SIFT INFORMATION

bizzwriter · July 10, 2013

All three complementary copies of Military Flight Aptitude Tests For Dummies are now officially accounted for -- I'm mailing out this week to:

-- ftxag76

-- Helipilot PTK

-- tydaddy

...plus a bonus copy to Yamer for starting this thread in the first place.

Thanks again everyone for the great information here -- it was VERY helpful!

Peter

redpatcher · October 6, 2013

I figured I'd throw my info into the thread, been following it for a long time. Marine Reservist here, Army aviation hopeful. About myself, graduated from U of Florida with Bachelors in history, been in Corps for 3 years, got medically DQed from Marine Aviation (hoping for a waiver).

Im taking my SIFT hopefully in 1 1/2 weeks, just waiting for my recruiters to find out if the "AFAST" on their schedule is the SIFT or if our MEPS is that far behind, and waiting for the Govt shutdown to be over so I can schedule my SIFT. I took the ASTB with only a 2 week notice a year ago and scored fairly well (7's for anyone who knows the grading scale) so I feel a bit better about the SIFT. Trying to relearn math again is a pain though!

I3uller · October 6, 2013

Call your local college ROTC programs and see if they can administer the SIFT for you. You won't have to wait for the shutdown to be lifted and you won't have to deal with your recruiters and MEPS scheduling. It's not a guarantee but I did mine that way. Just make sure you get all the paperwork signed by the administrar.

redpatcher · October 6, 2013

I actually live about 1/2 mile from UF's ROTC building... I may have to try that...

Cantankerously · October 7, 2013

Call your local college ROTC programs and see if they can administer the SIFT for you. You won't have to wait for the shutdown to be lifted and you won't have to deal with your recruiters and MEPS scheduling. It's not a guarantee but I did mine that way. Just make sure you get all the paperwork signed by the administrar.

This is how I got my SIFT taken, went down to The Citadel Army ROTC Office. Got it done the same week. Way easier than if my recruiter would have scheduled it.

Yamer · October 7, 2013

math wasnt hard for me. get good at the aircraft orientation one and hiddenshapes... those are the ones with shortest time.... i ran out of time on the hidden shapes. couldnt get my eyes to focus the right way being less tham 24 hours from my vision test...

Edited October 7, 2013 by Yamer

redpatcher · October 7, 2013

math wasnt hard for me. get good at the aircraft orientation one and hiddenshapes... those are the ones with shortest time.... i ran out of time on the hidden shapes. couldnt get my eyes to focus the right way being less tham 24 hours from my vision test...

I killed the spatial apperception on the ASTB (btw, the ASTB computer test... it looks like they xeroxed the images from a book, ran them over then xeroxed them again) so I wont have too much trouble with that. Math is just something that I didnt do 4 years ago when I got my HISTORY degree. The part on the ASTB that made me the most confused was the mechanical comprehension, on that it was nothing like the study guides. It was asking for equations on how to compute work and stuff I never even though would be on it. More numbers than concepts and drawings of pulleys.

Yamer · October 7, 2013

they give you equations on the sift. dont stress. im sure youll do great

redpatcher · October 7, 2013

they give you equations on the sift. dont stress. im sure youll do great

See the Army makes sense, I knew I picked them for a reason haha

I3uller · October 7, 2013

Look at all the previous posts that people have made in this thread (mine included) to get a pretty good idea of what to expect. We've written pretty extensively on our impressions of the test. Everyone's experience can be vastly different so just study the guides and I'm sure you'll do fine. I thought it was a really good test to measure aptitude so if you're reasonably intelligent I wouldn't stress too much.

redpatcher · October 7, 2013

Thanks Buller, Ive been watching these threads for a while, hell I even printed out a couple of the SIFT posts from people like Lindsey and the such so that I can organize my study materials better.

Yamer · October 7, 2013

All three complementary copies of Military Flight Aptitude Tests For Dummies are now officially accounted for -- I'm mailing out this week to:

-- ftxag76
-- Helipilot PTK
-- tydaddy

...plus a bonus copy to Yamer for starting this thread in the first place.

Thanks again everyone for the great information here -- it was VERY helpful!

Peter

for anyone still needing study stuff for the sift... i used this book solely for the test and its spot on and i passed the test. make sure you buy a new version that has the sift in it. barnes and noble has it for 13$ i think. use this and the free faa rotorcraft flying handbook and youre golden Edited October 7, 2013 by Yamer

Lindsey · October 7, 2013

for anyone still needing study stuff for the sift... i used this book solely for the test and its spot on and i passed the test. make sure you buy a new version that has the sift in it. barnes and noble has it for 13$ i think. use this and the free faa rotorcraft flying handbook and youre golden

Thing is, that guy (the author) said he got most of his sh*t about the SIFT from this forum and others. So you may as well go straight to the source...here. For free.

Yamer · October 7, 2013

true enough

redpatcher · October 7, 2013

for anyone still needing study stuff for the sift... i used this book solely for the test and its spot on and i passed the test. make sure you buy a new version that has the sift in it. barnes and noble has it for 13$ i think. use this and the free faa rotorcraft flying handbook and youre golden

As soon as I saw this book on the forum, I ran and grabbed it. Granted its a repeat, but its worth it for the practice tests.

redpatcher · October 8, 2013

Ok so, kind of confused right now. I just called my recruiter, apparently theyre still offering the AFAST at my local MEPS and hes looking into if the AFAST is still usable. He said that it may still be. I dont want to take a test in 10 days if Ive been studying for a completely different one...

I3uller · October 8, 2013

The AFAST is absolutely not accepted anymore. Like I said, go the college ROTC route and get your SIFT done ASAP. It will save you all kinds of trouble.

Cantankerously · October 8, 2013

Ok so, kind of confused right now. I just called my recruiter, apparently theyre still offering the AFAST at my local MEPS and hes looking into if the AFAST is still usable. He said that it may still be. I dont want to take a test in 10 days if Ive been studying for a completely different one...

I took both. I was told by my Battalion after my interview that AFAST scores were still vaild. Considering the Ft. Jackson MEPS is also still administering the AFAST I don't think the Army even knows what's going on.

Cantankerously · October 8, 2013

The AFAST is absolutely not accepted anymore. Like I said, go the college ROTC route and get your SIFT done ASAP. It will save you all kinds of trouble.

Better safe than sorry, I did the college ROTC thing to take my SIFT. It was much less painless than having my recruiter schedule it.

redpatcher · October 8, 2013

Better safe than sorry, I did the college ROTC thing to take my SIFT. It was much less painless than having my recruiter schedule it.

The AFAST is absolutely not accepted anymore. Like I said, go the college ROTC route and get your SIFT done ASAP. It will save you all kinds of trouble.

Im going to give my recruiter a day or 2 to figure it out, then I will call my local ROTC unit. I hate to go over his head because Im military, and I know better than to do that. However, its my future package, so I should do whatever necessary.

I3uller · October 8, 2013

Being military you should know that some things you have to take care of yourself to ever get done. My recruiters appreciated that I did the SIFT on my own and my recruiter actually made it a selling point to the batt board when he introduced me. Less work for them, smoother process for you, and demonstrated self sufficiency, resourcefulness, and motivation.

But that's just like, my opinion man.

smalltownguy · October 9, 2013

Hey anyone have any of their military flight study materials sitting around that they dont need anymore? You guys that got the free copy of the one with the SIFT wanna share the wealth after you're all done? haha I have the older versions back home in storage (no one home to send it to me) but seeing as how I have some occasional reading time out here in country I figured I could use it to study up. Already read the helicopter flying handbook a couple times.

I actually found out that the education center here in country has the SIFT available but I haven't even taken the ASVAB haha. I've only taken the AFOQT back before I got recruited in to the world of military contracting. This life is fun and pays great but I'll be darned if I just can't get over the urge to be in uniform. I have a desire to serve my country that burns bright, deep down in my bones... and although I know a lot of contractor work is highly important to the fight... I just feel like I need to join the Army.

Anyways I didn't mean to go off on all that, but if anyone has the books (especially the new one with SIFT stuff) I would be happy to get them out of your way.... I'm about to buy them on Amazon but I figured I could pay you guys and help clean out the room before throwing more money at evil corporations haha! I have paypal and will send you whatever you think is fair to box up what you got and send it to a fellow WOFT brethren out here at my APO address!

Lindsey · October 9, 2013

Hey anyone have any of their military flight study materials sitting around that they dont need anymore? You guys that got the free copy of the one with the SIFT wanna share the wealth after you're all done? haha I have the older versions back home in storage (no one home to send it to me) but seeing as how I have some occasional reading time out here in country I figured I could use it to study up. Already read the helicopter flying handbook a couple times.

I actually found out that the education center here in country has the SIFT available but I haven't even taken the ASVAB haha. I've only taken the AFOQT back before I got recruited in to the world of military contracting. This life is fun and pays great but I'll be darned if I just can't get over the urge to be in uniform. I have a desire to serve my country that burns bright, deep down in my bones... and although I know a lot of contractor work is highly important to the fight... I just feel like I need to join the Army.

Anyways I didn't mean to go off on all that, but if anyone has the books (especially the new one with SIFT stuff) I would be happy to get them out of your way.... I'm about to buy them on Amazon but I figured I could pay you guys and help clean out the room before throwing more money at evil corporations haha! I have paypal and will send you whatever you think is fair to box up what you got and send it to a fellow WOFT brethren out here at my APO address!

Calm down buddy, you got a PM comin' yer way.

redpatcher · October 9, 2013

I just contacted the Army Educational center at Ft Stewart and they're looking into me taking the test there as well. I figure this way, I have a back up to the back up. And they're going to submit my GT score conversion for me which is something I needed anyway, win win.