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ATC Issues A place where pilots may enter the 'lions den' that is Air Traffic Control in complete safety and find out the answers to all those obscure topics which you always wanted to know the answer to but were afraid to ask.


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Old 25th January 2009, 19:18   #2061 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: North West
Age: 24
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good luck to anyone doing stage 1 in manchester in the morning. see you there!
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Old 25th January 2009, 20:25   #2062 (permalink)
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Location: Berkshire
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Advice for Resitting Nats Selection Test (Basic Checking)

Basically I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice for the NATS initial selection stage, particularly regarding the basic checking test.

I took the test last year and found that I failed on the basic checking, I'm getting really worried now that I'm going to end up making the same mistakes as last time. Last time round I went at the tests really fast and probably answered around 34 on each test ( no idea how many I got right or wrong). I have been doing loads of practice tests at home and have been going for accuracy over speed, answering about 30 out of 40 questions and usually not getting any wrong, occasionally 1 wrong. However, I have suddenly become overcome with paranoia and am worried that whilst I'm getting every question right (more or less) I'm not answering enough in the time limit. If anyone has passed the basic checking test do they remember how many questions they answered and whether they went for speed (getting a higher score) or accuracy ( not getting any wrong).
Help is really appreciated as I'm really loosing sleep over this now.

Thanks.
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Old 25th January 2009, 21:37   #2063 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Highlands
Age: 24
Posts: 79
Hi,

I will point you in the direction of a post I made about a week ago on this subject:

NATS interview process
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Old 25th January 2009, 22:20   #2064 (permalink)
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Aberdeen
Age: 25
Posts: 58
Start Dates

Hi folks,
those of you who have been successful recently, when are they looking for you to start at college?

think last time it was mentioned on here, start dates were April then July, just wondered if anyone knows the latest?
shugs
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Old 25th January 2009, 22:45   #2065 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: N. Ireland
Age: 25
Posts: 12
I was scheduled to start Area training on May 5th, but requested to be held back to July for Aerodrome.
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Old 25th January 2009, 23:02   #2066 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: uk
Posts: 18
Hi,

Just wondered where you get all the material to practice the "basic checking" stuff.
I have been trawling the internet but cant find much.

cheers
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Old 25th January 2009, 23:41   #2067 (permalink)
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Berkshire
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Thanks for the advice Birdie




'Just wondered where you get all the material to practice the "basic checking" stuff.
I have been trawling the internet but cant find much.'

Speaking for myself I have just been making them myself, by the time I've made up one or two I have long forgotten the answers to the first ones.
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Old 26th January 2009, 08:21   #2068 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Swindon
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I am currently looking at November start for Area.
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Old 26th January 2009, 09:52   #2069 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
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shugs,

At my Stage 3 last week the interviewers were telling us that there were some changes going on at the college and therefore not to expect a start date before September, if not December. The plan was to put us in a holding pool and then we'd be given college dates when there were some available, although no-one knew how the hold pool would be organised.

However, when I got told I'd passed, Nikki at HR said she'd just assigned all those to the April/May courses and I'm currently on the list for July (although that's obviously subject to change) so I'm not quite sure what's going on!

I think if your Stage 3 is soon (which I think it is), you'll probably get offered July too. Hope that's what you were wanting!
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Old 26th January 2009, 12:27   #2070 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Manchester
Age: 25
Posts: 11
Just doing some final reading of hints & tips here...
Got stage 1 this afternoon in Manchester...
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Old 26th January 2009, 12:56   #2071 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: glasgow
Posts: 18
any clues to what technical questions they asked you? got my stage 3 11th feb
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Old 26th January 2009, 14:12   #2072 (permalink)
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Aberdeen
Age: 25
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thanks aewaite17 and angry_muppet.

paperclip810, that would be fine for me, July time. the sooner the better to be honest, cant wait to just get started, although still have this S3 to do , hopefully all will be well though. bit of a pain if i was told i would have to wait almost a year for a place, but suppose if that's what it takes...

how did you find your last interview, as relaxed as everyone else seems to find it? have done a few visits and read loads, and the ATC's I've met seem to think i have done enough, but cant get ahead of myself.

same boat glasgowgirl, trying to think about stuff they could ask, although from what i have heard, it is basically just to check you know all the basics, and apply them, not sure though.
shugs
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Old 26th January 2009, 16:10   #2073 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: North West
Age: 24
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done my stage 1 in manchester this morning. was with the group who done those dreaded cubes first. found them easy to begin with but the last few burnt my head out and i didn't finish them all so guessed the last few.

found the basic checking and diagram papers pretty easy although again was pressed for time but managed to answer them all.

the motivational paper was a dodle, would be confident to say I got 90% on that. if you read everything they send you it theres no reason for that paper to worry you.

now for the waiting game.
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Old 26th January 2009, 16:12   #2074 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: North West
Age: 24
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there was no ATC present this morning which was a shame, and the video they show you is the one of the NATS website.

the nice man there did say the training process costs about £750,000
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Old 26th January 2009, 17:39   #2075 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 20
Hi all, me again! Can anybody tell me what format the checking takes? Is it a sample number at the side and then find the corresponding number in the 5 examples
OR
a list of examples and you have to find the two that are the same...

Or both even!!
cheers
MH
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Old 26th January 2009, 18:21   #2076 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
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Madhouserjd:
The first one.
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Old 26th January 2009, 19:54   #2077 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Manchester
Age: 25
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I did my stage 1 at Manchester this afternoon.
I can say this: I HATE CUBES

The basic checking was okay, you just need to work quickly.

The diagramming was okay too once you got your head around it.

The motivation paper was do-able if you read the booklet they send. Although, there are some questions regarding D/S/T and distances between European cities which can throw you.

Fingers crossed. If I don't get through, I know it's those darned cubes that got to me!
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Old 26th January 2009, 21:22   #2078 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
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those cubes done me over this mornin becki dont worry about it

probably see you next year haha
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Old 26th January 2009, 23:09   #2079 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
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shugs & glasgowgirl - check your PMs.
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Old 26th January 2009, 23:33   #2080 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 20
cheers ghost...again!
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