That's truly bizarre - I'm curious how anybody can possibly "fail" an OPQ??? A personality questionnaire can be a useful tool during a recruitment process, but primarily to illustrate a line of questioning as opposed to an individual's ability to do a job.

Now I am concerned! :eek:

Its not necessarily 'failing' the OPQ, it is that however you answered it created an impression that was not suitable/compatible with what NATS wanted, this may have been due to you lying outright, deliberately, or simply that you do not fit the bill that NATS has set out in what it wants from its candidates.

So its not necessarily 'failing', it is simply that the OPQ has ruled you unfavourable or uncompatible if you like for the role of trainee ATCO. Obviously some (maybe the majority) of candidates are likely to be found uncompatible and therefore their application rejected and further progression denied. If it wasn't possible to 'fail' or be found unsuitable upon the basis of the OPQ then what would justify its inclusion in the process? Simply to gauge your character??

Yeah, I agree. It's really very frustrating to fail because i apparently have the wrong personailty.

But I don't think it's as simple as that. Although I have no connection to NATS so I don't know how their process works, I think the personality questionnaire si used to determine if you are successful if you are borderline on any of the other tests at stage 2.

So in my case, I am confident that i passed the aptitude tests (I did many of these to get my current job with a huge multinational corporation and did very well in them). But I am sure I could have done much better in the motivational paper. So, I think if my personiilty was a strong match for what they're looking for, perhaps I would have got through.
So i think the strength of my personality results weren't good enough to make up for the poor mark in the motivational paper.

I doubt my personality will change significantly in the next year until i reapply, but I know I can do better in the motivational paper, and hopefully that will be enough.

I hope that makes sense.


<<Edit>>
I agree with above, I don't think it's strictly about "passing" or "failing" a personality test. I think the PQ assesses how strongly you match to their ideal. They obviously don't employ just one type of person.

I believe, having read this entire thread that they used to only ask people who were borderline passing the stage one tests to complete the PQ, but have since decided to get eveyone to complete it.

I think if you are borderline on any of the tests but strongly match their personilty ideal, you may still get through.

But, as with all of this... there is so much speculation from all the candidates, all anyone can do is their best..if it's meant to be, it's meant to be.

Right...that's it! I'm done with waiting NATS!! So, I am going to....wait a bit longer dammit!;)

Hey guys...

go my stage 1 end of the month..

and was wondering..

what tips can you give me? what advice etc...


and what happens? as the email just says read this.. and take a look at that..

if you get me..

thanks

Everything you will need is in the email and this thread.

im looking now... and clues whats pages?

So read the document, and take a look at the examples - They're not trying to suprise you on the day - whatever they've told you you need to do in preparation that's it. It is that simple.

Also... as you're here y ou might as well read this forum too. It is very very long - but well worth it.

Learn the document, and make sure you have a look at the example aptitude tests so you have an idea what to expect.

When I did my tests the guy next to me was shocked at them - but they were just like the examples (only more of them, and more difficult obviously).

What pages? Read just a few pages back from here and you'll see messages pinpointing specific posts.


Why do people expect stuff handed to them on a plate? Think about it - if you want to succeed in the ATC training course and become a great ATC,you can't just ask someone what page is covered in each test - you have to find and learn this stuff for yourself. So start practicing that now.

Sorry if that's a bit blunt.

Boxerman, have a look at Nokio's post on page 22.

Hi all,

Just got email saying passed stage 1, took nearly all 15 working days but who cares, i Passed.
Now just have to do the online test to see if i personality !!!

Anyone else heard from the 18th March how they did, jonathonb etc....

Yep, got stage 1 email and passed. :ok:

Just done the personality test...... :yuk: Nasty. 104 questions and I felt like I was contradicting myself all the time - I really hope it's not just based on that, but they take into account achievement in the stage 1 tests as well as kudos_ni suggests! :\

T250 - OPQs, as I stated are used as an interviewing tool. They throw up suggestions for lines of questioning, I would be very surprised if NATS decided you didn't fit in the right box. They can also be manipulated.

I say this from the perspective of 12 years in recruitment and some experience administering SHL tests.

Just another quick note to say the people I met at Swanwick last week consisted of a variety of personalities: some quiet, some loud; and a wide variety of interests.

YES! Got in my results from my Stage 1 on the 18th in London, and passed!

I just took the online questionnaire and it really is a killer. I sat the test with an open mind and no distractions and really did do my best to answer as honestly as possible, but I still felt on occasion that I contradicted myself because there were some tough questions really. I found it hard to make decisions such as "Am I more ambitious, or do I enjoy an intellectual conversation more?", stuff like this tripped me up. I just hope they don't think I was being dishonest at any point...

There's also questions I think are unfair too. Mainly the ones to do with working with others and being sociable and outgoing. I know I am not a very talkative person and I am not brilliant in social situations, nor do I consider myself a good team leader, but I love to discuss problems, give orders and help others. It just felt on occasion that they would think I was lying, because in some questions I feel i'm making myself seem like a total recluse, and in others I seem like someone who loves to deal with peoples problems, but I strongly feel it is possible to be both those things. I just hope they can tell the difference between being sociable, and being simply interested in people.

if you were honest you will get through - i think ;)

OPQ
 

I strongly agree with your statement Lozzo87

There are certain PQ which really stretch one's personality to the maximum, and I'm sure NATS' OPQ will not be an exception! Hence if I pass S1, I am already dreading that moment of having to sit at the pc to take it.

I have done many of these types of questionnaire, and there are many 'test yourself questionnaires' out there on the net, but what I find in most of them, is the entwined way in which they formulate their questions. Many times the same question being asked twice, or even three times throughout the PQ but constructed in totally different ways or from different points of view. I guess the only way of 'doing well' in these tests is being as honest as possible, and at times answering questions in the most intuitive possible way - but yes, this is all easier said than done... especially when you're trying to make a career out of it and we’re supposed to be able to make quick and accurate statements!

Last but not least, from what I have read on previous posts on this thread, I do agree that there is very little one can prepare for and ‘study’ as such for a PQ, but I do think it always will be advantageous to take a few of the many mock PQ which are out there on the net, as they will give a broad view of the type of questions typically asked and a little feedback on how one is assessed.

I took my S1 on the 30th of March, and still awaiting results patiently. But I hear some of you who took it on the 18th have already received your results! Nerve racking stuff! Gluck

Nick

I thought I did alright in the tests (13th Mar) but messed up the motivation paper as I did the last night revision thing.. so people going to do S1 test, don't do what I did!

Got the e-mail yesterday evening (18:00) saying I've passed the personality questionnaire.

I'm really really surprised to pass this stage as I've applied for the retail assistant jobs, McDonald's crew, cleaning jobs which some give a personality test in the application process and getting rejected for every single one of them. :mad: :mad: :mad:

Next hurdle is passing Stage 2, as I don't have much work life examples of the key 'attributes', e.g. working under pressure, etc.
All my job applications so far where I have had an interview (getting a job interview is rare in my case), I've always failed as I wasn't good enough as the other candidates.

Sorry to those whose reading all this negativity, I haven't had much of a career at the age of 26, but am now trying to catch up with my (similarly aged) peers.

So much for my recruitment experience - I just had the access denied email following my OPQ. I fail to see the point in getting me to complete an OPQ when there is no interview forthcoming unless they are simply putting people in boxes. Strange.

Oh well, back to the drawing board - Good luck to all!

Grrrr... I suppose that means having filled in the OPQ yesterday, I'll have to wait until the end of next week to hear back... :(

Glasgow 27th March
 

Good luck to all those who passed.


I didn't make the grade.

:{:{:{:{:{:{:{:{:{:{:{:{:{:{:{

Anybody else doing stage one tomorrow at fareham 13:30?


I feel I've done as much as I can and I still don't know fully what to expect!



Spent the day at gloucestershire control tower today and the people there were brilliant, especially Will who showed me around and picked me up and dropped me off again at the train station so if you're reading this Will, I owe you one! :ok:

Stage 3 tomorrow at Swanwick. I don't feel fully prepared but there's always a little more you could do. I just hope I've done enough and I give it my all.

Really looking forward to it in a strange way. Although there is definitely a massive pressure. Visiting Swanwick last week was unbelievably helpful. If you can get yourself down there during the recruitment phase I suggest you do so.

JonathanB is see what you mean about the OPQ !!!! It does go on and on and on and on, and then you feel as if you have failed !!!! But i hope not !!! Only time will tell.
Good luck to all taking their tests soon, hope you get through.:ugh::ugh:

The good thing about this selection process is you are not competing against the other applicants. If you meet the standards you are in.

I passed my opq... what a relief!!
now bring on stage two!
Do they give you a date to do your stage two or do you get to pick? Its just Ive got my exams coming up so its a bit of a hectic time right now

You'll get to choose just like your stage 1.

Subject to a medical and referencing...I'M THROUGH!!!!

Well done CJayne! :D

Just out of interest, how long was it for you between taking your stage 1 and finding out you passed stage 3?

Well done CJayne! I hate to say it, but I told you so!
Certainly kept you waiting on that one didn't they?!

Big congrats CJayne.

Stage 3 done - waiting game begins but it would have taken a miracle for me to get through. I just didn't feel as focused as I'd have liked... *huff*

Just out of interest, how long was it for you between taking your stage 1 and finding out you passed stage 3?

I started the whole process in November last year - I selected the maximum time I could between stage 2 and 3 so I could get lots of revision in and I found out today....that makes it 5 and a half months.

Certainly kept you waiting on that one didn't they?!

They certainly did! And even then, the lady who interviewed me called me to say she had wanted to tell me I passed as she knew how badly I thought I'd done - how sweet was that?!

Stage 3 done - waiting game begins but it would have taken a miracle for me to get through. I just didn't feel as focused as I'd have liked... *huff*

Marco888 - look how I felt....chin up x

Congratulations, CJayne! Do you know when you will be starting at the college?

No idea yet - waiting for a call on friday to chat about it. I didn't have HR give me my answer for some reason, so they'll call later.

Does anyone know if I need to produce my GCSE certificates? If I do, I'll need to be spending a fair amount in order to get certifying letters as I've never had them! Eeeek...!

Would anyone here be able to tell me how long it took after they submitted their initial application online to hear from NATS as to when stage 1 was going to be, and how long they had to wait.

It's just i have exams in May and don't want job applications interfering with them.

Any help much appreciated

Thanks

I applied 4th March and had the invitation to Stage 1 on the 5th March. Did the Stage 1 on the 31st, although I could have done the ones the following week in Manchester but was unable to get there for those so went for the London one, and now I'm waiting to hear if I get invited to the next stage.

Wow! Didn't expect it to be that quick!

thanks speedbird

Congrats on passing CJayne. For some reason your username has stuck out like a sore thumb recently, probably because you were just waiting for the news. I remember the feeling.

Anyhow, you will need your certificates. I had to reorder mine because I am clumsy :P Don't tell NATS that though :)

Well done once again!

Congratulations, I just got a prinout done and signed by the "examinations officer" she did it for free and NATS said it was fine.... Now get that medical booked :)

Well done CJayne!

For me it was exactly 6 months. I applied initially on September 30th, and found out I'd passed on March 30th

Though I did leave the maximum time between stages in order to make sure I was fully prepared. I could probably have done it in well under half the time if I'd wanted to, in fact probably all in well under 2 months. Though I'd have probably failed due to lack of preparation...!

Hi all,

I've just selected my Stage 2 date - woohoo!

I've read over this forum many times, and all the Stage 2 info has been great! However, I have one question.....everybody seems to say that their is a structured HR interview in Stage 2, however when I received my invitation email it just said there would be a motivation paper and computer tests. So my question is: is there still an interview at Stage 2?

It would be great to hear from anyone who has done Stage 2 in the last few months or so....

Thanks in advance!

Paul