@ Batfink - what kind of things are you using for practice for stage 1?

Will aircraft specs be a part of stage 1?

Thanks

Aircraft specs are part of the test material document that you have to learn, so I am assuming they will be playing a part in it.

For anything that I am having to learn, such as the document I have been using a free program called Anki, which is basically electronic flash cards. Aswell as obviously just reading through the document itself.

There is also an app for the iPhone/iPod touch which allows you to sync all your cards. So I can do them on my iPod. (very handy on a lunch time at work)

For the maths, I have just been doing the usual OASC website practice, aswell as the guide on the student room forums ( dummies guide to speed, distance, time ) which has a lot of practice questions.

That's me just booked my flights and Premier Inn for Stage 2 on 3rd May! Really looking forward to it, but also very nervous! Anyone else on 3rd ?!

Good luck to everyone with their stage 3 !!!

That's stage 3 done.

I'm not holding my breath.

I think nerves and tiredness got the better of me.

Also, to anyone who was at stage 3 with me today. What time did you leave? When I came out of my interview you were already being shown round the facility and I was told I could go.

Hi, this post is particularly destined, because of it's nature, to those who are going to attend stage 1. I found this PDF file which is a book for potentiall ATC explaining how to resolve math operations up to the required standards to pass the selection process. Personally, I think it's worth looking at. Hope it helps.

**AT-SAT Math Prep** (DOWNLOAD)

You have to sign up/in the forum to able to download the wretched file, bit of a nuisance but don't hesitate in doing so if you are weak on maths.

Hi Guys,

Got an email this morning saying I passed the online test :)

But they dont have any dates available yet for stage 1, so I'll get an email soon regarding this.

Loving this thread though guys, some of the practice material is really good and kudos to those guys who are sharing that info.

Good luck EVERYONE!

I'm starting to despair with the difficulty of the maths regarding stage 1. How hard are the problems?? I keep finding different types of S/D/T problems which I am not familiar with and all sorts of arduousness. Is anybody capable of telling me if, for instance, the problems copied below are more difficult than the ones in the real test or if easier??. Thankss loadss!, I'm in complete despair..

A cargo plane flew to the manteinance facility and back. It took one hour less time to get there than it did to get back. The average speed on the trip was 220 mph. The average speed on the way back was 200 mph. How many hours did the trip there take? (SOL: 10 hours).

For this question let the distance travelled for each leg equal D. Let the time taken to get there be (t-1) and the time taken to get back as t (total time would be 2t-1).

The average speed of the trip is 220mph and the average speed on the way back is 200mph. From this info you can make two equations.

(1) D = 200t
(2) 2D = 220(2t-1)
(these were made using simple distance = speed * time)

Doubling (1) gives 2D = 400t to make equation (3)
You can now equate (2) and (3) so that:

400t = 220(2t-1) Expanding gives:
400t = 440t - 220 Re-arranging gives:
40t = 220 so t = 5.5

But you know that the total time for the trip is 2t-1 so:
(2*5.5)-1 = 10h

Aircraft A left airport and flew south. Aircraft B left three hours later flying at 42mph faster in effort to catch up to A. After two hours B finally caught up. Find A's average speed. (SOL: 28mph)

For questions like this you should write out everything you know about each AC, and what they have in common.

In this question the value they have in common is their distance which we will call D again.

AC A:
All we know is that AC A has been flying for five hours total at an average speed S, as B left 3 hours after and caught up after 2 hours. So all you can say is that:

D = 5xS

AC B
AC B has been flying for a total of two hours at a speed which is 42 mph faster than AC A.

D = 2(S+42)

These two can be equated (they both equal D) to give:

5S = 2(S+42) Expanding gives:
5S = 2S + 84 Re-arranging gives:
3S = 84
So the average speed is 28 mph

Plane B left Chicago flying due east at a speed of 400 mph. Plane A left Chicago 2 hours later, flying in the same direction at a speed of 600 mph. If plane A is 400 miles behind plane B now, how long has plane B traveled? (SOL 4h)

Plane B:
Plane B has allready travelled 400*2 = 800 miles
So its distance for any time after can be written as:
D = 800 + 400t (1)

Plane A
Plane A has travells at 600mph so its distance can be written as:
D = 600t

The qustion asks you to find the time at when place A is 400 miles behind B, so its distance will be 400 less (D-400) which means that:

D - 400 = 600t Re-arranged to give:
D = 400 + 600t Which can be equated to (1) to give:
800 + 400t = 400 + 600t re-arranged to give:
200t = 400
So t = 2 hours
The plane has allready been travelling for 2 hours so 2+2 = 4 hours :).

Hope this helped, if I have made any mistakes others could point them out and lemme know if you have any other questions.

hatemyjob:
No I wasn't there yesterday, nobody could accomodate a visit for me before then so I have to wait until April 27th! It's more time to prepare and get some really good scenarios organised.
How did it all go yesterday then? Good luck with your results!!!! I hope you've been successful :)
KirtjE:
How did you find the stage 3 as well? I hope you achieve success too so good luck hearing back happy news!!!

Hi ATC wannabe, i was just wondering what the online test consisted of? And what types of questions there are and how difficult they are? I'm not 18 yet so cant apply :ugh:
Thank you

............Deja vu

@Rel17

Hi there.

Basically there are 5 rounds of 5 questions.

eacgh question gives you a sequence of letters/numbers which increases every question each round, and as each round goes on you get less time to answer the questions.

For example they will give you:


GTYRTY

and then 5 options which you have to match up to the original.

eg:

GTRYTX
GTYRTY
GTFRED
HGYTRG
GTYPRT


you will have either 5,6,7,8 or 9 seconds to pick the correct sequence.

@hatemyjob
The tour lasted for about 20 mins, we havent really seen a lot.
Let me know if you've passed stage 3!

@everyone
Don't stress too much about stage 1. The calculations are basic school stuff and really easy. Just take a look into the materials they provide to you and remember the basic stuff for stage 1.

Greetz from the dutch guy.

Help stage 1 :(
 

Hey... anyone else taking the STAGE 1 test friday 8th April at 9:00 at Fareham? :D

I had a question... with the 25 Page booklet they gave us... how much of the exam will we actually be tested on it?

and with the abreviations of LACC , ISAO , SATC, will we need to memorize those?

and the difficulty of the math equations ??? :(

i'm panickingggggggg

Can anyone tell me if the software and practices used by ATC in the UK is the same as America?

Im thinking way way far ahead but if someone wanted to move away to work as an ATC would they be able to?

I would imagine NATS hold you to the job but is that for a certain period or until you leave the job?


Any info at all would be fantastic.

Thanks

You can't work in the US as an ATCO unless you are a US citizen. Other countries often accept experienced ATCO's such as Australia, Canada and the Middle East although they use different systems and practices and require a seperate course to be taken once you are employed. You are not tied in to NATS for any length of time although most countries require 2-3 years experience minimum.

@hatemyjob


Have you any idea when you will get confirmation of a pass or fail?

Fingers very much crossed for you.

How do Guevarra, I would say in regards to the 25 page document learn as much as possible. Always better to have learnt too much, than not enough.

As for the maths, I can't answer your question unfortunately as I am still waiting to go for my Stage 1 also. The view I have taken on the maths, is concentrate on getting the basics as nailed on as you possibly can. As you will always use the same formula for any question.

I think for the Maths section, it's probably more a case of finding the way that works for you.

Good Luck for you Stage 1! That goes for everyone at Stage 1, 2 and especially 3 :)

Hey all,

Anybody going to be at Fareham on 20th May?

Good luck to everyone

Hey luisjuan, thanks for posting that test paper. It makes solving the problems really easy! :D Does anyone know if the NATS papers are structured like that?

AArkley, check your PM.

Hi guys,

It sounds like loads of you are stressing about the maths questions. My advice is...don't! I remember when i went through the selection process (albeit 4 years ago so things may have changed) i really struggled with anything harder than the most basic maths questions and would be very surprised if i got any correct at all. I think the spacial awareness tests are far more important to get correct and would advise you all to try and get some practice on those sorts of questions. Also make sure you nail the motivation paper!!

I've been valid for over a year now and never use maths at work!

Ok I've read the past 10 or so pages and couldn't see my answer from skimming. Sorry, I know it's annoying but I haven't the time to read the entire thread.

I just want to hear from someone who's taken the stage 1 tests. It's just the test paper I'm concerned about - the one that they give the 25 page material about. Could you summarize the paper? What sort of questions are asked? Is it highly important to remember everything, including the list of specs and all the meanings of the words and what they stand for?

I have seen a couple of answers but they basically say to be better safe than sorry. I would like to hear from someone who has actually taken the test please.

Thanks in advance :)

IsItMeUrLookin4
 

Whilst I appreciate you're innocently enquiring about the test paper, let me just put this out there (and to all those other posters who ask similar questions).

If candidates who have indeed taken the test paper (myself included) told you to only revise and learn pages 3, 14 and 25 because that's all that's asked about, would you just learn that?

This is a career you're applying for, and whilst inevitably, some individuals will plum for the above rather immature approach to selection, it seems quite astonishing to me that this question is even being asked.
If you're truly serious about NATS then surely you're going to read and learn and keep going over the entire booklet - whether only 2 pages are examined or not.

It seems to me if you're going to be selective in what you're prepared to learn at the first stage then you're not what NATS are looking for. I know I wouldn't want an ATCO to cut corners when handling my flight...

Just my thoughts, make of them what you will.

It's often called the motivation paper. That should tell you every thing you need to know. As T250 says nobody who did invest the time and effort in learning it as instructed is likely to answer your question and even if they did you'll only know what was asked when they took Stage 1.

You're right, perhaps I should've posted a bit differently. I mainly wanted to know how the paper is actually presented and what type of answers we're supposed to be giving. i.e. do we need to answer anything in essay style? Does our own opinion need to come into it? Or is it 100% factual answers? I just wanted to gauge what the paper itself will be like so I know what to expect. Of course I wouldn't revise select bits of information, but if someone told me that you don't need to remember all the specs, for example, and only recall any two - that's the sort of thing I was implying.

I can assure you I'm taking this very seriously. I wouldn't have signed up here to enquire if I wasn't bothered. I just wanted a clearer picture of how the test will be presented.

It's not an essay style paper. It's multiple choice and it's based on the entire motivational booklet. The content is all factual. I'm assuming it hasn't changed much since last year when I took it.

Thanks a lot Marco :)

Anyone else seen this from NATS:

"The continuing very high levels of interest in the opportunity to train as an Air Traffic Controller mean that we have sufficient candidates to meet all our 2011 Trainee Air Traffic Control needs. We have therefore taken the decision to close our recruitment system to all new applicants from 1st April 2011.

Existing applicants are not affected by this announcement and will continue to be assessed for a Trainee role."

Looks like we got through just in time.

On a different note, does anyone know if there is still any flying involved in the course or has the finance department shut the till on that?

That doesn't surprise me at all.

There hasn't been any flying involved for quite a while.

Hello, I am sitting the first selection day on may the 20th. Do you know what the pass rates are for the tests?? and also im colour blind, any advice on that???

@samblundell

Hey, you in Fareham? i'm there may 20th. feelin a bit nervous!

@samblundell

Not sure which class of colour vision deficiency you have, but during stage two tests, there are exercises of sorting shapes by colour. No idea as to the pass mark.

@Glamdring

Didn`t think so, but while on a visit to Bristol last week someone asked me, and I had no idea. Are any laws/rules of flying inculded?

@samblundell
Now this document is 4 yers old so there might be a newer one, but this was the one I found with a quick google.

For refrence it can be found here http://natscareers.co.uk/PDFs/NATS_A...lClearance.pdf
and my quote is off page 9.
I'm not sure to what degree you are colour blind, but if you haven't taken any of those tests maybe you should try it out before you spend a lot of time and money on the application process?

Sorry to give you bad news, but I suppose it would've turned up sooner or later...

As for the pass mark NATS doesn't say anything about each test, but their website states that 3% pass stages 1,2 and 3 put together. But as for each test, your guess is as good as mine

Yeah I am in Fareham, Red falcon. I'm a little nervous about the maths part but thats it.
Cheers Crazy voyager, I heard there are colour blind contacts you can get co i might see if i can get hold of some before the medical.

Well if you can sort it that way it's great :) I would advise you to check with HR first though, it would be such a shame if you made it all the way through to be kicked out due to medical reasons :(

Well I sat my third and final stage last week!

My Stage 3 was at the Swanwick Centre with five other guys all around my age (20,20,21,21,22,22!).

I thought the group exercise (a basic logistics game with multiple rules) went very well, and I got involved without being bossy or overbearing.

As for the individual interview, I felt I really cocked up one question.

I should hear back in two weeks, and hopefully I'll post come feedback up here for you all :)

@kwagga

That wasn't a question. I was answering the earlier question by stating that there hasn't been any type of flight training at the college for a while.

In answer to your question Air Law covers a large chunk of the college material.

@samblundell

You will be tested on your colour vision during the medical. Anything but normal colour vision is a fail unfortunately. The test used is the Ishihara test. If you are borderline on this the CAA will retest you using 1 or more lantern style tests. There is a large discussion on the unfairness of current colour vision testing in the Medical forum of this website, you might want to give it a read.