NATS Selection day
 

Hi Guys,

I will be attending an assessment day for ATC with NATS at the CAA in London on the 24th.
Can any of you offer any advice or hints on what to expect on the day. I have the rough outline but any info would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
K

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Make it happen

Hi Kevster,
It's been a long time since I was recruited by NATS, so perhaps someone of a younger vintage will reply. I think that apart from interviews, they now do fairly standard verbal and numerical reasoning tests and also spatial awareness. This used to be based on a series of diagrams, asking you to determine which "blip" was moving and where conflicts were likely to occur. I would have thought that now this is carried out on a PC?
As a general strategy arrange yourself some visits to as many ATC Units as you can and ask for brochures. Ask questions, display an interest in aviation, visit the NATS website, familiarise yourself with the issues around privatisation, Mode S transponders, developments in Oceanic airspace (RVSM, datalinks, use of satellites to display aircraft position etc), New En Route Centre, New Scottish Centre etc.

if it's the same as when I did it make sure you read the stuff they send you as the written paper is likely to refer to it...

good luck!

one thing I forgot:
one of the papers requires answers to math type questions, you have a fixed time but try and answer as many as possible as I was told after the event that there was a cutoff point on the paper...ie, if you had not progressed beyond the cutoff point, you were out, no matter how many you had answered correctly!




[This message has been edited by bill (edited 12 August 1999).]

Kevster,

Your name sounds familiar from the wannabbe side.....

....anyway enough idle bantar.....

.....I went to NATS selection tests in Bournemouth about a year and a half ago. I remember a very long personality questionnaire. These are basic questions and you just have to answer them truthfully. I also remember there was a paper of questions on the info. they sent me. These were like "What is secondary radar?" and "What is the standard vertical separation standard above FL 290?" etc.. There were also questions on spatial awareness, but no tests on a PC the day I went.......however things may have chamnged in the past 18 months and my memory is getting rusty........

Ciao!

Forgot to wish you good luck and enjoy the free lunch if they still reimburse you for it.

Kevster

The format of the selection test day is as follows:

Arrive am and check in - you'll need ID such as a passport to prove you're not taking the test for someone else. You'll be divided into groups - note which one you're in. There are 4 sections to the selection tests:-

1)ATC knowledge paper - general questions on your level of knowlege of UK ATC. All the answers are in the brochures you've been sent. This is therefore a test of your ability to study & learn by youself and assimilate the information.

2) OPQ questions - multi-choice about personality traits etc.

3) More OPQ type questions about spatial reasoning etc.

4) ATC presentation - by an operational ATCO. Usually a video show and the opportunity to ask questions about any ATC subject. Useful, especially if you do this before the ATC knowledge paper.

All questions are done on paper at this stage.

If you are successful you'll be invited to interview and more personality questions and tests. Some of these are computerised.

There are 2 interviews. One is an ATC Technical board with an ATCO interviewer who is looking for evidence of motivation such as unit visits; the ability to fit into a team environment and the ability to think under some pressure.

The other interview is with personnel and is much more frightening!

If you're successful at this stage you'll be offered a place on a course at CATC in Bournemouth.

Good luck.