Trainee Air Traffic Controllers represent the future of NATS. We invest significant time in training ATCOs to become responsible and competent controllers, working flexibly within the regulations to make decisions which maintain safety and ensure the efficient flow of air traffic. It does take time to acquire the level of skill and competence that is the mark of a qualified Air Traffic Controller. There will of course be ups and downs as you progress through professional training, but we will support you every step of the way.
Our recruitment and selection process is designed to ensure that we learn as much as possible about you in the limited time we have available. The assessments we use are all designed to help us make fair and accurate decisions about your suitability for training and a career in Air Traffic Control. The information in this section has been designed to help you to understand our selection process, and to provide tips and guidance that will enable you to demonstrate how you meet our requirements.
If you want to find out more about our application process, then click on each of the stages below.
Register/Online Test
When you click apply, you'll be asked to register your details and complete an online application form. Our recruitment administration operates entirely online and we will communicate with you via email, so it's important that you maintain a regular check on your email account. After registering, you'll be invited to take an online test. This will involve checking information, and completing a personal questionnaire.
Assessment Day One
If successful you’ll be asked to book a date to come to one of our assessment centres, which will be held at one of our three locations in the UK:
- Corporate and Technical Centre at Whiteley, Fareham, Hampshire
- Scottish and Oceanic Control Centre in Prestwick, Ayrshire
- NATS College of Air Traffic Control, Bournemouth Airport, Christchurch, Dorset
Here you will undertake a series of paper and pencil tests. Initially you will take an ATC test and a numeracy test. If you score well on these tests you will be invited to stay and take two further tests, a spatial reasoning test, and a logical analysis test called Diagramming. The results of the test stage will be issued within 15 working days from the end of the session.
For information on how to prepare for these tests, please click here.
Assessment Day Two
If you're successful on Assessment Day One, you'll be invited to book another appointment at our Corporate and Technical Centre in Whiteley to undertake some computer tests. These include the NATS Assessment tests, FEAST test battery and the SDM test.
Click here for more information on these tests.
The results from this stage will be sent to you within 15 working days.
Assessment Day Three
If you were successful in the computer tests, you'll be invited to attend the final assessment. This will consist of a group exercise and a competency based structured interview with trained assessors from across the NATS business. These may include operational ATCOs, HR staff and members of the Human Factors group.
During both the group exercise and the competency interview, you will be assessed against a set of the core competencies which make a successful operational ATCO.
These competencies are ATC Motivation; Conscientiousness and Rule Adherence; Decisiveness and Confidence; Emotional Stability; Error Awareness; Openness to Learning and Development; Planning, Decision Making and Problem Solving, and Team Working.
More information on the group exercise and interview, including some hints on how to prepare, can be found here.
As with the previous stage, the results of the final assessment stage will be sent to you within 15 working days.
Medical/Security Clearance
If you’re successful on Assessment Day Three, you’ll represent the top 3% of applicants and will be invited to book and attend a class 3 medical with the CAA safety regulation group, Gatwick. You will then be required to send your medical certificate to the NATS medical team at Swanwick. We’ll also commence security and reference processing.
Once medical clearance is obtained from the NATS medical team, we’ll allocate you to one of our training courses either for Area Training or Aerodrome/Approach Training. These start in April/May, July/August, October/November and February, every year. If you're aged 18 when selected, we'll have to allocate you to an Area course in order to ensure that you meet the minimum age requirement to hold a radar licence on graduation.
If you're not selected, please do not be too disheartened; the selection process is very rigorous. Due to the very high cost of training, we have to be as sure as we can about our selection decisions. Of course you can try again, subject to a maximum of three attempts at the selection process.
A 12-month gap must be left between the initial test dates.
If you’ve read through the rest of the site thoroughly and think you’d like to become an Air Traffic Controller (ATCO), here’s where to apply. Before you do, though, please read through this section with particular care as it offers useful tips and hints, tells you all about our medical requirements and outlines the application process.