The U.S. Navy's aptitude test for prospective commissioned officers, administered as a subtest battery within the ASTB-E (Aviation Selection Test Battery). The OAR score is used across officer accession programs — including Navy OCS, NROTC scholarship boards, and Coast Guard OCS — as a general academic-aptitude screen, separate from the flight-specific aptitude scores the rest of the ASTB-E produces for aviation candidates.
Who it's for
College graduates and near-graduates (typically ages 19-35 with, or nearly completing, a bachelor's degree) applying to become commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard through a non-aviation accession path — Officer Candidate School (OCS), NROTC scholarship selection, or a designator that doesn't require the full ASTB-E aviation composite scores. Aspiring Navy or Marine Corps pilots and Naval Flight Officers also sit the OAR subtests as part of the larger ASTB-E, but for them OAR is one input among several composite scores.
What's covered
- Math Skills Test (MST) — arithmetic, algebra, fractions, exponents, ratios, and geometry (angles, area, perimeter), applied through word problems at a college-preparatory level
- Reading Comprehension Test (RCT) — short passages paired with questions on main idea, supporting detail, and which statements do or do not logically follow from the text
- Mechanical Comprehension Test (MCT) — basic physics and mechanics: levers, gears, pulleys, inclined planes, fluid pressure and volume, force and velocity, and simple electrical circuits
What to expect
The OAR portion of the ASTB-E is 90 multiple-choice questions across the three subtests: 30 Math Skills questions in 40 minutes, 20 Reading Comprehension questions in 30 minutes, and 30 Mechanical Comprehension questions in 15 minutes. No calculator is permitted on any section. Each subtest is scored on a 20-80 scale, and OAR-specific composite requirements vary by accession program and branch — Navy OCS candidates generally need a minimum OAR score around 35, though competitive selection boards typically favor scores well above the minimum. Test-takers may attempt the ASTB-E a maximum of three times in their lifetime, with mandatory waiting periods between attempts.
How to prepare
Because the Mechanical Comprehension subtest gives the least time per question (30 seconds each) and covers content many candidates haven't touched since high school physics, it's often the section that most rewards dedicated review — memorizing the handful of core mechanical-advantage and pressure relationships pays off directly on test day. The Math Skills section, while untimed pressure is lower, prohibits calculators, so practicing mental arithmetic and estimation under time pressure matters more than mastering advanced math. Reading Comprehension rewards practicing the specific skill of distinguishing what a passage explicitly states from what a test-taker might reasonably (but incorrectly) infer.
Certification details
- Administering body: Naval Operational Medicine Institute (NOMI), Aeromedical Psychology Department, on behalf of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
- Eligibility: U.S. citizen, typically age 19-35, holding or completing a bachelor's degree; specific age and degree requirements vary by accession program (OCS, NROTC, direct commission).
- Exam format: 90 multiple-choice questions across three subtests (Math Skills, Reading Comprehension, Mechanical Comprehension), computer-based and largely computer-adaptive, no calculators permitted.
- Scoring: Each subtest scored 20-80; minimum qualifying OAR composite is roughly 35 for Navy OCS, though selection boards are competitive and typically expect higher.
- Retake policy: Maximum of three lifetime attempts, with a required waiting period (typically 30+ days) between the first and second attempt and a longer wait before a third.
- Validity: Scores are generally valid for the duration of an active officer application; some programs require retesting if scores are older than a set number of years.
