What ATC selection tests don't publish — and why it matters
NATS, EUROCONTROL and the FAA all keep their scoring formulas and question banks private. Here's exactly what is and isn't public, and how to spot a source that's guessing.
Search for air traffic control test preparation and you will find pages stating question counts, time limits and pass marks with total confidence. Most of those numbers are not published by anyone. This page sets out what is actually public, so you can tell the difference.
NATS
Public: that Stage 1 is a battery of eleven online ability tests; the five ability areas it covers; that Stage 2 is a situational judgement test and a listening comprehension test proctored by Aon; that Stage 3 is a virtual assessment centre with an interview, a knowledge test and observed retesting; and that Stage 4 is a practical exercise over Teams or at Whiteley.
Not public: individual test names, question counts, time limits, scoring formulas, progression thresholds, the Stage 2 question bank, the Stage 3 knowledge-test syllabus, which tests are repeated at Stage 3, the Stage 4 task rules and scenarios, and any pass mark at any stage.
EUROCONTROL
Public: the FEAST module structure, roughly how long each takes, and which broad abilities each measures. EUROCONTROL also runs a free official preparation platform — and states openly that its practice items are not identical to the real tests.
Not public: the item bank, the scoring, and each individual provider's cut scores, which vary between the roughly 50 organisations using FEAST.
The FAA
Public: that the ATSA exists, is taken after referral from a hiring bid, and covers decision-making, spatial awareness, multitasking and working memory. Hiring targets are published.
Not public: the full subtest specification. Two of the seven subtests are not publicly identified, and the widely-circulated breakdown comes from preparation vendors rather than the FAA.
How to read a preparation source
- Does it distinguish between what the provider published and what it inferred? If not, it does not know the difference either.
- Does it claim to have the real questions? Nobody outside the provider does.
- Does it state a pass mark? None is published for any of these tests.
- Does it explain its answers, or just mark them? On judgement tests especially, an unexplained answer key is an assertion, not teaching.
None of this means preparation is pointless — the opposite. The abilities are real and they are trainable. It means preparation should target the abilities, honestly labelled, rather than pretending to reproduce a test that nobody outside the provider has seen.
Common questions
Does NATS publish its Stage 1 pass mark?
No. NATS does not publish question counts, time limits, scoring formulas or progression thresholds for any stage.
Can anyone sell me the real NATS test questions?
No. The question banks are not public. Any source claiming to have them is claiming something it cannot have.
Is there any official ATC test practice?
EUROCONTROL runs a free official FEAST preparation platform covering FEAST I concepts, and states that its items are not identical to the real ones.
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.