NATS interview process
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: LTCC
I think the amount of study required is very much down to the individual.
Some worked every night and most of the weekend, most followed a pattern something like Gonzo/AJ and others did practically nothing until a week before exams.
All of the styles worked (and failed!!) for different groups of people during my time there.
My view was always that I would have been very unhappy to fail something due to lack of work so worked very hard from Sun to Thurs. Friday night was blowing of steam(beer) night and Sat was a day of whatever I fancied.
Some worked every night and most of the weekend, most followed a pattern something like Gonzo/AJ and others did practically nothing until a week before exams.
All of the styles worked (and failed!!) for different groups of people during my time there.
My view was always that I would have been very unhappy to fail something due to lack of work so worked very hard from Sun to Thurs. Friday night was blowing of steam(beer) night and Sat was a day of whatever I fancied.
Joined: Dec 2007
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From: Newcastle upon Tyne
It's one year since I reached the final stage in Glasgow and was unsuccessful. I'll be reapplying at the end of next week.
Is there anyone else who'll be applying for a second or third time this year?
Is there anyone else who'll be applying for a second or third time this year?
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 45
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From: in the land of far far away
Stage 2
Hi guys,
First of all I would just like to thanks everyone who has posted on this thread, as its been really helpful.
I have been invited to stage 2 interview and was wondering if anyone had arranged a tower visit before their 2nd stage interview or did you arrange a visit after passing the 2nd stage and before the 3rd?
Anyone know how to arrange one? PM/post please
First of all I would just like to thanks everyone who has posted on this thread, as its been really helpful.
I have been invited to stage 2 interview and was wondering if anyone had arranged a tower visit before their 2nd stage interview or did you arrange a visit after passing the 2nd stage and before the 3rd?
Anyone know how to arrange one? PM/post please
Last edited by mike1711; 17th June 2008 at 20:25. Reason: I cnat spall vury wel :-)
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 423
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From: Scotland
All, I would not take yahoo's info re college life too seriously. The only students I've seen who do a last night study session and went out 3 nights a week INCLUDING WEEKENDS either failed the basic course, or took a few attempts at more than one course..... None of it is easy, and it never gets easier. You just have to get your head down, do the work, and do a few hours study most nights, and a lot more in the days coming up to an exam. It is all do-able of course so don't let me make out that it is impossible, it's just intense! I'm sure there's many reading this more than happy to agree.............
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: LHR/Surrey
I would agree with two things.. everyone's different, and it is intense.
Some people just absorb information and can readily remember it, others study in different ways. It's all about how you work..
Personally I put the work in every weeknight and had most of the weekends off (except for the weekend before my oral board..and before a few exams). My theory was that if I put in as much work as I could and failed then so be it, I'd tried my best.. but I wasn't going to let the opportunity slip if I could help it by doing a bit more work.
Don't forget too that the pass mark on the theory is 70%, which is what most universities use as their top-grade mark, not their pass mark.. so depending on what you're used to getting in exams you might have to adjust your style!
Some people just absorb information and can readily remember it, others study in different ways. It's all about how you work..
Personally I put the work in every weeknight and had most of the weekends off (except for the weekend before my oral board..and before a few exams). My theory was that if I put in as much work as I could and failed then so be it, I'd tried my best.. but I wasn't going to let the opportunity slip if I could help it by doing a bit more work.
Don't forget too that the pass mark on the theory is 70%, which is what most universities use as their top-grade mark, not their pass mark.. so depending on what you're used to getting in exams you might have to adjust your style!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 244
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From: LTCC
Yahoo,
I'd wager there are very few people in the world who can absorb 80 pages of MATS 1/2 info word for word and reproduce (a selection of) it by only studying the night before.
This is what you have to do to pass the written on advanced these days.
Also, if you haven't failed anything, then you would have spent about 9 months at the college in total - things are more condensed these days.
From 211 I can think of 1 person who passed that did CONSIDERABLY less study than everyone else (still much more than yahoo suggests) but he had one of those crazy memories.
The rest of the mere mortals were left to slog it out
Excellent advice for the interview though
I'd wager there are very few people in the world who can absorb 80 pages of MATS 1/2 info word for word and reproduce (a selection of) it by only studying the night before.
This is what you have to do to pass the written on advanced these days.
Also, if you haven't failed anything, then you would have spent about 9 months at the college in total - things are more condensed these days.
From 211 I can think of 1 person who passed that did CONSIDERABLY less study than everyone else (still much more than yahoo suggests) but he had one of those crazy memories.
The rest of the mere mortals were left to slog it out
Excellent advice for the interview though
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 134
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From: LHR/EGLL
mere mortals? 
don't remove the mystique snelly...
although i have just put my ankle in a cast so maybe i am
i think the point that is being made overall is that it is a different kind of learning to what most will have experienced before. having done chemistry at uni, i had a (wrong) conception that i knew how to study. the college is a fast-moving place where an awful lot is crammed into whichever 3 month course it is. the last thing you want to do is get behind as it is awfully difficult to catch up from there. everyone has a different approach and indeed circumstances (weekends at home etc) but the core aspect of weekday study i would consider essential.
its probably a hell of a lot more than you learn in a lot of degrees in probably a quarter of the time. hopefully all you applicants will get to have this lovely experience
don't remove the mystique snelly...although i have just put my ankle in a cast so maybe i am
i think the point that is being made overall is that it is a different kind of learning to what most will have experienced before. having done chemistry at uni, i had a (wrong) conception that i knew how to study. the college is a fast-moving place where an awful lot is crammed into whichever 3 month course it is. the last thing you want to do is get behind as it is awfully difficult to catch up from there. everyone has a different approach and indeed circumstances (weekends at home etc) but the core aspect of weekday study i would consider essential.
its probably a hell of a lot more than you learn in a lot of degrees in probably a quarter of the time. hopefully all you applicants will get to have this lovely experience
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: The foot of Mt. Belzoni.
AJ,
So, "having done chemistry at uni", you declded to hop along to the College of knoweldge, -good idea!
You are correct when you say it is a fast-moving place. It's going at about 18.5 miles per second, - but then again, so is everywhere else
So, "having done chemistry at uni", you declded to hop along to the College of knoweldge, -good idea!
You are correct when you say it is a fast-moving place. It's going at about 18.5 miles per second, - but then again, so is everywhere else
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: LHR/Surrey
Whilst I know that a degree is by no means a requirement for NATS - nor should it be - personally I doubt I would have passed the selection process without it, simply because of how much I changed during my time at uni..
So I don't think it's fair to suggest that getting a degree then moving into ATC is a poor career choice which you are doing in your sarcasm zooker..
Apart from anything else, it's a very useful backup.
So I don't think it's fair to suggest that getting a degree then moving into ATC is a poor career choice which you are doing in your sarcasm zooker..
Apart from anything else, it's a very useful backup.
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 244
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From: LTCC
Curiousity got the better of me and I removed you (from my ignore list) to read the inevitable drivel you were spouting.
I proved myself right and was once again disappointed with the level you once again dragged me to.
Enjoy listening in.
I proved myself right and was once again disappointed with the level you once again dragged me to.
Enjoy listening in.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 6
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From: God's Country
'All apllicants i would strongly suggest that you get at least one ATC visit in before your interviews.'
Have to say i agree that this is a good idea.
On the confirmation email for stage 3 it actually says, 'it is not neccessary for you to visit a unit before your interview.' however, one of the first questions in my ATC part of the interview was, 'what preparation have you done for today?' when they learned i hadnt visited a unit i had to explain myself.
Thankfully for me i had a reason why i was unable to visit and it didn't affect the interview but even though it states you dont have to visit a unit i would definately suggest you do so.
I actually think its a slight test to see 'how interested' you are in ATC.
Have to say i agree that this is a good idea.
On the confirmation email for stage 3 it actually says, 'it is not neccessary for you to visit a unit before your interview.' however, one of the first questions in my ATC part of the interview was, 'what preparation have you done for today?' when they learned i hadnt visited a unit i had to explain myself.
Thankfully for me i had a reason why i was unable to visit and it didn't affect the interview but even though it states you dont have to visit a unit i would definately suggest you do so.
I actually think its a slight test to see 'how interested' you are in ATC.
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 56
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From: Stockholm, Sweden
During my interview I was asked some questions that were directly related to ATC situations. I´m curious about the pro´s take on one of them, not related to the interview but how one would handle the situation in real life.
"Two aircraft are approaching head on but on different FLs. The lower one requests a climb that would mean that it would cross the others FL. What would you primarily base your response on?"
I sometimes have a tendency to overanalyze things and therefore try to go with my first thought which in this case was to look at the distance between the aircraft since that wasn´t given in the question. I figured that if they are very far apart it´s safe to issue the climb, if they are too close I´d wait until they´d pass each other. How close is too close? I don´t know, I´m just a wannabe ATCO
They only wanted my short answer without an explanation so I don´t know what that question was looking for, could be whether I could think of something logical at all or just go blank.
Anyways, I can see that such a situation is farily complex (or perhaps not) even if one knows the distance and closure rate of the two aircraft. I´m assuming that a FL change is not done at the same rate as a normal climb since the pilots don´t want the transition into and out of the climb to be too abrupt, perhaps a sedate twist of the VS knob to give 500-1000 ft/minute? Since that is unknown to the ATCO in advance what do you base you decision on? A very large marginal of safety? First separate laterally, then climb?
Sorry if this is too OT.
"Two aircraft are approaching head on but on different FLs. The lower one requests a climb that would mean that it would cross the others FL. What would you primarily base your response on?"
I sometimes have a tendency to overanalyze things and therefore try to go with my first thought which in this case was to look at the distance between the aircraft since that wasn´t given in the question. I figured that if they are very far apart it´s safe to issue the climb, if they are too close I´d wait until they´d pass each other. How close is too close? I don´t know, I´m just a wannabe ATCO
They only wanted my short answer without an explanation so I don´t know what that question was looking for, could be whether I could think of something logical at all or just go blank.
Anyways, I can see that such a situation is farily complex (or perhaps not) even if one knows the distance and closure rate of the two aircraft. I´m assuming that a FL change is not done at the same rate as a normal climb since the pilots don´t want the transition into and out of the climb to be too abrupt, perhaps a sedate twist of the VS knob to give 500-1000 ft/minute? Since that is unknown to the ATCO in advance what do you base you decision on? A very large marginal of safety? First separate laterally, then climb?
Sorry if this is too OT.
