SIFT pointers

[cofranc]

I was also to do both Phases 1 and 2 in one day (luckily). I did them at Fort Leonard Wood. My day was very similar to Brian's. I arrived at 0800 for my Opto tests, had blood drawn around 0930, EKG scan at 1000, got my hearing checked around 1030, had a dental check around 1130, and then I met with the Flight Surgeon at 1300. The secretary for the Flight Surgeon told me it could take anywhere from 2-6 weeks to get my packet approved from Rucker, but thankfully it only took 2.5 weeks to get my approval.

 

Oh and FYI, when you get your eyes dilated for the Cyclo Refraction test, your eyes can be dilated for up to 96 hours. The lady who administered my eye exams failed to tell me that at first haha. I assumed my eyes would only be dilated for a couple of hours like most dilations, but when it was 48 hours after my exam and my eyes were still dilated, I called my local optometrist to see if that was normal. She told me that the dilation drops for the Cyclo test are stronger and can take anywhere from 24-96 hours for your eyes to return to normal. She also said the more light in color your eyes are, the longer it will take. For example, if you have blue or hazel yes it will take longer than those with brown eyes.

[Dmurray]

That's some good info. It's encouraging to see people knocking it out in one day. I hope I have similar luck.

[cofranc]

That's some good info. It's encouraging to see people knocking it out in one day. I hope I have similar luck.

You can increase your chances by making sure you have appointments for both the Opto exam and the meeting with the Flight Surgeon. For the rest of my tests during that day, they were simply walk-in tests. Keep in mind there could be different procedures at the different hospitals to which you go. Good luck!

[Dmurray]

You can increase your chances by making sure you have appointments for both the Opto exam and the meeting with the Flight Surgeon. For the rest of my tests during that day, they were simply walk-in tests. Keep in mind there could be different procedures at the different hospitals to which you go. Good luck!

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind when I schedule. Anyone have experience with Bliss? I'll be there for a week next month. Hopefully I can get an appointment in between my requirements with my unit.

[jwoft]

You can increase your chances by making sure you have appointments for both the Opto exam and the meeting with the Flight Surgeon. For the rest of my tests during that day, they were simply walk-in tests. Keep in mind there could be different procedures at the different hospitals to which you go. Good luck!

 

Fort Irwin, I guess, won't do Part 1 and Part 2 in the same day. I have to come back for the second half. Fortunately I'll be able to do it within a few days of each other. Glad to hear a few guys are getting to knock it all out in one day.

[Tanniyn]

Anyone have experience with Bliss?

 

Unfortunately. Send me a PM if you have any specific questions.

[Jberto89]

While its fresh in my head. I'm at MEPS right now in Utah and it's been a ridiculously bad experience. If I watch one more classic Super Bowl or hear about the Los Angeles Rams I am going to flip out.

 

Just a note, earlier posts in this thread, however long ago, are extremely beneficial. Also check out Lindsey's guide.

 

1. Simple Drawings - I used Barron's 3rd edition for this. Everyday for a couple days I would randomly decide to print out the 100 shape test portion in the booklet and time myself. Speed and accuracy are key. I only managed 91/100. Warm up your wrists and hands and practice moving your mouse to specific points you choose in the screen; it might sound dumb but you don't want to go into this crusty or sluggish.

 

2. Hidden Figures - This was the hardest part for me. Honestly I didn't make it very far, you can't overlook this in your studying like I did. I did a few problems in the Dummies book and the hidden figures are much easier in the book. Basically it's about training your eye to recognize the shape. Work quickly and don't be sloppy.

 

3. AAIT - It was as expected. The books do an okay job but if you have an iPad or an iPhone, I recommend the ASA private pilot prepware app. Use that with the book of your choice. Know the different Army helicopters, IMSAFE checklist which can be found with Google, basic aerodynamics, and of course everything you can about helicopters e.g. cyclic, collechtive, translational lift, torque, gyroscopic procession, main rotor differences e.g. single rotor, tandem, coaxial, and of course look at diagrams to see how it's put together. Study the basic systems of aircraft. Downwash, ground effect, airport lighting, etc... Over prepare for this. FAA has good resources, use their materials in conjunction with books and YouTube until subject matter is not just memorized, but more importantly understood. Oh yeah, study your airspace pyramid. Airspeeds! Six Pack. VFR? IFR?Really all these things are the ultimate basics of what every future aviator should know. Sorry one thing to add, know what effects aircraft performance. HOT, HUMID AND HIGH. Forces of flight, centrifugal force, airport lighting.

 

4. Spatial Apperception - Book is good. Understand attitude indicators, the horizons, and how it looks from the cockpit when you're ascending, descending, turning left, right, and how steep the pitch and bank. A pencil can help you out if you need it, use it to determine a climb or descent. Not hard. Pictures worse on test and more unusual attitudes than study books.

 

5. Reading Comprehension - Books good enough. Just pay attention to key words and answer to the paragraph I.e. If you cant draw a concrete conclusion from the paragraph and the answer says something that may or may not be true, think twice about it. Don't get comfortable with time, continue to work briskly and understand the paragraph. This part is perfect for the process of elimination.

 

6. Math - Repetition. Use the book and study everything you can. Not a lot of conversions. Just study. Math is math. Algebra on up. Fundamentals. Test is adaptive. Book: Cliffnotes Standard Math Review, Dummies and Barron's.

 

7. Mechanical Comprehension - As expected. Know everything your study book tells you, watch Bill Nye and just understand terminology. I studied SIFT and ASTB Mechanical Comp sections. Test is adaptive. Mechanical advantage, specific gravity, gears, levers, buoyancy, force, work, velocity... Know Bernouli's principle for this and AAIT. Newtons three laws, etc...

 

Not much help but best I can do for you. Get some sleep, hydrate and don't stress yourself out. Take practice tests. Teaching things is a great way to learn. I taught a lot of this to my two year old daughter and it helped me get a grip on what I needed to. Don't just prepare your weak points either, make your strong points even stronger to offset some areas that are harder for you. Utilizing the process of elimination is extremely beneficial. Lastly, be weary of your time. Don't stare at the clock but compute quickly to ensure you have enough time to finish the subtlest.

 

Scored a 62. Not exactly what I wanted but it'll have to do.

 

Good luck.

[BrightShadow]

@Jberto89

 

Good job man! 62 is a good score!

[Jberto89]

@Jberto89

 

Good job man! 62 is a good score!

Thanks!

[rrhoads17]

Would 56 be considered a good score?

[BrightShadow]

Would 56 be considered a good score?

Hey Sir. Yes I think it would be. The average test taker gets a 50 so getting a 56 means you are 6 points above the average person who takes the SIFT. I would consider that good.

 

Edit: I think from 40-47 would be considered below average (but plenty of people have been picked up with these scores), 48-52 would be considered average and anything 53 and above is above average. None of my thinking is canon though and every board is different. I've heard from folks on here and CWOs of many ranks that some boards look at the SIFT as a pass/fail and other give the score a lot of weight.

 

Personally I think LoRs and your summary on your resume are the biggest things. I mean if someone got an 80 on the SIFT but their LoRs are 'meh' and the summary is poorly written and leaves the reader feeling like the applicant is a worthless-good-for-nothin then who cares about their academic ability (even if they have a bachelors, flight time and military experience).

 

My thought is that all the extra stuff (education, military experience, flight time, professional certificates) act as tie breakers when two applicants have outstanding LoRs and really strong summaries.

 

Want to reenforce the above is my opinion.

[johnhenry]

Quick specific question. In the Hidden Figures questions, are the given shapes the same size and orientation in the problems? There was an Air Force practice test linked earlier and it has the given shapes in different sizes, so I wanted to double check.

[Drew]

If I can give any advice on hidden figures, it would be to not spend too much time on any question. Some of them are just impossible to see, so guess and move on to the next one. You aren't punished for getting any wrong, and the time seemed to go by quick on that section!!! Time it right to try and et through all the questions!

[Jberto89]

Quick specific question. In the Hidden Figures questions, are the given shapes the same size and orientation in the problems? There was an Air Force practice test linked earlier and it has the given shapes in different sizes, so I wanted to double check.

 

Orientation is always right side up e.g. it's not sideways or diagonal. They're the same size too I think. Some people don't have much trouble; I'm sure if you practice the different hidden figure tests you'll be fine. Also I agree with BrightShadow. The SIFT is just part of the spear; a proper hook (being your summary) is important in getting their attention and showing them that they're not wasting their time. I like to think of the summary as your WWE intro.

 

[johnhenry]

I can dig it. Actually inspired me to put a little more swag in my essay.

 

Thanks for the info on the hidden figures.

[Dbargs]

Has anyone ever used khanacademy.org? I haven't taken the SIFT yet, but I think this website really helps if you need to brush up on your geometry or algebra. It's been 10 years since someone shoved math down my throat, and I've forgotten more than I thought.

[zack.colorado]

Yeah, khanacademy has some pretty good stuff on there. There are a lot of good youtube channels as well.

 

Wolframalpha.com is a pretty powerful and user friendly problem solver/calculator that can handle variables, if you find yourself needing to check answers.

[Dmurray]

Khan Academy is a great website. I also used it to brush up on math before I took the SIFT

[Dbargs]

Khan Academy is a great website. I also used it to brush up on math before I took the SIFT

What effect do you think it had on your score?

 

edit: Do you think it helped you more than the help given in the books and study guides geared toward the SIFT/AFAST? If you had to take the test again, what, if anything, would you change about your study methods?

[Dmurray]

What effect do you think it had on your score?

 

edit: Do you think it helped you more than the help given in the books and study guides geared toward the SIFT/AFAST? If you had to take the test again, what, if anything, would you change about your study methods?

In conjunction with the practice exams, doing the lessons on Khan Academy helped my confidence in answering the math questions.

If I had to take the test again, I would use the same study techniques. The FAA rotorcraft handbook, various practice exams (AFAST, AFOQT, ASBAB, SIFT, etc) and Khan Academy provided me with all I needed.

[Brian101193]

What effect do you think it had on your score?

 

edit: Do you think it helped you more than the help given in the books and study guides geared toward the SIFT/AFAST? If you had to take the test again, what, if anything, would you change about your study methods?

 

All I studied with was the "SIFT study guide" book and a few flashcards I found online. Personally, the part I had the most trouble with was the hidden shapes. I probably knew about 70% of the actual aviation questions and was 50/50 on the rest. I ended up with a 64, it's challenging but not rocket science.

[Dmurray]

Ah yes, I forgot about those flash cards. I used them for aviation knowledge a few days prior to my test. Definitely helped.

 

As far as the hidden shapes, I just guessed on most of them. I didn't want to spend too much time looking. If it wasn't immediately apparent, I guessed. That worked for me anyway.

[ndcody]

Hello everyone, I recently took the SIFT test and thought I would share some things that helped me and some general tips. This post might ramble on a little bit however I'm extremely tired and typing seems like a fun thing to do while I watch Starship Troopers.

 

Before I studied for the exam I tried to research how/why the test was constructed and how peoples background played into the equation. I came to a few conclusions.

 

1. The Math Skills Test (MST), Reading Comprehension Test(RCT), and Mechanical Comprehension Test (MCT) SEEMED/MAYBE/POSSIBLY be weighted the more than other subsets when determining score.

 

2. Unlike the ASTB-E and others, every subset on the SIFT can be studied for and improved.

 

Instead of trying to study for the entire exam at once I broke the test down to each subset and developed a block training method. I gave myself one month from the start of studying till test day in which to prepare. I will go through each section and lay out how I studied for that portion and tips.

 

1. Simple Figures - For this portion of the exam I tried to not focus on each individual figure but stare at the screen as a whole. If it did not immediately jump out at me I would then quick scan left to right and pick one. I tried to keep the mouse in the center of the screen to save every second possible. My one training tip would be to go and play Aagar io the free online game and look at your dot in the center but try and take in the whole screen.

 

2. Hidden Figures - If the figure does not immediately appear I would try and blur my vision slightly and see if anything popped. This section sucked more than I anticipated.

 

3. Army Aviation Information - If you have a background in aviation you will do fine. The one thing that helped me was my experience. If you do not have a background in Aviation as many would said I would purchase the Helicopter Flying handbook from the FAA and read it but emphasis on the flight controls and aerodynamics of how helicopters fly. That covered a fair amount of the questions however one or two came from very obscure sections of the Airman Information Manuel (AIM). I do not recommend studying the AIM unless you have an aviation background. It will most likely be information overload. A better use of your time would be reading through the Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge or studying for different subsections.

 

4. Spatial Appreciation Test - This subsection was fairly easy for me with my background. If you are using the study guides and still having issues do the following. Go purchase a small toy airplane or order one online (like a air hogs or somethiing). Next take a blank sheet of paper and color half blue and half grey. Now when looking at examples from the book orientate the toy and the sheet of paper to match the questions. By using a 3-D reference you should be able to make better sense of what they are presenting you with vs what you should expect to see.

 

5. Reading Comprehension Test - The study guides do a pretty good job here. During the test most of the questions where pretty straight forward.

 

6. Math Skills Test - Easily my weakest area. I had not taken or studied any math after I dropped pre-calc in 2006 in high school.(Oh my god over a decade ago. I can feel my youth slipping away as I write this.) As math was going to for sure be my weakest area I had to develop a plan of attack. I used Khan Academy to basically try and rebuild my math education from scratch. I started with basic multiplication and division and ended with Algebra 2. If you do not have a good handle on math or not taken anything in over a decade (and suck at it such as myself) do NOT underestimate how much effort it will require to get proficient. I looked at the courses on Khan Academy and laid out a week by week schedule of what courses I needed to have completed by the end of the week.

 

7. Mechanical Comprehension Test - The study guides did a decent job to prepare you however be sure to have a real understanding of the mechanics of engines(different types of engines: internal combustion, diesel, nuclear reactor) , gears, pulleys, levers. If you understand how they function you will be much better prepared for the questions you will face on the exam.

 

 

Hope that helps.

 

Cody

 

[Dmurray]

Great write up Cody

[BrightShadow]

...while I watch Starship Troopers.

You had me at this^