Just out of curiosity... Was anyone at Stage 1 @ Fareham on 15th April, and have you received any invites to Stage 2/personality tests? :)

Nats reimburse travel expenses for stage 3 and the medical/security clearance day but only for above a £50 threshold I.e. If your expenses are £53 you can claim for £3!

Stage 2 booked for 14th May :-) anyone else on that date?

Kinglsey
 

Hey Kingsley, Thanks for your reply to my 2 s/d/t questions. Don't mind the lengthy reply aslong as I end up understanding it, it's all good.

For all those who have done the Stage 1 tests, the numeracy questions that we get in the maths paper and the motivation paper, are they all s/d/t questions or do I need to be brushing up on other areas too. It's just I don't want to spend valuable time on anything which may not be relevant.

Cheers

Hiya

I've got my S3 coming up soon and I'm properly bricking it. I've always hated (and not been particularly good at) interviews. I've been trawling through this thread to see what it's worth preparing, I think I'll be asked competency based questions on set subjects, but can I find what these subjects are? What's the NATS PDF that's mentioned below, I can't find anything that looks useful for S3 at the moment.

Thanks a lot, it might just be as it's late and I need sleep, but if anyone can aim me at it I'd be rally grateful. Cheers.

S1 questions
 

Hi all
I got some questions. Anyone took S1 could please answer the following?

In diagrammatic reasoning. There are some symbols that change the positions. Those are R,L and S. R reverse them so 1,2,3,4 becomes 4,3,2,1. Could you tell me how the L and S is being rearranged?

There are symbols that: 1) cancel next command 2) cancel previous command 3)cancel next shape 4)cancel previous shape 5)swap with previous shape 6)invert and 7) flip. any others of those 7? (please see http://www.mattieb.110mb.com/nats.php)

in the unfolded 3d cubes are there 40 or 50?

Have a look please at the following link, it shows the 11 possible unfolded cubes (http://unfolding.apperceptual.com/figure2.gif)
Do you remember which ones were used?

Also, for those thinking the cubes are hard, I would like to say that of all the test that is the easiest part by far :cool:. Given the link above and knowing a technique it will solve any unfolded cube with its sides. It is way too long to explain but feel free to contact me in my email [email protected] so that I can explain it to you. Taking the test 30th of April in Swanwick. Anyone at that date?

Thanks

Phil5556
 

The PDF can be downloaded from nats new website "atco careers". If you click on" how to apply" then click assesment day 3 it lists the areas they are scoring you on. Atc motivation etc .....
Good luck with it and stay calm on the day they are scoring you quite intensly in the group test and interview.

thanks Jimmy, I haven't seen that before I don't think.

Hi guys, got my Stage 2 tomorrow at 0815 - flying into Southampton in a couple of hours. Done all the prep I think you can do! Not that there's much to do haha given what I've read on here! Half of me is dead excited, the other half is madly worried - although I'm usually good at picking things up quickly I still like to be as fully prepared as possible!

Just wondered, though, if anybody who passed Stage 1 at Prestwick on the 12th March as I did will be in Fareham tomorrow?

Any last minute tips from anybody? ;p

Good luck to those who are going tomorrow!

Just wondering, what kind of preparation did you do for S2?

Help on S1
 

Hi,

I am about to sit for the S1 on the 30th of April. Is there anyone that recently have taken S1? If yes, could you please ask the following questions?

In diagrammatic reasoning. There are some symbols that change the positions. Those are R,L and S. R reverse them so 1,2,3,4 becomes 4,3,2,1. Could you tell me how the L and S is being rearranged?

There are symbols that: 1) cancel next command 2) cancel previous command 3)cancel next shape 4)cancel previous shape 5)swap with previous shape 6)invert and 7) flip. any others of those 7? (please see NATS Stage 1 - Aptitude Tests & Motivation)

in the unfolded 3d cubes are there 40 or 50?

Have a look please at the following link, it shows the 11 possible unfolded cubes (http://unfolding.apperceptual.com/figure2.gif)
Do you remember which ones were used?

Thank you so much in advance.


Thank you all

Gone for S2 on Fri 22nd May. Gives me a bit of time and I should be off uni with that being the week before exams start. Now just got to figure out the cheapest way to get there.

Stage 3
 

@Jimmy780

Got the email this morning that I passed Stage 2. How did you get on?

It's true what they say, I really didn't think I had done very well.

Want to arrange a visit now, anyone got any contact details for any centres in the NW? I will travel to London if I have to but I'm doing my final exams for my Civil Engineering degree soon so it would be preferable not to.

Anyone got any advice for me for Stage 3? I have a reasonable idea what the structure of the day is and I should be well prepared but any advice would certainly be welcome. Cheers.

CJshields
 

I passed too. Well done. Booked stage 3 for 26th May at Swanwick. Sorry cant help with visit to anywhere up North !!! Im off to Swanwick for a visit soon.
Stage 3 is a group test first, then you will have an interview with 2 people from NATS who will ask a series of about 60 questions on the various criteria detailed in the link given in the email. You need to show situations/events in your work or social life to quantify that you meet these criteria. ATC motivation will be about what have you done to prepare for today e.g a visit to NATS establishment should suffice. Although they will ask questions on this e.g what did you see ?? What was his job role called e.g Planner etc...
Good luck with it !!!!

@Jimmy780

Well done mate, good luck to you too.

@killua

None. I didn't do any preparation for Stage 2 because everyone told me there was nothing you can do to prepare for it. Having sat the tests, I can conclude that they're right. The important thing is to keep calm and not give up even if you think you are doing crap as apparently you can still pass even if you mess up a whole test.

To the guys who received there stage 2 results today (well done!)... when did you sit your stage 2 exams?
I had my stage 3 last week and waiting for the results rather anxiously!!

I sat my Stage 2 on the 9th of April. I felt that Stage 2 would be the hardest so I'm glad I'm over my biggest obstacle.

Hi all,



Just joined the forum I completed stage one 15th of April and now awaiting the results anxiously. From what I Have gathered a few people thought they hadn't done too well but managed to pass ?

If I pass I'm sure you'll here off me again otherwise there's always next year.
:ok:

Well I went over to Southampton from Dublin there a couple of weeks ago for S2 and got sick the night before the exam and had to withdraw!

So will hopefully see a few of you for the S2 on the 4th May for attempt 2 :)

Hi T6MCX,

I've got my stage 1 coming up and just wanted to know, am i correct in assuming that there are 4 tests, 2 first and if you pass the next 2?

numeracy test
ATC
Spatial reasoning
Diagrammatic

Is this right? Also are all the maths questions on s/d/t or are there any others? Just so I know what to brush up on.

The ATC paper is that the same as the motivation paper and what does it include?

Any advice would be great.

Good luck with the results. :)

T6MCX: Think I was on Stage 1 with you, whereabouts were you from? Q503: You're absolutely right. I think there were a few fuel burn questions in one of the papers but it's essentially all multiple choice SDT. And yes, the ATC paper is the motivation paper and was a piece of cake.

Thanks Captain Penguin, Good luck to you too. :ok:

Btw how are the cube questions?

No problem and thanks :) The cubes start off fine and become... well, I don't want to put you off, but you'll see! My advice is find some on The Internets and practice like hell ;)

I have failed at 3rd stage, just found out today.

Wouldn't want any one to find out failing at this stage nd feel what I feel now, hope u all do great!

Best of luck, it' s not easy! :ok:

PENGUIN

I'm from the northwales area I was the lad in the blue shirt where are you from ? Good luck on the results !

Toomek
 

Sorry to hear the news, i know how you feel, i failed at stage 3 last time but have one last go at it this year. Contact HR soon and get your feedback as to what you need to improve on for next time. They should give you a detailed response on each criteria and think about your responses for next year. I took some comfort that not that many people get to stage 3 which in itself is a great achievement. If you put the same effort in next year you should pass stage 1 and 2 again.
Good luck for next year and i would strongly suggest that you try again. HR actually told me its worth me applying again, which is nice to hear !!!

K ShowMe
 

Have you heard if you have been successful in passing stage 1.

Stage 2
 

Sat Stage 2 yesterday, finished all tests by about 1540... Got an email this morning at 0920 inviting me to Stage 3! Absolutely chuffed ;p

killua - I did what the other guys in the main seemed to have done: revised basic arithmetic (this is a cracking site: That Quiz - Math Test Activities - you can scale the difficulty too), spent ages playing unfamiliar flash puzzle games (mouse and/or keyboard based), and researched as much as I could from this forum. I always like to be prepared, but there are different types of preparation: my prep for this was purely psychological - I knew I couldn't confidently walk into the assessment centre without having felt that I had done something by way of revision.

Try and get a good night's sleep beforehand too! I was in a Travelodge, and got kept awake by noisy neighbours and squeaky car alarms, but what you gonna do. Drink plenty of water - lubricates the brain haha and there are plenty of toilet opportunities! :rolleyes:

Hope everybody I met yesterday has got through too!

cubes
 

agree, after cracking the 90 degrees trick in all 11 possible shapes, cubes are the easieast of the 4 parts in S1. Took me a month after looking at them how they can be reshaped.

What on earth is the 90 degrees trick? And where do I get some?...haha

cubes
 

hey Orangoat,

What's the 90 degree trick and also did you find out which of the 11 possible unfolded cube shapes are being used in S1?

Cheers

Cubes
 

Havent found out yet which patterns of the 11 (http://unfolding.apperceptual.com/figure2.gif). Cross is for sure. My advice, cut 6 squares out your notepad, scotch tape them and make the cross pattern. In each of the 6 sides, draw a random symbol, letter or anything really, just so as to know what each of the 6 sides have. Ideally 6 different symbols in each side. As you may see from the test materials you ve been sent. you can see the folded cube. you can see 3 sides, the front the upper and the right. Now try to fold the cross into a cube. Always choosing as reference the front side (not the upper or right) you will observe that the others squares that are being folded in order to give you the cube, depending how far they are from your front side they will rotate 90,180,270 and 360 degrees when they attach their "new" side. Before posting that, I have gone through it, and literally it doesnt make any sense....but cut the squares, tape them, draw the symbols in each side spend 10 minutes, and read the thread once more. Let me know if that worked.

T6MCX - I'm from southeast England, was wearing a suit with a purple tie... don't think I met you on the day but if we make it to Stage 2, PM me your name and I'll say hi! :)

Penguin-
Not a problem mate and again goodluck!

Hey there, I'm 16 at the moment and hoping to apply to NATS to become and ATCO. I'm just wondering if anyone has any recomendations. The guy I spoke to at a career's fare from NATS said lots of young people come in and just don't have the life experiance to receive critisism and give up after doubting themselves so suggested I left it untill I gained some life experiance. So do you thing a Uni Bsc Degree in Aerospace systems would be an advantage? I'd be 22 when I finished so would this be better than going in asap at 18?

Cheers!

Honestly I would go through uni. I know I'm saying that because it's what I've done but there are so many positives to it.

The life experience it brings of being away from home.
The academic achievement.
The social life. Probably the most important factor. It's enjoyable and at a young age that's a huge positive.
Something to fall back on in your degree. Gives you far more options if things don't work out as planned.

Go to uni, as your degree may help you get accepted for NATS selection, and will allow you to apply for more jobs. But the one thing I will say is do your research and pick a decent university. :)

I would add that the subject matter is irrelevant; I have a Music degree which included a high level of critical and analytical study which have been generally invaluable. Doing a BSc might be handy for an ATCO role within NATS, it might not.

In general, my advice to people considering going to uni is that they pick either an open-ended course that encourages a high level of creative critical and analytical thought and keeps career options open, or a trade-specific degree such as Engineering that will (more or less) guarantee you a job at the other end.

Hammerthrower….


After reading the last few posts, I just wanted to add my experiences of going through education to where I am now..
I did not go to university as I was quick to identify I wanted to be an air traffic controller half way through college. After doing a bit of research, there was no obvious course that would guarantee me a place at the ATCC in Bournemouth..Therefore I thought, whats the point?
I would never knock anyone who attends uni and obtains a degree however if your goal in life is to be ATCO and you are determined not to fail, then don’t delay your career learning or studying something your not interested in..
I completed my A levels and have recently passed stage 3…Result !!
A lot of my friends went to Uni and don’t get me wrong, they had a awesome time!! However a lot of them are not in the same position I am now AKA the right path to achieving what they want in life!
So far, my life experience has been achieved though travelling the States, exploring Europe, climbing a couple of mountains and experiencing other failures and successes in life..they were not experienced going through uni...
If you want to be ATCO, got for it when your good and ready but remember, even if you were to attend Uni and get a 2:1 in whatever subject…you would still be required to sit the exams set my NATS..
Hope this broadens your view..
Cheers