIFT spatial apperception subtest.
NATFI, the trait inventory
NATFI (Naval Aviation Trait Facet Inventory) shows you pairs of statements and asks which describes you better. NAMI does not publish the traits it measures, and no answer is keyed right or wrong, so there is nothing to study. NAMI asks you to respond honestly to each pair.
Booking a sitting
NAMI lists 250+ military sites, from officer recruiting stations to NROTC units, and you book the sitting with the site. The battery is free.
On the day, bring a photo ID (driver's license, military ID card or passport) and proof of your Social Security number, such as the card; phones, watches with calculators, cameras and other electronics stay out of the testing room. For what to study first, see the ASTB-E study guide.
Other ASTB-E pages
- ASTB-ENavy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aviation battery: parts, scores, retakes
- ASTB-E practice testQuestions in the style of MST, RCT, MCT and ANIT, reasoning for every choice
- ASTB-E scoresOAR, AQR, PFAR, FOFAR and the published program minimums with dates
- ASTB-E study guideStudy order for the six parts: what moves with study and what doesn't
ASTB-E test day: questions
Can you skip a question and come back to it later?
No. The adaptive subtests do not let you skip, go back or change an answer.
How many times can you sit the ASTB-E?
NAMI allows at most 3 attempts at the current version (OAR and ASTB-E attempts count together), at least 30 full calendar days apart, and the whole battery is retaken each time.
Do scores from the older ASTB forms still count?
Yes, until you take the ASTB-E. NAMI publishes no fixed expiry; program offices may set their own limits.
How long does a full ASTB-E sitting take?
NAMI gives a range, 2 hours to 3 hours 15 minutes for the full battery, because adaptive subtests vary in length from person to person.
Sources
with the date we checked each
- [1]NAMI: ASTB-E frequently asked questions (archived October 2026) web.archive.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
- [2]NAMI, Department 53OP Operational Psychology: the ASTB-E (archived May 2026; the live page blocks automated access) web.archive.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
- [3]NAMI: ASTB sample test questions (May 2014, PDF) med.navy.mil · checked Nov 6, 2026
- [4]officer.marines.com: ASTB overview (2005, forms 3–5, outdated) officer.marines.com · checked Nov 6, 2026