Overview
NATS is the UK's leading provider of air traffic control services. This page covers its selection process for trainee air traffic controllers. FEAST (First European Air Traffic Controller Selection Test) is the name of a standard aptitude test battery for air traffic controllers, but the NATS pages read for this page do not name FEAST, so this page does not say which of NATS's online tests are FEAST tests. Check the NATS careers page for the current test details.
The NATS trainee course is a Level 5 apprenticeship, requires no prior aviation experience, and involves 1 to 2 years of training at an initial training organisation to gain a Student Air Traffic Control licence. After that, trainees move to an operational unit to build experience and train through to validation and the full licence. There are three types of controller: Aerodrome (Tower), Area and Approach.
Who can apply
To be considered you must:
Be aged 18 or over when applying.
Have indefinite, unrestricted right to work in the UK. NATS cannot consider time-limited or visa-sponsored right to work.
Hold 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or Scottish National 5 grades A to C, including English and Maths, or equivalent qualifications.
Be able to pass security clearance to SC level and a full initial Class 3 medical assessment.
Follow the NATS drug and alcohol policy from signing the contract, and answer all questions honestly.
Exam pattern
Selection has four stages.
Stage 1: eleven online ability tests, designed to assess skills such as spatial awareness, logical thinking, numerical ability, sense of direction and reaction speed.
Stage 2: an online situational judgement test and an online listening comprehension test.
Stage 3: a virtual assessment centre on Microsoft Teams, with an interview, an air traffic control knowledge test, and a retest of the earlier tests under observation.
Stage 4: a practical exercise and a second ATC knowledge test, held virtually or face to face at the Whiteley office.
If you fail a stage you are told by email and cannot reapply until the next recruitment campaign.
Important dates
The page says NATS has no confirmed date for when applications for its air traffic controller courses will reopen, and invites people to register interest. For the campaign it describes, stage 3 assessment centres run from September 2026 and stage 4 from December 2026.
After the exam
Candidates who pass stage 4 get a conditional offer of employment, subject to security and medical clearances. Once the Class 3 medical is cleared, they are assigned the next available start date, which the page says will be from late 2027.
Preparation tips
The tests assess spatial awareness, logical thinking, numerical ability, sense of direction and reaction speed, so practise these skills rather than academic subjects, and check your eligibility before registering interest.
Is a degree required to become a NATS trainee air traffic controller?
The eligibility list asks for 5 GCSEs at grade 4 (or equivalent) including English and Maths. It does not ask for a degree.
How many stages does NATS selection have?
Four: eleven online ability tests, then a situational judgement and listening test, then a virtual assessment centre, then a practical exercise with a second knowledge test.