NATS interview process
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: UK
Got my stage 3 coming up soon, can anyone who's been recently tell me how long it took and how much waiting around there was? I know the email said it should finish by 16:00, but they said the same for stage 2 and that ended up being significantly quicker.
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: UK
Hi everyone!
I turned 18 today and am about to apply. I have been waiting for this ever since discovering the world of ATC a few years ago. Its been a pretty hard choice but I have decided to withdraw my university application in order to take a year out and try to gain a place as a trainee air traffic controller. I am aware that the chances are slim but it would be so great if i make it. Does anyone know of any 18/19 years olds that have made it? Looking for a quick morale boost XD.
I turned 18 today and am about to apply. I have been waiting for this ever since discovering the world of ATC a few years ago. Its been a pretty hard choice but I have decided to withdraw my university application in order to take a year out and try to gain a place as a trainee air traffic controller. I am aware that the chances are slim but it would be so great if i make it. Does anyone know of any 18/19 years olds that have made it? Looking for a quick morale boost XD.
However to be honest I would say you don't need to take a year out for this. Firstly the application process can be a long one but you only need to take a day out for stage 2 and a day out for stage 3. And secondly because a lot of the people who get onto the course with NATS are actually successful in their second or third attempt, and you have to wait 2 years in between application attempts.
So by all means submit an application now (NATS are recruiting at the moment) but don't put your life on hold for this. Go to university if it is a course you are interested in, organise a tower visit if you can, gain some life experience, and just keep plugging away with the NATS applications alongside this. Hopefully you'll make it first attempt, but most people on the course had a couple of attempts before being successful! Good luck!
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Nuneaton
Nats Stage 3
Hi Guys,
I passed my stage 3 on the 4th of August and have been booked in for a medical on the 3rd of October and have been told (all things going well) that I will be starting in Feb.
Has anyone else heard anything from these dates or is expecting to start feb?
I passed my stage 3 on the 4th of August and have been booked in for a medical on the 3rd of October and have been told (all things going well) that I will be starting in Feb.
Has anyone else heard anything from these dates or is expecting to start feb?
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: UK
Hey, I passed my stage 3 last week, also told I'd probably start in February. Haven't booked my medical or done any of the paper work yet though.
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Nuneaton
I don't know how to private message on here so if you figure it out let me know! Also if Sinope reads this, he can do the same!
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Cumbria
Hi all, thought I'd check in as I've just passed the stage 1 assessment and received an email to say I've been invited to stage 2 (although there isn't any dates yet).
Does anyone have any insider info as to when new dates might become available?
RadHead.
Does anyone have any insider info as to when new dates might become available?
RadHead.
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: home
Stage 3, you'll be there until 16.00 ish or those we've interviewed in the past have been. Learn your info packs and research what you can off the internet, youtube, phonetic alphabet etc. Show some initiative........ good luck!!
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: Portugal
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Planet Earth
Hi, I've been a long time lurker on these forums (over 5 years) but now that I am finally graduated from University I decided to bite the bullet and apply for NATS.
I just completed by Stage 0, it's 1:30AM atm, but I am wondering how long it takes them to get back to say whether I can do Stage 1 or not. I thought it was automated and instant. Can anyone shed any light?
Edit: Nevermind, I got a e-mail at 6:01AM confirming I passed stage 0 and a invite to stage 1 tests in case anyone else is wondering. I guess the system automatically marks the tests at specific times (like a cron job).
I just completed by Stage 0, it's 1:30AM atm, but I am wondering how long it takes them to get back to say whether I can do Stage 1 or not. I thought it was automated and instant. Can anyone shed any light?
Edit: Nevermind, I got a e-mail at 6:01AM confirming I passed stage 0 and a invite to stage 1 tests in case anyone else is wondering. I guess the system automatically marks the tests at specific times (like a cron job).
Last edited by 777GE90; 10th September 2016 at 13:17.
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Cumbria
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: London
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Planet Earth
Originally Posted by j0sh
Is there any chance of me getting into the stage 2 on the 30th of September if I do (and hopefully pass) stage 0+1 on the 15th? Or would I have wait for a later date since its only a 15 day gap? Just quite busy with work right now and I want to be in a relaxed state attempting the online tests.
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: UK
Afternoon all, i have not long since left the Phase 2 assessment stage (and the fact im posting this at 1300 means i was unsuccessful). However i hope to provide a bit of an insight for those of you who are hoping to take your phase 2 soon.
Firstly the General Knowledge test, i cant stress enough how much you need to learn the booklet they send you, there is only about 30 Multiple choice questions and they aren't too stressful.
Secondly is the FEAST, my stumbling block. This test for me was horrendously hard, with a large variety of different subjects being tested. They seem to go for information overload, in which you have to recall bits of information such as; listening to a conversation and picking out specific info, Random numbers generated and you choose between 4 options, Different shapes with different colours and filtering, Spacial awareness to name a few. Bear in mind these are all against the clock, but also each question changes ie. The shapes have different colours, the question could be turn all green diamonds into blue boxes, however by the time youve read the question you have about 2 seconds to select the correct answer.
I would suggest to anyone going for this to give brain training games a go, and make sure you brush up on your maths abilities ie. 2 Planes @ X Mph covering X Miles, how long until the meet etc.
On the selection i have just done (12 of us), 2 failed the General Knowledge test and 5 of us failed the FEAST. This is before we done the DART test, so i dont know how many will pass overall.
You do not get any feedback on areas you failed, and are simply escorted out of thee building straight away, so be careful if like me you have to wait for a flight!
All the best to those who are entering the selection phase.
Firstly the General Knowledge test, i cant stress enough how much you need to learn the booklet they send you, there is only about 30 Multiple choice questions and they aren't too stressful.
Secondly is the FEAST, my stumbling block. This test for me was horrendously hard, with a large variety of different subjects being tested. They seem to go for information overload, in which you have to recall bits of information such as; listening to a conversation and picking out specific info, Random numbers generated and you choose between 4 options, Different shapes with different colours and filtering, Spacial awareness to name a few. Bear in mind these are all against the clock, but also each question changes ie. The shapes have different colours, the question could be turn all green diamonds into blue boxes, however by the time youve read the question you have about 2 seconds to select the correct answer.
I would suggest to anyone going for this to give brain training games a go, and make sure you brush up on your maths abilities ie. 2 Planes @ X Mph covering X Miles, how long until the meet etc.
On the selection i have just done (12 of us), 2 failed the General Knowledge test and 5 of us failed the FEAST. This is before we done the DART test, so i dont know how many will pass overall.
You do not get any feedback on areas you failed, and are simply escorted out of thee building straight away, so be careful if like me you have to wait for a flight!
All the best to those who are entering the selection phase.
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
From: London
Hi guys. I hope you don't mind me asking as it's a bit off topic but I'm looking to apply next year and I've got a question about what happens should you be successful:
NATS make it clear that you have to be prepared to move anywhere in the country should they offer you a job, but what happens in practice? Are you asked where you'd like do go and do they try and accommodate this? Do you have the opportunity to transfer to another location later on if a position opens up somewhere you'd prefer?
Many thanks.
NATS make it clear that you have to be prepared to move anywhere in the country should they offer you a job, but what happens in practice? Are you asked where you'd like do go and do they try and accommodate this? Do you have the opportunity to transfer to another location later on if a position opens up somewhere you'd prefer?
Many thanks.
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Planet Earth
Originally Posted by Mhyn3s
Afternoon all, i have not long since left the Phase 2 assessment stage (and the fact im posting this at 1300 means i was unsuccessful). However i hope to provide a bit of an insight for those of you who are hoping to take your phase 2 soon.
Firstly the General Knowledge test, i cant stress enough how much you need to learn the booklet they send you, there is only about 30 Multiple choice questions and they aren't too stressful.
Secondly is the FEAST, my stumbling block. This test for me was horrendously hard, with a large variety of different subjects being tested. They seem to go for information overload, in which you have to recall bits of information such as; listening to a conversation and picking out specific info, Random numbers generated and you choose between 4 options, Different shapes with different colours and filtering, Spacial awareness to name a few. Bear in mind these are all against the clock, but also each question changes ie. The shapes have different colours, the question could be turn all green diamonds into blue boxes, however by the time youve read the question you have about 2 seconds to select the correct answer.
I would suggest to anyone going for this to give brain training games a go, and make sure you brush up on your maths abilities ie. 2 Planes @ X Mph covering X Miles, how long until the meet etc.
On the selection i have just done (12 of us), 2 failed the General Knowledge test and 5 of us failed the FEAST. This is before we done the DART test, so i dont know how many will pass overall.
You do not get any feedback on areas you failed, and are simply escorted out of thee building straight away, so be careful if like me you have to wait for a flight!
All the best to those who are entering the selection phase.
Firstly the General Knowledge test, i cant stress enough how much you need to learn the booklet they send you, there is only about 30 Multiple choice questions and they aren't too stressful.
Secondly is the FEAST, my stumbling block. This test for me was horrendously hard, with a large variety of different subjects being tested. They seem to go for information overload, in which you have to recall bits of information such as; listening to a conversation and picking out specific info, Random numbers generated and you choose between 4 options, Different shapes with different colours and filtering, Spacial awareness to name a few. Bear in mind these are all against the clock, but also each question changes ie. The shapes have different colours, the question could be turn all green diamonds into blue boxes, however by the time youve read the question you have about 2 seconds to select the correct answer.
I would suggest to anyone going for this to give brain training games a go, and make sure you brush up on your maths abilities ie. 2 Planes @ X Mph covering X Miles, how long until the meet etc.
On the selection i have just done (12 of us), 2 failed the General Knowledge test and 5 of us failed the FEAST. This is before we done the DART test, so i dont know how many will pass overall.
You do not get any feedback on areas you failed, and are simply escorted out of thee building straight away, so be careful if like me you have to wait for a flight!
All the best to those who are entering the selection phase.