The Air Traffic Controller Test: A Complete Guide by Country

An air traffic controller test is a series of psychometric assessments designed to screen candidates for terminal, tower, and en-route air traffic control jobs. They are typically taken on location at a testing facility or control center.

Air traffic controller aptitude tests are typically taken on location, at a testing facility or an area control center, though several countries now run the first stage online from home.

Organizations like the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Canadian NAV CANADA spend substantial resources training each future controller. To protect that investment, they use air traffic assessments early in the application period to measure the skills the job actually requires.

Passing the air traffic controller test stage lets you continue on the path to become a certified ATC.

Though different jurisdictions use different exams, there's real overlap in what an air traffic controller aptitude test measures. Here's how the five core skills map across the four major tests:

• Working memory: A controller holds several aircraft's positions, altitudes, and next moves in their head at once, and the test flashes a string of numbers or symbols and asks you to track only the last few, not the whole sequence.
• Multitasking/set-shifting: You're watching one aircraft, taking a call about another, and updating a third, often in the same few seconds. These sections test how cleanly you drop one thing and pick up another, not how fast you finish any single task.
• Spatial awareness: This is the job, distilled into a puzzle. Every separation decision comes down to where aircraft actually are relative to each other, so the test has you rotate shapes, switch viewpoints, and judge whether two objects are on a collision course.
• Logical reasoning: Air traffic rules don't bend for a hard day. Controllers apply the same fixed rules to a constantly shifting picture and need one right answer, fast, not a shortlist of options.
• Reading comprehension and English: A misread instruction isn't a small mistake in this job. That's also why English, the industry's working language, gets tested directly, through passages that check the main idea or whether a statement holds up.
• Personality and behavioral: There's no "correct" answer on this one, and that's the point. The job is stressful in ways a resume can't show, so this checks whether your temperament fits the role, not whether you can cram for it.

Beyond these five skills, every air traffic controller test is really testing your ability to operate under pressure. That's why taking practice tests matters: they help you get used to the pressure before the real thing.

The Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) is the US air traffic controller test, sometimes called the air traffic controller exam, written by Pearson VUE and commissioned by the FAA.

• Time Limit: 3.5 hours

• Location: Pearson VUE Testing center

• Country: USA

Getting to the ATSA takes a few steps of its own. You apply through USAJOBS during an open hiring announcement, and only invited candidates move on to schedule a seat at a Pearson VUE testing center. That invitation is the real first gate: the FAA doesn't test every applicant, only those who clear the initial screening.

The exam runs through seven sections back to back, closing with a personality questionnaire:

• ATC simulation: a basic radar-style task testing collision avoidance and prioritization
• Two memory games: one built around numbers, one around variables
• Spatial-visual relationship: judging aircraft position from shifting viewpoints
• Logical reasoning and word problems: scheduling- and seating-style deduction
• Reading comprehension: short passages, main-idea and detail questions
• Personality test: a forced-choice questionnaire, untimed for most candidates

For the exact time limit on each section, current scoring categories, and a section-by-section practice strategy, see our complete ATSA test prep guide.

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The First European Air Traffic Controller Selection Test (FEAST) is an aptitude test developed by EUROCONTROL and used in Canada and most European countries. Since its introduction in 2006, FEAST has grown to around 50 air navigation service providers across 40 countries, including three historical users outside Europe.

The FEAST is taken and graded by computer to keep the process objective.

• Time Limit: at least 2.5 hours

• Location: Area Control Centers (ACCs)

• Country: 40+ countries

FEAST measures several critical skills required for air traffic control in three modules:

The most basic part of the assessment, and essential to every ATC journey regardless of country. Covers decision-making, logical reasoning, and an English proficiency test. Includes a ten-minute break.

Practice for the FEAST test

Sometimes taken on a separate date. Also called the Multipass Exam, it includes two ATC simulations where you manage air traffic scenarios; no prior knowledge of real ATC systems is needed.

Learn more about FEAST II

A personality test designed to check your fit for a stressful job that demands mental fortitude and composure under pressure.

NAV Canada is the organization responsible for Canada's air traffic control system, and it runs its own NAV Canada ATC test process. Afterwards, candidates are also tested for an in-person exam, also known as FEAST.

The first stage is a timed online assessment, about 30 minutes, that you can complete from home. It measures core cognitive abilities under a tight time limit and requires no prior ATC knowledge. Failing this stage means a one-year wait before you can reapply.

Candidates who pass the online stage move to an in-person assessment, held regionally. It includes further cognitive testing, a prescreening interview, and an assessment center with individual and group exercises.

Candidates who clear both stages still need to pass a medical exam, a security check, and a drug screening before training starts. Paid training then runs 12 to 27 months, depending on your Flight Information Region; the Montreal FIR requires bilingual English and French.

Learn more about the NAV Canada Online Assessment

NATS (National Air Traffic Services) runs the air traffic controller test for the UK. The first stage is an online aptitude assessment covering numerical, verbal, and spatial reasoning.

Historically, NATS has run a three-stage recruitment process. As of a March 2026 update, NATS has also started adding a work-sample assessment alongside its traditional aptitude tests and interviews, giving candidates a more realistic preview of the job itself.

Training runs through the NATS College, at Swanwick or Prestwick. Trainees are paid during training and guaranteed an ATC role once they complete the course. Licensing itself comes from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), not from NATS directly.

Learn more about the NATS in our UK site.

Airservices Australia manages the air traffic controller test for Australian candidates. The process runs in stages:

• An online application
• Online ability assessments, completed at home: verbal reasoning, inductive reasoning, numerical calculations, a checking test, and a spatial test
• A one-day Assessment Centre, at the candidate's own cost, with further cognitive and technical assessment, a behavioral assessment, and a group exercise
• A reference check, followed by medical and security screening

Candidates who clear the process train at the ATC Academy in Melbourne, earning the AVI50115 Diploma of Aviation (Air Traffic Control). A five-year training bond applies once you're hired.

Every country runs its own version of the air traffic controller test, sometimes called air traffic control tests more broadly, but the shape of the process looks similar everywhere: apply, test, clear medical and security screening, then train.

The process differs by country and jurisdiction. It always starts with finding open bids, either on USAJOBS or on the NAV Canada Careers page, and submitting an application. Make sure you meet every requirement before applying, or your submission gets dropped automatically.

After you clear every test stage, in the USA, Canada, the UK, or Australia, you'll still need to pass a background check, a medical exam, and a drug test. Once that's done, training starts.

Starting your job as an air traffic controller doesn't make you a certified controller yet. You'll typically spend months to years in on-the-job training, with your salary rising as you complete more certifications.

Learn more about the process of becoming an Air Traffic Controller.

Whether you're preparing for the ATSA, FEAST, or NAV CANADA's process, air traffic controller test prep works the same way: practice under realistic time pressure. Most candidates don't pass these assessments on the first try. A few things help:

As your scheduled test date draws near, you feel the pressure growing. The Air Traffic Controller Test is long and exhausting. Stress management is key. Sleep well the night before your exam and familiarize yourself with the test's unique challenges beforehand, so you are not caught off guard. Do not be too fazed if you cannot find the correct answer. This does not mean you have failed the test. Simply carry on.

Make sure you have proper identification with you, and that the details on your ID match the details in the testing system. In addition, you may want to consider bringing a water bottle and a light snack to help you stay focused and razor-sharp.

Many online resources let you study for the air traffic controller aptitude test. JobTestPrep's air traffic controller practice test resources let you rehearse under realistic conditions, receive feedback, and learn shortcuts to improve your reaction time and critical thinking.