No I completed and advanced diploma in electrical engineering just last year, at the ripe young age of 35. I do have an expired licence though, I used to fly weight shift microlights. But I see on the application they only allow you to select one of the requirements, so I chose my diploma.

How about you?

Hello everyone, greetings, new member here:)

I was quite set on my decision to aim for a position within the ATC but after reading this forum and others, it seems to be apparent to me that the skills required are heavily dependant on original talent rather a progressive workable knowledge capability. I do not know how my skills in this department rank in comparison to the standards but I would like to know how dependent the positions in the course and the professions are on these un-acquirable skills, it worries me to think about it after entertaining the thought for such a long time. P.S. I am still in school so it's not like I've locked myself into any expectations but the dream seems to have lost its glamour after reading these past few months/years of comments on the course and application process. (specifically in relation to communication (or lack thereof) from admin and the uncertainty associated with the program *457* ) If answers could be give to the above that would be much appreciated.

Hi everyone, new here. I just had some questions about the online testing in 2019? From reading the thread I've gathered the process has changed a bit over the years.

In the email I received I was told to expect various topics, including 'spatial' and 'checking'. Can anyone confirm what exactly these involve?
Having a guess I would say that the spatial is some sort of ATC simulator (we are told it opens another browser)?
Checking; I have no idea.

TIA

No contact yet
 

Hi all,

Applications closed day before yesterday already, and I have not received any correspondence regarding where/when to do online tests. My application status still says "Application Received".

Anyone received feedback yet? Should I be worried?

Through some research I've worked out what it will be, please disregard.

I haven't heard anything either. Starting to think they didn't like my resume.

Hey Gavin,
It should be sent via the email you've provided on your application, not on the application itself. Recently got the email on the 13th this Month, hopefully you'll find it there.

Juzzi

Hey guys,

Nope I checked properly in my email folders,junk mail, everything. I got nothing.

I thought everyone would be given a shot at the online testing at least?

What worries me now is by Monday when someone is manning man phone, then online testing is over and we've missed the bus! :(

Ellofiend, controlling isn't just about learning a set of rules and facts. It's about being able to pull them all together as a coherent whole and applying them. So yes, it's very dependent on your pre-existing abilities and attributes. All you can do is give it your best shot and hope you demonstrate the attributes they're after that indicate you have an aptitude for controlling. The training is about moulding your raw skills into a suitable form. Yes, you have to also learn a lot of rules and facts along the way but ultimately you need to be able to demonstrate you can separate aircraft. That continues throughout your career.

If you've sent your application, they should've sent an e-mail regarding if you have successfully or have not gone through to the next stage. If you didnt receive an e-mail from airservices, I guess you got to prepare for the worst i'm afraid.

juzzi

Hey guys, long time follower, first time poster here. I just finished the online assessment today and did not find it to be the easiest thing. Missed a couple questions in arithmetics and checking tests before the timer ran out. How did everyone else go? When can we expect to hear back regarding the results and did anyone get the OPQ straightaway?

Test
 

I've recently finished and the test was unexpectingly harder than I thought, found spatial to be a difficulty, but I guess the rest I found to be manageable. Got butterflies in my stomach about it, wishing the best of luck to all current candidates.

To those (like me) who didn't hear back from Air Services: I sent an email asking for the reasons I was clearly unsuccessful since I met all requirements, and they replied saying they had a really large number of applications and might have another round of testing next month.

So theres still some hope I suppose!

All the best to those already going through.

Cheers

Online Ability Assessment
 

Hey Jerriri, I completed my online ability assessment on the Sunday gone. I didn't find it any more difficult than I was expecting, but in saying that, I also too missed a couple in the arithmetics section as I hovered my mouse over the answer. A bit frustrating but I guess everyone has done the best they can. I didn't get the OPQ straightaway.

I've spoken to a friend of mine who said he has done this kind of testing heaps, in another field though. He said that tests are often impossible to be 'aced' and that I shouldn't get hung up on that.

Let me know how you go with your application, best of luck!

Anyone heard back after the most recent round of online testing ending the 17th June? Been sitting at online testing complete - under review for a bit now and haven't heard anything either way.

Yea the anticipation is insane at this point

Just thought I'll share this but 2 people on Whirlpool received a phone call today inviting them to the assessment centre in 2 weeks time.

I saw those posts too. Hopefully we're lucky enough to receive that call in the next couple of days ourselves.

I have assessment center this week, good luck to the others that will be going or have gone already.

I stayed 10 minutes away and was warned not to take the M80 just in case, took a twisty back way that ended up faster and was 40 minutes early. Wasn't even the first one there.

I've made it through and been offered a role!

The people who said it's better to not know before the assessment day are right, but you probably won't be disadvantaged knowing a little so maybe dig around a little :p

Is it safe to say that if you don't make it to a panel interview or far enough into the day to retake the online tests that you're pretty much out of the race? skyb1ue and Skuppy23 congrats on making it through! good luck on the course.

Hey guys,
I have an assessment day this Monday. Would anyone be willing to tell me what the order of proceedings in the day is going to be?
And how long until they get back to us regarding the outcome... Took 3 months to find out a result after I sat the online test (don't know if that's a good thing or not)...

Any info would be appreciated!

Hi, guys, does anyone know when the assessment centre will be happening after the online assessment? How long did it take for the previous assessment centre to start after the online assessment?
Cheers

You should receive an email inviting you to attend a particular session, though they will likely also try to call you. If you get an email just make sure to advise them that you won't be able to answer calls.

Anyone received any call or emails?
 

Hey has anyone received an email or phone calls after the online assessment?

Anyone gotten the response from after the assessment? Last one I got was the automatic one saying it might be after new years before they got in contact. That was about 12 weeks ago now, though...

EDIT: Finally got a response.

Given that stuff all planes are flying now, I imagine ATC training may go into hibernation again. It's hard to be trained when there's no traffic to play with.

Recruitment is open again, positive news in difficult times

I'm early 30's with a wife and young child. Have been running a business which has been hammered by the current health situation and thinking about a career switch. Am I crazy to try and go down this path at my age? Wondering if anyone has insight into how mature-aged trainees tend to go, assuming they can make it into the training course.

There's nothing stopping you. However, make sure you go in with eyes wide open:
-The Academy stage of training will probably last longer than you expect, and longer than what you are told at the beginning of the course. Can your family budget afford the fairly-poor training wage for 18 months or more?
-You will need extremely understanding and supportive family - for the best chance at success, you need to dedicate virtually everything to your goal while you are training: home study, getting enough rest, no holidays (outside the standard shutdown periods) while you're at the college.
-You will probably learn at a slower rate than your younger course mates. There's very little consolidation time built in to the course. Expect to need to do extra sim exercises, in your own time, to consolidate your learning.
-Historically those over 30 at the beginning of training do have a lower success rate at the end. That doesn't mean it's impossible - not at all - but other lifestyle factors (responsibilities like a wife and kids or a mortgage, for example!) do tend to pile on the pressure for people in your situation. While you're training, the more of those external factors that you can quarantine yourself from, the better - but that's not always compatible with family life.
It's a great job if you do get there, though. Good luck.

Agree with everything said above. If you scroll back far enough in this thread there are a few first hand accounts of training as an older person. Generally, the older the trainee the lower the chance of success. The phrase I heard many times at the college was "we've never had anyone over 40 pass the course." I knew several people in their early 30s who have recently graduated; turned 30 myself whilst training and I don't think I had any more of a difficult time than the younger people. There were four parents with young children at the college with me. Two graduated; all mentioned family life as a complicating factor in terms of finances as well as having to sacrifice time with them.

That's not quite correct, there have been a few; certainly you can count them on one hand in the last decade or so though.

Oh yeah, definitely just a catchphrase they use. I was trained by someone who started when they were 40 - still one of the best ATCs I know.

Hi! I’m glad you asked this question, as I’m in a similar boat as far as career changes are concerned. Just make sure you hit the minimum qualifications, ie finished year 12 or a degree within 10 years :)

Offer for 21st September
 

I have recieved an offer for ATC trainee starting on the 21st of September, anyone else got the same offer?

Hi all, seems to me that this thread is dying but I’ll post anyway. I just applied for the most recent intake (June 2020) and I completed my online aptitude test last night. I did alright - not bad enough to say I failed but not good enough to definitively say I passed. Anyway, I was just wondering:

1. Would age affect my application? Obviously there is nothing written about age (avoid those discrimination lawsuits lol) but I’m 18 and I’m worried I won’t be taken seriously. This is my dream job. I’ve been researching air traffic control for years and my parents work in aviation. I even read all 198 pages of this forum haha. But yeah it would really suck if they thought I wasn’t serious because I’m young :(

2. Would COVID affect the recruitment process? From what I’ve gathered, they only do the assessment centre in Melbourne now and Victoria is having a bit of a surge in cases at the moment. I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole state went into lockdown.