NATS interview process
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Ireland
I got in too, September edition! I had applied to the IAA in Ireland in the interim last year, and got into that course as well, but it's not paid, so I will be NATSing....that'll be a nice surprise for someone on the IAA reserve list!
Like London buses, right? Wait 14 months for one then two come along at once! :P
I have a bunch of stuff to get sorted now! Anyone no any of the details on where people live while they study? I know in Ireland a couple of students get a place together. I'm sure its mentioned from earlier successful applicants earlier in this thread, but I have no idea where to start searching for that info.
Like London buses, right? Wait 14 months for one then two come along at once! :P
I have a bunch of stuff to get sorted now! Anyone no any of the details on where people live while they study? I know in Ireland a couple of students get a place together. I'm sure its mentioned from earlier successful applicants earlier in this thread, but I have no idea where to start searching for that info.
i'm not jealous at all 
hopefully i'll get there too 
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: warrington
CJCon I'm September too! I've had a look and I don't know whether to go for a solo flat or house share or anything! Still too excited having just got the place :P can't wait for Sep but it all seems so fast approaching despite a 2 year wait.
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham
So I've apparently been too damn busy buying and decorating a house that I appear to have missed the dates available. Hopefully some more WILL actually be announced soon.
There are no time slots available for this event as the date is fully booked. PLEASE KEEP HOLD OF YOUR INVITATION EMAIL AND CHECK BACK FOR NEW DATES. WHEN WE OPEN UP NEW DATES, YOU WILL BE SENT A REMINDER EMAIL.
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Scotland
Stage 2 FEAST & DART
Hi guys,
I've been following this post for a little while now and wanted to say hello, I too am currently in the Application Process and will soon be sitting my Stage 2 FEAST & DART tests.
Congratulations to all who successfully completed Stage 3 and have been offered a job as TATC!!
Does anybody have any information relating to the format of the Stage 2 tests? On the website a paper-based assessment is mentioned however nothing mentioned in e-mail. What are the FEAST & DART tests like? Are they very similar? Any information would be great, as it would mean you're going in kinda knowing what to expect!
Thanks,
WatchfulEye2010 :-)
p.s - Good luck to everyone else currently sitting Stage 2!
I've been following this post for a little while now and wanted to say hello, I too am currently in the Application Process and will soon be sitting my Stage 2 FEAST & DART tests.
Congratulations to all who successfully completed Stage 3 and have been offered a job as TATC!!
Does anybody have any information relating to the format of the Stage 2 tests? On the website a paper-based assessment is mentioned however nothing mentioned in e-mail. What are the FEAST & DART tests like? Are they very similar? Any information would be great, as it would mean you're going in kinda knowing what to expect!
Thanks,
WatchfulEye2010 :-)
p.s - Good luck to everyone else currently sitting Stage 2!
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: UK
Stage 2 Fully Booked
Hi Guys, I also overlooked the email for 4 days and when I finally tried to book a date, ''There are no time slots available for this event as the date is fully booked. PLEASE KEEP HOLD OF YOUR INVITATION EMAIL AND CHECK BACK FOR NEW DATES. WHEN WE OPEN UP NEW DATES, YOU WILL BE SENT A REMINDER EMAIL.'' Does anyone know when some new dates will be available?
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Port Talbot, Wales
Hi Watchfuleye2010!
I am in the same boat as you, waiting to sit my FEAST and DART. It is of my understanding that it is just these tests on the assessment day as the written paper that was previously talked about needs preparation documents to revise for, which I don't think anyone has been sent.
Please, someone correct me if I am wrong?
Also, good luck to you and to everyone else sitting Stage 2. And well done to the new TATCs!
WPride1989
I am in the same boat as you, waiting to sit my FEAST and DART. It is of my understanding that it is just these tests on the assessment day as the written paper that was previously talked about needs preparation documents to revise for, which I don't think anyone has been sent.
Please, someone correct me if I am wrong?
Also, good luck to you and to everyone else sitting Stage 2. And well done to the new TATCs!
WPride1989
Hi guys,
I've been following this post for a little while now and wanted to say hello, I too am currently in the Application Process and will soon be sitting my Stage 2 FEAST & DART tests.
Congratulations to all who successfully completed Stage 3 and have been offered a job as TATC!!
Does anybody have any information relating to the format of the Stage 2 tests? On the website a paper-based assessment is mentioned however nothing mentioned in e-mail. What are the FEAST & DART tests like? Are they very similar? Any information would be great, as it would mean you're going in kinda knowing what to expect!
Thanks,
WatchfulEye2010 :-)
p.s - Good luck to everyone else currently sitting Stage 2!
I've been following this post for a little while now and wanted to say hello, I too am currently in the Application Process and will soon be sitting my Stage 2 FEAST & DART tests.
Congratulations to all who successfully completed Stage 3 and have been offered a job as TATC!!
Does anybody have any information relating to the format of the Stage 2 tests? On the website a paper-based assessment is mentioned however nothing mentioned in e-mail. What are the FEAST & DART tests like? Are they very similar? Any information would be great, as it would mean you're going in kinda knowing what to expect!
Thanks,
WatchfulEye2010 :-)
p.s - Good luck to everyone else currently sitting Stage 2!
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: southampton
Hi guys. First time posting. Thought I'd let you know, just finished the stage 2 exam and the morning was just feast then those who passed went on to do dart. There was only 8 in our group for the day with only 3 going on to do dart test. It seems all stage 2 groups will be of similar size.
Hope this helps everyone and good luck!
Hope this helps everyone and good luck!
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Port Talbot, Wales
t4star, I'm guessing you didn't get through judging by the time you posted. If so, sorry to hear - that is quite a small group especially as all of the dates have been filled. And only 3 went onto DART? Even more nervous now.
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: UK
Hi t4star, thank you for your infomation on stage 2. Hope you got the results you wanted. Is there any revision I could do for the stage 2 tests you could say would help? I want to be prepared as much as I can as the saying goes, fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Getting nervous 
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: warrington
As someone who is waiting to start the basic training in September, my two cents is this in regards to stage 2 preparation and other things...
There is nothing to do to prepare for the FEAST and DART tests. If you buy some sort of product that gives you some tasks to complete, they may be different to what you face in the actual tests and you'll hesitate and screw up. If you think about it too much going into it, you'll screw up. They want people who can naturally pass it, and quite frankly I wouldn't want to do the course if I couldn't have naturally passed it considering how difficult they are reassuring me the course will be. If you have the natural skills you'll be fine, and I imagine a lot of people would only have applied if they thought they could do the job on some level.
Also, people on here seem to be worrying about the size of the groups taking stage 2. Don't worry, they do many groups of stage 2 interviews and bring them out all around the year so even if you haven't had one, don't panic. Just resume you're day to day life, check the e-mail for any new open dates and stop worrying about it.
I had to wait 2 years altogether for my application from submitting the initial forms to being told I had passed stage 3. A year and a half of that was between passing stage 2 and awaiting stage 3. In that time I studied 2 levels of the UKs AAT accountancy qualification just in case things didn't work out. Luckily for me they did work out and I couldn't be happier, but please don't put all stock into this or it will hurt that much more if things don't go the way you expect.
As I said, just my opinion and thoughts, hope some of you may find this reassuring or useful perhaps. Good luck to all of you and extra congratulations to the people joining me (CJCon and FlyingMackem) on September 1st!!! (pending medical of course, terrified about it haha).
There is nothing to do to prepare for the FEAST and DART tests. If you buy some sort of product that gives you some tasks to complete, they may be different to what you face in the actual tests and you'll hesitate and screw up. If you think about it too much going into it, you'll screw up. They want people who can naturally pass it, and quite frankly I wouldn't want to do the course if I couldn't have naturally passed it considering how difficult they are reassuring me the course will be. If you have the natural skills you'll be fine, and I imagine a lot of people would only have applied if they thought they could do the job on some level.
Also, people on here seem to be worrying about the size of the groups taking stage 2. Don't worry, they do many groups of stage 2 interviews and bring them out all around the year so even if you haven't had one, don't panic. Just resume you're day to day life, check the e-mail for any new open dates and stop worrying about it.
I had to wait 2 years altogether for my application from submitting the initial forms to being told I had passed stage 3. A year and a half of that was between passing stage 2 and awaiting stage 3. In that time I studied 2 levels of the UKs AAT accountancy qualification just in case things didn't work out. Luckily for me they did work out and I couldn't be happier, but please don't put all stock into this or it will hurt that much more if things don't go the way you expect.
As I said, just my opinion and thoughts, hope some of you may find this reassuring or useful perhaps. Good luck to all of you and extra congratulations to the people joining me (CJCon and FlyingMackem) on September 1st!!! (pending medical of course, terrified about it haha).
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Portugal
All the news here are really exciting! Congratulations to everyone who got selected for the course. Honestly, it was a much needed reassurance for me, with all the recent news of NATS sizing down on new courses. It is possible 
As for the stage 2 tests, it's a little daunting that less than half of the applicants make it through to the afternoon session. However, with so many applicants and such a long application process, I believe it's better at all levels that they try to be more thorough in the early tests. That way less people are likely to wait for many months only to be rejected later down the road, and it also gives more confidence for people who actually make it to stage 3 to expect good results in the interview stage, since there aren't that many applicants at that point. I hope it makes sense, just trying to have a "glass half full" look at things. It would still suck to fail at stage 2, of course...
Regarding the stage 2 tests, I have only one question... do you guys know any decent/affordable place to spend the night before the test? I'll be coming from Spain, so I'll be going a day in advance, hoping to get a good night's sleep. No need for anything fancy, just looking for something closer to the NATS facility and with good prices, preferably.
Cheers and good luck to everyone taking the tests!
As for the stage 2 tests, it's a little daunting that less than half of the applicants make it through to the afternoon session. However, with so many applicants and such a long application process, I believe it's better at all levels that they try to be more thorough in the early tests. That way less people are likely to wait for many months only to be rejected later down the road, and it also gives more confidence for people who actually make it to stage 3 to expect good results in the interview stage, since there aren't that many applicants at that point. I hope it makes sense, just trying to have a "glass half full" look at things. It would still suck to fail at stage 2, of course...
Regarding the stage 2 tests, I have only one question... do you guys know any decent/affordable place to spend the night before the test? I'll be coming from Spain, so I'll be going a day in advance, hoping to get a good night's sleep. No need for anything fancy, just looking for something closer to the NATS facility and with good prices, preferably.
Cheers and good luck to everyone taking the tests!
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Spain
Regarding the stage 2 tests, I have only one question... do you guys know any decent/affordable place to spend the night before the test? I'll be coming from Spain, so I'll be going a day in advance, hoping to get a good night's sleep. No need for anything fancy, just looking for something closer to the NATS facility and with good prices, preferably.
I did the same when I went for Stage 2. I stayed in Southampton at the Ibis Budget hotel (not even 5 min walking from the train station), and took a train to Swanwick.
At the time, it was the cheapest option, taking into account the train tickets (anything closer was fully booked or way too expensive). From Swanwick you can take a taxi (about £6-8) or walk all the way to NATS (~30min).
If you have time, try going to NATS headquarters the day before. It helps to explore the route and removes the stress of not being sure if you are getting lost the morning of the tests. I chose walking, put on my headphones with some music and tried to relax along the way. It also helped me wake up and feel energized!
Hope it helps, it worked for me!
Good luck!
