NATS interview process
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Leanne, your mum's right! There's 3 of us from the 29th who've already received our 'no' responses...
I did stage 2 with you - the other girl (olivia)... good luck! I really hope you pass!
I did stage 2 with you - the other girl (olivia)... good luck! I really hope you pass!
Join Date: Jun 2009
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Spare a thought though for the Stage 3 people who get knocked back at such a final stage that must be a right kick in the teeth ...and wallet....
Join Date: Sep 2009
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Hi folks,
I found out yesterday that I didn't pass my stage 3 from 18th Sept.
I'm gutted.....
The daft thing is I have a pretty decent job anyway but really, really wanted to do this.
As I'm 34 I don't think I'll be having another go.
I sat and worked out that to stay overnight and travel to stages 1,2 and 3 as well as a separate visit to Swanwick had cost me over £1000. That's a fair bit of money for a big fat NO......
I found out yesterday that I didn't pass my stage 3 from 18th Sept.
I'm gutted.....
The daft thing is I have a pretty decent job anyway but really, really wanted to do this.
As I'm 34 I don't think I'll be having another go.
I sat and worked out that to stay overnight and travel to stages 1,2 and 3 as well as a separate visit to Swanwick had cost me over £1000. That's a fair bit of money for a big fat NO......
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Hey guys, did any of you folks who didn't make it through stage 3 get contacted about your security form you filled in? That's the only contact I've had, and I still haven't heard a thing! Was it via email or a phone call? X
Join Date: Sep 2009
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Stage 2
Well.... just got back from stage 2. Not really sure what to make of it, what an epic day!!
Felt it was pretty tough. I think it was obvious that you couldn't be expected to do most of the tasks without making mistakes, I certainly know I made quite a few (particularly annoying when you hit the button, and realise as soon as its too late that you chose the wrong answer
). I guess its just a matter of how many mistakes you make, which makes it quite hard to judge how well you did as there is no indication of what level of performance is required. I don't feel like I made a horrendous mess of any of it, but I'm certainly not feeling confident like I was after stage 1.
For anyone wanting more detail about what it involves:
The day is split into three parts, with a 30min break timetabled mid-morning and an hour for lunch (but generally the tests don't take as long as is timetabled so you get more time between than that).
The first part of the morning is dedicated to the FEAST tests. A good description of this can be found on this website: FEAST test
NATS use the entire FEAST test, but you don't do the strip management test at this stage (this is done after lunch as explained below).
After the first break you then sit the NATS computer tests. These are pretty old school (the software seems to run in DOS). The first one is called the arrow test: there is an arrow and a ball on the screen, you have to imagine you are standing on the arrow and looking in the direction it is pointing and then say whether or not the ball is to your left or your right. You get about 1-2 secs to answer each question before it dissappears. If you aren't fast enough then you miss out on that question). Later on there is a new arrow which is a different colour, when this arrow is displayed you have to invert the answer (so left is right, right is left etc.)
The second NATS test is a sorting test more or less exactly like the one you do earlier in the day as part of the FEAST tests.
The final NATS test is a collision avoidance test. There are loads of objects flying about the screen and you have to select which objects to remove to stop them from colliding with each other, the fewer objects you remove to solve the problem the more points you get (sounds a lot easier than it is). Later, as an added dimension, you have to answer some fairly nasty maths questions very very quickly (you get a few seconds max for each question) at the same time. If I fail I'm fairly sure this test is why!
After lunch you sit the SDM (Strip Display Management) test, which is the final part of the FEAST tests. This was AWESOME!! I more or less got over the stress of the whole day's testing, forgot about what was at stake, and really enjoyed myself on this. Basically this is a simulation of a section of airspace with a number of waypoints. You have to track aircraft through the airspace and update their flight strips as they go. You also have to keep the flight strips organised based upon a strict set of rules, discard expired flight strips, and try and identify any conflicts (you don't actually have to do anything about the conflicts, just identify them - which is easier said than done when you've got about 20-30 flight strips on the screen at once and are also receiving constant updates from the aircraft regarding position, altitude, ETA to waypoints etc. through your headset and have to keep all the strips fully up to date all the time). Think I did pretty well on this. Not sure if I managed to spot all the conflicts... I didn't get any alarms or warnings so I think that was a good sign.
All in all, quite a fun day, but a lot of hard work. Fingers crossed for the results now. The assessor said she'd try and get them to us within the next week, so time for several days of nervous feet tapping and thumb twiddling!
Felt it was pretty tough. I think it was obvious that you couldn't be expected to do most of the tasks without making mistakes, I certainly know I made quite a few (particularly annoying when you hit the button, and realise as soon as its too late that you chose the wrong answer
). I guess its just a matter of how many mistakes you make, which makes it quite hard to judge how well you did as there is no indication of what level of performance is required. I don't feel like I made a horrendous mess of any of it, but I'm certainly not feeling confident like I was after stage 1.For anyone wanting more detail about what it involves:
The day is split into three parts, with a 30min break timetabled mid-morning and an hour for lunch (but generally the tests don't take as long as is timetabled so you get more time between than that).
The first part of the morning is dedicated to the FEAST tests. A good description of this can be found on this website: FEAST test
NATS use the entire FEAST test, but you don't do the strip management test at this stage (this is done after lunch as explained below).
After the first break you then sit the NATS computer tests. These are pretty old school (the software seems to run in DOS). The first one is called the arrow test: there is an arrow and a ball on the screen, you have to imagine you are standing on the arrow and looking in the direction it is pointing and then say whether or not the ball is to your left or your right. You get about 1-2 secs to answer each question before it dissappears. If you aren't fast enough then you miss out on that question). Later on there is a new arrow which is a different colour, when this arrow is displayed you have to invert the answer (so left is right, right is left etc.)
The second NATS test is a sorting test more or less exactly like the one you do earlier in the day as part of the FEAST tests.
The final NATS test is a collision avoidance test. There are loads of objects flying about the screen and you have to select which objects to remove to stop them from colliding with each other, the fewer objects you remove to solve the problem the more points you get (sounds a lot easier than it is). Later, as an added dimension, you have to answer some fairly nasty maths questions very very quickly (you get a few seconds max for each question) at the same time. If I fail I'm fairly sure this test is why!
After lunch you sit the SDM (Strip Display Management) test, which is the final part of the FEAST tests. This was AWESOME!! I more or less got over the stress of the whole day's testing, forgot about what was at stake, and really enjoyed myself on this. Basically this is a simulation of a section of airspace with a number of waypoints. You have to track aircraft through the airspace and update their flight strips as they go. You also have to keep the flight strips organised based upon a strict set of rules, discard expired flight strips, and try and identify any conflicts (you don't actually have to do anything about the conflicts, just identify them - which is easier said than done when you've got about 20-30 flight strips on the screen at once and are also receiving constant updates from the aircraft regarding position, altitude, ETA to waypoints etc. through your headset and have to keep all the strips fully up to date all the time). Think I did pretty well on this. Not sure if I managed to spot all the conflicts... I didn't get any alarms or warnings so I think that was a good sign.
All in all, quite a fun day, but a lot of hard work. Fingers crossed for the results now. The assessor said she'd try and get them to us within the next week, so time for several days of nervous feet tapping and thumb twiddling!
Join Date: Aug 2009
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Hello, this is the first time I have posted on here but fortunately I passed stage 3 a month or so ago. Just got back from my NATS medical. On one of the forms I had to state whether I had been to see my GP recently. At the beginning of the year I had to visit the GP due to kidney stones who then referred me to the ultrasound dept. They found no trace of them anymore and presumed I had passed them.
After telling the doctor at NATS about this I am having to wait for a report from my GP and this information is going to be sent to the CAA before they can book my CAA medical.
Im now really worried that because of a history of kidney stones I'm going to be rejected. Has anybody had a similar experience and if so what was the outcome? I will be gutted if they can't sign me off as fit because of a history of this.
This is possibly the wrong section to write this but all the searches come back with information about pilots not TATCOs
Thanks in advance
Shaun
After telling the doctor at NATS about this I am having to wait for a report from my GP and this information is going to be sent to the CAA before they can book my CAA medical.
Im now really worried that because of a history of kidney stones I'm going to be rejected. Has anybody had a similar experience and if so what was the outcome? I will be gutted if they can't sign me off as fit because of a history of this.
This is possibly the wrong section to write this but all the searches come back with information about pilots not TATCOs
Thanks in advance
Shaun
Join Date: Aug 2009
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Hi all, here is the feedback I got from HR regarding my S1 tests.
"I have checked your results. I can confirm for you that you did not meet the required standard on the diagramming paper."
Bemusing... my weakness is maths not diagramming. I did really well on the operations (diagramming) answering over 35 questions on the paper. I guess either my accuracy was not up to scratch or I didn't answer enough questions.
Really frustrating, I was so confident after answering that paper and yet that was my weakness not the SDT questions.
Instead of answers more questions....
"I have checked your results. I can confirm for you that you did not meet the required standard on the diagramming paper."
Bemusing... my weakness is maths not diagramming. I did really well on the operations (diagramming) answering over 35 questions on the paper. I guess either my accuracy was not up to scratch or I didn't answer enough questions.
Really frustrating, I was so confident after answering that paper and yet that was my weakness not the SDT questions.
Instead of answers more questions....
Join Date: Apr 2009
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Medical
Hi Shaun
I didn't pass the Nats medical because of one of the eye tests, I've just had my CAA medical which I passed no problem and I'm booked onto the February course, I had the same worries although it was a different problem, I'm sure they would have told you if they thought it was going to be a problem.
Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine.
I didn't pass the Nats medical because of one of the eye tests, I've just had my CAA medical which I passed no problem and I'm booked onto the February course, I had the same worries although it was a different problem, I'm sure they would have told you if they thought it was going to be a problem.
Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine.
Join Date: Aug 2009
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Thanks for your replies guys its helped put my mind at ease a little. I will let people know what the outcome is. I think the plan is to be put on the feb course so hopefully i get everything sorted and still get put on that.
Thanks again
Shaun
Thanks again
Shaun
Join Date: Jan 2009
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Leanne 1987 - PHONE HR! It's no good asking on this forum what the email regarding the security questionairre means!
On a positive note, they would only need the security form filled out 100% accuaratly if you were succesful at stage 3!
HR may have forogtten to email you regarding the Stage 3 results, the same happened to me, I got to the 15 working days, called them and got told to call back after the weekend to find out! Called Monday and they had temporarily lost my stage 3 results!!!!!!!!!! But they found them and I had passed.....so fingers crossed for you!
To everyone sitting stage 1 - I feel for you so good luck, we were hit with a couple of stage 1 tests the other day that they are thinking of bringing in, it almost fried my brain although interestingly, most of us completed them in the time allotted. (On top of that we had a written exam 1st thing the next morning!)
On a positive note, they would only need the security form filled out 100% accuaratly if you were succesful at stage 3!
HR may have forogtten to email you regarding the Stage 3 results, the same happened to me, I got to the 15 working days, called them and got told to call back after the weekend to find out! Called Monday and they had temporarily lost my stage 3 results!!!!!!!!!! But they found them and I had passed.....so fingers crossed for you!
To everyone sitting stage 1 - I feel for you so good luck, we were hit with a couple of stage 1 tests the other day that they are thinking of bringing in, it almost fried my brain although interestingly, most of us completed them in the time allotted. (On top of that we had a written exam 1st thing the next morning!)
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Seem to be loads of us from s2 on the 30th on here now. Wish the weekend would hurry up!
Would love to get through to s3.
Would love to get through to s3.
Last edited by lizplt; 3rd Oct 2009 at 21:44.
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Hey all, just signed up to the forum after finding the site a day before my stage 1 test! the sites is great and thanks for all the info, just wish I found it earlier, haha..
does anyone know roughly how long it takes to hearback after stage1 tests? I realise they say '15 working days' but after readin the threads I see some people heard back within 1 or 2 days, does it vary depending on whether ur passed or failed? I took the test on 1st October, so its only been 2 days but like others have said its horrible waiting! cheers
does anyone know roughly how long it takes to hearback after stage1 tests? I realise they say '15 working days' but after readin the threads I see some people heard back within 1 or 2 days, does it vary depending on whether ur passed or failed? I took the test on 1st October, so its only been 2 days but like others have said its horrible waiting! cheers
Join Date: Sep 2009
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Stage 1 - 15th
Hi guys, I've got my Stage 1 again (failed Stage 3 last year), anyone going to the NATS building in Farham on the 15th, next week, morning session?
Scott
Scott
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People Passing Stage 1:
Hey, not hearing anyone passing Stage 1 lately, if you get through be sure to let us know, GOOD LUCK!
P.S. college places seem choc-a-block, interesting to see if they choke the intake. Good Luck for those elsewhere in the process too.
P.S. college places seem choc-a-block, interesting to see if they choke the intake. Good Luck for those elsewhere in the process too.