Advice for getting hired into ATC (Pool 1 vs. Vet. vs. Pool 2)

[DisBoi17]

Hey y'all! So I am a junior in High School and have been researching so much trying to figure out how to get into Air Traffic Controlling. I have read many forums, but many seem to be outdated so I just wanted to reconfirm some of my prior suspicious and ask y'all if Pool 1 or Pool 2 is better for hiring purposes. In 2021, I am led to believe that you must take the *ATSA in either pool and your FAA hiring odds are based on which score you get. You must have around 3 years of Aviation experience to take the *ATSA. If you are in Pool 2, you must also take a Biographical Assessment which is apparently not very friendly for many people, for only around 33% of people end up passing. I am also led to believe that however amount of people are taken in Pool 1, Pool 2 must take around that same amount (10% above or below). I am ready to go to college and do an AT-CTI program, but the more I am researching, the more I am realizing that Pool 2 may just be a good option, and if I were to fail the Biographical Assessment, do terrible on the *ATSA, or the FAA not having any openings during that time, then I could just major in commercial piloting (while getting experience for taking the *ATSA), instead of wasting money on an Air Traffic Management course. Anyway, which Pool should I go though to have the best odds, and are my facts correctly stated? Thank ya for reading!

 

[stonemalone99]

Hey y'all! So I am a junior in High School and have been researching my so much trying to figure out how to get into Air Traffic Controlling. I have read many forums, but many seem to be outdated so I just wanted to reconfirm some of my prior suspicious and ask y'all if Pool 1 or Pool 2 is better for hiring purposes. In 2021, I am led to believe that you must take the *ATSA in either pool and your FAA hiring odds are based on which score you get. You must have around 3 years of Aviation experience to take the *ATSA. If you are in Pool 2, you must also take a Biographical Assessment which is apparently not very friendly for many people, for only around 33% of people end up passing. I am also led to believe that however amount of people are taken in Pool 1, Pool 2 must take around that same amount (10% above or below). I am ready to go to college and do an AT-CTI program, but the more I am researching, the more I am realizing that Pool 2 may just be a good option, and if I were to fail the Biographical Assessment, do terrible on the *ATSA, or the FAA not having any openings during that time, then I could just major in commercial piloting (while getting experience for taking the *ATSA), instead of wasting money on an Air Traffic Management course. Anyway, which Pool should I go though to have the best odds, and are my facts correctly stated? Thank ya for reading!

I'm a few years older than you and in college. Heres my advice. From someone thats in the process of getting hired from the OTS (Off the Street ie anyone can apply) 2020 bid, it's better just to apply with work experience and/or college and your degree doesn't have to be anything aviation related (mine was combination of work experience and my major is in finance). My best advice is do what you have wanted to do before ATC, try that out while applying to OTS bids whenever they pop up. The hiring process is super long, and by long i mean there are people from the June 2019 and January 2020 bid still waiting for class dates. Live your life like normal, keep getting good grades in school if you want to attend a good college. Consider the Air Force ATC program if you want to commit 4-6 years after high school in the military. The good thing about military is if you have a CTO, you can find work at contract towers while waiting to get in the FAA. In addition, you can apply to prior experience bids, and not have to worry about the ATSA or Biographical Assessment. You will have to take a personality test for the FAA no matter which path you take which is the ultimate gatekeeper. Pass it everything's fine, fail it wait another year because the government takes forever to complete paperwork.

All being said good luck to you in school and pursue your career interests!

 

[flying_dutchman]

Join military at 18. Get CTO. Get paid. Get experience. Get out at 22/23. Do contract work while you wait. Join FAA without student loans.

 

[simoviator]

Join military at 18. Get CTO. Get paid. Get experience. Get out at 22/23. Do contract work while you wait. Join FAA without student loans.

? I second this. Also, with Post-9/11 GI Bill, you can get all flight training paid for if you do it through a college as part of a degree program (assuming you still want to be a pilot post-military).