Whats up with all theses tests?

[cleonard19]

Everywhere I go, I keep reading about all these tests that people had to take for nukes, and its confusing the living begeesus outta me. I took one test. The ASVAB. I got a 95 (GT:129) and apparently my scores were pretty solid cause I was halfway through with the classifier today about to sign for CTR when Chief tapped me on the shoulder and said " Are you Leonard?" "Yes sir""Come with me" *silence as i follow him not knowing whats going on*

So he sits me down in his office at MEPS and says "Mr. Leonard, I've looked over your credentials, you did well on your ASVAB, got a 95 with a 129 GT. Furthermore, the complexity of your scores astonishes me and I'm wondering how you managed to score so consistently high in every line score?" "Well sir, Half of it was common sense, and the other half was having the common sense to pay attention in high school" He smiles, and starts his whole pitch on Nuke. Well, frankly, I bought and and here I sit with a 20k Bonus in my contract.

But here's my question... I know i'm smarter than the average bear (1520 SATs as a basis since I don't know how to compare ASVAB Scores), but I gathered that all nukes were smarter than the average bear, so it confuses me that it would appear that my experience was so much different than all the other accounts I've read about. Does it usually go down teh way it happened to me, or does it usually go down differently. If so, whats the "typical" process for getting into nuke and what do all these tests everyone keeps talking about taking entail exactly? It would just be nice to know how things typically happen if I did indeed, have an a-typical experience.

[Fermi2]

Want a typical experience? Why are you babbling about how smart you are when you haven't qualified any watchstations?

Mike

[Roll Tide]

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Scored 99 ASVAB, which qualified me to take the NFQT (which I also passed). Today candidates don't have to take the NFQT if their ASVAB is high enough.

Rather than showing up and asking the recruiter what I should do, I researched it in advance. I considered NNPS the best option, but I challenged the Army, Air Force, and Marine recruiters to beat the deal the Navy would be offering. Nothing came close.

When I walked into the Navy Recruiter's office, I had Dad with me to sign the necessary forms so I could get started. The Recruiter had never had someone walk into the office and request NNPS, and had to call MEPS for information.


I found that though I had the highest ACT score on record for my high school (35), I was working everyday for the next 12 years with people that I had to work hard to keep up with. It is also true in commercial nuclear OPS.


There is no typical nuke!

[JustinHEMI05]

You may think you are smarter than the average bear but in the nuke world, you are just another average bear... if that. SATs scores don't mean anything in our world. Your ability to shut up, listen, and be humble does. Then with any luck, you will actually be good at operating something, and not just a good test taker. If you are good at operating something, then you can prove you are smarter than the average bear. More likely than not though, your operating skills aren't going to be up to par with your test taking abilities and you will fall into the "just enough to get by" group like 7 out of 10 Navy Nukes. Goodluck.

Justin

PS and yes, you aren't special. Every nuke gets their back rubbed with a happy ending by the recruiter. Obviously, the desired effects worked well on you.

[93-383]

Don't let them all scare you but we are a bunch of disgrundled A-holes (unless they have gotten out then the **** *** is remembered with fond reverance LOL) I had nearly the same experiance only my enlistment bonus was about 1/10th of that, shows how bad our attrition realy has gotten. Please continue with you enlistment and encourage others to do so I am getting out soon an am not going to get stop-lossed due to low manning in the feild (don't laugh they are pulling nukes from shore duty to fill critical sea billets)

[cleonard19]

You may think you are smarter than the average bear but in the nuke world, you are just another average bear... if that.

PS and yes, you aren't special. Every nuke gets their back rubbed with a happy ending by the recruiter. Obviously, the desired effects worked well on you.

Thats my point. I'm just confused thats all. in my post I stated very clearly that I understand that in the nuke world I'm just another average bear. I wasn't trying to tote about how smart I was, I'm just trying to figure out what tests everyone was talking about taking before they could choose nuke. Thats all. And yes the recruiters attempt worked, but that's only because I let it work on me. I had looked at nuke, but after I took the ASVAB i was told I scored a 61 and didn't think Nuke was even possible. (It turns out the proctor put the wrong scores in the wrong envelopes)

But someone already said that if you score high enough on the ASVAB you don't have to take additional tests, so thank you for answering that question for me.


I'm sorry if it seemed like I was trying to brag about how smart I was, that wasn't my intention. My intention was to simply find out what test everyone was talking about and why I didn't take it like they did.

[JustinHEMI05]

No problem.

Justin

[Fermi2]

No problem! Just wanted you to see what the real nuclear world is gonna be like.

Plus, I believe any nuke worth his salt should be able to find answers that are readibly available without being spoonfed.

Mike

[hamsamich]

If you got a 1520 then I would GUESS you are smarter than the average nuke BUT, that doesn't mean you will get thru any easier!  There are plenty of other factors that make a good nuke. Especially if you make it to prototype, that trips plenty of "smarties" up.

The answers you've received from all these other people is the type of "fun" you will get when you've been in for a while. Better learn to roll with it and punch back, in a fun way! Seems like you will be ok.  good luck

[Smart People]

Enlistment bonus? what is that? don't remember that in my nuke contract.

seriously, i skated through high school and found i could do no such thing in nuke school. if you haven't really learned to study, expect to. smarts got you to the school, hard work and determination will get you through it. learn how to play the politics early, you can't escape it.

[Bighouz107501]

cleonard,

1520 eh? well I comp power school in a few weeks and I can say it's a different way of learning that high school...Lets put it this way, I scored a 29 ACT(8th grade) and a 34(10th grade) I graduated high school with a 3.89(4.0 scale) in IB classes, I was accepted to all the top universities I applied to. So where do you this I would be in my class of 250?....right around 170-180... a 3.0 is way below average in my class so maybe you might understand how smart the people are here... I know when I first came here I was expecting to push for top 10% , but now I find myself constantly studying and having many sleepless nights dreading the exam the next day... But with all this I have found many positives. I find myself wanting to learn and do better. I get excited to go to the fleet and enjoy the torments of being a NUB and qualify...

But goodluck to you...and I hope you enjoy exams with only extended response 

Dennis

[hamsamich]

there are guys that do really well in power school without studying very much.  they are fairly rare but I knew about 3 while I was going thru. One of them barely studied at all and had a 3.8, but got kicked out for underage drinking.  One of them studied about 20 hours a week and had over a 3.8.  One of them tried to put in as few hours as possible to get a rise out of his section advisor, he had a 3.75 or somethng like that, he ended up being my roomate at prototype, everybody thought he was weird but I thought he was funny.  They all either had a "self described" photographic memory or had a special way to visualize highly intricate processes like nuclear fission. I met plenty of people in college with a high GPA, and plenty of people who had high SATs and ACTs but to have an extremely high GPA in power school without much effort was much more infrequent.

[LaFeet]

there are guys that do really well in power school without studying very much.  they are fairly rare but I knew about 3 while I was going thru. One of them barely studied at all and had a 3.8, but got kicked out for underage drinking.  One of them studied about 20 hours a week and had over a 3.8.  One of them tried to put in as few hours as possible to get a rise out of his section advisor, he had a 3.75 or somethng like that, he ended up being my roomate at prototype, everybody thought he was weird but I thought he was funny.  They all either had a "self described" photographic memory or had a special way to visualize highly intricate processes like nuclear fission. I met plenty of people in college with a high GPA, and plenty of people who had high SATs and ACTs but to have an extremely high GPA in power school without much effort was much more infrequent.

Hey dude... I was one of those guys too... but the drining age was still 18 when I went through 

[nucgal]

Actually it doesn't  matter how high you score on the ASVAB general score ( AFQT) which is just a compilation of verbal ability and arithmetic ability.

What matters concerning the Nuc Program is the NON-LINE scores like electrical knowledge, mechanical knowledge, etc.  If a special combination of these numbers is below a certain number, then you HAVE to take the NAPT - just a test on basic algebra, geometry, physics and chemistry.  I got a 98 on the ASVAB (AFQT) but where I needed a 50 on a non-line score, I only had a 46 or a 47.

I took my NAPT today and passed without studying (granted I've taken ap calc, stats, physics and chemistry courses ...really though it isn't difficult)

[s1wlightning@msn.com]

Well, maybe a little late but from the sounds of the 20,000 bonus your going in around JAN to FEB.  Anyways, like a lot of other people have said just because you are smart doesn't make you a nuke.  I knew a lot of really really smart people that got booted from the program.  You have to have the kind of mentality to learn the material to be a nuke.  It's not that it is difficult to grasp or learn it's the rate the give it to you.  Put it this way A school, power school, and prototype for me was 16 months long.  Thomas Edison, which is a crappy school by the way, gives all nukes 96 credit hours for that time.  I don't know if you know what that means but 18 credit hours is a semeter.  Therefore, 96 is about 2 1/2 years.  I don't think that is realistic but it is close for the AMOUNT of information you learn not the difficulty.  That is what makes it hard for people.  Also, school aside, to excel in the program you not only need to be smart but you have to work harder than anyone else.  Again, I was by no means the sharpest tool in the nuke pool but what I lackes in out right intelligence I more than made up for inmy work ethic.  The smarts, as in anything in life, will only get you so far no matter what career you do, you have to have the work ethic to make it through the school.  So, bottom line, if it is something you want to do and go for it, but if you don't have the desire you wont make it through the program unless you Stephen Hawkins.  Oh, and the typical process that you went through at meps is exactly what I went through except it was a first class ET.

[B.PRESGROVE]

Hey just a former HPs 2 cents worth here  , dude keep your head down, dont grab the soap on the rope, and whatever you do dont get into a small closed in room with more than 4 "seamen"  .  Ive heard all kinds of stories from my dad who was a navy nuke and taught up at Idaho for 8 years, glad I went into the AF to work on aircraft.  Scored pretty good on my ASVAB which qualified me for Air Traffic Control, but found out the stress levels and health of those guys was pretty bad so....the rest is history.  One more thing if you like the nuke world you will be taking tests for the rest of your working life so get to enjoy them. 

[jphartman]

My opinion as a civilian going through officer power school:
Power school tests two things: your ability to absorb and retain large amounts of information (bulk memorize and be able to spit it out on demand).  Some liken it to drinking from a fire hose.

[Cycoticpenguin]

Want a typical experience? Why are you babbling about how smart you are when you haven't qualified any watchstations?

Mike

god this guy sounds like me from a while back :-d

Hey cleonard- search my posts. They will save you a lot of grief and will shine a light on what you will have to go through. I answer a lot of other peoples questions as well

[Rennhack]

Hey cleonard- search my posts. They will save you a lot of grief and will shine a light on what you will have to go through. I answer a lot of other peoples questions as well

Here is a link to his posts:
http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=9840;sa=showPosts

[Cycoticpenguin]

Here is a link to his posts:
http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=9840;sa=showPosts

oh goodness page 3 is embarassing!

[Finalman]

You may think you are smarter than the average bear but in the nuke world, you are just another average bear... if that. SATs scores don't mean anything in our world. Your ability to shut up, listen, and be humble does. Then with any luck, you will actually be good at operating something, and not just a good test taker. If you are good at operating something, then you can prove you are smarter than the average bear. More likely than not though, your operating skills aren't going to be up to par with your test taking abilities and you will fall into the "just enough to get by" group like 7 out of 10 Navy Nukes. Goodluck.

Justin

PS and yes, you aren't special. Every nuke gets their back rubbed with a happy ending by the recruiter. Obviously, the desired effects worked well on you.

Exactly, it'll be a bit more apparent when you get to A school... and you'll be around alot of nerds... but, welcome to the nuclear navy!

BTW, i got an 81 on the asvab and didn't take the "nuke" test, two of my friends made the same average as me (a 3.34) and had 72-73 asvabs..., so high asvab's don't matter if your in here or not, you just need common sense and decent problem solving skills.

[eggplant]

As far as I'm concerned, the nuclear world is all about what you like. I like reading 400 steps, with repeatbacks ending in "aye", before opening a circuit. You might not. This whole field is about training, education, and a damn good job. If you want to call yourself a nuke for the rest of your life, sign on up, get in here, I can't wait to see ya'. If you want to sit on your thumbs and watch some T.V. and talk about how you could have been a nuke, then please do not burden my navy. The British have some nuclear stuff going on. I think maybe Korea too  So work hard or go bother them. You won't regret being a nuke.

[shovelheadred]

..haven't posted on this site lately,,thought I would give my 3 cents worth...re-read Hemi's post....straight talk from an old navy nuke, takes 6 years to get to where the money is man, and then its entry level money....enlist,,take the bone us....and reinlist again and take that bone-us,,,do ya 20 and get out,,,,that retirement is the best you can get,,,think about it,,,they never offered me to reinlist,,,,I didn't play the Navy game very well...guess that's why they made me an ELT....Read an article from Ben Stein about the 20 year military retirement, and the article had alot of good points ,,,that would be my choice,,,had I been able to play with seamen....but I wasnt built that way,,,did my 6, got out,,,never looked back,,,just an entry level position, and a per diem check was all I was looking for....still on the road,,,since 85'..just dont work as much, and make that trip to Mass. once a year....the Nuclear business isn't what it was in 85', but it is getting better, and if these new plants start construction, then it will be different all over again,,,,just said all that to say this,,,,,1520 SAT,,,you got me beat.....what about it Spanky?....red

[Joe Ferguson]

We used to make fun of the Navy guys when they would show for their 1st outage and FREAK when they seen 10k or 10mR/hr.  I quit making them the butt of my punch-lines when I actually had a chance to talk to few of them sitting around in the breakroom years ago.  Please know that being in the Navy doesn't make you smarter be default.  I have met some ex-nukes that were obviously very smart and capable, and I have met a few that made me wondered how they got back and forth to work by themselves.  Conversly, there are tech's that did not join the navy and have turned out to be excellent (and smart) technicians having never taken the above mentioned tests. 
The Navy (as many of you know) is heavy on the theory and math end of our field.  This training is simply not afforded to folks coming up through the other 'ranks' like starting out as a deconner.  My only point in all of this is we should never assume that one is better than the other.  It is true that the Navy offers great training, but it's what you do with it and how you apply it when you get out that counts.  There are times when I wish I would have taken advantage of this and joined myself when I was young, just for the training. 
Although I personally appreciate their dedication and service to our country, I will not hire a candidate simply because they 'did 6'.

rotag     

[rlbinc]

I am pleased that the industry has one more smart guy.
ASVABs GTs NFQTs COMPs BRQs and then maybe he'll get out and get
to take the GFES, ILO NRC RO and SRO, and REQUAL NRC.
...and he thinks he's seen tests...