View Full Version : DLAB...uhh....what the freak?
Wow, what an interesting....absolutely positively.....retarded test! I feel sorry for the guys who had to make it.
I seriously can't even explain what its like, imagine listening to a guy speak Jibberish, like, literally say "owenashani" and translate it into English haha.
Anyways, I got a 93, the Corps requires a 100 but all the other branches only need an 85...
What irritates me isn't the Corps' high standards (Thats why it is the best...) what irritates me is that every single section, I didn't understand what was being asked of me until like the 10th question, and since its an audio-given test I couldn't go back over my answers.
I know for a fact I can pass it the next time I take it though, absolutely positive. I will take it again in 30 days... if I don't decide to keep my UH (infantry) contract.
Echo_Four_Bravo
04-24-07, 01:50 PM
They made me take it at boot camp. I was so tired I couldn't concentrate at all, but from what I remember I agree- retarded test no doubt.
Wolfman07
04-24-07, 03:02 PM
I thought it was kinda cool, but thats probably because I got a 106. lol. Its just meant to test your short term memory and knowledge of english grammar. I was surprised that I passed because the entire way through I was like "what the hell am I doing?". The written portion was the most confusing for me.
jackson07
04-24-07, 03:40 PM
I didn't think it was that bad. The test is used to test how well you can quickly learn another language. You must be able to grasp the new grammer rules as quickly as possible and then apply them.
Jackson, I understood the rules, but I didn't understand what it was asking me to do, mainly the subject-verb-object part.
I don't exactly know what I can and can't say, and being on a USMC website and signing a paper saying I wouldnt tell anyone what was on it, so I won't.
But I understood the rules perfectly, like how the verb would have something in front of it, and the object woudl have something after it, etc. I just didn't understand what they were asking me to do until mid-way through each section.
And I figure if I got a 93, and missed at least 30 questions because I didn't even know what the question was, I have a decent shot of passing next month.
The girl I was with got a 122 by the way, and she said she Christmas treed alot of it. !!!.
Black Heart
04-24-07, 05:07 PM
whats the purpose of taking this test?...for 03 field only or something?
and whats christmas treeing?
HurricaneRJ
04-24-07, 05:11 PM
Christmas treeing is when folks don't know the answers or really don't wanna bother taking a test, and you just simply mark any answer.
A little secret I learned is that 70% of the answers on standard test are "c" so if you don't know just put "c"
A little secret I learned is that 70% of the answers on standard test are "c" so if you don't know just put "c"
And how did you "learn" this?
whats the purpose of taking this test?...for 03 field only or something?
and whats christmas treeing?
Defense Language Aptitutue Battery
It measures your ability to quickly learn a foreign language. Its not for infantry, its for intel/cryptology/linguistics etc
Black Heart
04-24-07, 05:19 PM
yea... i rather not take that advice lol ^_^ all test are different.
Black Heart
04-24-07, 05:20 PM
oooooo i see. makes sense. cool. i wouldve taken it but my intell didnt go through.
davblay
04-24-07, 06:03 PM
Christmas treeing is when folks don't know the answers or really don't wanna bother taking a test, and you just simply mark any answer.
A little secret I learned is that 70% of the answers on standard test are "c" so if you don't know just put "c"
WTF did you hear that garbage? Did the tooth fairy tell you?
Wolfman07
04-24-07, 06:13 PM
Ive heard that stat also, but I tend to go with my own answers because like previously stated all tests are different. The test is not for intell, its specificly for DC linguistics because it measures your ability to learn a language.
HurricaneRJ
04-24-07, 06:19 PM
WTF did you hear that garbage? Did the tooth fairy tell you?
My brother's recruiter said it,must have worked, he got a 87. I got a 32. (we took the ASVAB the same day.)
I've tried it on my college finals and I got a 91 on both of them this past term.
It might not work on every single test, but the people I know have tried it, all passed.
ggyoung
04-24-07, 06:26 PM
On all multable choise questions if there is a "c or d" that says all of the above that is about 80% right. This is from a MGYSGT. that I had a lot of respect for.
Echo_Four_Bravo
04-24-07, 06:27 PM
You shouldn't just go answer every question C, but it is effective to use it if you don't know the answer. Some tests are geared more towards C, some are not. The important thing is to answer the same letter every time. You're bound to get some of them right like that. If you change between letters you are lowering your odds.
lol I didn't know there was a strategy, I usually try to pick out the answer which is the correct one...not the letter :)
poolee18
04-24-07, 07:13 PM
Never heard of that test.
I look at it this way, I would rather fail it and kick in doors, than pass it by chance and struggle, and be kicked out of the Language School then be stuck being something lame, like a Comm guy.
Right Echo_4_bravo? :) :)
The DLAB consists of 126 multiple choice questions. Applicable service policies require that each candidate for attendance at the Defense Language Institute be a high school graduate. For admission to a Basic Language Program, the following minimum DLAB scores are required:
85 for a Category I language (Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish)
90 for a Category II language (German)
95 for a Category III language (Belorussian, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Persian, Polish, Russian, Serbian/Croatian, Slovak, Tagalog [Filipino], Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese)
100 for a Category IV language (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) Individual services or agencies may demand higher qualifying scores, at their discretion. For example, the Air Force and Marine Corps require a minimum score of 100 on the DLAB for all languages, although the Marine Corps will waiver it to a 90 for Cat I and II languages.
I got a 93, I can converse pretty well in German. Its too bad I can't get a waiver. I really don't feel like going to MEPS for like a 5th time in my life...that place is horrible haha.
poolee18
04-24-07, 07:55 PM
I hate meps with a passion.
coplepk04
04-24-07, 09:03 PM
My brother's recruiter said it,must have worked, he got a 87. I got a 32. (we took the ASVAB the same day.)
I've tried it on my college finals and I got a 91 on both of them this past term.
It might not work on every single test, but the people I know have tried it, all passed.
Even better than that is actually knowing the answers.
I hate meps with a passion.
On the night of 20070716 you will be making deals with the devil:evilgrin: to be back at meps!:marine:
jetztodernie
04-25-07, 06:22 AM
I know for a fact I can pass it the next time I take it though, absolutely positive. I will take it again in 30 days... if I don't decide to keep my UH (infantry) contract.
How are you going to retake it after 30 days? I was told by my recruiter that you can only retake it after 6 months. I too wanted to retake it.
poolee18
04-25-07, 09:37 AM
On the night of 20070716 you will be making deals with the devil:evilgrin: to be back at meps!:marine:
That is true I always make deals with the devil lol.
poolee18
chris
20070716
killerinstinct
04-25-07, 09:54 AM
Wow, what an interesting....absolutely positively.....retarded test! I feel sorry for the guys who had to make it.
I seriously can't even explain what its like, imagine listening to a guy speak Jibberish, like, literally say "owenashani" and translate it into English haha.
Anyways, I got a 93, the Corps requires a 100 but all the other branches only need an 85...
What irritates me isn't the Corps' high standards (Thats why it is the best...) what irritates me is that every single section, I didn't understand what was being asked of me until like the 10th question, and since its an audio-given test I couldn't go back over my answers.
I know for a fact I can pass it the next time I take it though, absolutely positive. I will take it again in 30 days... if I don't decide to keep my UH (infantry) contract.
HAHAH yea i took that test too... the one thing that sticks in my head to THIS DAY is the word
which is.. oo-ee blu-ee
i was laughign so hard i didnt do too well on that but the morse code i was awesome... just like i can navigate in the daytime like no other but night nav i suck...
osborned
04-25-07, 01:41 PM
I took it this morning at MEPS, looking into changing to the Cryptologic Linguist MOS. I was told I needed 100 for it, I got a 121.
gutstotake
09-09-07, 12:44 PM
My DLAB score was 119..at first i was disappointed in not scoring a perfect 126, but I figure i'll take the top 1% score and carry on.
Southpaww3
04-11-09, 01:57 PM
Yea that DLAB was a fun test. HAHA. I scored a 113 this last Wed and plan on becoming a cryptologic linguist someday.
Just graduated under a Crypto contract. Got a 104 on the DLAB and received Middle-east (arabic) for my MOS. Another guy in my platoon had the same contract with a 100 DLAB and got something totally different that doesn't go to DLI. Sig/int (morse) or something. He was pretty dissipointed, to say the least.
Shippingsoon
04-12-09, 06:48 PM
117 got me into a Crypto MOS. I can't wait to learn another language.
Borknagar
04-12-09, 09:38 PM
If you know another language or two, you would just get language pay, right? The point of DLI is the ability to learn another language, not as much come in with knowing one, because the language they need might not be the one you know, right? Just trying to reiterate.. :)
PaidinBlood
04-12-09, 09:47 PM
If you know another language or two, you would just get language pay, right? The point of DLI is the ability to learn another language, not as much come in with knowing one, because the language they need might not be the one you know, right? Just trying to reiterate.. :)
Depending on the job, DLPT results can waive DLI obligations? Just a bullet sponge but I heard that one somewhere... Here I go, leaving my lane again...
Anywho DLAB is the test of aptitude which helps place you in the DLI. DLPT is the test to determine what language you know and to what levels of proficiency.
Borknagar
04-12-09, 10:41 PM
Ok, and out of curiosity, what about knowing more than one foreign language? Do they pay per language or what?
I assume that if the need matched the language, they could place that person in an appropriate mos/job that uses it (skill), in context of that person not specifically being a linguist...
PaidinBlood
04-12-09, 10:46 PM
Check it out. It's called FLPP ("flip" pay) I don't want to lie to you. LAst I'd heard it only applied to specific languages in specific MOSs with min. levels of proficiency. It was relaxed more recently but I do not know to what degree.. The pay is per language based upon proficency but with a monthly cap.
Borknagar
04-12-09, 10:47 PM
Ok, that makes sense. Saves the Corps more money, but who knows.. ;)
PaidinBlood
04-12-09, 10:49 PM
Ok, that makes sense. Saves the Corps more money, but who knows.. ;)
Huh?
Borknagar
04-12-09, 10:54 PM
Huh?
What I meant was, it saves the Marine Corps money to pay only, as you said, per applicable mos or specific languages, than every Marine that knows a foreign language (off course, that maintains that minimum profficiency). :idea:
Equipped Possum
04-13-09, 12:59 AM
After every single section all i could think was, "There is no way in hell i passed that thing"
but i came out with a 119 so DLI here i come
curlyfryc08
04-16-09, 06:59 PM
When I don't know the answer I like to close my eyes while looking at the answer choices and they glow, but there's always one that glows brighter than the others so I pick that one. It got me a 95 on my ASVAB and a 131 on my DLAB yesterday so there must be something to it, although when I told my recruiter that, he made me take another drug test, haha! XD
And ya, I had a huge headache after that stupid test. The real key (not that stupid glow crap) on the DLAB is to say the right answer in your head before you press "play audio" that way when you hear the right one, it should be very similar to what you thought it would be. This will work up until the subject-verb switch up since the order of the words in the phrase can go however the computer wants it to, so it could sound a lot different and still be correct. Also, make sure you read ALL the directions at least twice on the very last section with the pictures because I thought I knew what I was doing when I started that section and then I got to the first question and I had to figure it out without having read the directions. So ya, good luck when you take it again, I hear it's easier the second time around.
Caskins17
04-16-09, 07:36 PM
You can only retake the DLAB test 6 months after you took it. I've done it before and that's the waiting period. It's so you won't remember the questions and the answer choices, making it harder on you to figure out what the correct answer would be when you retake it. Waiting 30 days to retake an exam is for the ASVAB test not the DLAB. Or that's how it was when I did it not too long ago.
richerich
04-16-09, 07:43 PM
Eh, not sure how you would remember anything on the DLAB. Yeah, try to take it again, but it's kinda like you got it or you don't.
You can only retake the DLAB test 6 months after you took it. I've done it before and that's the waiting period. It's so you won't remember the questions and the answer choices, making it harder on you to figure out what the correct answer would be when you retake it. Waiting 30 days to retake an exam is for the ASVAB test not the DLAB. Or that's how it was when I did it not too long ago.
CplGiraffe
04-16-09, 08:05 PM
Probably more so you don't remember the "rules" for the questions, rather than the questions themselves. However, I don't want to remember anything from the crazy test.
Caskins17
04-17-09, 02:01 PM
It depends really. Some people have a better memory than others and could write down the question and the rule and the answers to figure it out. I remembered most of the first half of the questions for a few months.
MrGoldman1
06-06-09, 09:31 PM
http://www.deltagear.us/Kit&Tools/Kit/DLAB.htm buy this book and you will pass the test
I wonder if archped has read this thread lately... this is a trip to his past for sure.
Haha, sure enough. You know I've been accused of being "closet moto" alot lately. True story, just a few days ago I had my ipod hooked up in my car, and we were driving on the way back from the range and the Marine's hymn came on and the 4 other corporals in my car almost choked me. Then I got a good ribbing about how "Matt was about to stand at POA while driving at 70mph, what a motard!" Half of you would have had a hard attack at the un-love for our Corps! From NCO's no less!
no, it's terminal Marines... those NCOs would have been LCpls in the old days of 180,000... swelling the Corps requires more NCOs and SNCOS....
and what were you doing driving 70MPH on base? or is the range in HI off base..... yeah.... nevermind.
Is there anything wrong with terminal Marines? Its amazing to see how angry old salts get when I tell them I'm getting out, even more so when I'm excited about getting out.
PaidinBlood
06-07-09, 02:52 PM
You're being summoned to the ***** Corners...FYSA
Is there anything wrong with terminal Marines? Its amazing to see how angry old salts get when I tell them I'm getting out, even more so when I'm excited about getting out.
no, nothing wrong with it at all... hell I got out.
it's just, when you drop your pack half way through your enlistment is all..
you though I think enjoy the Corps and will miss it once you get laid off from your new job you think is going to change your life...
hehehee... enjoy it while it lasts.
Ssgt, I replied to your post in the "***** corners" thread. I decided Poolees don't need to know everything about the Marine Corps just yet.