Has anyone who did their stage 1 tests on the 25th August or around that time heard if they have passed? I know its only been 11 working days but was just wondering!

Inchy, you could try the numbers from the website -

General Enquiries: 01489 616001
HR Enquiries: 01489 616090

Hi I did my s1on 25 and am still waiting for my results too. So hanging in there you r not alone. I have a feeling we will get the result 2morrow but then I have been havin this feelings since a week...good luck

Thanks Powerbrook - wa at work and didnt really want to look on the website in case I.T. were spying!

Hi everybody!

I've got Stage 3 test next week.
I was wondering the type of questions they could ask me. I thought some questions were about technical stuff like looking at pictures and guessing which plane could be, or asking you about a situation where there is a crash at the runway and you have to decide what to do with arriving flights etc... but a friend of mine had Stage 3 test a month ago and he told me they only ask him typical HR questions, no ATC were at the interview, only HR staff, without any technical knowledge. It's that the way is works now?
Could anybody tell me please what should I prepare before going to the test?

Thanks a lot in advanced!

This document gives you a list of things to think about for stage 3: http://atcocareers.co.uk/pdf/Hints-a...Three-Days.pdf

Hi Inchy,

As far as I can see, there are Heathrow stage 1 dates available for the 25/09/09 for which I am booked for. I was initially confirmed for the 09/10/09 stage 1 @ Heathrow but updated it by just visiting the interview link and realising I could still do it two weeks early!

Have a look and go for that if you want (you may want to do that asap b4 that also disappears!).

Thanks Trader988 Good Luck to you too! I have that feeling every day too so fingers crossed!!

I do indeed ;)

Just got the email to say I'm through to S2 as well, brightened my day considerably... must say, I wasn't expecting it for another few weeks, maybe they batch mark them or something - anyone else had results through today?

I've booked myself in for Friday October 2nd.

Hey

Does anyone have the link to the 32 page info leaflet for Stage 2??

Thanks

Cheryl :)

cdorricott
 

There isn't one? :confused:

May I suggest you read the thread to update yourself to find out what stage 2 now consists of - you only need to look back 1/2/3 pages! :rolleyes::cool:

do you mean
http://atcocareers.co.uk/pdf/Hints-a...nt-Day-Two.pdf

Not quite 32 pages i'm afraid there really is nothing you can do to prepare for stage 2. just go and try and enjoy yourself!

Got my medical tomorrow and a bit worried i might no pass due to my weight (reasonably fit, but years of rugby have put me way over the BMI :( )

very nervous to have come this far but potentially fall at the very last hurdle- wish me luck!

Good luck tomorrow Pugwash! I have my medical tomorrow as well so will no doubt see you there.

For all those going through the interview process check out the links on the first post of http://www.pprune.org/atc-issues/265...ml#post4792772

I found it really helpful for S1 and S2. Beware on S2, there are more cubes! But this time they're on the computer screen so you can't be sneaky and turn the booklet around! :ugh:

My tips for S3? Try and get a tower or centre visit in, and read up on the ATC book by Graham Duke (local library will have it) or other ATC books. Having a good background knowledge is not necessarily a must but goes miles with demonstrating willingness (likewise with a visit!).

Good luck to all!

I know one or two people have mentioned this a few pages ago but after scouring the thread for the life of me I can't find where I read the following info but....

Where do people reccomend staying overnight down near Swanwick?

I stayed at Southampton Eastleigh travel lodge. 20 min away and one of the cheapest.

Seb

re:santamotion
 

hey santamotion, what date is your stage 3? Mine is 21st sept? Is that when yours is? Have you booked a site visit and what are you foing to prepare?

Stage one over and done! Anyone else at Prestwick today? How do you think you got on?

Just completed my stage 1 at Prestwick today and thought I'd share my experience and thoughts of the day.

Hope everyone did well and respect to the guy who called it quits after the 2nd test (Spatial reasoning test, cubes) you raised your hand and said you'd like to leave. Takes stones to admit your out of your depth, especially in front of 30 people..

1st test was based on the literature NATS provides. Did well, answered the lot. Two questions were devoted to aircraft and despite being asked something simple on them both I'm glad I revised the lot (otherwise I'd have dropped two marks). One question was asked about distance between two european capitals and I got it too (so swat up everyone) The others were questions on seperation, stacks, comm equipment all easy to remember if you've swatted. My only criticism is "give me more", all that info absorbed and so little asked about it... I can explain mode S backwards, seating details of the 737 next gen no problem, 6 classes of Airspace, easy.:)

2nd test was the cubes. 40 questions 20 minutes. Did very well here, all that practice payed off, answered 36 and confident on my accuracy.:)

3rd test was operations. 50 questions 20 minutes. Did well, answered 34 and pretty sure I got the lot. Know when to use the scrap paper!:)

4th test was Distance, speed, time and capacity. 20 questions 15 minutes Struggled here, only answered 11 questions and felt as if I'd shot myself in the foot. Really swatted up on my maths but If I don't make it to Stage 2, I'll know why. I'll be gutted as I did so well everywhere else.:(

Hope eveyone else did well. It's been emotional....

Hi VFFx,

First good luck with your stage 1. Just wanted to find out if you completed an online test ( basic checking and calculation) before sitting the stage 1 papers?

If so, how did you find them?

I will be sitting my stage 1 paper tests on 25/09/09 but did the online tests and my performance on the calculation part was terrible so very worried abt it's impact after i sit my atc papers for stage 1

"Just wanted to find out if you completed an online test ( basic checking and calculation) before sitting the stage 1 papers?"

I did complete this test but as to the results/feedback I havent received anything back at all. Nothing was mentioned at my S1 and to be honest it's a bit confusing. The NATS literature places emphasis on you completing this yet it seems to have no impact whatsoever on wether you can or can't sit your S1, so who knows...

The numeracy questions asked during the online test are different than the ones asked on the S1 (Speed Distance Time) which require you to solve 2 or 3 small calculations per question to arrive at a answer.

Looking at all the taster examples NATS gives you to prepare for these tests I'd say on a difficulty scale of 10 the examples are 2/10 - actual questions 6/10 - 10/10 (with a ticking clock factored in:hmm:)

Hope you do well mate.

Some really useful info and tips on here. I've got the stage 1 selection tests coming up. We have to take some online tests before going in for the actual selection tests themselves. Can anyone enlighten me as to how to access these online tests? Do they mean the practice tests on the SHL website? Thanks for any help.
Ed

From what I can tell, know one really seems to know quite what the importance of these tests are. Entry into stage 1 is not dependent upon them, though NATS do stipulate that you have to complete them before attending stage 1 most people get their invite to S1 before or at the same time as the invite to take the online tests. If I had to hazard a guess I'd reckon that NATS might judge the results of these tests alongside the results of your S1 pen & paper tests when deciding whether or not you make it through to stage 2.

I wouldn't worry too much about it if you struggled on them. They are really tight for time and I think everyone finds them hard.... I thought I did pretty poorly on them in comparison to how I did at the S1 test day, but still got through to S2.

You should have had an email titled "TRAINEE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RECRUITMENT - INVITE TO ONLINE TEST" at around the same time as you got the invite to S1, this has the relevent link in it. If you've not had it I recommend contacting HR ([email protected])

Next area course starts in February next year

VFFX, like you, think I have totally messed up the last test. I managed to complete the operations paper which I think I have done pretty well in. I also agree there should be more questions based on what was actually in the booklet. Fingers crossed though we get the result we want.

I booked onto my stage 3 a couple of weeks ago for 7th October - at that stage Swanwick was the only option, however at stage 2 the HR lady said they were trying to get some dates arranged for Prestwick - a bit closer to Glasgow Cheryl!!

I've booked the18th. I really don't know what to do to prepare for it...

1st Round Selection test
 

Hi There,

i have the 1st round test in Prestwick next thursday. Just have a few questions to anybody who has already been through this.

1. I have read and learned the initial test document, are the many questions regarding all the aircraft information towards the back.
2. Does anyone know good links for practice tests on the shape tests etc?
3. I heard there are some questions regarding calculating distances from one airport to another, any info on this or where I would get practice material.

Cheers for any help

Finto

Hey ShaunL and VFFX, I was at Prestwick on Friday aswell. I pretty much did exactly the same, I answered only 11 on the last paper (numerical test), which was a bit annoying. I got through the spatial awareness and the operations pretty well I thought, considering I didn't practice them.
I really feel though as if I let myself down on the first exam. I didn't manage my time well on each question and was completely thrown off by the Speed/Distance question which I wasn't expecting in that part of the test. I think nerves got the best of me at this point, but I settled down by the second test.
If I'm being honest, not 100% confident I got through because of the begining.
Do you guys think you made it through to the 2nd Stage? I'm so glad I wasn't the only one to get through 11 questions. It's pretty intense to answer questions like that in 45 secs, considering its not simple arithmetic.

xxx

Do you guys think you made it through to the 2nd Stage?

If you asked me that on Friday afternoon straight after the test I'd have said no I didn't make it. That last test really shot me down.

In retrospect and several days later I do feel a bit more optimistic as I did do very well in the other tests and only let myself down on one test... however.... the bar is high and we just don't know how they're marked.

It's funny everytime I see a plane flyover, first of all I recognise it instantly (usually a 757 or A321) then I think about that last test:(

Going on holiday for a week on the 20th really hope it takes my mind of it all.

I was pretty confident that i passed stage 1 after i did it. However i did feel i did well on all the papers except the cubes. There is simply no way of knowing really as no-one can tell what the pass marks are. A stat for you though, 90% fail stage 1.

Good luck!

P.S. Stage 2 i wasn't confident i had passed but i did so don't think too much into it!

Seb

Finto,

With regards to your questions:

Only a couple, but I'd advise you do your best to revise it all as you never know what those couple of questions will be.

There don't seem to be many practice resources available for these apart from what NATS give you. There have been a lot of questions on this thread about this, but I don't think I've seen any links to more examples of these as NATS (& Eurocontrol with the FEAST test) seem to be the only people who use them. You could try creating your own practice questions, but otherwise there's not a lot of practice you can do.

It's also worth practising your mental arithmatic. A good website with lots of questions similar to those you'll be asked in the NATS tests is Speed Distance Time | OASC: RAF Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre

They throw in one or two questions about distances between a few major european airports on the ATC motivation paper (the one based upon the document). I thought this was a bit mean as this info isn't in the document, but I guess they are free to throw anything at you they like. It's multiple choice, so you don't need to know precise distances, but it might help to brush up on your european geography so you've got a good mental map of where everything is, that way if you just learn a few distances then you should be able to work others out reasonably accurately.

I wouldn't worry too much about this, I completely shot myself in the foot on these questions and still got through. I'd recently driven one of the routes they asked for so tried to remember the mileage I'd done... only to realise after I'd finished that the figure I used was the mileage for the return trip rather than a single leg. I then screwed up the second question as well because I tried to calculate it as a fraction of the distance I'd worked out for the previous question :ugh:

That's an interesting stat! Out of interest, where did you hear it?

I read on the NATS website that only 3% of applicants make it through selection, which had me worrying a bit for stage 2. But if 90% of applicants fail at stage 1 that means the odds of passing stages 2 and 3 are actually not that bad once you're through to them.

A question to those who've recently sat stage 1:

In diagramming/commands/operations/sequence test, was the command for swapping the symbols:

'Swap figure in this box with figure in box below'

OR

'Swap figure in this box with figure in box above'

Can't remember which it was from my stage 1, I think I recall that the NATS practice pdf said one of the options above and then on the day it was the other option!
Can anyone remember?

Stage1
 

Hi Sebby K, the stats of a 90 percent fail as Pat42 puts it, is interesting. It makes stage 1 sound difficult but even though I am yet to sit mine on the 25th of this month, I have to say that the stage 1 papers should be the more manageable cos at least we KNOW what to expect unlike stages 2 and 3. Regarding the stats I believe I have a good explanation ( not sure where u sourced the info from though) below:

NATS' entry requirements to sit stage 1 one is no more than passing your GCSE's with at least C's in English & Maths. I mean lets face it, how difficult can this be?! That allows a large pool of people to go through to stage 1 but that's where the real examination kicks in so I will not be too surprised at the 90% fail if accurate (i bliv it's a bit too high though).

For those of us who are lucky to be on this forum, except your desire is not up to scratch to be an ATCO, the advice given by people here is more than enough to see you through if you really want it.

I am very confident of passing stage 1 because of all the help and advice since joining this forum. Like someone said on this thread, we know what to expect so just practice, practice, practice............! I mean VFFX went as far as cutting pieces of cube nets and making questions out of them for the spatial reasoning tests - now that to me is passion and I can learn from that!!!

My major concern though I have to admit is those awful online selections tests but like others have adviced - I shouldn't worry abt them as they are unlikely to be used in the criteria for stage 1 (hopefully!!).

Thank you all guys for your help!

When I spoke to HR they mentioned they get a 60% no show rate for stage 1's, so maybe that is something to bear in mind also.

I think 90% of people failing sounds far out to me, this means that 3 out of 10 people who pass stage 1, will be admitted to the college according to NATS, although I would love for this to be true, I don't think it is.

SKOS and Pat
 

Guys,

I heard this stat several times now, but heard it myself from NATS when i sat my Stage 2. 90% do fail stage 1. I personally found it easy, but then again as you said that this forum has helped loads! I would probably guess that most people on here pass Stage 1. However, you still need to know your maths etc. Some people just can't handle it, and trust me if you struggle slightly at Stage 1, be prepared to be overwhelmed at Stage 2 lol. Stage 1 is about getting rid of the people that can't handle it which is suprisingly to you and me a lot! I read somewhere that someone walked out after 2 exams!
Once you pass stage 1, the odds are in your favour. Something like 55% get through Stage 2 and then 55% through Stage 3. However once you pass stage 3 you aren't guaranteed as about half drop out during college and verification....It isn't easy and you need to be committed. I know for sure that this is what i want, got really excited at stage2 when they brought in a college graduate to talk to us at lunch who is doing his verification.

Not trying to scare you, just saying how it is, you either have what it takes or you don't and there is only one way to find out! So enjoy the experience!

Seb

You cannot draw comparisons with GCSE's and stage 1. Stage 1 is an aptitude test and check of motivation.

If I remember correctly the test actually contained both of these, but can't be completely sure.

Sebby,

Sorry, I think you misunderstood my post. I wasn't doubting the statistics, just a little suprised by them and was wondering about the source.