NATS Stage 2: situational judgement and listening
NATS Stage 2 is an online situational judgement test and a listening comprehension test, both proctored by Aon. What each assesses and how to prepare.
Stage 2 follows Stage 1 and contains two assessments: an online situational judgement test and an online listening comprehension test. Both are virtually proctored by Aon, which means webcam and microphone consent for identity validation. Candidates who decline consent cannot proceed.
The situational judgement test
NATS says the SJT assesses how you evaluate possible responses to workplace situations. In practice that means realistic scenarios from a safety-critical operation, each followed by possible responses you judge between.
There is no ATC knowledge required — you have not been trained yet, and the test knows that. What is being assessed is judgement: when to speak up, who to tell, how to balance procedure against pace, and whether you report your own mistakes.
Worth understanding about SJTs generally: the answers are not objectively correct in the way an arithmetic answer is. They are scored against expert consensus about good practice. That is why a good SJT practice tool explains its reasoning rather than just marking you.
The listening comprehension test
NATS describes this as assessing how accurately you understand, retain and use spoken information. Listening is the core mechanical skill of the job — a controller works almost entirely by voice — so it is a sensible thing to test early.
The most transferable practice is holding several values from one spoken message: a callsign plus a level plus a runway, delivered once, at pace, in an accent you may not be used to. Sub-vocalising numbers as you hear them is the cheapest technique that works.
What NATS does not publish
- The number of questions in either assessment.
- The time limit, or whether questions are individually timed.
- Whether audio can be replayed, or whether notes are allowed.
- The scoring formula, the pass mark, or how the two assessments are weighted.
Treat any source that states those confidently with suspicion. They are not published.
Try a real item
Written to the same standard as the live tests — same format, same difficulty, and where it matters, the same trap that catches people in the real thing. Pick an answer to see the reasoning.
Situational Judgement
A workplace situation from a safety-critical operation, then four possible responses. No ATC knowledge needed — Stage 2 candidates have not been trained yet.
You are under training on a live position. A pilot reads back a clearance and you are not certain the readback matched what you issued. Your supervisor is occupied with another position. Which response would be the MOST effective?
Listening Comprehension
In the real test this is spoken once, at pace, in a variety of accents — you cannot replay it. It's written out here so the item works on a page.
“Speedbird four seven two, descend flight level one two zero, squawk four six two one.”
What squawk code was given?
Practise what this guide covers
These are live now. Reading about a timed test is not the same as sitting one.
Common questions
What is in NATS Stage 2?
An online situational judgement test and an online listening comprehension test, both virtually proctored by Aon.
Do I need a webcam for NATS Stage 2?
Yes. Both assessments are virtually proctored, requiring webcam and microphone consent for identity validation. Candidates who refuse consent cannot proceed.
Are there right answers in a situational judgement test?
Not in the way there are in a maths test. SJT responses are scored against expert consensus about effective practice in a safety-critical setting.
Keep reading
Last updated 2026-09-03. ATC Ready is an independent practice tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or associated with NATS Holdings, EUROCONTROL, the Federal Aviation Administration, NAV CANADA or any other air navigation service provider or testing authority. Always confirm current details on the provider's own recruitment pages.