TBAS Information

[Guest CA]

What about flight sims? And when you say controls inverted do you mean push stick down, scope/cursor goes up, and vice-versa?

Inverted means when you push it forward the cursor goes down, like it would in an airplane. Standard (non-inverted) is like using your mouse, up is up down is down. If you can't get a joystick then just use your mouse and set it to inverted for the games. If you have a flight sim, that'll work too I guess, but the first person shooter gives you more of a targeting type action which will be more of what you're doing in the TBAS test.

Definitely a good idea, but try to find one with a lot of resistance. I played flight sims for years but when I went to go take the TBAS the stick was incredibly stiff (sts). Still did well though, so I'm sure anything is better than nothing.

2 on the resistance. I didn't expect it to be as tough to move as it was. I ended up with an 80 for my first try. I'm sure it would have been better had I not missed 1/2 of the first section.

[Guest Justshootme]

2 on the resistance. I didn't expect it to be as tough to move as it was. I ended up with an 80 for my first try. I'm sure it would have been better had I not missed 1/2 of the first section.

[Jake_65_65]

I have read through the majority of the TBAS posts and didn't find what I was looking for. I was just wanting to hear from people that have retaken the test and what they thought helped them the second time around. My AFOQT pilot score was an 89 and my PCSM was 59 w/zero flight hours which leads me to believe I did badly on the TBAS. I have since gotten my pilots license, but would still like to hear from guys who retook the TBAS and their experiences.

[gohornsgo]

I took mine and raised it from a 44 with 0 hours to an 85 with 10 hours.

The biggest thing I did was study the crap out of the direction orientation bit (the UAV part). Even then, I still made a few stupid errors and missed way too many, which I think made the big difference between an 85 and a score in the 90s.

Other than that, getting a few hours under my belt helped alot with stick and rudder coordination. That's pretty much all I did.

[Guest Banken]

You're either good with a joystick and pedals or you're not. Play video games with a joystick and get some practice with PC rudder pedals.

FWIW, I got an 88 pilot, 1 flight hour, and got a 93 PCSM. I felt I did pretty good on the TBAS, but not as well as I wanted to, especially on the first part (despite having practiced it with Falcon 4 AF's 'recon' feature that looks just like it).

[Bronco130]

I got 74 AFOQT with a 95 PCSM and no flight hours. AFOQT is not as weighted as much as the TBAS, just an fyi. Also, I had no stick/rudder time. Just concentrated you hardest.

*edit for being drunk and missing words

Edited November 8, 2009 by Maven

[HiFlyer]

I got 74 AFOQT with a 95 PCSM and no flight hours. AFOQT is not as weighted as much as the TBAS, just an fyi. Also, I had no stick/rudder time. Just concentrated you hardest.

*edit for being drunk and missing words

Clearly still drunk while editing...but thats all right.

Edited November 8, 2009 by HiFlyer

[Guest Xanderduke]

How exactly do you study for the spacial orientation ? Are there any good resources online or anything?

[gohornsgo]

How exactly do you study for the spacial orientation ? Are there any good resources online or anything?

Flash cards.

Take one set, and draw up and airplane flying over the four squares at headings of 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, and 315.

Take another sheet, draw about 12 sets of four squares with a N, S, E or W next to them. This is your answer sheet. Mix up the first set of cards and flip through them, marking the North, East, South or West squares as indicated by the N/S/E/W on your answer sheet. Repeat. You'll notice a pattern.

[Guest Banken]

You can practice in Falcon 4.0...

Go into campaign mode and open Order of Battle (recon mode), and there's a city that has four beige 'temples' in a square, and it gives you a heading number... you can manipulate the camera to look like the test. But whether or not this helps can be questionable since it didn't help me as much as I expected.

[tlr9489]

I figured this would be the best place to post...

I just received my AFOQT and PCSM scores today, and I am stunned at how poorly I did, especially on the TBAS.

AFOQT

Pilot: 65

Nav: 55

AA: 66

Verb: 66

Quant: 60

PCSM: 39 (w/81 flying hours)

I am wrapping up a MS degree with a good GPA at a good school, had good GRE scores, did very well on the PPL Knowledge Exam, good SAT scores, etc. I reviewed the Cliffs Notes AFOQT guide before taking the AFOQT, but didn't take the timed tests- I know this is what killed me- the material was easy, but I took way too much time. Certain sections- block counting, table reading, and hidden figures, I barely could get halfway through before guessing in the last minute (hidden figures, I guessed on 3/4). I assume taking timed tests, in addition to review will help me out tremendously on the AFOQT retake. The TBAS though has me at a loss- how could I get a 39 with 81 flying hours and a 65 Pilot score??? I have never heard of anyone doing that poorly. I felt pretty good after taking the TBAS, but judging by the score, I must have bombed the thing. I don't really play video games, but I will go out tonight and buy a damn joystick or whatever is recommended. What can I do to improve tremendously on the TBAS? Even with flying hours over 201, I'd only have a 43 PCSM. I won't give up on my goal of becoming an ANG/AFRC pilot, but I realize I need to make the most out of my next 6 months and get my scores way up. Have any of you or anyone you have known, improved a PCSM by ~50 points or so???

Thanks for any help/info.

[Guest Justshootme]

The TBAS though has me at a loss- how could I get a 39 with 81 flying hours and a 65 Pilot score??? I have never heard of anyone doing that poorly. I felt pretty good after taking the TBAS, but judging by the score, I must have bombed the thing. I don't really play video games, but I will go out tonight and buy a damn joystick or whatever is recommended. What can I do to improve tremendously on the TBAS? Even with flying hours over 201, I'd only have a 43 PCSM. I won't give up on my goal of becoming an ANG/AFRC pilot, but I realize I need to make the most out of my next 6 months and get my scores way up. Have any of you or anyone you have known, improved a PCSM by ~50 points or so???

Thanks for any help/info.

FWIW, My PCSM went from a 50 to an 81 by improving my AFOQT pilot from a 71 to a 97. Retake both tests, and try to polarize your experience on the TBAS in your memory and retake it 6 mos. to the day after your first. You WILL do better on both tests, especially since you know what to expect now.

Keep your head up. Thousands before you have had the same experience and put their nose back to the grindstone and made it happen.

Good luck.

[tlr9489]

FWIW, My PCSM went from a 50 to an 81 by improving my AFOQT pilot from a 71 to a 97. Retake both tests, and try to polarize your experience on the TBAS in your memory and retake it 6 mos. to the day after your first. You WILL do better on both tests, especially since you know what to expect now.

Keep your head up. Thousands before you have had the same experience and put their nose back to the grindstone and made it happen.

Good luck.

Thanks, this is good to hear. When you say your PCSM score improved from 50 to 81, was that only because of the improvement in your pilot score, or did you have to retake the TBAS also to get to the 81 PCSM score?

I am also very confused about the TBAS because I have read/heard about people saying things that happened to them on the test, ie, getting many wrong on the first part or "chasing the planes around, without really ever tracking them" and still getting very good scores. I felt that I did a very good job on these aspects, yet got a very lousy score- granted the AFOQT score didn't seem to help me out. I know I did lousy with the joystick (pushing forward to go up the screen, as opposed to remembering to "pitch back").

Any advice on what video/computer games to buy? Are there any like the TBAS out there- I'd be surprised if someone hasn't just programmed their own version. Best joystick, to mimic the TBAS one, if possible? I'd really like to simulate the TBAS as closely as possible.

[Guest onetwopi]

I am also very confused about the TBAS because I have read/heard about people saying things that happened to them on the test, ie, getting many wrong on the first part or "chasing the planes around, without really ever tracking them" and still getting very good scores. I felt that I did a very good job on these aspects, yet got a very lousy score- granted the AFOQT score didn't seem to help me out.

My understanding from reading the public domain info is that your AFOQT Pilot score is the starting point to deviate from. TBAS moves you up or down and flying hours moves you up (clearly). I haven't seen anyone with an AFOQT Pilot score of 15 and a TBAS of 97 (from reading scores on the boards here--maybe someone has some better gouge).

Any advice on what video/computer games to buy?

I think it helps to have experience with a game that has a heads up feature and a moving map. First thing that comes to mind is an FPS like Halo. You move forward, you see the screen move forward, yet your little blip on the moving map goes sideways. The better you correlate that in your head, the better you will be at moving maps.

[Fud]

I figured this would be the best place to post...

I just received my AFOQT and PCSM scores today, and I am stunned at how poorly I did, especially on the TBAS.

AFOQT

Pilot: 65

Nav: 55

AA: 66

Verb: 66

Quant: 60

PCSM: 39 (w/81 flying hours)

I am wrapping up a MS degree with a good GPA at a good school, had good GRE scores, did very well on the PPL Knowledge Exam, good SAT scores, etc. I reviewed the Cliffs Notes AFOQT guide before taking the AFOQT, but didn't take the timed tests- I know this is what killed me- the material was easy, but I took way too much time. Certain sections- block counting, table reading, and hidden figures, I barely could get halfway through before guessing in the last minute (hidden figures, I guessed on 3/4). I assume taking timed tests, in addition to review will help me out tremendously on the AFOQT retake. The TBAS though has me at a loss- how could I get a 39 with 81 flying hours and a 65 Pilot score??? I have never heard of anyone doing that poorly. I felt pretty good after taking the TBAS, but judging by the score, I must have bombed the thing. I don't really play video games, but I will go out tonight and buy a damn joystick or whatever is recommended. What can I do to improve tremendously on the TBAS? Even with flying hours over 201, I'd only have a 43 PCSM. I won't give up on my goal of becoming an ANG/AFRC pilot, but I realize I need to make the most out of my next 6 months and get my scores way up. Have any of you or anyone you have known, improved a PCSM by ~50 points or so???

Thanks for any help/info.

Take it all over again. My PCSM score went from a 5 to a 98 after I retook the AFOQT (Scored high 80s), and the TBAS. I also flew a lot during that time, and that helped immensely as well. While none of us actually know the percentage breakdown of which counts more, I second the notion that the TBAS is really important for your PCSM score. Good luck.

[spiccoli]

Ran across these:

http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/story.php?title=_36014

Are they fairly representative of the spatial orientation skills used on the test?

[VNE]

My scores:

AFOQT Pilot: 99

Flight Hrs: 88

PCSM: 99

I felt that I benefited most from my flying experience. The mental sensation of taking the TBAS was mysteriously equivalent to the brain workload of flying my first solo XC. Flying into the pattern, talking on the radio, thumbing through the AF/D, checking the winds, working the E6B, and watching out for the a$$hole who cuts you off on downwind all at the same time is IMO the best practice. Though kind of cheesy, I also psyched myself during the test that I was actually flying a plane, chasing down a Mig, and that my life was on the line. I'm certain this also made my reaction speed go up.

As far as the feel of the controls, the stick was all wrong. It wanted to lean left or right, while it took increasing pressure to keep it neutral. Before I took the test, I sat there and pretended I was flying an actual airplane so as to get more comfortable with the control limitations.

Hope this helps you guys out.

[Guest 12XU2A3X3]

Though kind of cheesy, I also psyched myself during the test that I was actually flying a plane, chasing down a Mig, and that my life was on the line. I'm certain this also made my reaction speed go up.

if the shoe fits. i'll bet you weren't the first, and you won't be the last. whatever it takes.

[jjfly]

Ran across these:

http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/story.php?title=_36014

Are they fairly representative of the spatial orientation skills used on the test?

Studying those would help you out, for sure.

[tlr9489]

Anyone here have a Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar joystick they'd be up for selling or loaning for the next month???

I am taking the TBAS in a month, and had bought one of these, only to have the company call and tell me that they are all out.

[tlr9489]

I figured this would be the best place to post...

I just received my AFOQT and PCSM scores today, and I am stunned at how poorly I did, especially on the TBAS.

AFOQT

Pilot: 65

Nav: 55

AA: 66

Verb: 66

Quant: 60

PCSM: 39 (w/81 flying hours)

I am wrapping up a MS degree with a good GPA at a good school, had good GRE scores, did very well on the PPL Knowledge Exam, good SAT scores, etc. I reviewed the Cliffs Notes AFOQT guide before taking the AFOQT, but didn't take the timed tests- I know this is what killed me- the material was easy, but I took way too much time. Certain sections- block counting, table reading, and hidden figures, I barely could get halfway through before guessing in the last minute (hidden figures, I guessed on 3/4). I assume taking timed tests, in addition to review will help me out tremendously on the AFOQT retake. The TBAS though has me at a loss- how could I get a 39 with 81 flying hours and a 65 Pilot score??? I have never heard of anyone doing that poorly. I felt pretty good after taking the TBAS, but judging by the score, I must have bombed the thing. I don't really play video games, but I will go out tonight and buy a damn joystick or whatever is recommended. What can I do to improve tremendously on the TBAS? Even with flying hours over 201, I'd only have a 43 PCSM. I won't give up on my goal of becoming an ANG/AFRC pilot, but I realize I need to make the most out of my next 6 months and get my scores way up. Have any of you or anyone you have known, improved a PCSM by ~50 points or so???

Thanks for any help/info.

After the longest 7 months of my life, I retook both exams last week, and have already received my scores. I went up 51 points on my PCSM (90) and 32 points on my AFOQT Pilot score (97). I really appreciate all of the advice on here, and it was great to hear from a couple guys who had improved their scores- that really encouraged me to make it happen. I can't wait to start applying to Guard/Reserve fighter squadrons with my new scores.

[Archa3opt3ryx]

IMPORTANT QUESTION! I just took the TBAS and I think my testing station was faulty. When I got to the Emergency Procedures section, the screen turned red and I heard the emergency, so I typed in the code...and nothing happened. The screen was still red and the emergency wasn't cleared. I tried several times and nothing happened. Finally the screen turned blue, but it didn't go back to "normal," it went to the status which meant I typed the code in wrong or too slow...I know the code was right though. I even tried all the codes at one point, and still nothing happened. Tried caps lock too. The keyboard was working fine at the beginning where I typed in my name and stuff...any ideas? Was it supposed to respond, or was I only supposed to type the code in once and then leave it, or what?

The administrator said he'd send a note along when he passed up my score saying there might have been a problem with my test...but I don't have time to retake it before big week in February...

[EDIT] Edited slightly to align more accurately with the info on the TBAS page on wantscheck [/EDIT]

Edited September 25, 2010 by LoneWolf121188

[Guest twobecrazy]

IMPORTANT QUESTION! I just took the TBAS and I think my testing station was faulty. When I got to the Emergency Procedures section, the screen turned red and I heard the emergency, so I typed in the code...and nothing happened. The screen was still red. I tried several times and nothing happened. Finally the screen turned blue and the status bar said "System Under Duress", which means I typed the code in wrong or too slow...I know the code was right though. I even tried all the codes at one point, and still nothing happened. Tried caps lock too. The keyboard was working fine at the beginning where I typed in my name and stuff...any ideas? Was it supposed to respond, or was I only supposed to type the code in once and then leave it, or what?

The administrator said he'd send a note along when he passed up my score saying there might have been a problem with my test...but I don't have time to retake it before big week in February...

I could be wrong but I don't believe you are supposed to be talking specifics about the test after you have taken it already. But it sounds to me like you messed up.

Edited September 25, 2010 by twobecrazy

[Archa3opt3ryx]

I could be wrong but I don't believe you are supposed to be talking specifics about the test after you have taken it already. But it sounds to me like you messed up.

I tried to mention as few details as possible while still getting the point across...maybe someone who's already taken it can shoot me a PM?

[Guest marcfyve]

Took the TBAS today 15 Dec 2010, scores should be in tomorrow. Kinda nervous. Also retaking AFOQT gotta get my pilot and my quantative scores up. Suck i know, any advice, i am not the most proficient with math.