S2
 

Anyone else taking S2 down at Fareham CTC next Monday 22nd?

And has anyone received an email lately (I got it on the 11th) informing us about the process of moving to a new candidate management
system? Anyone know what this may be regarding?

Cheers!
Nick

I received that email and I went through the application process over two years ago.

Ive just got back from holiday and booked my stage 2 for the 2nd of july as its the only day I can attend.

What can I do to prepare for this and does this give me enough time?

p.s. had a call from my present employer today, who told me that my job and my partners job may be at risk.

Happy Days:mad:

hatemyjob
 

no wonder you have a username like that if thats what you have just been told !!!
As stated some pages back, there is nothing you can do to prepare for stage 2. It is a whole day of computer based test involving reactions, basic maths, language skills and those bloody cubes thrown in for good measure. Look up FEAST tests in wikipedia will give you a basic understanding of what is expected of you.
Best of luck with it, try and realx and enjoy the day you will feel better about it. Dont worry if you think you are doing badly, just concentrate on the next question, read my posts of how i felt afterwards, and i passed !!!!

I love the usual comment for state 2 of "just relax, and enjoy the day!" its so ironic! :)
Thanks for that 'avoiding action', guess their automated service at recruitment is not yet up to scratch even after so many years! Good to hear its probably nothing to worry about.

I read lots of you are getting through to S3! Good on ya'! Hope I'll be able to join in. Will be spending the next week preparing, trying to tell my left from right.....

djnick007
 

sorry for the comment !! i was surprised when people told me that as well, but honestly its my best advice.
I thought a lot are getting through to stage 3, maybe they have lowered the standards, he he. All i care about is that i made it !!!

Does anyone know what the chances are of being based at Swanwick if you go down the area route? How are the numbers of staff spread over the 3 area centres, Manchester, Swanwick and Prestwick?
I'm joining an area course and do understand that this is a mobile role but I have a girlfriend who keeps telling me she will not go to Scotland so it would be interesting to know what the chances are.

ATC hopeful
 

Hi,
We were told during various chats with HR etc... on stages 1 and 2 that the chances of landing a job at Swanwick in area is about 99%. AS Manchester is to be merged into Prestwick anyway, i would assume that if you live near Swanwick there is no need for you to go to Prestwick as most vacancies will be covered by the MACC crew.
Im in a similar situation to you, (if i pass stage 3) i live approx 2 miles from Swanwick with wife and kid so the thought of transferring to prestwick after my 11 months at the college on a poor wage is almost impossible.
Just my thoughts

You are much more likely to go to Swanwick if you want to. Although I do know of a few cases where people have got Prestwick when Swanwick was there main choice. It led to at least one person to end up quitting as Scotland was not an option for them.

The vacancies will not be filled by people from MACC moving up though as the only thing that will be changing is the location people will be working. They will still be doing the same job. If anything as postings to Scottish and MACC have been stopped in preperation for the move, they may be taking on more people up there than normal in the second half of 2010 to make up for the drop in new trainees going there and the number of ATCOs leaving Manchester instead of moving.

While there is a much greater chance of going to Swanwick, there are no gurantees and you should be prepared for all possibilities when you begin your training for NATS.

In which case ignore my last post as Avoiding action knows more than i !!!! Useful info though

excellent news- and surprisingly fast- did stage 2 on friday (yes 1 working day ago), and got an email an hour ago saying i had passed and being invited to stage 3!

I've been scanning the ages of people who say they have got places as trainee atcos and the majority seem to be late 20s.
I recently passed stage 3, and am only 19.
Anyone on a course right now, what's the age range like? Are most people going to be in the mid-late 20's?

Obviously this isn't important, but it would be interesting to know.
Thanks.

Passed stage 2
 

I've heard today that I passed stage 2:)

Looking forward to the interview, hopefully can nail it, seems so close now!!

As for preparing for stage 2, I can only echo what others have said, get a good sleep, ensure you get there in plenty of time and try not and get flustered if you think you're doing badly as I think everyone at my course enjoyed some bits and thought some were horrible.

HP20, the majority does normally seem to be in that age range but there will normally be a few younger ones.

HP20
A fellow Teen is nice to see, I am 19 and on the course at the moment, age really makes no difference, it ranges on mine from 19 to 36, majority being around 24 sort of area I would say

Ah ok, good to know.
Thanks :)

Expense Form
 

Dont suppose anyone still has a copy of the Expense Claim Form?!? If so could you possily send it to me or is there somewhere on the NATS site where i could get one?!

Cheers

Stage 1
 

Does anyone happen to have an upcoming Stage 1 assessment?

I wonder also how this 'SHL Online Test' works. The invitation states a link pointing to http://www.rate.shlsolutions.com/ but there seems little connection between the SHL site which appears very 'public' and NATS.

Is the test purely for practice purposes or is there in fact some value which is fed to NATS by completing this test?

Happypaul,

You can contact HR and they'll email it to you.

Think it's just designed to get your brain working correctly. Ive done it and it says its confidential etc.

My assumption is that NATS are just giving you extra websites to practice through.

'cdunn': Thanks!

Atc Stage 1 Test
 

hELLO, fRIENDS
i HAVE JOINED THIS FORUM TODAY FIRST TIME. I HAVE ALSO APPLIED FOR THE NATS ATC AND HAVE BEEN INVITED FOR STAGE 1 TEST. I NEED IF SOME ONE COULD PLEASE HELP IN PREPARATION , I CANNOT FIND ANY WEB SITE TO DO THE PREPARATION FOR THIS, SPECIALLY THE SPATIAL DIAGRAMMTIC TESTSS, ALSO GUIDE ME ABOUT ATC PORTION , DOES EVERY THING IN THE TEST COME FROM THE SAMPLE NATS HAS PROVIDED OR DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH ATC BOOKS .. MY TEST IS SCHDULED ON 14 JULY..\.. I AM REALLY SCARED AS I AM PREPARING FROM APTITUDE BOOKS I GOT FROM LIBRARY BUT THEY ARE MORE FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERS THAN ATS... PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME...
THANKS

Stage 3
 

I'm sure this has already been covered but I can't seem to find it again! :ugh:

Does anyone know if travel expenses are paid at stage 3 or have they been scrapped for all stages, I called HR but have not received a call back.

The problem is that there doesn't seem to be any flights from Prestwick to Bournemouth after the 16th July and flying to Southampton is about £100 more expensive!!

Moravcik,

Not sure about expenses but you are right about Ryanair. There's no flights between 16th July and 31st July, and then a limited service between PIK and BOH in August (flights 4 out of 7 days I think). However, the EDI-BOH service is still running as normal - probably cheaper for you to go to EDI than fly to Southampton!

Hope that helps a bit...

Hello,

Has anybody from Stage 2 on 8th June heard back yet? Just noticed someone heard back 1 day after their Stage 2 and i've heard nothing :bored:

Thank
 

Thanks Paperclip, your usual helpful self :)

Sicky, I had my S2 on the 4th and heard back on Monday, so if they're running at the same time you'll still have a couple of days, I know it's a horrible wait though, good luck, hope you get the thumbs up :ok:

hey ive got my stage one on the 14th july :eek: does anyone know any good sites i can practice the tests on???

thanksss

Hellllppppp Me!!!!!!1
 

Hey guys,

Im new on here so you will have to bare with me! I was hoping that someone could help...I have booked my interview (assessment) for NATS and was wondering if anyone knew what type of questions are asked regarding the booklet we had to download??? Also there is a huge list of aircraft at the back of the booklet and I was wondering if you are expected to remember all these? Thanks Kim :)

oh and do you think that 2 weeks is enough time to prepare for stage 1 :rolleyes:

Stage 1
 

Hi Kimberley

I passed stage 1 a couple of months ago, you should have a rough idea of which type of plane goes on which type of journey but you really won't need to go into much more detail than that, as for preparation, outside reading the booklet you've been sent there is not much more you can do so from a personal point of view I would say that is plenty of time.

Just try and relax on the day and don't feel to down if things don't seem to be going your way, plenty of people have said in the past that they think they've failed but have actually went onto pass. (including myself at stage 2!!)

Good Luck

-
 

holy crap,

same page, same questions, same askbeforesearchers, it's sad :(

AND PLEASE PUSH THE CAPSLOCK AGAIN!

use the search option guys. little hint: "prepare", "test", "stage" -->search in the thread.

google.co.uk: spatial test, i'm feeling lucky.

gl

Pigla I couldn't agree more.
When I was introduced to pprune I read about 100 pages before I left any messages asking questions.

Hey thanks for that, I will try and relax lol. I've just been trying to revise the booklet as much as possible but when I saw that huge list of a/c I was shocked. So u don't have to remember the seat numbers of the a/c or the knots etc? It doesn't go into that much detail? :)

Kimberley, you should have at least a rough appreciation of the number ranges - (i.e. a jet will not be doing 100 kts or 800 kts for example).


Folks, please please read through this thread - I know it's very long, but there is some very useful information on all 3 stages in here and it'll save people repeating themselves!

Hello,Ryan
Thank you for your tips on stage 1 and 2 testing , I am going to sit in the stage 1 test on July 14, I had been and ATCO and did this job for 13 years in Pakistan , Now I live in Canada and now I have applied to NATS ...
I am having difficulty in preparing for the spatial diagrammatic tests, can you please guide me as to any web sites where I can do this practice tests.the sample that NAATS has provided is only one , and so far i have not been able to find anything which is even close to these kind of tests....
As far as ATC portion which they hav provided to me it is good anouhg I am learning it , which is not very hard for me having previous experience and knowledge about ATC.
I am feeling nervous about the spatialty tests becuase you I will be travelling all the way from Canada to take this test and I want to succeed
I requests you to kindly help me , I would appreciate
Thank You

So I'm through stage 3 and have my medical booked for next Friday (26th June). I asked for a rough idea of a course start date (so I can plan for my current job!) and all I've been told is that I get put on a pool list and get told a date once the college confirms numbers on courses.

Does anyone have any recent experience of finishing stage 3, having medical and being told a date? I'm hoping it'll be October/November rather than January!

Oct/Nov is Aerodrome and Area respectively, next courses are both in Feb

I don't suppose you (or anyone else!) knows if there are spaces on those courses? Makes it difficult to plan what to do with my current job (contract currently ending in September) without having a rough idea of the likely course!

JonathanB, have you called any of the HR people, I recently passed my stage 3 and was given the choice of Area/Aerodrome and they said I could choose either the July/August intake or the October/November, they will pencil you in until you have everything confirmed, medicals etc.