Checked 26 October 2026. Everything about the online assessment here is as NAV CANADA’s selection page stated it on 26 October 2026. NAV CANADA does not publish the content of the assessment, so this guide does not describe it. The six regional ATC postings read that day were due to close at the end of 31 October 2026; check the NAV CANADA Careers page in Workday for the current position.
If you have applied to become an air traffic controller with NAV CANADA and meet the requirements, the next thing you get is an email inviting you to an online assessment. It is the first assessment in the selection process. This guide sets out what NAV CANADA itself says about it, what it does not say, and how to get ready without guessing at details NAV CANADA does not publish.
ProSyllabus is an independent study site. It is not part of NAV CANADA, and NAV CANADA’s words appear only where they are attributed to it by name. Our own comments, examples and practice questions are marked as ours. Every rule, time and date below is taken from the NAV CANADA pages listed under Sources, each read on 26 October 2026.
NAV CANADA, Air Traffic Control Selection and Training, read 26 Oct 2026.
What NAV CANADA says about the online assessment
NAV CANADA’s page on air traffic control selection and training has one short paragraph on the online assessment and one tip. Everything it says is in the table below. We have kept NAV CANADA’s wording where it matters.
| Point | What NAV CANADA says | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Who is invited | Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements receive an email invitation to complete an online assessment. | You will not be invited if any requirement is missing; the page says such applications are screened out immediately. |
| Where you take it | There are no travel requirements; “it can be completed from wherever candidates access the internet.” | You choose the room. Pick one that is quiet and has a reliable connection. |
| How long it takes | It “is timed and should take approximately 30 minutes.” | Set aside a clear block of time with no interruptions, plus a few minutes to set up. |
| Where it sits | “This is the first assessment in the selection process and should be completed promptly in order to be considered for subsequent assessments.” | Do not leave the email sitting in your inbox. Plan to do it soon after it arrives. |
| Which device | Tip: “We recommend completing the online assessment on a desktop or laptop computer, not a phone or tablet.” | If you do not own a computer, arrange to use one before the invitation comes. |
| If you are unsuccessful | Candidates who are unsuccessful at this stage are eligible to reapply one (1) year after their testing date. | If you are unsuccessful, you may reapply one year after your testing date. That is the main reason to prepare. |
What NAV CANADA does not publish
People often want to know the sections, the number of questions and the pass mark. NAV CANADA does not publish any of these for the online assessment. Its pages describe the procedure, not the content. So this guide does not describe the content either, and you should be careful with anyone who claims to know it.
| Question people ask | Published by NAV CANADA? | What we can say |
|---|---|---|
| What the sections or question types are | No | The pages read do not describe them. |
| How many questions there are | No | Only the length is given: approximately 30 minutes, timed. |
| How it is scored, and the pass mark | No | NAV CANADA does not publish how the online assessment is scored or what its pass mark is. |
| Whether passing means you go to the next stage | Yes, in general terms | The selection page says “successfully passing one stage does not guarantee that a candidate will receive an invitation for additional testing.” |
| Whether you can retake it soon | Yes | If unsuccessful, you may reapply one year after the testing date. |
What NAV CANADA does publish is the list of abilities its later in-person test evaluates: “memory, working speed, spatial visualization, thinking and reasoning, attention, information processing and simple math.” That list is for the in-person test, not the online assessment, and we do not claim the online assessment covers the same ground. It is still the clearest public statement of the abilities NAV CANADA looks for in a controller, so it is a sensible guide to what to practise.
Where the online assessment sits in the process
The online assessment is the first assessment after you apply. The table gives the length NAV CANADA publishes for each stage and the wait to reapply after each. Our guide to the NAV CANADA requirements and selection process covers every stage in full; the short version is below.
| Stage | How long (NAV CANADA) | Format | Wait to reapply if unsuccessful |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Apply | Not stated | Online application in Workday; the Toronto posting asks for a resume and a second document on why you want the career and the skills or experiences that show you can succeed | Screened out immediately if a requirement is not met |
| 2. Online assessment | Approximately 30 minutes, timed | Email invitation, from anywhere with internet; desktop or laptop recommended | 1 year after the testing date |
| 3. In-person test | One full day, approximately six hours | Typically at an area control centre; a link to a training platform is sent beforehand | 2 years after the testing date |
| 3a. Pre-screening interview | 15 minutes | Same day, for candidates successful at the in-person test | Not stated separately |
| 4. Assessment centre | Half a day | Group and individual exercises and an interview | 3 years after the assessment date |
Source: NAV CANADA, Air Traffic Control Selection and Training. Six hours is shown as 360 minutes (our conversion). The assessment centre is described only as half a day, so it is not drawn.
How to prepare: the set-up
Most of what you can control for a 30-minute timed assessment is the conditions. These steps follow directly from what NAV CANADA says; the detail is our suggestion.
| When | Do this (our suggestion) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Before you apply | Check every requirement on NAV CANADA’s list, and make sure your email address is right in Workday. The Toronto posting allows only one candidate account and one email address. | Invitations go by email; a missing requirement means the application is screened out. |
| While you wait | Arrange a desktop or laptop and a quiet room with a reliable connection. Practise short timed sets on that computer. | NAV CANADA recommends a desktop or laptop, not a phone or tablet. |
| When the email arrives | Read it fully, note any deadline in it, and book yourself a 45-minute slot soon, at a time of day when you are alert. | NAV CANADA says it should be completed promptly to be considered for later assessments. |
| On the day | Close other programs and notifications, put your phone in another room, have water nearby, and start only when you can give it your full attention for the whole time. | It is timed, and an unsuccessful attempt starts a one-year wait. |
| After | Watch Workday and your personal email. Start preparing for the in-person test now, not when the next invitation comes. | NAV CANADA sends details and next steps through Workday and to personal email. |
How to prepare: the abilities
Since NAV CANADA does not publish the content, the honest way to prepare is to build the abilities it says matter for controllers and to get used to working against a clock. Here is how we would spend two or three weeks. This plan is ours, not NAV CANADA’s.
| Ability (from NAV CANADA’s in-person test list) | What to practise (ours) |
|---|---|
| Simple math | Mental arithmetic without a calculator: adding and subtracting times, speed and distance, and percentages. Speed comes from accuracy, so check your answers. |
| Spatial visualization | Headings after turns, the shorter way to turn, left and right from someone else’s point of view, and directions on a grid. Our spatial guide has worked examples. |
| Thinking and reasoning | Short logic problems where you must check every condition before answering, and number or letter patterns. |
| Information processing and attention | Reading a small table and answering a question that needs two conditions at once; spotting the one row that breaks a rule. |
| Memory and working speed | Holding a short list (call signs, numbers) for a minute while doing something else, then recalling it; NAV CANADA’s 2023 blog suggests read-back and hear-back exercises may help memory and diction. |
For spatial practice in particular, read our guide to spatial orientation for NAV CANADA, which explains what spatial visualization means for a controller and works through examples step by step.
A 20-minute practice routine (ours)
Five minutes of mental math, five minutes of headings and directions, five minutes of reading a table under two conditions, and five minutes reviewing every mistake. Do it on the computer you will use when the invitation comes, with a timer you can see. We suggest you never skip the review: go back over every mistake and work out why you made it.
Common mistakes (ours)
Treating the online assessment as a formality because it is short; doing it on a phone; starting it late at night or with people around; rushing the first questions and then running out of patience near the end; and not preparing for the in-person test until the next email arrives. Candidates for the in-person test receive a link to the training platform NAV CANADA links candidates to; use it once you have it.
What comes after a successful online assessment
If you move forward, the next stage is the in-person test: one full day, approximately six hours, typically held at an area control centre. NAV CANADA says candidates “will receive a link to a training platform to help them prepare for the test.” Use the training platform NAV CANADA links candidates to. Candidates successful at the in-person test are invited to a 15-minute pre-screening interview the same day. Candidates who receive a further invitation then attend a half-day assessment centre with group and individual exercises and an interview. If you get that far, our guide to NAV CANADA ATC interview questions covers both interviews. For training length and pay after selection, see the NAV CANADA training and salary guide.
Does NAV CANADA use FEAST?
EUROCONTROL news releases (2018, 2019) and a 2023 factsheet name NAV CANADA among FEAST users; NAV CANADA’s own pages do not name its tests. Our FEAST guide covers what EUROCONTROL publishes about FEAST.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the NAV CANADA online assessment?
NAV CANADA says it is timed and should take approximately 30 minutes.
What is on the NAV CANADA online assessment?
NAV CANADA does not publish the content: no sections, question types, number of questions or pass mark are given on its pages. It names the abilities its later in-person test evaluates (memory, working speed, spatial visualization, thinking and reasoning, attention, information processing and simple math), which is a sensible guide to what to practise, but that list is for the in-person test.
Can I take the online assessment on my phone?
NAV CANADA recommends a desktop or laptop computer, not a phone or tablet.
Do I have to travel for the online assessment?
No. NAV CANADA says there are no travel requirements and it can be completed from wherever you access the internet.
How soon should I complete it after the invitation?
NAV CANADA says it is the first assessment in the selection process and should be completed promptly in order to be considered for later assessments.
What happens if I fail the NAV CANADA online assessment?
Candidates who are unsuccessful at this stage are eligible to reapply one year after their testing date.
If I pass, am I sure to be invited to the in-person test?
No. NAV CANADA says passing one stage does not guarantee an invitation to further testing. It does not publish how the online assessment is scored or what its pass mark is.
Is there a pass mark?
None is published on the NAV CANADA pages read on 26 October 2026.
Our practice. If you want timed practice before the invitation arrives, our NAV CANADA Online Assessment Practice has three 30-question runs against a 30-minute clock, and four spatial questions are free to try. It is our own practice for the abilities NAV CANADA tests, written by us; it is not NAV CANADA material and we do not claim it matches the assessment’s content, which NAV CANADA does not publish.
Sources
- 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 Workday posting JR-7704: Air Traffic Control (ATC) Careers, Toronto Flight Information Region (posting end date 31 October 2026)
- official — NAV CANADA: FAQ for job seekers (passing a step does not guarantee an invitation; scores compared with other applicants)
- official — NAV CANADA blog, 9 June 2023: How to become an air traffic controller or flight service specialist: essential tips for aspiring candidates
- official — EUROCONTROL news, 2018: FEAST celebrates 50th user organisation
- official — EUROCONTROL news, 2019: FEAST tests its 100,000th candidate air traffic controller
- official — EUROCONTROL: FEAST factsheet, 2023
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.
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