Hello again!

For some of us, Skytest or feasttest might be very helpful (because you know what to expect on the test day) but on the other hand, there are a lots who failed just because they practiced too much and they`ve learnt the exercises.

Maria, I have noticed the same thing about the final result at DART. I even tried several ways to calculate it.. but I cannot understand either.

yes, but as an air traffic controller,you don't know what happens next!

and you don't know if you learn wrong rules. it's possible that you use the rules of the fake feast during the real feast because you are used to the fake feast and then you fail because of the fake feast test and not because of your skills.

Please stop using the "fail" word!
 

@ some of you, please stop using the "fail" word.

Why are we talking so much about failing the FEAST instead of talking about passing the FEAST?
I'm not sure right now if this thread hasn't transformed into a "How to FAIL the Feast/DART by practicing on prep tools" thread, or it remained a thread that is about succeeding in taking the FEAST.

I assume that everybody here are convinced that "as an air traffic controller,you don't know what happens next!" but once you have PASSED the FEAST you do not become an air traffic controller right away. First you get trained for that and then you have to take and pass some difficult exams. The way to the ATC licence is loooong, but we need to hear from the people that know what controling is about that these tests are passable!

Have a positive attitude and post positive thoughts here, please!

I wonder if the people that posted in negative words have really taken the FEAST and know what they are talking about.
I would like those that have taken the FEAST or even the DART to let us know what they think about practicing prior to the real tests.
Also, if there are ATCs that have passed the DART please tell us if it is a wrong thing to practice before taking the real DART and if practicing had helped or even worse, it has contributed to a negative result in the test.

Thank you!

It has been posted over and over again by several current Eurocontrol ATCOs that practising for the tests is useless at best and damaging at worst.

I don't know how to spell it out any clearer.

The practice FEAST/DART websites seem to be a nice money maker for the software writers and not much else.

Most posts in the this thread praising the practice method seem to be from potential candidates who then go on to fail the Feast!!

Summary: Use the practice websites if you like - hell if it makes you feel better, why not!

Do not be under the illusion that they actually help you to pass.

Failure rates at Eurocontrol (currently) are high. Whether this is down to the demographic of the students they are recruiting, or the fact they have all been reading this thread and coaching themselves through the tests, I couldn't tell you!!

Please - dress smart, rest well and research the company for the interview. You will either pass or fail. Such is life.

Nothing in this thread will ultimately 'help' you pass the test.

And for those who consistently demand that no-one speaks of failing or such horrors - please join the rest of us in reality. The training process is essentially a gamble, be prepared for the fact you might fail and you wont go far wrong.

PS: 75% of my ab-initio failed the training.

To BeT
 

Thank for your answer!

I assume you are an ATCO at EUROCONTROL since you know so much about it.

Also, perhaps you might have some interesting statistics about how many people have practiced before the FEAST, how many of those that have practiced have passed it and how many that have practiced and passed it have finally failed the training.
That would be some very interesting facts to know about.

Nothing in this thread will help me pass the test?
Then why do you think this thread is going on and on?

"dress smart"??? How much do you think dressing smart has ever helped anyone pass the FEAST? Come on!
Anyway, I agree with resting well and researching about the company but dressing smart...? That's a good one!

"The training process is essentially a gamble" ? Are you talking about the training done after you get to be admitted as a student at EUROCONTROL or the practice before taking the test? When I said training, I was referring to the training as a student and that God forbid to be "essentially a gamble"!

I'm preparing to pass and not to fail.
And let me tell you something more: the sun rises in the east - this is life, pure reality.

P.S.: thank you!

as an example, in germany you are not allowed to pratice for the tests. if you have practiced, the psychologists will se it and you are out.
the reason is that most of them who have practiced for the tests passed the tests but failed the training(and in germany 80% pass the training).
it is possible that in germany more students pass the training because it is not allowed to practice for the tests. but it's only my opinion.

it is your decision if you practice, but believe me, it can't be useful when other ansp say that it's not allowed to practice.


and the thread is useful because you know such things as dress smart, know things about the company and you can find/meet other candidates.

ps: dress smart is important for the interview,not the feast.

Ill entertain you for a while - although you strike me as someone who wont be told.

- Why do I say dress smart? Because its an interview for a job, a very good job. Whether you realise it or not you are being assessed from the second you enter the building... how you dress, how you speak, how you interact. Seeing students turn up to the FEAST tests in shorts and scruffy T-Shirst is nothing short of embarrassing. I was interviewed alongside one other candidate back at my assessment; he was a Greek chap and I !!!! you not he turned up for the interview in shorts and t-shirt, flip flops and sun glasses. He thought he was Gods gift to the world - do you think he made it to the training?

- Frankly I dont care if you disagree with the notion that practicing isnt useful. Ive said already if it makes you feel better then do it, but please dont be under the illusion it will help you pass.

- Nothing in the thread helps you pass - well its a turn of phrase really. However seeing as most of the thread concerns itself with practicing ill stand by the statment. The thread goes on and on because new posters keep arriving and asking the same question over and over - people seem reluctant to accept adivce when they are given it.

- I 100% viewed my training as a gamble. I gave up a lot to move to a foreign country to start a job I had no experience of and I left everything behind with no certain future. How can that not be seen as a gamble? Im glad it worked out for me - but for most it does not.

- I dont have any statistics for how many practiced etc - how would I? I am a validated ATCO in Eurocontrol OPS, I am trying to help others as I was helped in the past.

You can take the advice as you see fit, but dont try refuting everything that is offered to you. It will make you look foolish.

To BeT
 

Thank you for your reply!

Congratulations for making it to your dream job with EUROCONTROL! :D

I hope you can share some more of your experience with the people interested in taking the tests, starting the training and working with EUROCONTROL.
And hopefully it will help make a difference for someone.
In the end you are the ATCO.

to Bet
 

bet,why do you believe prep.tools are not useful?

ive covered that multiple times.

:)
 

@BeT, 12.02.2012
The key-word in your post is: as I was helped in the past.

FEAST I - passed
 

As the title says, I've passed FEAST I on Thursday, the 9th of February 2012.

May I say it was interesting, and that I passed it with no prior 'training', 'practice' or 'excercise'.

I took the test in Bucharest, Romania, as I'm applying for an ATC job here, in Romania.

Several of my fellow candidates we're bragging that they got really high scores at the feasttest.com tool or at the skytest tool and they went on to fail the actual TEST! From the 10 people in my group, 3 passed(including me). Most of the ones who failled said they have been practicing for the test, but so did the other 2 guys that passed. It seems I was the only one that didnt practice. And to be honest I wasnt rested enough either because I live 600 km from Bucharest and the plane from Oradea to Bucharest takes of really early(0600 AM LT).

One thing that might have helped me, but not to much, is that I've been working in the airline bussines for 5 years now. Started out as a check-in agent, moved to OPS, made it to Ops Supervisor, and ATC is the next logical step.

In conclusion, I can't really say that preparing for the test helps or not(after all, I passed without preparing and 2 passed after hours of preparing). I think that you either got it, or you don't.

HINT: Read/listen to the instructions REALLY carefully, they explain you exactly what you need to do. If you know your English and have a bit of a passion for puzzle solving you can most certainly make it!

?
 

RoAlex: there haven't been any exams on 9th of February. I just checked the announcements.

They havent updated the site. But the exam took place.
;)

@Maria31:

The advice given to me is what I now preach.

Rest, dress well, study.

RoAlex: Of course they didn't updated the site. But how did they announce you? All of you? It might be helpful for the others.
BeT: your advices are correct, by study meaning anything that we think may help, as you just said.
I now stop my posts on the forum, hopely we all have to study and work for exams, trainings and other activities.
Have a glorious day! :ok:

We were 10 or so at the English exam. They told us after we passed the exam that we will take the FEAST I on Wednesday and Thursday. Furthermore, a lady from the HR department called me later that day to confirm the appointment. I dont know if they called everyone...

By study I mean do research on the company - what it does, its locations, its business. These questions all get asked in the interview - if you have no answers it doesnt look good.

Ive said from the start you should do whatever makes YOU feel confident. But I have also been trying very hard to point out that 'coaching' yourself through the FEAST test is not a good idea in the long term.

SIMPLY the best thing to do is turn up and see if you can do it. If you somehow make it to the training or beyond and you dont really have the aptitude for the job (because you coached yourself through the test) it can very quickly become a bad situation; far from home, with people you dont really know, trying to learn a profession that ultimately you cannot do.

Why waste your time like that? Yet we still see it.

:)
 

Not everybody takes the test for Eurocontrol. Most of us are taking the test in our country! This is why talking about the organization or other subjects isn't useful.

Well, this is the Eurocontrol thread...... and the point still applies.

Going to have DART in march.
Guys, who passed it, can you write me PM, i have some questions...

Why in PM?? We all have questions about real DART vs prep tools.

After going through both major preparation tools, I suspect at this time that the DART cannot be cheated through these tools...I will perhaps change my opinion after taking the test...in 1 week or so...

georgica
I see you are from Romania, are you sure you're going to take the DART in 1 week or so?

Because the people from ROMATSA told us the DART test are going to take place in March, do you know something else?

Thank you,
Alex

Does anybody know about mental mathematic in DART...'cause my friends, told me, that we will have some math's exercises...???
Who passed it, please send me PM, i have some questions...

if you passed the required school level, you should laugh when you see the math tasks.

I'm not scary about it...))) i don't see that variant in which i will fail...

My Experience..
 

Hi Guys,

I've been out of this forum quite long, since I've finished EC's selection.

Today I opened this forum by chance, just to look what's going on here.

So I've started my selection on January 2010 making FEAST I and II, then I made the final interview on late Feb.

The day after I came back to my country when they informed me about my failure.. What a shock!
After several days, the guy from HR who interviewed me, called to give me the "feedback". That was very kind of him.

Among variuos things, they decided not to take me on because of my english prep.

After that call I've started to collect all of those information to improve my whole preparation (I was about to start the selection for my national provider), the failure was not an option, so I've done a great effort to be the best candidate to have access to the Academy.

This morning I was reading your posts, about experiences, tips and advices, therefore, after a couple of years, I decided to give some "sharp" infos, hoping that you'll go there fully prepared.

The first thing comes from my mind bring us to the end. The feedback.

The clearest memory of that interview is when they asked me about my sentimental relashionship. At the time I was engaged and they asked me a lot of things about my girlfriend.. Quite a lot! Too many..

Months later I realized how much they invest on you, how they can't afford any chances of failure during training.

Be sure to keep in mind that they rely also on your "personal" situation, don't think that asking if you have a girlfriend it's just a "friendly question".

The HR guy didn't mention about my sentimental relationship in the feedback, but i'm firmly sure that my answer was important.

Be sharp, be awake, be yourself, be prepared:

Gathering infos about FEAST is a good thing: you don't have to be prepared as they teach you every single part of the test, but going there with a previous idea of what you're going to do is much better.

Try to make friendship,

You'll meet a lot of guys who are going to make the same selection, be together, especially the day before, helps you to keep calm..

Be confident,

Especially in the second phase, you'll have to do the group discussion and the prep. of a flight plan that you're going to explain to the board. You have to speak in front of people (psychologist), keep that in mind.

Before to go there, ask you some questions, like: Why I want to be an ATC? Can seems a weird question, but I'm sure you know the importance of knowing your personal answer.

The test are long, stressful, hard and quick... Be fully rested, be calm and act like you're going to start a marathon, not a 100mt sprint.

We were about 60 of us. Only 4 (including me) were invited to the final interview. As far as we know, nobody was took on in the company.

After two years, i've succeded the selection for my national provider. I'm still waiting to start the course.

EC was a great experience that helped me to face another selection in a better way.

Hoping I was of any help, don't hesitate to ask anything you want..!

xnnfm

Thank you for sharing these thoughts!
 

Thank you xnnfm for sharing your thoughts about how these tests and selection in general should be approached.
Your post is very interesting!

Congratulations for your success!
How did you prepare yourself psychologically for the selection you have attended with your national service provider?
Where is the course going to take place? In Italy or abroad? How long is it?
Do you have any information about the structure of the course?

What differences did you find between EC's selection and your national provider's selection structure/composition?

How did you find the DART?
What do you think is important when taking the DART test, besides being fully rested, calm, self confident and aware of its complexity?

Thanks again!

meonly

Thanks a lot xnnfm,

yours was the first really helpful post since long in this thread.

For suggestions like "dress smart, rest well and research the company for the interview" I'll go to some general recruitment site I guess. You don't need a specialized thread in a specialized forum for that.

Thanks again xnnfm and congrats for your success!

As a reminder the thread was about Eurocontrol testing and interviews ...
Only from a certain moment was it polluted by FEAST specific questions , mainly for selections which had nothing to do with Eurocontrol.

Now if potential Eurocontrol candidates on this forum prefer to listen to 'advises' from people who have actually failed the Eurocontrol Selection as opposed to following the hints from 'insiders' (read the ones who have passed the selection AND have qualified as ATCOs for MUAC...fine!(:ugh:)

However , if I may , and assuming they pass the selection:hmm:they'll probably learn the hard way that smart ar:mad: have no place in an OPS room.

@ LevelD:

Im glad you said it, because I have given up.

It seems some people just cant be helped.

With the attitude displayed by some of the recent posters to this thread, if they somehow made it through the FEAST, their time in OPS will likely be short lived.

@ Aldebaran:

NOBODY likes a smart arse, and 'yes, but' people fall on their sword pretty quickly.

feast test
 

Hello everyone

Did anyone know a website or a program like feasttest.com?

Please if you know something, in order to make practice it will be very useful for all the new candidates
Thank you

It won't be useful for anyone!

Read the thread.

@Hi Meonly


To be sincere, EC's experience was vital in succeeding in my country.
Your brain, mind, psyco situation in general is very important to face a selection like this and training is important too as it allow you to improve.

EC's selection was my training in the end.

I went to my national provider's selection very prepared.

In fact in the final interview they asked me why I acted so confident in the group discussion..

Also a failure it's absolutely important to improve. I failed EC but I learned where I did wrong and what was the answer to their (and mine too) questions..
Like the most stupid one: Why would you like to be an ATC, and why here, with us.. etc etc..

Anyway, the course will take plane in my country, but not in my city, it lasts about 14 months.
I've already have some infos about the course structure as some candidates started in Oct.

Basically they start with some subject as AvioRights, Navigation, Wheater.. some people said they're boring.. time will tell..

Then there is the simulation part, divided in some levels. As far as I know, is a section with high failure rating... (3-7%).

the final phase include english prep, airplane sim and final exams..


The main difference between EC and my national provider's selection is that EC rely mainly on avio prep.

Every excercise includes and it's based on aeronautic preparation. It's more interesting if you like the context...

Two years ago there where the FEAST. I found it very strong in terms of energy consumption.
Everybody talks about be fully rested: it's true and you can understand it only when you experience it.
Are you a sportsman? do you know how hard is to do an endurance sport?
I was lucky in that way because when you're trained to sustain a long session of training for a race, you also (and mainly train) your mind to be in a perfect shape even after several hours of test.

Hope I was of any help to everybody..


When will you go to EC?

Thank you a lot xnnfm!

Your posts in this thread are so useful! At least for me, I feel so.

Understanding from other posts that practicing tests for FEAST doesn't help too much, I have begun questioning myself what other kind of preparation can be useful and your posts offered me the answers I was looking for.

I hope to be as successful as you have been.

I' not going for the EC.
I'm preparing for my national service provider's selection and I was very interested if I could do anything to improve my abilities for the DART, which concerns me the most. I hope I will be able to calibrate my efforts during the test, in order to invest the optimum doze of energy needed for completing the test from start to end, of course, with the positive result expected so much.

Also thank you for the info about the course structure.

Regards,
meonly

Hey guys. Who had DART test, tell me please how many of non-contrlled(gray ones) aircraft did you have?
Next monday i'm going to have it, and a little worried about...i'm really good in simulator training, but i don't like this computer games where you should control a/c by the keyboard and mouse...

xnnfm,

may I ask you what kind of italian diploma's were accepted for EC, and was there a scoring limit (like for eg. 80/100 min)? Thanks

Hey guys ! I took dart today and it was pretty amazing . I had some potential conflicts which 4 ended up to be real conflicts . Other tham that all was ok . No resets no missed checks few wrong sums . Any ideea if i ll pass?

in greece or eurocontrol?

Ahhhooowww!)))
I've just passed DART...if you have any question, welcome to PM)