what time are you booked?

Actually no, it's been changed this year...the first test is the literature and the math problems together and you have 18minutes to do that one

@Logex: I was sent two emails, one saying 2pm and the other 3pm. I'm sticking with 3 since i originally asked for that until they changed the day

mishaastaroth: sorry, but I do not fully understand. You mean, the literature and the numerical questions are all one test, but the first questions regard the panflet and the remaining questions are about the maths?. And you have 18 min to do'em all?. This is important to me. Thanks

I believe it's 30 questions total in 18 minutes ( 3-4 math problems and the rest is literature)

literature is question about the documents provided by nats in the mail of booking ?

Yes it is.:)

mishaastaroth: thanks about your prompt replies. Any chance of anyone corroborating about there only being about 3 or 4 questions of maths?, and having to have only replied these few questions of maths and the rest of literature you pass on to the remaining cube/basic checking/diagramming tests?. I mean, it just seems so strange, since it was a kinda of a mouse trap for so many candidates. It doesn't seem logical.

I confirm, there is only few maths questions, really basic....
Regarding stage 2, does anyone know if SDM test is still used ?

stage 1 test
 

so, regarding the first test with the numeracy and legislation, if only a few questions are numeracy stuff, what kinda spread is there for the documentation? is it mainly stuff about the controllers and rules and stuff, or what? basically, do i really have to learn how many seats there are on a fokker 50 and how high an airbus A319 can fly at, or can i forget that part?

HeaVn: Thanks.I believe the new technology NATS set up a last year and year before didn't require the use of the strips system since it was going to be a computer based function. Therefore, I pressume you'll no longer be examined on the SDM. But I am talking with no good knowledge, just anassumption. Sorry I am of no help.

By the way, were the questions to the first test very difficult?, surely if about 50 % gets booted out they can't be too easy...right?

i believe basic checking was removed also . wasn't it?

It wasn't removed...you have already done it....remember the second online test?

Second online test?... wow well hasn't this changed... Which is the first online test then?. NATS site does't say anything about there being more than one online test.

The first test you did was the questionnaire about yourself (90minutes)

Then you did the basic checking test (9minutes); there were 25 questions and for the first 5 questions you had to answer in 9 seconds, the next five in 8, and so on...

If you passed that then you were invited to stage 1

I think that's how it's always been...

i was obviously talking about the basic checking that used to be at the paper and pencil test during stage 1 .

@mts1, SDM is (or was anyawy) the final part of the FEAST test package, it's entierly computerised. It is called Strip Display Management because it is focused around a display of flight strips, but these are on a screen. No actual physical flight strips are used during the SDM.


@malakajin IIRC basic checking during stage 1 was removed several years ago, if you search a few hundred pages back in the thread you may find more details on it. When I did stage 1 there were no basic checking though.

stage 1 assessment
 

morning everyone.

people here are saying that there are only three or four numeracy based questions in the first part of the exam, meaning there are 25ish questions on the document we were given to read, is that right? what kinda topics are the main ones? everything in the first part of the document or the capacity and flying heights of the planes as well? i can't understand why we'd need to know all of that really.

thanks.

rr9, you wish to make a living controlling aircraft? Does it not seem logical that you may want to know at least the basics about these aircraft? :ugh:

Got my stage 1 tomorrow and just wondering if we need to know specific dates .i.e. first stage of NOTA being introduced in 2005 etc? I have an overview of some key dates but iv not been focusing on dates, cheers

stage 1
 

well yes of course it would be stupid to tell a plane to go to a FL that it cannot reach, but why do we need to know how many people can sit inside such aircraft?
considering we're at the very outset of our training, surely it would be more apt to ask us about controllers and airways as opposed to the planes themselves, then let our knowledge build up as we move through the course.

You need to know both though, and IIRC the majority of the paper focus on ATC related areas and not aircraft specifications.

It may also be relevant to know since that will give you an indication of where you can expect to find each aircraft and what characteristics that aircraft type has. It may be good to know that a 777 will cath up with a DH8A. Or that you most likely can not get that 767 to fly 120 knots on final approach. And the amount of pax carried is an indication of the size of the aircraft, which is a key indicator to things such as approach speeds, ability to slow down or go down quickly and wake turbulence generated.

Not to mention that if you get through you will need to learn all this anyway, I don't really see the problem with doing it now? It also shows NATS that you have an intrest, if you're not even willing to learn the basics about a few aircraft then how will they know you are ready to put in the time needed to make it through the college?

stage 1
 

no worries mate, i have no issue learning these things, but i was merely trying to guage what style of questions would feature more than others in the stage 1 assessment.
i don't wana flood my brain with various numbers to do with FLs and capacities etc as i may forget some of the other stuff. i'm fairly new to this and i'm sure as time goes on it'll all seem a little less abstract and i'll be able to retain much more information, but for now it seems to me that i should concentrate on walking before i can run.
any help is welcomed :).

Well I've checked into the novotel now for my test tomorrow at 16.00. Good luck to everyone else and hope to see you all around

I've got my test tomorrow at 12. Good luck to everyone else who has their tests tomorrow. Having read other peoples opinions on the test I'm going down with no expectations. Well back to studying I go.

Height
 

Hi Guys,

First post for me. Just filled in the online application form for trainee ATCO and at the end it says "Are you between 151.4 cm (59.6 in) and 186.9 cm (73.6 in) in height?"

Unfortunately I am 198.2 cm (6ft 6) so obviously I answered 'No'. Has this been an issue for anyone here? Have any of you gone through the process of having an anthropometric assessment? How will this restrict my ability to work efficiently (will i be able to fit at the station etc.)?

Any info would be great, thanks!

Hi all,

Got my test tomorrow at 12 also! (See you there Bobit!)

Pretty nervous after reading this, but at least there have been a few clues as to what to expect!

Tom

Checked into travelodge after 6 hours on the bus. Test at 9 in the morning

Does anyone knows how long does it lasts the stage 1?

Right, did the test today and failed.
I am 90% sure they mark you on what you know as a pose too how many you got wrong,

I would say i got all of the aviation questions correct, i know for a fact i did, i am even sat here searching the answers and they are the answers i put.
I know i probably got the SDT questions wrong which is where i failed. As i said i know it is not the aviation questions because i just know the answers, and i am looking at them now and they were correct.

On a final note, some of the questions in the paper, do not have the answers in the test material provided. I only knew the answers to these due to my aviation knowledge.

Anybody applied recently and been told that your application being considered!?..., yet selection process is still open..!. Didn't expect to be on hold!

Oh crap...I believe everyone applying as from just a day or two ago is being put on hold... The dreadful "we are considering your application" email is the response rather than the usual invite to the online test. The increasingly used statement is worrying me... What about the re-applicants? :ugh:
Sod it.

Sat my stage 1 this morning. Out of about 35 people 11 went on to the next part. The diagramming was straight forward but the cubes where quite tought. Just hope i did enough. Long journey home then its the waiting game

Height
 

@deadlifter

Like you I am taller than the specified heights- I'm 6ft5. I passed my stage 3 selection last week and have been sent a conditional offer of employment. So far my height has not been an issue but I have not had my medical yet, and I'm guessing that's when they will perform an anthropometric assessment. I'll post an update when I have more info but I don't think you should worry too much about it for now!

Stage 2
 

@ HeaVn

No the Sdm test is no longer used. You will do the Nats tests, the feast test package and the DART test. I did it a few weeks ago

Just sat my stage 1 at 16.00 - ATC paper went fine and of the 40ish of us, about 20 tops went through to the next 2 papers. The diagramming test was ok, although I didn't finish it I did think all those I answered were correct. The cubes like people have mentioned were very tough, a lot of people said it was difficult.

I wish everyone else the best on their tests and do revise and prepare as much as you can. :ok:

Had my Stage 1 today, was a very large group of nearly 100. About half went through to the later tests.

As for the initial paper I was confident I did well on the questions based on the literature but struggled on the maths questions (There were about 6 or 7 of these). Obviously got enough correct to go through.

The diagramming has a lot more instructions than the examples but once you get into it, it isn't too hard. I worked fast and still only answered 44/50, but confident on the one's I answered.

The cubes!! Oh the cubes!! Answered 32/40 but they were very, very hard. Certainly not as confident on these, If I fail this is where I have stumbled.

Did anyone who completed Stage 1 answer all the questions?

I was there today. 50% of people did not pass the first test. All the info for this (IMO), bar the Maths questions, was in document they sent. (and it is multiple choice).

For the diagramming I only answered 36/50 and the very, very evil cubes 30/40 so I am not optimistic about progressing to stage 2.

Good luck everyone :)

[quoteHi Guys,

Unfortunately I am 198.2 cm (6ft 6) so obviously I answered 'No'. Has this been an issue for anyone here? Have any of you gone through the process of having an anthropometric assessment? How will this restrict my ability to work efficiently (will i be able to fit at the station etc.)?

Any info would be great, thanks![/quote]

I can't see it being a problem, I'm 6'3" and work quite happily and there's people taller than me working at Swanwick. It might well harp back to when someone who was 6'10" was turned down as it was felt that they would be too tall.

At 6'6" you might struggle to fit in the sleeping room beds at Swanwick, but that's about it

Deadlifter

Back in 2003 NATS withdrew an offer to a trainee who was 6ft 10 when it became clear that he could not use the NATS workstations without risking damaging his health. He took NATS to a tribunal who found in favour of NATS. They are likely to be very careful to ensure you can work confortably at the various NATS workstations but there are controllers of 6ft 5 and 6ft 6 who can.