Military Exam Prep

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That the TBAS multitasking subtest evaluates your ability to manage several tasks in parallel, not in sequence. - Why the 2024 PCSM algorithm update makes your TBAS multitasking performance even more critical to your final score. - How to avoid the common trap of "task fixation," where focusing perfectly on one task d...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The TBAS is a test of psychomotor skills and divided attention, not pre-existing aviation knowledge. - Success in the tracking subtests (Horizontal, Airplane, and Combined) hinges on avoiding target fixation and making smooth, predictive control inputs. - The Directional Orientation subtest measures your rapid spatial reasoning and ability to mentally rotate y...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How the Test of Basic Aviation Skills (TBAS) and AFOQT scores combine to create your critical Pilot Candidate Selection Method (PCSM) score. - The specific skills tested in the progressive joystick and rudder-based tracking subtests. - The structure of the multitasking section, which simultaneously tests psychomotor tracking, auditory processing, and other c...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The key differences between flexible FAA Part 61 training and structured Part 141 flight schools. - How to distinguish between a METAR (current weather report) and a TAF (weather forecast). - What density altitude is and how high temperature, altitude, and humidity negatively impact aircraft performance. - Why high density altitude leads to l...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How runway numbers are derived from their magnetic compass heading by rounding to the nearest ten degrees and dropping the zero. - The five legs of a standard airport traffic pattern: upwind, crosswind, downwind, base, and final. - Why a standard traffic pattern always uses left-hand turns and how the AFOQT t...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The specific altitude boundaries for Class A airspace (18,000 ft MSL to FL600) and its IFR-only requirement. - How to differentiate Class B, C, and D airspace based on airport traffic levels, general dimensions, and ATC entry requirements. - The roles of Class E as the general controlled airspace and Class G a...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The standard layout of the six-pack instruments: Airspeed Indicator, Attitude Indicator, Altimeter, Turn Coordinator, Heading Indicator, and Vertical Speed Indicator. - How to differentiate the Attitude Indicator, which shows pitch and bank, from the Turn Coordinator, which shows the rate and quality of a turn. - The method for accurately reading a...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How an airfoil's shape with a curved upper surface and flatter lower surface is essential for generating lift. - The application of Bernoulli's principle, where faster airflow over the top of the wing creates lower pressure, resulting in an upward force. - The definition of Angle of Attack (AOA) as the c...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The lateral axis runs wingtip-to-wingtip, governing pitch (nose up/down) via the elevators. - The longitudinal axis runs from the aircraft's nose to its tail, controlling roll (banking) through the ailerons. - The vertical axis runs from the top to the bottom of the fuselage, managing yaw (nose left/right) with t...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The definitions and directions of the four fundamental forces of flight: Lift, Weight, Thrust, and Drag. - The equilibrium state of forces during steady, unaccelerated, level flight where Lift equals Weight and Thrust equals Drag. - How the balance of forces changes during climbs and descents. - Why total lift must b...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The function of the fuselage and the empennage (tail assembly). - How the rudder controls yaw and the elevator controls pitch. - The critical difference between ailerons (for roll) and flaps (for lift/drag). - The purpose of leading-edge slats and top-mounted spoilers. - A mnemonic to connect primary flight controls t...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - To master the demanding 9-second-per-question pace required for the Block Counting subtest. - How to use the 'Seven and bubble, leave trouble' technique to maintain critical forward momentum. - Why attempting all 30 questions is statistically superior to leaving difficult ones blank. - To avoid the common exam trap of agonizing over c...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - A key principle of the AFOQT Block Counting test is that no block can float; it must be supported by a block directly beneath it. - Exam questions are designed to test your ability to infer the existence of hidden blocks that provide structural support. - Common exam traps involve complex p...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - To master the Block Counting subtest by systematically checking each of the target block's six faces: top, bottom, front, back, left, and right. - How to accurately infer contact with hidden blocks on the back and bottom faces based on the pile's structure, a common exam challenge. - To avoid common t...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The Block Counting subtest has the fastest pace on the AFOQT at only nine seconds per question. - The exam's definition of "touching" means sharing a flat face, not just an edge or a corner. - A systematic, six-face check (Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Left, Right) is the key to accuracy a...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - To master the 12-second-per-question pace required for the AFOQT Instrument Comprehension subtest. - Why you must trust your first instinct when reading the attitude and heading indicators to avoid losing time. - How to use the "4 → 2 → 1" elimination strategy by first checking bank, then pitch. - Why you should always interpret the Attit...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to quickly and accurately differentiate between small, mirrored bank angles on the AFOQT attitude indicator. - The specific challenge of near-identical headings, such as NNW versus NW, and the proper technique to solve them. - A reliable method for identifying subtle climbs versus dives by focusing on the miniature aircraft's p...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Master the 12-second, three-step elimination process: Heading, then Bank, then Pitch. - Use Heading first to immediately eliminate silhouettes not pointing in the correct cardinal direction. - Determine Bank second by checking which wing is low to choose between the remaining options. - Use Pitch as a final, quick confirmation step t...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The number at the top of the heading indicator under the lubber line represents the aircraft's current heading. - How to quickly identify cardinal (N, S, E, W) and intermediate (NE, SE, SW, NW) directions on the indicator. - To match the heading indicator's value to the correct aircraft silhouette, where N...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to interpret the basic display of an artificial horizon, where blue represents the sky and brown signifies the ground. - The correct method for reading an aircraft's bank angle and direction by focusing on the miniature aircraft's low wing. - How to determine the aircraft's pitch attitude, whether climbing or d...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to quickly interpret the AFOQT's attitude indicator for both bank and pitch. - The most effective two-step process to eliminate incorrect answer choices under extreme time pressure. - Why the heading indicator is often a distractor and should typically be checked last. - How to avoid the most common exam t...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to apply the '8-12 Second Rule' to conquer the AFOQT Table Reading subtest. - Why completing all 40 questions is statistically better than achieving perfect accuracy on only 30. - The importance of choosing a pre-decided 'panic letter' for strategic guessing to maintain pace. - How to avoid the common exam t...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The AFOQT Table Reading subtest uses a large, four-quadrant grid with both negative and positive X and Y axes. - A frequent, high-cost error is misreading a negative coordinate (e.g., Y=-5) as its positive counterpart (Y=5) under time pressure. - Test designers intentionally include incorrect answer choices that correspond t...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to use the two-finger tracking technique to master the AFOQT Table Reading subtest. - Why the Table Reading subtest is a test of psychomotor speed, not data interpretation. - To recognize common exam traps, like adjacent-cell values used as incorrect answer choices. - A critical test-day strategy: bubble your answer i...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The AFOQT Table Reading subtest gives you only 10.5 seconds to answer each of the 40 questions. - This subtest is a high-speed visual lookup task that measures accuracy under pressure, not math skills. - The core task involves finding the value at the intersection of a given X-axis column and a Y-axis r...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The official eight planets of our solar system and why Pluto's 2006 reclassification as a dwarf planet is a common AFOQT exam trap. - The correct order of Earth's atmospheric layers from the ground up: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere, along with their key functions. - How to use the mnemonic 'My V...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to distinguish between the four states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. - The definitions of the six phase changes, including common exam examples like sublimation. - How to interpret the 0-14 pH scale to identify acids, bases, and neutral substances. - The critical concept that each unit on t...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The atomic number is the number of protons and uniquely identifies an element. - Mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons; the difference between mass number and atomic number equals the neutron count. - Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons, while ions are a...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to apply Ohm's Law (V=IR) to solve for voltage, current, or resistance in AFOQT-style problems. - The key differences between series and parallel circuits, including how current and voltage behave in each. - How to calculate total resistance in both series (simple sum) and parallel (reciprocal sum) circuits. - T...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to apply the wave equation (v = fλ) to solve for speed, frequency, or wavelength. - The critical difference between mechanical waves like sound, which need a medium, and electromagnetic waves like light, which do not. - A mnemonic to memorize the order of the electromagnetic spectrum from lowest to highest fr...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The most critical temperature conversion for the AFOQT is Kelvin = Celsius + 273. - How to rearrange the specific heat formula (Q=mcΔT) to solve for any variable, especially specific heat capacity 'c'. - To differentiate the three heat transfer modes: conduction (direct contact), convection (fluid motion), and radiation (electromagnetic waves). - Th...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Kinetic energy (KE = ½mv²) is the energy of motion and increases by the square of an object's velocity. - Gravitational potential energy (PE = mgh) is stored energy directly proportional to an object's mass and height. - The principle of conservation of energy states that total energy (KE + PE) is constant in a f...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Newton's First Law (Inertia) is tested conceptually, often involving objects in frictionless environments or sudden changes in motion. - Newton's Second Law (F=ma) is the most frequently calculated concept; master the formula and be vigilant about units (kg, N, m/s²). - A common AFOQT trap for the Second Law is...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That the AFOQT Self-Description Inventory (SDI) is a 240-question personality assessment, not a traditional pass/fail test. - Why honesty is the most critical strategy, as the test contains validity scales to detect inconsistent or fake responses. - The importance of using the full answer range, from 'Strongly Disagree' to 'Strongly A...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - What the AFOQT SDI validity scales are designed to measure. - How creating a 'too good to be true' profile can result in a negative flag. - The method of using paired, contradictory questions to detect inconsistency. - Why overuse of neutral or 'cannot decide' answers is a red flag for e...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That the Self-Description Inventory (SDI) is a 240-item, 45-minute personality test on the AFOQT. - The SDI does not impact your main AFOQT composite scores but is reviewed separately by selection boards. - It measures personality traits that align with the "Big Five" model to assess officer suitability. - The biggest t...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That the AFOQT SJT requires you to identify both the most and least effective actions in leadership scenarios. - Why passive, 'wait and see' answer choices are traps that demonstrate a failure to lead. - Why immediate, extreme escalations that bypass the chain of command are incorrect and show poor judgment. ...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The AFOQT SJT evaluates your judgment from the perspective of a new O-1 or O-2, not a senior leader. - Why unilaterally making policy or disciplinary decisions is almost always the 'least effective' response. - The critical importance of operating within your chain of command by briefing your direct supervisor first. ...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - To analyze every AFOQT SJT question through the lens of the three Air Force Core Values: Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do. - That "Integrity First" requires choosing the honest and morally courageous option, even when it's difficult or unpopular. - How "Service Before Self" means p...

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The AFOQT SJT requires you to select both the MOST and LEAST effective response for each of the 50 scenarios within 35 minutes. - Scoring is based on a consensus of experienced Air Force officers, not a simple right-or-wrong answer key. - The SJT score does not factor into the main AFOQT composites (l...