NATS interview process
Joined: Oct 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATCO
Posts: 324
Likes: 1
From: Near VTUU or EGPX
Cost of living has and will always be an issue, hence the old "London Weighting" in the distant past.
Up until recently tax has not been an issue.
The Armed Forces are looking into making sure everyone gets the same take home pay wherever they work.
Prospect, the union that looks after ATCOs, rejected a clause at conference regarding this issue, you should ask them why.
Best of luck to you all wherever you end up.
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Edinburgh
Feel like I have been reading these pages for hours!!
Online tests passed in the last few days and invited for Stage 2 early March.
Happy with learning all the booklet information - so difficult to try and tell yourself you can't prep for FEAST and DART! Goes against all my instincts to try and prep as much as you can ha!
Some great info here!
Online tests passed in the last few days and invited for Stage 2 early March.
Happy with learning all the booklet information - so difficult to try and tell yourself you can't prep for FEAST and DART! Goes against all my instincts to try and prep as much as you can ha!
Some great info here!
Last edited by ajborthwick; 7th February 2019 at 17:42.
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: UK
What Band 1 unit is in a low cost area ?
Cost of living has and will always be an issue, hence the old "London Weighting" in the distant past.
Up until recently tax has not been an issue.
The Armed Forces are looking into making sure everyone gets the same take home pay wherever they work.
Prospect, the union that looks after ATCOs, rejected a clause at conference regarding this issue, you should ask them why.
Best of luck to you all wherever you end up.
Cost of living has and will always be an issue, hence the old "London Weighting" in the distant past.
Up until recently tax has not been an issue.
The Armed Forces are looking into making sure everyone gets the same take home pay wherever they work.
Prospect, the union that looks after ATCOs, rejected a clause at conference regarding this issue, you should ask them why.
Best of luck to you all wherever you end up.
Band 2 has an even better example..... Glasgow v Bristol! Certainly a lot cheaper to live in Glasgow compared to Bristol.
Also worth adding that trainees are not paid shift allowances until the license is validated (completion of on the job training).
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Carlisle
If it helps, when I had my medical the facilitator mentioned that you're pre-sorted into a red/amber/green category based on the paperwork you submit beforehand and how likely you are to pass. You could try emailing them to ask which category you've been sorted into, I don't know whether they'd tell you but it's worth a go I suppose. It might give you an indication of how attainable your certificate could be. Equally it could be a bit of a double edged sword as the category they sort you into doesn't necessarily reflect what the outcome of the medical could be.
Knowing the category won't really help though as we can't prepare for it. And like you said, the category we're sorted into doesn't have to reflect the outcome of the medical. I guess I'll just have to wait and be positive about it.
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: London
Thanks
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Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Margate
So for those who have had their stage 3 assessment recently how many days prior it did you receive an email with an allocated time slot? I have my stage 3 on Wednesday at Hampshire but I have had no emails from them 🤔
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: UK
Hey guys, anyone on here from Stage 2 yesterday(11/02)? Having made it through to the DART tests again, that is where my journey ends, again! Perhaps i'm just not cut out to be ATC as twice now I have failed on the DART!
Good news though, the process is changing from April with stages 1 and 2 being online before proceeding to stage 3 interview and anyone who has recently failed can re-apply from April, no need to wait a year!
Good news though, the process is changing from April with stages 1 and 2 being online before proceeding to stage 3 interview and anyone who has recently failed can re-apply from April, no need to wait a year!
Joined: Dec 2004
Aviation Qualifications: ATCO
Posts: 306
Likes: 2
From: Down South
Hey guys, anyone on here from Stage 2 yesterday(11/02)? Having made it through to the DART tests again, that is where my journey ends, again! Perhaps i'm just not cut out to be ATC as twice now I have failed on the DART!
Good news though, the process is changing from April with stages 1 and 2 being online before proceeding to stage 3 interview and anyone who has recently failed can re-apply from April, no need to wait a year!
Good news though, the process is changing from April with stages 1 and 2 being online before proceeding to stage 3 interview and anyone who has recently failed can re-apply from April, no need to wait a year!
That said, don't let me put you off. I know of several people that I work with who got in after more than one attempt and they're very competent controllers.
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: UK
Without wishing to sound too harsh, if you've failed the DART tests twice you may well not be the right type for air traffic. I don't mean that in a rude way, it's just a fact that some people have their brains wired the right way to do the job and some don't. There's some that make it through the second stage and the interviews would find them out and there's some who make it through the interviews as well - because as we all know there's enough floating around the internet and PMs on this forum to allow anyone to be pretty well prepared for the interview stage. However, it will catch up with you at some point and then you've wasted a load of time trying to get a job that you just don't have the aptitude for and you're back at square one having wasted over a year of your life with nothing to really show for it.
That said, don't let me put you off. I know of several people that I work with who got in after more than one attempt and they're very competent controllers.
That said, don't let me put you off. I know of several people that I work with who got in after more than one attempt and they're very competent controllers.
I may give it one more go. It's been a few years between tests and I'd forgot quite how dart went so I could really immerse myself in practice specifically around that for one final crack.
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 215
Likes: 0
From: Moon
Does this mean that from April NATS will no longer be using the FEAST or DART tests ( perhaps Europe said non! ). The rate of attrition in the FEAST test is very high. Are NATS dumbing down sorry, I meant streamlining, the selection process.
It’s not like they have done that before ;-)
Rgds
Ayr
It’s not like they have done that before ;-)
Rgds
Ayr
Last edited by AyrTC; 13th February 2019 at 10:48.
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: UK
AyrTC From what I was told during my Stage 2 last week is that FEAST & DART will still apply but will be undertaken like the earlier Stage sections at home. I stand happy to be corrected but that was the gist of it from the instructor present last week.
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Edinburgh
Hi all,
I have been waiting to book my stage 2 the last few weeks and I have just got the email regarding the new process. I’m unsure what to do... quickly book up to do my stage 2 in March or wait and just apply through new process again. Anyone any insight/opinions?
I have been waiting to book my stage 2 the last few weeks and I have just got the email regarding the new process. I’m unsure what to do... quickly book up to do my stage 2 in March or wait and just apply through new process again. Anyone any insight/opinions?
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: UK
Hi all,
I have been waiting to book my stage 2 the last few weeks and I have just got the email regarding the new process. I’m unsure what to do... quickly book up to do my stage 2 in March or wait and just apply through new process again. Anyone any insight/opinions?
I have been waiting to book my stage 2 the last few weeks and I have just got the email regarding the new process. I’m unsure what to do... quickly book up to do my stage 2 in March or wait and just apply through new process again. Anyone any insight/opinions?
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Ayrshire
Hi, I'm currently waiting to sit my stage 2 (currently studying an unrelated course at uni so was waiting until April to sit stage 2), however, I've just had an email stating stage 2 will need to be completed by the end of March and if sucessful, stage 3 by the end of April. Due to uni placements, I could only now sit stage 2 in Feb. What I am wondering is realistically, how long did it take to learn the booklet well enough to pass the test? Whilst I am aware everyone learns at different rates, I am loathed to spend £300 to travel down from Ayrshire with not enough prep time but would have to start from scratch with my application in April 2019, if I don't. Any advice appreciated!
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Margate
Personal preference but if it was me I'd rather travel to the office as it makes it more real. I remember when doing stage 0/1 at home I was distracted during one of the sections by someone coming into the study to faff around with something while I was trying to concentrate. I would've been a bit peeved if that had happened during the later stages, which are so much harder. I found being in the right environment at the test centre made sure my head was really in the game. It also gives you a bit of familiarity if you make it to Stage 3 too.
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Fife
I was in the same boat regarding booking stage 2. I checked the dates and there were only 2 available before the end of March. I've booked one and, worst case scenario, I can start the process again in April if I fail. I would check quick though because there seems to be hardly any availability.
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: UK
I'm currently part way through the application process for Trainee ATCO, but I'm a bit confused about how salary progression would work. If I am successful, I will have to take a fairly significant pay cut for a few years it seems, so I'm trying to work out the ins and out and calculate if I can afford it. As far as I can tell it goes something like this:
College phase – £17,000 + £60/week accommodation + £1,000
On the job training – £19,423 to £23,307 (depending on location)
Post-validation – £37,014 to £41,253 (depending on location)
On third anniversary of joining – £52,878 to £58,933 plus shift pay of around £6,500
Now for my questions:
1) How long is the college phase? The NATS infographic suggests 1 year, but elsewhere I've read about 3 months basic + 3.5 months specialism + breaks (so around 7-8 months)?
2) Does everyone get the £60/week for accommodation or does it depend on you renting somewhere?
3) Who qualifies for the £1000 extra? (When you're on £17k, every little helps! But the NATS website suggests not everyone qualifies for this additional sum, without giving more details).
4) Is the 3rd anniversary of joining counted from Day 1 of the college phase?
5) If the answer to my question (4) is "yes", and college + on-the-job training can together take 2.5 to 3 years, then doesn't that mean you aren't on the £37-41k band for very long at all?
College phase – £17,000 + £60/week accommodation + £1,000
On the job training – £19,423 to £23,307 (depending on location)
Post-validation – £37,014 to £41,253 (depending on location)
On third anniversary of joining – £52,878 to £58,933 plus shift pay of around £6,500
Now for my questions:
1) How long is the college phase? The NATS infographic suggests 1 year, but elsewhere I've read about 3 months basic + 3.5 months specialism + breaks (so around 7-8 months)?
2) Does everyone get the £60/week for accommodation or does it depend on you renting somewhere?
3) Who qualifies for the £1000 extra? (When you're on £17k, every little helps! But the NATS website suggests not everyone qualifies for this additional sum, without giving more details).
4) Is the 3rd anniversary of joining counted from Day 1 of the college phase?
5) If the answer to my question (4) is "yes", and college + on-the-job training can together take 2.5 to 3 years, then doesn't that mean you aren't on the £37-41k band for very long at all?
