I used the online messaging in the application system, and it was only because they said I'd get some confirmation of receiving the OPQ which I didn't.

Hi T250,

no, my stage 1 was on the 24th of March... :)

When/where did you hear or why would you get confirmation of HR receiving your OPQ?

It isn't the standard/default thing that happens?? :confused: I know I never got any email saying they'd got my OPQ safely, just an email later on to say I'd passed it... :)

I obviously read more into the instructions than necessary!

Training
 

Hi, dont know if I'm in the right place? Dont seem to be able to find it elsewhere... Can anyone help me with a question re training. If you manage to get through all the tests and medicals etc and get accepted for training, I understand this takes place in Bournemouth? What happens after initial training? Do you then have to work at Swanwick for a while? or is there an option to go nearer home if you dont live near there? Apologies for the ignorance, any replies would be gratefully received, regarding the whole training process really. Many thanks....

Depends whether you work on aerodrome or area, if you get area which most people go into, you will be based at Swanwick or Prestwick, if you get aerodrome, you could be based at any of the 15 (I think) aerodromes that NATS controls.

Either way, you have to sign a mobility contract at your stage 1 which means you agree to move wherever the business needs you, so you need to be flexible.

Yes, initial training (9-11 months) is in Bournemouth and you will have been put on either an Area or Aerodrome course.

After that you can be sent anywhere in the country (you must sign to agree to this at stage 1!). In all probability it will be either Swanwick or Prestwick if you are on the Area side, and more people do Area. If you are on Aerodrome then you could be sent to any NATS controlled aerodrome.

Just a few additions:

Aerodrome is a bit shorter than Area (6 months-ish) as you either get just a Tower rating (for London airports) or you stay on to get an Approach rating (will allow you to work at any regional airport or London Approach located at Swanwick).

You can express a preference for location, whatever discipline you end up on, but no guarantees... If you desperately want to work in one place, consider approaching one of the non-NATS airports as they may take you on (and you're applying to a place then, not a company).

Interesting, I thought Terminal Controllers came from the Area stream... (as both AC and TC are radar controllers). :confused:

Hmm.... One of my uni friends now works at TC and followed that route, so I assumed that was right! Maybe he took a bit of a scenic route to TC... Now I'm confused... :confused:

According to the TATC guide in the NATS departure lounge, the area course is 10 months split between Basic, foundation and advanced modules and the aerodrome is 5 months and aerodrome/approach is a further 3 months on top of the core aerodrome course.

Paperclip and JonathonB:

TC Controllers come from both the Approach and Area courses. You don't have to be dual rated in both to work at TC either. As you probably know, TC control the airspace above London, so in they deal with LL inbounds and outbounds.

The area guys will stream the inbounds towards the 4 stacks around LL, then transfer them to approach, who will do the sequencing and spacing for final approach, before giving them to us. Outbound traffic goes straight to the area controllers at TC once they have commenced the turn on the SID (unless CPT on easterlies, when they work the approach guys and girls first).

Thats about as much light as I can shed on it... apart from knowing when to say ''Contact London/ Contact Heathrow Director'' You can be posted to TC from either approach or area though out of the college...

Hi all,

Just a couple of questions for anyone who has sat the new stage 2 test.

How many people were there on the day with you? And are you all taking your tests together in the same room like the stage 1?

Many thanks for any replies!

Hello all

I found out yesterday that I passed the all new stage 2 computer test day and I'm through to stage 3. I'm really happy, I had written myself off completely after that awful day of computer tests, the pass mark must be rather low because I know I did terribly on some elements. The e-mail I recieved says that stage 3 only consists of an interview and a group exercise. For some reason I expected there to be more, especially since the motivation paper is no longer part of stage 2. I would imagine I can't prepare at all for the group exercise but if anyone has any tips on preparing for the interview that would be very much appreciated. I plan to organise a visit to Swanwick now, I suppose HR can put me in contact with them? Do they tend to run these visits at weekends? Getting holiday off of work at short notice will not be easy.

Air 22,

There were 5 people in total at my stage 2 and we were all in a room together sat at a pc from about 9 until 4 ish with a couple of short breaks, it was not a pleasant experience but even if you are certain you've failed you may be surprised like I was. I'm really looking forward to being assessed face to face finally.

Zooker,

What makes you think I have any kind of clothes like that? I only have 1 suit which I bought for my stage 2 and 3. I've never even seen a lightweight summer suit. I'll try and dress smarter though. Advice noted. Cheers.

Gogz87

Thanks ATC Hopeful.

It sounds awful! I'm dreading it :(

Good luck with your stage 3!

ATC hopeful im in the same boat as you. Jusy passed new stage 2 and have booked my stage 3 (8th april).
I have been trying to get in contact with HR since yesterday regarding a NATS visit and to clear up if we will be asked any questions on motivation papers (im assuming not as i didnt get a link to a document either).

I've not had much luck getting through to them. Today i spoke to two seperate people and both just took my contact details to get back to me. Although one person at HR said that regarding the NATS visits that someone from the recrutiment team would help me organise that and she asked if i had a preference for where i wanted to visit. But other than that i've not had much luck.

As far as my hunch on what stage 3 interview may consist of, i thought it would be a mix of HR and technical....but as we have no formal motivation paper to revise and there was no mention to revise past motivation paper info, i have a feeling it will be just HR based and then maybe just basic company information as it does refer us to the website.

Let me know if you hear back from HR regarding the interview anyway.

Gogz,

It makes no difference what you wear to a medical. You will take your clothes off pretty quickly once in. When reading Zooker's contributions, you'd do well to keep what's displayed at the bottom of every page on PPRuNe.....

Thats the first time I've ever seen that statement... sciolist, great term!

I wonder if HR will let me have a go at these FEAST tests, cause they sound interesting... and if i'll subsequently be sacked if i perform poorly?? :ouch:

ZOOKER for president :eek:

I've just booked my stage 2 for the 14th May. Anyone got any advice on how to travel down and where to stay overnight as i'm travelling from the north east?

I obviously don't know what will have changed in the new Stage 3, but I'd be surprised if they didn't ask you anything about ATC and the technical aspects of it. I'd still expect (and prepare) for technical questions - if you go and visit a NATS site, I would still think you'd be asked about it (and what you saw there) as it's a good test of enthusiasm, interest and understanding.

Anyone who had the old Stage 3 were presented with scenarios (not all ATC based but some of them were) to see how we'd apply knowledge we either already knew or was supplied to see how we think, and I'd be very surprised if the interviewers don't think that's necessary any longer.

Read the motivation paper for stage 1 again, go visit sites and read up on anything else you can find (Graham Duke's book is good, especially if you guys haven't been sent the old Stage 2 motivation document). Prepare for the HR stuff too - it's a large chunk of the interview and just as important as anything else... make sure you have good examples of your personal qualities and are prepared to speak freely and honestly about your past.

If the technical revision doesn't help you for the interview, it will help once you get to college - we'll have enough to learn when we get there!

Good luck for all those going for the final interview soon!

well that's my pre stage 2 application sent off- just hoping that they allow my eye sight problems.

Would also be nice to take the stage 2 tests before i go on holiday for 2 weeks on 10th May.

Whats the timeframe between submitting the appplication taking the tests?

They seem to get back to people quite quickly after the application form, but it really depends on the availability of dates. You might be ok to get in before holiday, but I think it'll really depend on how many people have booked up dates already.

Hi all,

I did my stage 1 on 31st March in London and have since completed the OPQ and been invited to stage 2 which I need to book soon. Just wanted to say this is a very useful thread and I'm glad I found this site before stage 1 :ok:.

Even though stage 2 is now all computer tests, does anyone have the old motivation paper that they could send to me? I would be very grateful.

del1507:

It can still be downloaded from
http://natscareers.co.uk/docs/atc_intro_book1.pdf

Any problems, PM me and I'll email you a copy over.

Thanks paperclip, looks like its all useful stuff to know even if they're not testing us on it yet.

Edit: Booked my Stage 2 for 7th May, I'm actually quite excited :p

Hi geordieboy09,

may I ask you when you submitted your application form?... I did it last thursday and I have not heard anything back yet....

guys you think I should give them a shout?...

I'd wait until Friday lunchtime and then call them if you haven't heard anything. Do HR say anything in their emails about how long you should wait?

Not really. Last e-mail that I received from them said "Once we have received your completed application form we will invite you to the 2nd stage of the process". So they dunno really say how long but reading through the threads it seems that it is quite fast for everybody...

Why not send them an email and if you haven't heard by Friday, follow it up with a phone call then?

Sometimes things seem to get stuck in the system - just depends how much of a hurry you are to get on with your application!

Thanks a lot paperclip810, I think I will follow your advise.
I am not really in any rush for the process, I could perfectly wait till July or so, it only worried me that something was wrong with the application. But if this delay is normal then I am happy to wait a bit longer :)

Hi Geordieboy,

I'm booked in for S2 on the 18th May and have a similar dilema re where to stay etc. It's a 600-odd round trip for us guys! If you find anywhere decent, drop me a message mate. Oh, and good luck!

DaleyDFC and Geordieboy: check your PMs.

papaerclip....you couldn't PM aswell?? lol i am the same...booked my S2 for 19th may, i live in northern ireland so will have to book flights and stay over the night before...i was just wondering...NATS say they wont reimburse from 1st may...is that S2 that occur after 1st of may or ones that have been booked after 1st may? thanks

Hi! I will also have my stage 2 on 18th May! so we´ll see there Daley

I have a question....when you say that there are English spoken test, what do you really mean? aren't there all of them computers test??

I had chat with HR yesterday about stage 3 and I was told that stage 3 has not changed from how it previously was, apparently it was always just an interview and group exercise. By the sounds of it the interview is mainly HR and competency based but there could be scenario questions aswell, since it's 90 minutes long they have plenty of time to ask whatever they want I guess. I asked if there was anything I needed to learn prior to stage 3 and was told that there isn't. I was sent the information for the old stage 2 motivation paper prior to my stage 2 but didn't need it in the end, I assume people getting through to stage 2 now aren't even being given that info so they can't be expecting us to have learnt much in terms of the technical elements, the only info people see now is the pack they give out for the stage 1 motivational paper.

Stage 3
 

Hiya ATC Hopeful,

If Stage 3 is just the same as what I had a few months ago, they will expect you to have a certain level of technical knowledge. This won't be because they sent you information which they expect you to learn, but because we were/are all expected to do independent research and fact-finding about ATC and the career. Just because there isn't a motivation paper doesn't mean you're not expected to show that you're motivated.

The Stage 2 document didn't have much influence on what knowledge I went into Stage 3 with. I read several books (Graham Duke's is a good introductory guide) and visited Prestwick Control (popped into Oceanic while I was there) and a tower, and spoke to a couple of ATCs I know as well as some other stuff.

If nothing had changed, expect scenario questions which may require some technical knowledge, perhaps some questions about the company and ATC operations as a whole, questions about your past and also a load of competency-based questions.

Good luck!

Hi ATC hopeful

just to add to paperclips comments, if HR have told you the interview for S3 is the same as it was then you will more than likely be asked technical questions.

It varies a lot from interview to interview, but i would advise trying to do a couple of visits because it took up a lot of the time in my interview (which lasted just under 2 hours). when you do your visits make sure you pay attention to everything you see, i was asked what the roles were of people i had spoke to and any phrases i remembered being used.

PM with any Q's. good luck.
shugs

WoooooooooooHooooooooooooo!!!!!!
 

Passed my stage 2 (new style).

I have to say, I am stunned as I thought I had totaly lost the plot on the tests.

I am so suprised I am actually shaking.