A quick question for any NATS training insiders on here. Is there an option to defer entry into the college for 6 months/9 months? it would be for life logistic reasons but I don't want to seem ungrateful if that situation arose.

There is scope to defer entry, it's a HR decision.

The usual cause for defering entery is medical issues.

Lat Hopper,

I was allowed to defer for 9 months for logistic/financial reasons.

Sorry latitude, doh should have looked at the year lol.

Yeah how time flies eh!

No worries at all, thanks for all the info on delaying entry! Fingers crossed I get that far!

Just found out that I have made it through Stage 3, so great news! Just the medical now...

Is there any reading material worth reading in advance of the course? I have at least 5 months before my earliest start date and want to use it wisely.

Thanks, Kev

I would get yourself a copy of the Trevor Thom book, Air law and met. Read all the MET sections, as this is the same book that the college teach from.

There iare copies in the college libary, but they are very limited.

I believe that the latest edition is January 2007, always best to get the most recent edition with things regarding air law.

Also worth a look is the MATS pt.1, but don't go into too much depth, as it will be disected bit by bit at the college.

The MATS pt.1 (CAP 493) can be found on the CAA website, under publications, and the Trevor Thom book can be found on google, or at the following link-

http://shop.pilotwarehouse.co.uk/product269023.html

As usual, totally agree with Sacrigger.
MATS 1 is a very dry document that can be confusing without instruction but worth a quick read.
Also, you will probably have to recognise different aircraft and quote basic stats about their performance. !!!!!!!!!!!!!! do a good little multi choice a/c recognition test which is worth a look.

Booooooo, I didnt get through stage 2, what a shame. Oh well, does anyone have a copy of the NATS expense form? they have sent me it but its corrupted. Cheers in advance!

Unlucky Latitude, better luck next time, know where you went wrong? Any feedback for other stage two takers?

Hi, am currently working as an Air Traffic Assistant, however, i am going to my first NATS selection interview on Tuesday in Belfast. Can anyone tell me what happens at these??

See the relevant posts in this thread, it has been discussed many times.

The expenses form that they email you is just called "Expenses Form" - with no file extension.. if you rename it to "Expenses Form.pdf" it should open fine in acrobat.

Hello fellow Nats guys (and gals).

I recently found out that I've got through the 2nd stage, so now its on the the 3rd and final stage!
Without trailing through all previous posts in this thread (although it would probably be for my own good) can anyone tell me how different the interview is from the second stage interview?
Im guessing because an ATCO is present that it will be much more of a grilling? Am i right?
I ended up getting pretty worried prior to the 2nd stage interview although it ended up being pretty tame as far as interviews go. Should I bother getting worried about the next one or is it pretty chilled out?

Muchos appreciatos

Anyone had results for Stage 1 back in London 24th May Friday?

Still waiting on results from 19th in Glasgow !!

It's possibly the longest 15days of my life !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fingers crossed for everyone though ....

tinker

I was at the afternoon session in London 23rd and still no results either!

Waiting nervously on Stage 1 results from Glasgow 19th...meant to get them today!! not sure how many times i've checked my email now!

good luck everyone! x

Also still waiting on the stage 1 results from Glasgow on the 19th, just so your not dissapointed Ratty next Monday is the latest as it is 15 working days not just 15 days.

So you have 2 weekends and a bank holiday (I preusme bank holidays don't count as a working day)

I to presumed that the b.holiday didn't count ..........

15 working days - office days !!

forgot about the holiday! ... hmm well hopefully tomorrow?!

10th is the latest .............:ok:goodluck everyone x

Just this second got the email asking me to do the Occupational Personality Questionnaire, was expecting to be waiting until last thing on Tuesday until then.

As I suspected I did not reach the standard needed to be invited for stage 2. I have no doubt it was down to the spatial reasoning and maybe some of the diagramming at a push but hey ho that is life, There is always next year.

Now does anyone wanna give me some pointers on how to get my head around the spatial reasoning...lol

Maybe we should set up a support group for that 15 day waiting period.

Hello everyone my name is James...

Sorry Craig, Like you said good luck next year

Hi James,

I'm Dave!

FDD

as suspected i also failed to get to stage 2! gutted!

see you there next year workman01!

Hello all just found out I've been invited to do an online personality test I'm very happy to get through the initial tests (done in glasgow 19th 0930)

The thing I thought I would fail on was the 'Cube Nets' where I answered 28 out of 40 questions but I'm fairly certain I got 25 of them right or more. dont know if that helps any of you but I thought it might be useful to know.

I'm guessing the personality test is failrly straight forward but if anyone thinks they have a usefull tip please feel free to write it down.

Thanks KC

Ocupational questionnaire
 

does anybody know what the occupational questionnaire means?

Does this mean I passed phase one???

:bored:

Damn
 

I was unsucessful at the first stage also, probably for the same reasons mentioned by Workman01. :ugh: We need advice!

Faztaz,

If you have been asked to do a Personality questionaire, then you have made the minimum grade for the initial tests - Well Done! But beware, coz you can fail the PQ!

I had my stage 3 last week and we took the opportunity to ask HR about it. It seems to be that if you pass the initial tests by a wide margin, then its pretty much impossible to fail the PQ. However, if you only just make the grade, then it is quite easy to fail the PQ. As at this stage you don't know how you did, then you can't know how easy it is to fail on an individual level. Savvy?

Hope this helps,

BW

Spacial Reasoning practice
 

Workman01 - Just picking up on how to practice spacial reasoning. I've seen some people who can do it standing on their heads, but others can't. I was one of the ones who couldn't, and failed my first stage 1 for it.

I did find a way to practice though that worked for me. I worked at a car parts place at the time, and all our stock was weird shapes and angles. Every day, I would choose a new part and look at it from each angle once. Then, i'd try and visualise what it would look like rotating, upside down, 45degree angle etc. I did this until I got it right every time.
Next day - different part, and repeat the process.

After a while the part's became irrelevant, it was the ability to imagine something rotating mentally and not lose track of a particular mark, or which way a line ran over a surface etc, that I had learnt. The next year I did stage 1, the cubes seemed easier.

No guarantee it works for everyone, but it worked for me.

Good luck
Stu.

Hm Sounds good, I had thought maybe actually making loads of nets and trying it out that way and visualizing putting it together and different angles etc.

Anyone tried this method?

Hour of pure confusion!
 

Cheers woozle mate, I just sat through that horrible personality questionnaire, I think im an overly confident, outspoken individual who likes numbers and analyses individuals obsessivly!

I hope thats what they're looking for :bored:

Now I just wait,
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR APP!

Gutted!
 

Well i just got the result of my personality questionnaire and I didn't make it into stage 2...

I'm absolutely devastated and will deffinately be applying again next year.

Good luck to all.

Yippeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
 

YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Just found out that I passed my stage 3 - Bournemouth here we come!!! :) Can't stop bouncing round the room....yay!

If anyone wants any help or hints about going through the selection, just drop me a PM and i'll be happy to help!

BW

Btw, Gonzo is a real pusscat in an interveiw....if you know how to tickle his tummy!!! ;)

Stage 3
 

Well done Woozle!

Just found out I also passed stage 3. Very pleased! Looking forward to getting down to the hard work!

A big thankyou to PPRUNE and especially all the posters on this thread who provided fantastic advise.

NATS (especially HR) have been awesome :D

Good luck everyone!

I honestly don't know how to reply to that one!!!! :cool:

I can't remember any tickling going on in any interview I've conducted in the past few weeks.....don't think my HR colleague would approve of that sort of interview technique! :}

Although......no, actually I won't say it!

I'm sure some of the things people have said have tickled you - at least :E

Oh, if you only knew...............:}

We could write a book on the silly answers we get.

One of my favourites, and this was a few years ago now, was one bloke who swore blind that a/c navigate from LHR to New York by following ships across the Atlantic.