Andrew777
 

Sorry to hear you didn't pass the first hurdle.
Although NATS' official mantra is they do not provide feedback, its worth a shot either emailing them or calling them and politely asking. You may find (as I did) that you did quite well in some tests and less so in others which will help if you do decide to re-apply.

Out of interest, which test did you find the hardest? How many commands/instructions were there in the diagramming test you sat?

Online Test
 

I have Stage 1 on the 25th January, however, I can't complete the online tests as the site is not compatible with Windows 7!

Anyone else have this problem? The site throws up an error message saying it only works with Vista/XP etc.

I've emailed both SHL and NATS but had no reply.

How am I supposed to complete the tests if SHL can't make their tests compatible with the latest, most widely used operating system?!

I think one of your friends will be willing to lend to you a laptop for 10 minutes to do those tests...

Yeah - I had a similar problem on a Mac.

Had to borrow my sister's laptop to do the tests. Bit of a pain actually. When you've psyched yourself up already.

Stage 3 - 29th January
 

Hi all!
I've just started my preparation for Stage 3 which is on the 29th. I've done Stage 3 before, around November 2007 and I know a few things have changed since then but I'm pretty sure I know what to do to prepare.

Just a quick question for anyone who has just sat Stage 3 and even just sat Stage 3 on a 2nd attempt (so you've sat Stage 3 before similarly to me), I wanted to ask about the actual Interview itself. Last time I went through the assessments I got two test materials to learn up on however this time I've only been given the one test materials (they took away the motivation paper from stage 2). In the interviews now do they give you less technical questions than they used to?

Thanks
Scott :ok:

I'd think of like 3 or 4 for each. Or just write down all the previous experiences you've had that may be relevant to skills needed to be an ATCO, because although I thought I was well prepared they still threw a spanner in the works by saying "yeeaaah that example doesn't work with the rest of the questions" and you'd be put on the spot to think of another example.
Loved the team game though. I wanna do that again because I thought I'd cracked it until they came around with those cards.

"though they may well ask a bit about any NATS facilities you have visited as part of the "ATC motivation" competency and that might be an opportunity to show how much you absorbed in any visit(s) you did"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks a lot for the info, i've already been to heathrow and im going again the day before stage 3 so that should be worthwhile, i'll also have a look into going to swanwick but my time is limited due to work.

Have you got any examples of the questions they asked you about your visits?

Thanks!
Scott

Lizplt -

I have also been penciled in for the Aug Area course !! So.. thats makes 2 !! Woohoo !! Maybe we should start a NATS 224 group on facebook as well lol ... or is that too eager !! 8 bloody months ....!! ha

Tom

Ah now you've got me all excited again. It's gonna have to be done. Anyone else on August Area course find it. I'll start it now. NATS 224 on facebook.

Liz x

Pat42 as always,thanks a lot.

Stage 2 dress code
 

Hey everyone, just a quick question for those of you who have done Stage 2 already: were people dressed quite formally? I know the dress code is supposed to be smart/casual but I wouldn't want to show up in jeans and find everyone wearing suits and vice versa.

Thank you in advance

Hey - naturally for my S2 everyone dressed up to the nines. However on the invite it said smart casual where as my invite to S3 specifically said smart dress so I guess that NATS do expect a difference in appearance. I think you'll be able to get away with a shirt and trousers, I ended up taking off my tie as soon as I sat down at the computer.

Make sure you're comfortable!

Good luck, S88

Yep. it sounds like it's better to overkill in this situation I think.
Thanks for the quick reply!

Diagramming
 

Im pretty sure there are around 8-12 instructions. I can not remember exactly how many im afraid.
Regards

Quick question.

On the s/d/t tests on stage 1 can you use a calculater + how many q's are there?

Much love.

I went in a suit to stage 2, most other people there were dressed similarly so it won't do you any harm to over dress (you won't be the only one). That said, the one guy who did turn up dressed more casually (jeans and a shirt) was also at my stage 3, so it obviously didn't hold him back. Just don't turn up in a tattered pair of trainers and your favourite Metallica T.

It's quite an intense day at stage 2 as well, so make sure that you are comfortable whatever you choose to wear.

Plato,

No calculators, they want to check out your mental arithmatic. Besides, these are the kind of questions you should really be able to do faster in your head than by the time you've got the calculator out of the drawer, keyed in all the numbers etc.

If I recall correctly there were about 25 questions, but it was a while ago now. If you have a look back in the thread around the beginning of September you should be able to find a post I put up after stage 1 which goes into more detail.

Morning all (at least it will be by the time I've finished typing this post),

I have managed to get to the 3rd stage of the ATC assessment and am due down in Swanwick this coming Tuesday (starting to get nervous). I have read quite a few of the replies in this post and they have been very helpful with my preparation (in particular Pat42), just wanted to say thanks!

My question is with regard to the current weather conditions. I live all the way up in Harrogate (North Yorkshire) and so I am concerned that the forecast Snowfall for Sunday and Monday may hamper my chances of getting down to Swanwick.

Has anyone else encountered difficulties in getting there? and what are the minimum number of people required for the group exercise?

Regards,

Louis

I don't know what it'll be like on the way down, but I'm in Southampton and the snow is pretty sparse in this neck of the woods. We haven't had any fresh stuff in days and all the main roads are completely clear now (just a little icy first thing in the morning). It seems to be it's own little micro-climate here, once you're a few miles out of the city it's just like everywhere else. The M3 and M27 will be fine though so once your in the south it'll only be the last few miles around Swanwick you're likely to have any trouble with.

Set off a day early just incase the snow got worse up north. Apparantly it was a good idea as it seems quite a bit of snow fell overnight. Got a call from NATS HR confirming whether or not I would be available, I'm glad I was able to say yes

Stage 1
 

Hi all,

Currently trying to go through this again, tried last year but had to postpone due to injury.

I was just after a quick bit of info really about the first stage..

I have just done the online test, found the checking fairly ok, and the maths was rather different.. I got a fair number of themI think, but there were some that I couldn't do in the time..

Now the stage one pass/fail is based on the results of this and then the actual day down at Fareham?

Or do I find outthe results of the online testing before?

Don't quote me on this, but I've heard rumour that the online tests aren't actually factored in at all... apparently NATS just get you to do them as part of a deal with SHL, but they never actually collect the marks.

Fair enough, the reason I ask is I was doing them in my head, and also I was clicking the quite comfortable button, but it was actually the uncomforatble one I was pressing. My eyes failed me..

But we will see I guess.

Aha - I remember having the same problem. First one I put very uncomfortable - meaning to put very comfortable. I was focusing more on the task rather than how comfortable I was.

Menthol - Congrats! There's a facebook group NATS 224 for people joining August Area and a few people from Aerodrome and other courses are there too. You're more than welcome to come join.

Same applies to anyone else who's August Area/Aerodrome or going to the college around that time or whatever. It's open to all :) xx

Hey guys.

After all these months, 3 stages, a lot of worrying and praying - I finally passed my medical at the CAA yesterday and had an email waiting for me to tell me I had been allocated onto the august area course! I think I may have to take a look at the facebook group now! :P

Cheers to everyone who gave me advice along the way I would be in this position without you all now!

Mark

Congrats on the good news Mark. I'm still waiting on my medical stuff (:mad: GP's took a month and a half to send in my notes) but hopefully will hear very soon....

I've just received an email to say I've been allocated to the Area course starting in May!! Getting a lot more excited now that I have a start date to think about!! :)

I was a little surprised though, bearing in mind everyone else who has posted their start date on here recently has been getting the August course, I was expecting the same.

Congratulations! Maybe they had a cancellation..

Hi
 

Hey Guys, im new to the site and recently sat my tests in the scottish centre for stage 1 yesterday. Got to wait up to 15 days for reply. Just a quick question does anybody know how well you have got to do on the tests, like is there a set pass mark?? Also do u have to do extremely well on every single test, as im not too sure how i did on the numerical one at the end, so a bit worried. Any feedback would be great. Thanks

Oh, and if anyway one has there selection tests in Prestwick, Beachhouse is an amazing B&B to stay in, we payed £45 for the night for me, my friend and my dog. Yes thy allow pets. But it is so modern and extremely well looked after and only 5 mins away from the control centre. PM if u want phone number or address.
If someone who knws more about stage one could reply to my previous post, i would be really grateful as im sat here worrying :)

Loz x

Have just spent the last 4 hours reading almost every page of this thread in prep for S3. Oh my eyes :ouch:

Although on the bright side I now have a database of questions I may face!

What was interesting to see was how people who failed S1,2 or 3 actually returned for another bash ten or twenty pages on, very resilient. Also how the thread went through a bit of a bitchy patch!

I cant help but feel even more nervous when I read peoples posts about not passing stage 3 however I will try and retain a good PMA!

Also must congratulate Pat for your input. If I pass I will have to buy you a drink sometime in the future.

S88:ok:

stage 3 pat 42
 

I did stage 3 last friday and I don´t know what to think about.The first part,the group task was difficult for me because and I wasn´t able to participate much,there were two people who talked a lot and my feeling was that I should have participated much more.I almost didn´t say anything however I paid much attention and I demostrated I am a good listener.
On the other side,the second part,the interview was pretty well.I wasn´t nevous at all.I answered all the questions I think my answers were correct and the examples I gave were accurate.Even in one examples the interviewers and me laughted,good atmosphere.When I finished it I felt I did a good job.
Could anybody who has already done stage 3 tell me what is your perception about the whole?

Does anybody know what is more important for them? the group task or the interview?
thanks in advance

Hi Loz,

NATS generally keep quite quiet about how the whole thing is marked so it's hard to know for sure. What is known for definite is that you are not competing - at every stage there is a set standard and every applicant who reaches that standard will be accepted on to the next stage.

If I were to speculate (and it is largely speculation more than anything else) then I would say that I think that at stage 1 there is a pass mark for each individual test and you have to pass all four tests to get through. I think the pass mark varies significantly for each test, for instance I've heard of people who claim to have got as little as 50% in the cubes still getting through, where as I believe the pass mark for the other papers is a fair bit higher than this. What the exact pass mark is for each paper I couldn't say.

The waiting is the worst bit, I know I spent ages after each stage analysing how well I did and worrying myself silly over every potential mistake, but there's nothing you can do. Just don't worry about it and try not to get too caught up in checking your emails several hundred times a day. 15 days seems like a long time, but it'll pass. If you think its bad enough after stage 1 wait until after stage 3....

Hi Pat,

Thanks very much for your reply. and you are very right. i have been refreshing my emails about 5 times a day lol. :8 i cant imagine what the waiting is like at stage 3.. awful. i found the cubes, the diagrammic reasoning and the ATC paper fine, however it was the numerical test i feel didnt go so well. i was not expecting anything like that. i felt i was very short of time. i could do the questions just the time limit. i suppose if the worse happens, i can apply again next year as after readin this forum a lot of people tend to do. i will not be giving up either way :). Many thanks, i will keep you informed whether i have made it through.

Loz x

Loz, I walked out of stage 1 disheartened, thinking how much I didn't want to have to wait a whole year before I could apply again.

I didn't set myself up for bad news because to me, I had certainly failed.

I surprised myself though. And I hope you surprise yourself too.

Good luck, S88

hey S88,

Its good to hear other people felt the same way as i do now. But yeh i suppose there could be a chance, i just feel so certain i have messed up. But theres always next year, if it comes to the worse.
Good Luck with your journey with becoming an ATC. :)

Loz x

I think everyone finds the time limit on that one pretty tough. I wouldn't worry about too much if you didn't manage to finish it, as long as you worked reasonably accurately on the bits you did manage to do you should be ok.

Noroll - think I was there with you mate, just got my e-mail confirming I passed Stage 3. How did you get on?

Quick thanks to all for this site, found very useful info here that helped me from Stage I through III

Marco - how many people were at your S1 today? My friend was there too but I'm yet to hear from him. Fingers crossed for the both of you!