Checked 24 October 2026. Each cell is as the named body’s page stated it on 24 Oct 2026. Recruitment windows, pay scales and stage lists can change; the NATS page describes recruitment campaigns, and each FEAST user organisation sets its own process. Re-read each body’s page before you plan around a date.
There is no single air traffic controller exam. A would-be controller in the United States, Canada or the UK meets three different employers, each with its own staged process, and a candidate in many European and other countries meets a fourth thing: FEAST, a test battery made by EUROCONTROL that, according to its January 2023 factsheet, more than 50 air navigation service providers and ATC training institutes used in 2022. This guide puts the four official descriptions next to each other so you can see which one applies to you, how long each test stage runs, who pays, what preparation each body itself offers, and who decides what counts as a pass.
ProSyllabus is an independent study site. It is not part of the FAA, the US Department of Transportation, Pearson VUE, NAV CANADA, NATS or EUROCONTROL, and their advice appears only where it is attributed to them by name; our own comments are marked as ours. Every rule, date and figure below is taken from the pages listed under Sources, each read on 24 October 2026. Where we noticed two pages of the same body giving different figures, the guide shows both.
FAA, Pearson VUE, NAV CANADA, NATS and EUROCONTROL pages, read 24 Oct 2026.
The four routes at a glance
| Route | Who can apply (stated) | Test stages (stated) | Where it is set |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAA (United States) | US citizen, under 31 (the wording of the date varies by page), and one year of progressively responsible work, a Bachelor’s degree, or a combination of post-secondary education and work experience totalling one year (the NYC campaign page also names one year of higher education) | ATSA, a computer-based aptitude test at Pearson VUE; then medical, security and the FAA Academy | FAA, through USAJOBS announcements |
| NAV CANADA (Canada) | 18 or older, high school diploma or equivalency, Canadian citizen or permanent resident, language requirements, willing to relocate | Online assessment, in-person test, assessment centre, language testing where needed | NAV CANADA, through Workday postings |
| NATS (United Kingdom) | 18 or over, indefinite and unrestricted right to work in the UK, five GCSEs Grade 4 (or Scottish National 5s A to C) including English and Maths | Four stages: online ability tests; situational judgement and listening comprehension; virtual assessment centre; practical exercise and knowledge test part 2 | NATS, in recruitment campaigns |
| FEAST (EUROCONTROL) | Set by the organisation you apply to: candidates sit FEAST through the recruiting user organisation; EUROCONTROL says its service does not take part in selection | FEAST I (cognitive tests and an English test), FEAST II (work sample tests), FEAST III (personality questionnaire); user organisations choose which to use | Each user organisation, which decides its own cut-off |
FreeTests: Spatial awareness · Decision-making
FAA ATSA Practice Test: free sample
Answer 4 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 5 minutes · free · no sign-in.
4 questions to answer▶ Start nowThis one is free · no sign-in neededYour result shows how long each question took you.How long each test stage is
The four bodies describe test time differently, so this table keeps each one’s own words. Do not add them up: they cover different stages and in some cases include breaks.
| Route | Stated length | Page |
|---|---|---|
| FAA ATSA | Nearly 3.5 hours allotted: a maximum test duration of 2 hours 49 minutes plus up to 30 minutes of break time | Pearson VUE FAQ |
| NAV CANADA online assessment | Timed, “approximately 30 minutes,” from anywhere with internet; a desktop or laptop is recommended | NAV CANADA selection page |
| NAV CANADA in-person test | The in-person test takes “one full day (approximately six hours)” and is typically held at area control centres | NAV CANADA selection page |
| NATS Stage 1 | Eleven online ability tests with 14 days to complete them; no test duration is stated on the page read | NATS trainee page |
| FEAST I | Between 2.5 and 4 hours depending on how many tests the user organisation uses, with one or several 10-minute breaks | EUROCONTROL FEAST site |
| FEAST II | Up to two tests (RADAR and MULTI-PASS), each between 1.5 and 2 hours | EUROCONTROL FEAST FAQ |
Sources: NAV CANADA selection page; EUROCONTROL FEAST site; Pearson VUE FAQ. NATS states no session length for its online tests on the page read, so it has no bar.
- Spatial awareness: 35 timed questions on headings, bearings and angles
- Decision-making: 30 timed questions applying a rule card to traffic
- Working memory and multitasking drills, 5 levels each
- The FAA endorses no practice test and ATSA content is not public: our own items
- Your score by skill and the working behind every answer
- 4 questions free
Cost, preparation and retakes
| Route | What it costs the candidate | Official preparation material | Retake and validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAA ATSA | Free for invited candidates; the FAA does not pay travel. For the Enhanced CTI route the announcement puts test administration costs and travel on the applicant. | None described on the pages read. The page says “no studying or preparation is necessary” and that the FAA “does not endorse any practice test”. | Result valid 3 years; a retake replaces it; no waiting period stated. |
| NAV CANADA | Not stated on the pages read. The online assessment has no travel requirement. NAV CANADA’s careers page says “We pay for you to train” and that you earn a salary from day one. | Candidates “will receive a link to a training platform to help them prepare” for the in-person test. | If unsuccessful: reapply 1 year after the testing date for the online assessment, 2 years after the testing date for the in-person test, and 3 years after the assessment date for the assessment centre. |
| NATS | Not stated for the tests. NATS offers a lump sum toward travel and medical assessment costs for candidates from lower income backgrounds or with caring responsibilities (news release, 16 Dec 2025). | None described on the pages read. | Not passing a stage means you cannot reapply until the next recruitment campaign. |
| FEAST | EUROCONTROL says this depends on the organisation where you take the FEAST tests. | A free training platform for applicants; its tests “are not identical to the tests used in a real test session”. EUROCONTROL advises against other test preparation software. | EUROCONTROL advises taking FEAST only once; retest policy is each organisation’s. |
The line that matters most for anyone shopping for preparation is the third column. Of the four bodies, two (NAV CANADA and EUROCONTROL) tell you where to get official practice, one (the FAA) tells you no preparation is needed and that it endorses no practice test, and one (NATS) describes none on the pages read. A product that claims to replicate a specific selection test is making a claim none of these pages supports.
Who decides what counts as a pass
| Route | Result you receive | Who sets the bar |
|---|---|---|
| FAA | A category, no overall score | The FAA, which selects from the Well-Qualified category according to its hiring and NYC pages |
| NAV CANADA | Not stated on the pages read | NAV CANADA: its selection page says passing one stage does not guarantee an invitation, and its FAQ for job seekers adds, in general terms, that scores are compared with other applicants’ and candidates move forward on operational requirements (that FAQ passage is not specific to air traffic services, and the FAQ refers ATS applicants to a separate ATS FAQ) |
| NATS | You are notified by email if you do not pass a stage | NATS; no pass mark is stated on the pages read |
| FEAST | EUROCONTROL does not own FEAST results; the organisation where you took the tests has the authority to give feedback, and many offer it | Each FEAST user organisation decides its cut-off; “In most cases it will be sufficient to obtain an average result in comparison to candidates who have taken the tests in the past” |
The FAA, NAV CANADA and NATS each set their own bar, each FEAST user organisation sets its own cut-off, and nothing on the pages read says a result from one route carries over to another, so we do not compare scores across the four. EUROCONTROL’s news releases name NAV CANADA as a FEAST user (in October 2018 and June 2019), and the January 2023 FEAST factsheet lists Canada among users, but NAV CANADA’s own selection page does not name the tests it uses, and the FAA and NATS pages read do not mention FEAST at all. So do not assume a FEAST result or FEAST practice is the same thing as the instruments those bodies describe on their own pages.
What each route pays during training
Pay is not part of selection, but it is part of why people apply, and the bodies publish different kinds of numbers in different currencies. These are quoted as printed and not converted, because the exchange rate on the day you read this is not the one we would pick for you.
| Route | Training pay (as printed) | Qualified pay (as printed) |
|---|---|---|
| FAA | $22.61 an hour during paid Academy training, with health benefits and housing | Average certified earnings “exceed $155,000+ per year within 3 years of Academy graduation” (hiring page); “over $160,000” on the NYC page |
| NAV CANADA | Training salary starts at $58,606 a year and rises to $61,337 after one year | Licensed area control centre controller $143,513 to $207,450; licensed tower controller $104,258 to $207,450 (2026 union pay range) |
| NATS | Initial training package £34,611.60 a year: £25,500 basic salary plus a £9,111.60 annual accommodation allowance, plus a £1,000 welcome bonus and a £500 post-college transition bonus; about £37,490 to £42,786 in unit-based training | £50,468 to £56,247 once training is complete, depending on the unit (2026 rates) |
| FEAST | No training or qualified pay figures are stated in the FEAST sources read | None stated |
FreeTests: Spatial awareness · Decision-making
FAA ATSA Practice Test: free sample
Answer 4 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 5 minutes · free · no sign-in.
4 questions to answer▶ Start nowThis one is free · no sign-in neededYour result shows how long each question took you.Which route fits you? Eligibility facts only
This table lists nothing but the eligibility lines each body publishes. Whether you will pass anything is a separate question that no page answers.
| If this describes you | Then the route to read first is | Check this next |
|---|---|---|
| You are a US citizen under 31 | FAA | The age wording of the announcement you apply under, the medical requirements, and whether an announcement is open |
| You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, 18 or older, with a high school diploma or equivalency | NAV CANADA | The language requirement for the region (English; English and French for the Montreal Flight Information Region including the National Capital Region, which the selection page words as Quebec or Ottawa) and the posting end date |
| You have indefinite, unrestricted right to work in the UK and five GCSEs at Grade 4 including English and Maths | NATS | Whether a campaign is open: NATS’s FAQ says it has no confirmed timeframes for reopening, while a site banner read “Trainee controller recruitment now open” on 24 Oct 2026 |
| You are applying to an air navigation service provider or ATC academy that uses FEAST | That organisation’s own recruitment page | Its eligibility rules, which FEAST tests it uses, its retest policy, its fee, and whether it gives feedback |
A note on honesty
A single page that ranks these routes by difficulty would need pass rates, and none of the four bodies publishes one on the pages we read. The FAA states that less than 10% of all applicants meet its requirements and are accepted into training; NATS and NAV CANADA publish no such figure on the pages read. We do not rank them.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one air traffic controller exam?
No. The FAA, NAV CANADA and NATS each run their own staged process, and FEAST is a test battery that many other air navigation service providers licence from EUROCONTROL and use in their own way.
Which air traffic controller test is the hardest?
None of the pages read publish pass rates for their tests, so they do not establish which is hardest. The FAA says less than 10% of all applicants meet its requirements and are accepted into training; that is a whole-process figure.
Are the tests free?
Pearson VUE says the FAA ATSA is free for invited candidates, although the Enhanced CTI notice puts test administration and travel costs on the applicant. NAV CANADA, NATS and FEAST do not state a test fee on the pages read; EUROCONTROL says the fee for FEAST depends on the organisation where you take it.
Can I practise officially?
EUROCONTROL provides a free FEAST training platform for applicants, and NAV CANADA says candidates receive a link to a training platform before the in-person test. The FAA says no preparation is necessary and does not endorse any practice test.
Does NAV CANADA use FEAST?
EUROCONTROL’s news releases of October 2018 and June 2019 name NAV Canada as a FEAST user, and its January 2023 factsheet lists Canada. NAV CANADA’s own selection page does not name the tests it uses.
Does NATS use FEAST?
The NATS pages read do not mention FEAST. They describe online ability tests, a situational judgement test, a listening comprehension test, an assessment centre and a practical exercise.
Can I carry a result from one body to another?
Nothing on the pages read says a result carries over from one body to another. EUROCONTROL says it does not own FEAST results and that the organisation where you took the tests has the authority to give feedback, and the FAA says a previous ATSA result is valid for three years.
Who is behind this guide?
ProSyllabus is an independent study site, not affiliated with the FAA, NAV CANADA, NATS, EUROCONTROL or Pearson VUE.
Sources
- official — FAA: We’re Hiring Air Traffic Controllers (requirements, five-step process, Academy pay; page last updated 21 April 2026)
- official — FAA: Air Traffic Controller Qualifications (minimum qualifications and medical requirements; page last updated 27 February 2025)
- official — Pearson VUE: FAA Certification Examinations, Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) page (eligibility, length, cost, previous results, FAQs; page last updated 20 July 2026)
- official — FAA: Hiring Air Traffic Controllers in NYC (eligibility, application process, ATSA, pay; page last updated 8 August 2025)
- official — USAJOBS: Enhanced CTI (E-CTI) public notice, control number 847388600 (open date 10/03/2025, closed date 10/02/2026)
- official — NAV CANADA: Air Traffic Control Selection and Training (selection stages, reapply periods, training length and salary)
- official — NAV CANADA: Air Traffic Controller careers page (what we require, qualities, locations, salary ranges)
- official — NAV CANADA: FAQ for job seekers (passing a step does not guarantee an invitation; scores compared with other applicants)
- official — NATS: Training to be an Air Traffic Controller (eligibility, the four assessment stages, onboarding, salary and benefits)
- official — NATS news, 16 December 2025: Air traffic control recruitment reopens for new trainees
- official — NATS FAQ: When do applications open for training as an Air Traffic Controller?
- official — EUROCONTROL: FEAST for candidates (what to expect, FEAST I, II and III, preparation, users and FAQ)
- official — EUROCONTROL: First European air traffic controller selection test (FEAST), service page
- official — EUROCONTROL: FEAST training platform for applicants (free of charge; terms and technical requirements)
- official — EUROCONTROL news, 18 October 2018: FEAST celebrates 50th user organisation
- official — EUROCONTROL news, 7 June 2019: FEAST tests its 100,000th candidate air traffic controller
- official — EUROCONTROL: FEAST factsheet (copyright line dated January 2023; test battery, access conditions, users)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
FreeTests: Spatial awareness · Decision-making
FAA ATSA Practice Test: free sample
Answer 4 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 5 minutes · free · no sign-in.
4 questions to answer▶ Start nowThis one is free · no sign-in neededYour result shows how long each question took you.
