I got my PCSM back after taking the TBAS. I'd like to improve that score, so I intend on getting a few flight hours. Would it be advisable to retake the AFOQT or TBAS? I'm wondering if my low PCSM seems to be the result of my AFOQT score or the TBAS.
Posted Apr 29, 2019, 1:26 PM UTC · edited
If you have the money, one sure-fire way would be to get some flight hours. Even one hour will bump you up 4-5 pts on your PCSM. 6 Hours gets you 8-10. Depending on where you are that could be as cheap as $500.
The difference between your PCSM scores is 43, the max you could get without flight hours is about a difference of 30 so you have a max gain of about 13 with TBAS. AFOQT gains are about 2/3 PCSM points per pilot point so you have a max PCSM gain of about 18 with retaking AFOQT. These aren't exact rule of thumbs and it depends on your exact stats but they can give you a ball park estimate of how much your max gains are. If your other stats are average you wont need much higher than a 29 to guarantee it so I would just go for 10 flight hours.
You apply for that $3000 flight hour scholarship?
Yep! We’ll see how it goes.
I retook both tbe TBAS and the AFOQT personally. Hard to tell if you do well on the TBAS or not because you don't really get a score, you just see how it changes your PCSM. I retook the TBAS first and did do better - my PCSM only went up a liiiittttle bit though. Retook AFOQT next and actually prepared a bit for it, it went up about 10. If you only want to retake one, take the AFOQT seriously (study!), other than that as long as you're passing the TBAS it probably isn't too worth it but every bit helps.
Retake the TBAS for sure. Retaking the AFOQT can be risky, if you just barely passed the other sections. Have seen people retake to get a higher pilot score, then fail verbal or quantitative and now they have to ask for a waiver to take it a third time just to stay in the program.
Not too worried about that, Pilot was my lowest of all of them, but it’s sounding like the consensus is to definitely retake the TBAS.
I would definitely retake the TBAS before you retake the AFOQT. That AFOQT score is not horrible, so the culprit of the lower PCSM score is more likely to be the TBAS. Write down the parts you struggled with on the TBAS because I guarantee six months from now you will forget what was challenging. Study the UAV portion of the TBAS as it’s the only part you really can prepare for.