Hi mbor, I had my stage 1 at the Fareham Technical Centre last Friday and I stayed at the Premier Inn. It was £69 for the room for a night although I think the price depends on how far in advance you book. The hotel is a ten minute cab journey from the test centre and about the same from Swanwick station, so pretty easy to get to, and it's a fiver for the taxis. Good luck for stage 2! :)

Thanks camstrong88. The Premier Inn has no vacancies for the 1st of june.. Any other suggestion? I have checked hotels and bed and breakfast but they are all further..

I stayed at a little Hotel Called Ellerslie House Hotel. It was very nice, much nicer than a Premier Inn, about 15 minute in the car to the test centre and it was cheaper than premier inn!!

So taxi might be slightly more, but bed&board was less for me.. worth a look.

Phil

just wondering if the questions on the numerical test (s/d/t) are multiples of 6? that way it is easier to divide, or can the numbers used be anything? cheers

Prestwick - NATS Stage 1 - 24th June 2011
 

Morning all,

Is anyone here attending the Stage 1 selection tests for NATS at Prestwick?.

Would be nice to know whos going before hand :ok:.

Feel free to PM.

Thanks

I stayed at a Premier Inn in Southampton (city centre) the night before my stage 1 tests. Only £29 and took about 20 minutes (at 8am) to drive over to the Technical centre.

The maths part of stage 1 looks quite complex, but you'll normally find it can be simplified into something more easy to work with. I'd suggest practicing with fractions of hours, multiples of 6/10/12/15. Also, ensure your working in the correct units, for example question may ask how far you travel in 10 minutes, if your going 300mph.

Hi guys...in my e-mail from NATS it says "Please feel free to re-apply again in 12 months from when you sat your selection tests." As I failed at stage 2...does this mean that I get to re-apply from when I sat my very first tests for NATS...or do I have to wait till 12 months from the stage I failed on?

Cheers for any help :)

gazb2
 

What date did you sit your stage 1 test?

That's the date NATS was referring to! So if you sat stage 2 say 6 months apart from stage 1, then you've got only 6 more months to wait!!

Hey Gaz

It's actually 12 months after the online selection test we all took after our application.

and
So if you sat stage 2 say 6 months apart from stage 1, and you booked your stage 1 with two months to prepare, then you've really got only 4 more months to wait!!

Easy way to think of it is to re-apply at the same time you applied last year.

Thanks for your replies guys :) I was hoping you were right mrfrost, but when I went back on the nats website, I'm sure I read something about 12 months from stage 1. However, I'll try my luck and apply when I sat the computer tests but there is only two months to wait if that doesn't work.

Thank you both :):)

All ready for my interview tomorrow at Bournemouth airport with hotel booked for tonight & just recieved a phone to say its cancelled due to unforseen circumstances :uhoh: . & its too late to cancel hotel. Least i have more time to prepare my answers. :)

I have my interview booked for tomorrow too but i haven't heard anything. Did have some missed calls earlier (when visiting NATS too!) but they didn't leave a message and now no1 answers! :uhoh:

Was yours at bournemouth airport?

Yeh, still trying to get hold of them....



edit - read your post :)

I was due in to Bournemouth tomorrow too. Got the message at 1415. Apparently there were 3 applicants, so thats us then. Have to wait for new dates to be issued.......dum de dum......

CEEFAX1 - they called me on this number - 01489444453. I called them back to see if they will reinburse my hotel money, they said yeah :ok:

Stage 2 at Corporate & Technical Centre, Whiteley, Fareham Hants
 

Hi guys!

I have my stage 2 in Whiteley coming up on 3 June.

To anyone who has already been there..

Could you please tell me if the centre is within a walking distance from the Swanwick Rail Station? Maps have difficulty pinpointing exactly where the centre is. I don't want to fail to get there on the day of the tests.. I'm undertaking a really long journey so I would never forgive myself if I got lost at the end of it :)

Thank you for help!

Not really within walking distance. Its a couple of miles and you have to cross the motorway.

Its here on google earth -
50°52'56.20"N
1°14'20.97"W

Its in Whiteley really (Parkway) near the Zurich Financial Services.

Good luck.

Yes it is easily walkable. When you walk out of Swanwick (Park Gate) railway station, walk right up the hill, turn right on the main road and walk until you hit a roundabout, turn right through a bus only junction. Keep walking all the way through the residential estate and you will come out at Solent business park.

A taxi would be far quicker and simpler and there is often many waiting.

much appreciated. thank you!

Hi all,

Been over a year since I've been on here but I sent my second attempt Stage 1 application off in the back end of March and, long story short, I've only just had my details forwarded to Medical. Got an email two weeks gone yesterday stating if I hadn't heard anything by two weeks to reply to the email (which I will be).

The whole process seemed to be much more efficient the last time round. Within a month I'd applied and had a date but it seems very drawn out this time. Lets just hope persistence pays off :ok:

Anyone else had a long winded application?

stage 2
 

guys,

do you happen to know if there are going to be any more diagramming or cubes at Stage 2 computer test? For me it would be good news since I think I'm doing quite well with them.. In general, it's a whole shift of computer tests. Sounds tough.

Anyone going to take them on the 3 June? in Whiteley?

yes, I am going on the 3rd to whiteley, and yes there are more cubes. No diagramming though.

There's also the grid test, 2 reaction tests, listening and the world famous SDM test.

;)

btw, where are you flying from poland? I'm not Polish, but I'm flying from Katowice on the 2nd.

I'm flying from Łódź (Lodz - if you don't have the Polish font ;p)

I'm staying at one b&b in cenral southampton, then taking the train to the test centre the next morning.

Good luck!

esudfu,

What did you find the most challenging? What was the sequence of tasks? Can you recall it after this ordeal? :)

Good luck

Hi all,

I sat my Stage 1 on the 20th and still haven't heard anything. We were told that we would receive the results the following wed latest but nothing yet. Anyone else here from that day? Just feels like it is being dragged out, especially considering she said she just had the cube test to mark. Waiting is painful! lol

Seb

SebbyK,
results take up to 15 working days. So I wouldn't start worrying yet :)

Had a good day at stage 3 thanks to the nice people who were there with me, fingers crossed we will get results soon ;)

Oh yer i know...i got to stage 3 last year. Stage 1 took the full 15 working days, stage 2 i got results same day and stage 3 was the following day. It is just that they told me to expect it within 3 working days.

Seb

I was also at the assessment day on the 20th. Yes, we were definitely told that we'd hear by Wednesday, and I haven't heard anything back yet either. Agree that the waits horrible!

@SebbyK, well then you know the drill :) I thought you were a first round applicant so I fired away with the standard answer ;)


I'm weirdly not bothered by the wait this time, I'm sure I will be when the 15 days approaches and I haven't heard anything though (yes I assume it will take 15 days, that way it will be a nice suprise if it doesn't :ok:).

Ah, the waiting game, it's always good fun :ugh:

Oh by the way, did they tell you about their new facebook page? I was recommended by my interviewer to sign up, they've just started and wanted to try it out to see if they could use it to make the process a bit more friendly (and I guess it's also a way to recruit people).

I've signed up already, NATS Careers - Air Traffic Controllers | Facebook
I personally like the idea, and if nothing else comes from it you can see some pretty pictures from various places :O

Simon89 i also did my Stage 1 on May 20th. Got through the first bit but still haven't heard anything yet. Have you??

Nope, also got through the first part but haven't heard anything.

15 working days will be next Friday, so should hear next week. Seems odd to be taking so long considering we were told there was only 1 test left to mark.

Good luck to those still awaiting results, especially from Stage 2, what a killer!

I'm still yet to receive the opportunity to book myself onto a Stage 3 date! Supposedly they will come out some time this month...

Phil

So, I also had my stage 1 on the 20th May and am awaiting results. If I even manage to pass all of these stages, checks and tests, when am I likely to start the training course? Oct/Nov entry of this year? January 2012? Or later even than that? They seem to be testing patience as well as aptitude...

They mentioned May 2012 as a possible start date at my Stage 3. But it's a bit hard to say right now it seems (and due to IFACTS being introduced at Swanwick there's a big delay for area students).

I get the impression that NATS are making this process take as long as possible as they don't need that many controllers at the moment and the fact that they are closed for all new applicants.

If this is the case, do they give everyone the results at the same time or tell the people that failed sooner rather than later.

I am in my last 4 days of waiting now. But obv you can't help but speculate

All the best and I hope the news for everyone is good!

Seb

SebbyK

I was one of those who started the application process but couldn't commit to sitting stage 1 until July. So I am waiting till it opens again which should be end of this year/start of next.

The delay in taking on new applicants is due to various things. They are moving over to the new college in Hampshire and are trying to get all current students through to get rid of the backlog as it is taking far longer than expected. Also there is something else going on regarding all NATS staff members (can't really say what) and so this is adding to the delay too. There is still a shortage I have been told. Good luck with your results

Not really sure what you mean by this Jack?:confused: