NATS Stage 1/2 Question
 

Hi, I sat my initial selction test last monday, I've received an email saying they want me to do an SHL Online personality test. Is this normal? Has anyone else had to do this? This is my second attempt and this has scared me, I didn't have to do this last time, and I've not heard that this happens. Am I borderline? Did they lose the personality tests I sat last Monday? Please can someone tell that this is quite normal, and that I'm not going to have the personality transplant that I booked somewhat nervously on the NHS! :eek:

ALS

ALS

Calm down!! When did you last apply? Things have changed with recruitment and application methods- you have passed stage one, just relax and follow all instructions - you will not be treated any differently whether you are borderline or not, you have to reach a certain level; if you do, you pass, if you don't, you fail... simple as!!

Chill out and good luck

Yep, listen to anotherthing, he's right.

Calm down, do the online thing, which I believe is a self assessment thing, and relax!

:ok:

Thanks
 

That's a relief, I've worked really hard over the last year, so I'm a little panicky. Thanks for putting my mind at ease

ALS

didnt do your stage 1 in London last monday morning did you?

Hi

Same thing happened to me! But i sat my satge one on the 22nd January and it took them the full 15 working days...and some...to get that sent to me! I was a little confused too but i know of some other people on my selection day that have had it too so it seems pretty standard stuff now.

Here's hoping for stage 2!

Chile

Me too!
 

Hi

I also went on the initial test day at Manchester Airport on Friday 9th Feb. I have received the same reply as you ALS- and I have just completed the SHL Online Personality Test yesterday.

I am still waiting in anticipation!!!!!


Matt

Yep all seems normal to me!

Im in the same boat as Chile at the mo so we're both sweating it out together! ;)

Interesting that it's noted that we've passed stage 1. So is the cous de gras to see if we'd make it and get invited to the actual 2nd stage?

Funny things is after what I answered in the personality questionnaire I think I would be the most unsuitable candidate. :uhoh: I had to be honest though. Ah well cest la vie.

NATS interview process
 

Hi there,

This is to try to help those of you who are thinking about interviewing for an ATCO position with NATS.

I have recently been successful in applying for a position as a trainee ATCO with NATS (last October). As has been previously said the Sticky topic is reasonably outdated although I found it extremely useful during my selection (thanks chaps) I'll give you a brief run through of what to expect.

Stage One -purely to get down the numbers. I had my tests in a hotel in London and dressed in a suit. This is not deamed necessary, but I think any way of increasing your image will ultimately improve the chances of success. The tests begin pretty promptly with a dire psychological personality questionnaire which is laborious and well just deathly boring. (You'll see what I mean)

Next was a diagramming test in which you have a net of a cube with different patterns on it. Next came a cross-checking test which was where you were given a number and you had to locate it in a list by the side, then came the actual aviation-related questions. Gonzo hits the nail on the head when he mentions,

"that the majority of the motivation paper is based on the .pdf document you should have been given. If you read through the document, that's the level of detail of the questions. If you learn the document, then you'll know all the answers. It's that simple. And good practice for when you're at a unit as a trainee and have to learn a fancy document call the Manual of Air Traffic Services Part Two, which might have hundreds of pages!"

These tests are multiple choice, with answers which are very similar. So long as you have learnt the information, you'll be fine.

About a week after the tests I received my invitation to the second stage. Here I had an hour HR interview, another aviation test and a computer test. Although you are given a lot more information to learn prior to the aviation test, this is of little use with the computer test. You cannot prepare for this, just soak it up! Sorting shapes, mental arithmatic, reasoning skills are all tested and I thought I had done appallingly and apparently everyone does!

The third stage, which I received and invitation to about a week after the second stage, consisted of a group exercise which was effectively a board game (and quite fun), and the technical/HR interview, which was tough. DON'T FALL FOR THE ATCO'S TRAPS! Stick to your guns providing you're sure they are sound. If you are unsure, do not be frightened to say so. When I was quizzed I said I wasn't sure, but I would imagine...to some of the questions.

In June I start at the college in Bournemouth, earning 10000 pounds without a living allowance. Providing I make it through a 3 month basic course, I'll either be chosen to follow training as a aerodrome/approach controller for a further 3 months; or as an area controller for a further 6 months. This, as was stressed, is not my decision.

Hope this helps! If you need any further help, do not hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes and good luck,
Ricky Brown.

Good info, cheers Ricky.

Hi Ricky

Thanks for the run through of the different stages. I have one question with regards the spatial awareness cube problems, are you allowed to use scrap paper to assist with working out the solutions, or is it solely a mental exercise ?

BAW1T

Re: cube test query
 

Hello there,

You are given pieces of paper to do with whatever you choose. The test consists of around 15 questions per net with 3 different nets of the cubes. Having said this it's worth noting that this is a mental exercise and is designed to test your spatial awareness - so making a working model of the cube from the paper might not be allowed!

Hope this helps.

Quick Question
 

Hello there,
I've my stage 2 next monday. Does this include the personal interview ie can you give me an example of how you are successful in your job?

ALS

ALS,

yes you will have a interview with HR at the second stage , but they don't ask you technical questions so theres not a lot of prep for that.

good luckage

The purpose of the HR interview is to get a glimpse at your personality, interests and aptitude for the job. The questions ask for you to recall situations where you have been resourceful, organised, practical, etc., alongside roles where you have shown team-work, leadership and quick thinking. Much better to try to remember events from your life now, than try to remember in the split-second time you have to respond!

Strange..........
 

I applied and was accepted to do the initial tests, and then a week or so later I was asked to do an online personality test- NOT AN INTERVIEW????

I was then told that I had not made the standard and I have to wait 12 months before reapplying!!!!!!!!!!!

I wonder why you went through to interview straight away Ricky?

Any ideas anyone?

Matt

What did HR say when you rang them?

I had the same reply from NATS, i had to do the SHL test, which i did on the 13th and didn't hear anything for ages. I phoned HR today and apparently they had 'lost' my printout and that they would get an answer to me by the afternoon, so i waited and eventually wasn't asked to stage 2.

Now, the woman in HR said that the SHL personlaity test was a new thing for 2007 and that anyone who applied from January would be asked to do this in between test. Thing is, i have read (on pprune) that people who did their stage one, after me, only had to wait a few days before being invited to stage 2.

It seems that the left hand isn't talking to the right here and no-one really knows what's going on!!!

Can anyone shed any light?

Chile

I'd imagine doing an online personality test is a way to increase the speed of application. Although, by the sounds of it, it's not helped. When I had my interviews before Christmas, the guys who went through with me all followed exactly the same route as I did and found out at the same time. HR might be able to give you a little bit of information as to why you failed. They're lovely and extremely helpful if you give them a chance!

HR work on SUNDAYS?!
 

I got a cheeky little email this afternoon from HR (I'm in!), wasnt expecting ANYTHING on this 'day of rest'... maybe HR are working shifts like ATCO's!

Ayway, I thought I'd write up my experience. But personally, I thought that stage 2 was the hardest, followed by, yes-stage 1!!!..... or maybe I was just more thoroughly prepared for this final stage.

I really think that these Stage 3 events start earlier than is necessary, I mean 8:30 does SOUND okay, but when you factor in:
1- Get up early enough to eat, shower and be presentable.
2- Get on public transport, which involves one or two changes, and you crossing your fingers that no delays occur, or even that there is room for you to squeeze your body onto the tube when it arrives at rush hour!
3- Allowing enough time to find the place which is usually easy enough… but you have to factor in some insurance time!
4- Getting there STILL a little early to feel the place out and at least calm your nerves, or go the bathroom.

….well then you would be in for a wake up time that most ATCO’s know all about, as they are well used to it [but then maybe that’s the point!]- its quite funny really when you introduce yourself to your assessors and they tell you that NATS paid for them to crash at the luxury hotel last night… but if that’s an indication of how NATS treats its committed and qualified staff- I cant wait to be in the company!

But quite honestly I don’t mind getting up at that hour as I actually am used to it for work- but it would be a lot more worthwhile if this event was held at an ACTUAL NATS establishment [this was an opinion shared by my two assessors].


On my day, there were just 3 sweaty wannabees; things were never awkward or tense. The group exercise coming first does actually puts you at ease- even though the hawk-eyes are watching over you. I think the main thing to remember is that you do not have to succeed in the game you just need to listen to and help each other…. It’s a TEAMWORK assessment!

You do feel the gradual warmth of the company being introduced as not only do they Pay for your travel [within reason], but they also provide you with a delicious lunch.
I appreciate all of this and wouldn’t have issues if these nice gestures weren’t there- I think I share the opinion of the ‘old’ passionate [&luckier] generation that we are fortunate to be getting these ‘give-backs’… in some professions- especially with pilot training/jobs you have to PAY for such assessments[they say “GIVE US £££”]. NATS are offering Golden tickets to this TATCO factory, we should appreciate the providential offer that is on the table… they even give you a little help whilst you train!
…. Okay ‘Pizza hut’ paid me whilst I trained too- but that was for 3 weeks and the pay didn’t change much after a month or two years.

Lunch is ‘sandwiched’ between the interviews… it was a casual affair, just pigging out basically…and interrupting the assessors between each mouthful for a mouthful of answers to our questions- I didn’t ask them any Q’s in the interview as I didn’t feel right to switch from the position of being grilled to being inquisitive… I did however ask about my stage2 results… I was denied, [they simply said- good enough to sit me down across the table from them and that’s all that was required] - I think the main justification would be that if they told me I might tell others [or even post on PRRuNe]- and then everyone with a pulse would demand to know... (I think that they are busy enoug as it is!)
I wasn’t asked any technical or a/c recog Q’s. Having done a PPL, and the amount of research I had done in preparation meant it would have been a formality anyway.

They were interested in my tower visit, and how I had arranged that.

I was given a couple of scenarios to handle and they are looking for you to explore and exhaust all schemes and initiatives, not to fix on one solution adamantly if the situation develops and at least ACT like you are re-thinking the situation with the new information in mind.

People say it time and time again:
“don’t be easily led, be flexible in your position when new info comes in…. and with HR relate everything to ATCO qualities whilst providing examples”. However, the thing you may not realise is that when you are in the interview it will beckon on you that you don’t HAVE time to think too much and its better to just give an honest response. A short 3-second pause is all you feel is appropriate, a bit of ‘ummmmm’-ing and ‘errrr’-ing CAN help but it does not LOOK too good for your credibility when you say you make quick decisions without faffing around.

Lastly, I think it’s important to be friendly with them before the ‘assessing’ starts, and at lunch because at the end (or rather- at the beginning) of the day they ARE nice people, human like us, and are obviously interested in improving the company and the quality of the people in their profession. They also appreciate that as long as you have skills for the job it does not mean that you are a pleasure to work with. Being an ATCO is a lifestyle and it might be useful if the people you work and socialise with are people that you can get along with. We know you are nervous, but try to say something interesting/ make a joke or just don’t sound completely dry- it IS easy to do that when you are nervous.

PS: I went to the bathroom 4 times in the period of the 1st interview… so did the guy I was waiting with!.... mind you, at least we didn’t go together!

Any PM’s?- feel free:ok:

I got a cheeky little email this afternoon from HR (I'm in!), wasnt expecting ANYTHING on this 'day of rest'... maybe HR are working shifts like ATCO's!
Not shifts, but unpaid overtime, to try to catch up on the weeks work, and I think its admirable that someone is prepared to do that, although they still get some stick. I bet it made your day.

Congratulations on getting in EGMC, thanks for the overview, I have my third stage in a couple of weeks and any information helps! :)

NATS First Stage
 

Hi All
Just Finished my first stage in London Cumberland Hotel . Was like Rickypbrown said would be, I was not able to finish all of the questions and later in the Debrief the Chap,A Controller from Heathrow said we are not meant to .Phew that was a relief and if we get through all our stages then we are looking for a start time of Sep or Dec
I hope I done enough to go through

Congratulations QPR spotter! Let's hope you do get selected for the second stage! Question: Anyone starting in June at the college?

NATS stage 3 selection
 

Hello there, i am going to my NATS stage 3 selection day next thursday and would love some advice on what to expect!
Can anyone who has completed successfully this day please give me a little inside info on what to expect in the interview (example questions would be much appreciated!) Feeling a little nervous and a few hints to put me at rest would be a great help.
Nick

in more DEPTH
 

REALISE that every interview will be different.
1- Because you are different from all the 'others' &
2- Because the same HR and ATCO don’t sit every assessment

...That said Nick, look at the tiscali site if you haven’t already
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/radar2001/resources/recruit_menu.htm

but whilst it is fresh from last week:

Tell us about yourself [hobbies/fam/life story]
Any RECENT big decisions- how did you go about making them?
What are important characteristics for an ATCO to have?
Why do you 'wannaB' an ATCO?
Why do ya wanna work for NATS?
What can ya BRING to NATS?
How do you deal with criticism?
What are your goals?

How did the team game go...'TRUTHFULLY'
..... I think they were asking me to bad-mouth/dish the dirt to be honest, but give good analysis and constructive criticism of the event, rather than personal likes/dislikes... try and remember names and USE them [which also helps to remember them-how useful!].

MY CLOSING ADVICE Nick,
Every night think of 1or2 questions they COULD ask you. Picture the pause and feeling of silence and you looking dumbfounded with inevitability of you NOT being able to answer such a simple personal question- then, in the comfort of your own home give a good answer [or think of a couple]...which is TRUE and also RELATES to ATC.
This will help in two ways: 1-it’ll help you to cope with the feeling of interview and the ****-hit-fan silence, 2- it'll give you good answers to play with when some of the questions are eventually asked.

but when I say play them out in your head...actually DO that, do it in REAL time... try not to simply fob it off by summarizing in your head and going 'yeah- SORTED!'

PS: It's not ALL formal, you MIGHT get a chance to lunch with them too. If so, utilise that to show interest in what they do- both of them [i.e. HR too]. Try not to skank off on ones self will show em what a great colleague you'd be!
Bear in mind that even though that ISNT part of the assessment, who in their right mind would employ a passable interviewee if they had an argumentative and self-righteous attitude

EGMC's advice is extremely useful...however, thought I'd add to it. My interview was very technical, possibly due to my PPL/IR knowledge. AS such I was required to describe the holding at Heathrow, and how arrivals are coordinated. Additionally, I was urged to suggest how a controller can calculate the distance/time delay for arriving and departing aircraft.

In short, I'd keep quiet anything you are unsure of and instead, mention technical aspects you are certain of. I made the mistake of mentioning that Heathrow has in addition to the standard ILS approach, an MLS. I was then required to give some detail about this...I HAVE NO IDEA! All I knew was that it allows for a curved approach. When asked how, I simply said I do not know. Don't be afraid to admit you are unsure, as the ATCOs will set traps.

Anyway, good luck and do not hesitate toget in touch if you need any further information!

Ahh, excellent (rubs hands together....)

I now know which questions not to ask on Thursday..... :E

oopsie!
I wish we could say the thread was all a decoy and the real juice is on a circulating PM, but were just not that smart....YET! [I'm hoping CATC will spit us out with a new brain!].

In my interview- I was twice asked about what sources I had used to gather information [this was on two different suubjects mind you]. One of my awkwardnesses in the interview was mentioning PPRuNe; I wanted to shout it out because it HAD been so usefull and it WAS true, but it just didnt feel right- to the extent it made me coil a little and say 'forums' instead... [which is ALSO true as there are a few others!]

I hadnt made many posts, and I still havent...but i was apprehensive about expressing opinions on PPRuNe pre-interview [but now I'm free to shov my opinion in the spotlight. ha-ha!]

AND funnily enough I got interviewed by an ATCO that works at the SAME unit I went to visit just 4 days prior!!! What'r the chyancees!?... No doubt the assessor did a thorough job and asked the WM [Watch] if 'that 101-Question/minute wanaB was a pain in the brain, and if he behaved himself' etc.

On another thread Gonzo recounts a not so fond memory of a VATSIM-er trying to give him some OJT, just imagine walking through the door to find the same guy behind the assessors desk...very similar to the image of the brown stuff passing through a Turbo-fan i would think!

Only joking, EGMC. It's just a bit funny when you get candidates who mention PPRuNe as part of their preparation, and blindly follow what's been written here as the 'right answer'. :E

lol Gonzo! Didn't mean to give away secrets there! Sorry!

Don't worry Ricky, as I said, it's quite good sport to give those who only read PPRuNe and don't do any other prep enough rope.....:E

NATS Initial Selection
 

Just got back from the test day here in London.
Much shorter than it was last year. Just under 3 hours in total. I noticed NATS have dropped the 'Numerical Ability' test and have shortened the 'Personality Questionnaire'. (What happened to the fantastic 248 question one!?) :*

There wasn't an ATCO present last year so it was interesting this time round to hear the chap from B'ham give his talk and play the NATS video. Perhaps it was his Northern humour but the talk looked to put anyone right off!!! 'The social life is going to take a battering'; 'They'll be paying you a fantastic £10K!'; 'You might even get to work on Xmas day!'...
J/K, I'm sure (hope) people weren't too fooled.

There were only 10 people though this morning, which surprised me slightly; I thought there would be many more.

Oh well, let's see what the results bring...


SHT6Y

great advice!
 

Thanks for the advice guys, and the link much appreciated! Going to go and continue working through that motivation test info we were given! thansk again!
Nick

Hello all....

I too had my interview this week at the Cumberland Hotel, Tuesday afternoon! Was a wee bit dissapointed about the lack of females!!! 1 out of 23.... but i guess i didnt attend the interview to try and improve my sex life!

I have kept in touch with a couple of the guys from the other day, and one of them has already received an e-mail saying that he didnt meet the required standards! That was on thursday. However, I have received an e-mail asking me to complete an online personality test - 100 questions.... Was the most boring 40 minutes of my life i think.

Just have a couple of questions.

1) If I havent met the required standard; how long is it normally before they tell you? I just hope its not going to be 3 weeks of an agonising wait just to be told to bugger off!!!

2) How long is it normally between stage 1 and stage 2 (and fingers crossed, stage 3)?


Ta very much

Mpplp,

The process has changed a little since I went through application, but it took around 10 days to be invited through to stage two. However, that was without the online personality test. I can't imagine that would delay the process too much! It's around a 3 month process all in all from initial testing to completion of medical; at least it was for me!

By the way, there are much better places to improve your sex life than job interviews! Tut tut!:=

I recently did stage 1 and the online personality questionnaire.. then I waited..
and waited..
15 working days later I phoned HR who told me that sometimes the SHL website doesn't tell them when new tests have been completed so they don't get notified. However, the tests are still stored.. I gave my details and they found my test and then processed it and let me know within the hour (through to stage 2, on 26th march :)).
So I would say if you haven't heard anything it's worth checking..
I asked about how it works as well, and being asked to do the online questionnaire means you've passed the initial tests. It itself is a pass/fail thing though, not just a subjective information-gathering tool that they can talk through at interview, which is what I thought at first, so those boring 40 minutes will decide whether or not you get through.
HTH

mpplp you nutter!...what’s all that chat about girl-spotting at interview?... PLEASE don’t mention THAT as your 'motivation' for the job! lol.

The online ‘time-waste’ wasn’t part of my selection process, but I DONT think you can 'fail' on that [assuming you be honest!]... They will prob use some software from the 90's to crosscheck all these quizzes to determine:
1- Are you lying? [Who wants an ATCO that blags]
2- How do you learn?
3- Ammo for the face-to-face questioning
...and maybe a 4 [but I'm not sure]- by looking at the results they can archive and use this data to help with future recruitment predictions and favoured traits.

Reading threads from 2004 you will get the impression that HR are really sleeping when they go to work- I don’t know what has changed but they are on red-bull or summat these days… I wouldn’t be surprised if the wait’s were a week apart [I'd never say 3 weeks as 10 working days can only be 2 weeks and a bit if a BH comes up... e.g. good Friday/mayday].

If you read my earlier post, I was contacted on a Sunday...that was a stage 3 result though, but why dont you ask the other ppl if/when they got asked to do the online thingy-ma-jingy?

I know it’s hard to follow this advice but:
Forget about the turn-around times; just get on with prep for the next episode. Try not to aim for short-term memorisation of stuff. If you try and learn it all a little more in-depth with interest you will actually make it stick and always have that in your skull for further use.... Even if you get to the college

PS: be gratefull that there WASN'T any1 you were attracted to....attraction=distraction [dem gals:rolleyes: ]

Apparently you can according to the lovely lady I spoke to, who processed the application.. she said "but if you fail it doesn't mean you're a bad person!" - how relieved was I to hear that? :P

Thank you all for your replies!

Still havent been told i havent met the grade so thats comforting!!! :)


What sort of information will I have to prepare for for stage 2, is it purely a computer test. Speaking to the ATCO last Tuesday he only mentioned a computer test, where we had to concentrate on keeping dots on a screen bumping inyto each other (which I assume is basic ATC anyway!) and answering long multiplication/division questions...

What does the medical comprise of? Being a uni student for the past couple of years I hope I fail on my urine consisting of mainly alcohol!!!! Also, I'm athsmatic but i can't see that having too much influence on the application. Just kinda wondering what they could fail you on? Surely all you need is a working brain, a torso and 2 arms!!!? And when would the medical test be? between stage 3 and training?

Also when would training start, I hear there's a course starting in July.... is there still time to get into that start date, or would it be a later one?

Sorry for all the questions!!!

Again, Ta very very much!!!