Hiring Bid Air Traffic Control Specialist - Trainee: FAA-ATO-18-ALLSRCE-57792

[GulfBravoPapa]

Hiring goals for the year combine all hiring bids. Off the street, prior experience, any re-hires, and now also the N90 bid. The entire hiring goal for the year won't come from this one bid. Not that hiring goals even matter because how many years in a row did the FAA miss it?

 

[MagioX1]

Just got back from taking the ATSA. Pretty bummed. Only one section am I confident I did pretty well in. The other sections were rough. The ATCprep practice test messed me up on a couple of sections because the official test worked differently than the ATCprep test. Since I was used to the format used on the ATCprep test I had a difficult time adapting to the new format used on the real test. Pretty sure I didn't pass. I would like to say what was different on the real test but not sure if thats against the rules. Overall I would say ATCprep did more good than harm but just be aware that its is not accurate on a couple of sections and if you get too used to it it may throw you off on the real thing.

 

[Kylekjm]

Just got back from taking the ATSA. Pretty bummed. Only one section am I confident I did pretty well in. The other sections were rough. The ATCprep practice test messed me up on a couple of sections because the official test worked differently than the ATCprep test. Since I was used to the format used on the ATCprep test I had a difficult time adapting to the new format used on the real test. Pretty sure I didn't pass. I would like to say what was different on the real test but not sure if thats against the rules. Overall I would say ATCprep did more good than harm but just be aware that its is not accurate on a couple of sections and if you get too used to it it may throw you off on the real thing.

Good advice. Thank you. I’ve been studying the ATCPrep at least twice a day. So in your opinion would you say practice the prep just enough to get the idea down? Also did you utilize the practice tests in the beginning of each section before the actual test? Looking for all the info I can get!

 

[MagioX1]

Good advice. Thank you. I’ve been studying the ATCPrep at least twice a day. So in your opinion would you say practice the prep just enough to get the idea down? Also did you utilize the practice tests in the beginning of each section before the actual test? Looking for all the info I can get!

I did utilize the practice test. That was the only way i did as good I did. Probably spent 30mins trying to unlearn the wrong format before moving to the real thing lol.

Ill just say this. Don't practice the "visual relationship section" that has the eye, and I wouldn't try to practice the "air traffic collision scenarios" at all. If you do practice the "air traffic collision scenario"don't attempt to solve the math problems. Those two sections are set up differently on the real test and if you get too used to the way they work on ATCprep you'll have to unlearn it in order to get the correct answers on the real test.

 

[TheeThor]

Just got back from taking the ATSA. Pretty bummed. Only one section am I confident I did pretty well in. The other sections were rough. The ATCprep practice test messed me up on a couple of sections because the official test worked differently than the ATCprep test. Since I was used to the format used on the ATCprep test I had a difficult time adapting to the new format used on the real test. Pretty sure I didn't pass. I would like to say what was different on the real test but not sure if thats against the rules. Overall I would say ATCprep did more good than harm but just be aware that its is not accurate on a couple of sections and if you get too used to it it may throw you off on the real thing.

I think that is the general feeling people get after taking it since it is pretty tough. Even myself. I took it Monday and didn't use any prep. But after really thinking about it, I think I was just being too critical on myself and probably didn't do too bad. Just about everyone I see puts that they think they failed it then get referred, and even a TOL..... So might as well stay positive

 

[kilo echo]

Do we know about how long after taking the ATSA we will get referred? Assuming we passed. I took it this morning, I think it went decent.

 

[MagioX1]

I think that is the general feeling people get after taking it since it is pretty tough. Even myself. I took it Monday and didn't use any prep. But after really thinking about it, I think I was just being too critical on myself and probably didn't do too bad. Just about everyone I see puts that they think they failed it then get referred, and even a TOL..... So might as well stay positive

Yeah I've seen people say that. One thing that gave me a really weird feeling though is that the 6 or 7 other people who were also taking the test in the same room as me finished about and hour and a half before me. Not sure what was up with that LOL

 

[TheeThor]

Yeah I've seen people say that. One thing that gave me a really weird feeling though is that the 6 or 7 other people who were also taking the test in the same room as me finished about and hour and a half before me. Not sure what was up with that LOL

They were likely taking a different test. people in my room did too but the testers told me I was the only one taking the ATSA.

 

[DVdoogle]

Do we know about how long after taking the ATSA we will get referred? Assuming we passed. I took it this morning, I think it went decent.

If I understand what i've read on this site correctly, the last date for testing is November 30th. Seems like referrals would start showing up as early as December? previous timelines looked like 1-2 months after taking ATSA.

 

[Kylekjm]

I

I did utilize the practice test. That was the only way i did as good I did. Probably spent 30mins trying to unlearn the wrong format before moving to the real thing lol.

Ill just say this. Don't practice the "visual relationship section" that has the eye, and I wouldn't try to practice the "air traffic collision scenarios" at all. If you do practice the "air traffic collision scenario"don't attempt to solve the math problems. Those two sections are set up differently on the real test and if you get too used to the way they work on ATCprep you'll have to unlearn it in order to get the correct answers on the real test.

Oh wow. Thanks for the info. Maybe I should cut practicing on the prep down a lot more then. Maybe every other day do it once for the day.

Do we know about how long after taking the ATSA we will get referred? Assuming we passed. I took it this morning, I think it went decent.

Did you use the prep at all or just go in and take it? Just trying to get a read on how everyone decides to approach this test.

 

[Shawshanked]

Take what everyone says about the relationship between the ATSA and the ATCPrep software with a grain of salt, including what I'm about to say. Everybody is different and consequently will have different opinions on the matter. I took the ATSA yesterday and I thought it was very similar to the ATCPrep software, including the spatial relationship and collision parts. Just remember that it's prep, not a carbon copy of the test.

The best analogy I can think of is a study guide in a hard class and one in an easy class. In an easy class the study guides ARE the test and in hard classes they're just guides that teach you the concepts and you have to do your part on the test. Think of ATCPrep as the latter type of guide and you should be fine.

 

[kilo echo]

Did you use the prep at all or just go in and take it? Just trying to get a read on how everyone decides to approach this test.

I just went in and took it. I looked at the writeup that is on this site just to familiarize myself with it but thats all.

 

[Deejay4rmDaBoot]

Everyone seems to be on edge lmao.... the good news is they cant fail us all and someone go receive a TOL

 

[Maintainvfr]

Everyone seems to be on edge lmao.... the good news is they cant fail us all and someone go receive a TOL

"They can't fire us all!"

 

[sizziano]

"They can't fire us all!"

 

[nbk14]

yes, confirmed. Those numbers are straight from the FAA. 6825 applied. the system automatically booted some out, leaving 6377. HR went an extra step and qualified 3168 of the 6377. due to negative media coverage and politics regarding the BQ(which qualified applicants without HR going through them), the FAA did away with it, and the FAA knew they would have to manually qualify applicants, so they cut off the bid posting early. normally about 10,20,30ish thousand apply and the FAA didn't want to go through that many applicants.

edit: the FAA says supposedly they can only put 1400 through the academy per year(not to be confused with how many they can hire per year) in 2016 they selected 3027(basically two years worth), last year they selected 1277. im guessing around 15-20% wont show up for the test, considering the last few years 30% didn't ever test. and another couple hundred wont pass at all, so yeah they MAY take all the passes, then again they may be picky and take very few...they might take less now and next year hire for 2 years worth. you never know.

Do we know how HR qualified 3168 of the 6377? So only 3168 atsa invites were sent?

So last year they hired so many--this year they're taking less?

Just got back from taking the ATSA. Pretty bummed. Only one section am I confident I did pretty well in. The other sections were rough. The ATCprep practice test messed me up on a couple of sections because the official test worked differently than the ATCprep test. Since I was used to the format used on the ATCprep test I had a difficult time adapting to the new format used on the real test. Pretty sure I didn't pass. I would like to say what was different on the real test but not sure if thats against the rules. Overall I would say ATCprep did more good than harm but just be aware that its is not accurate on a couple of sections and if you get too used to it it may throw you off on the real thing.

Sounds like you were depending on the real test to look like the prep too much?

 

[J-one-s]

Do we know how HR qualified 3168 of the 6377? So only 3168 atsa invites were sent?

So last year they hired so many--this year they're taking less?

lol numbers updated 10/17....HR has now qualified 4968 and invited those 4968 to take the atsa. So much for our good odds this time around.

 

[Shakakhan]

I just took the ATSA today.. it was hard. Harder than I expected. I had been practicing with the ATCprep software. The actual test is similar in what you do, but still different. I think the ATC software did help, but I don’t think it helped nearly as much as I thought it would.

For example, the collision part of the test has much quicker dots moving around in a much smaller space.

 

[yngwie]

For example, the collision part of the test has much quicker dots moving around in a much smaller space.

What difficulty did you practice on with the ATCprep software? Also, were the math problems in that section pretty similar to the ATC software? Or were they harder?

 

[Deejay4rmDaBoot]

Omg if one more person about this ATCprep lol we get what's on the line but if you panicking like that from a test this not 4 you bro.