Hiring Bid FAA-ATO-19-ALLSRCE-61676

Nice post

U really guessed on the math problems though? I understand multitasking is something they test you on for collisions, but guessing incorrectly does not seem like the play, but what do I know
I didn’t blindly guess on all of them but let’s say it was more of an educated guesstimate. Definitely missed quite a few of the math questions in general because avoiding collisions was my main focus. But even there, like others have said, it was inevitable that you’d have collisions towards the end. Not sure if guessing the wrong math problem hurts you but I feel like it won’t? Perhaps they only track how many correct ones you get relative to how many collisions are avoided/not.
 
I took the test last Saturday on 9/28 felt really good about it when finished. I’ll say this if you’re like me and find yourself short on time during the word problems pick one letter and answer the remainder of the questions with that one letter. I made sure to answer as many as I could up until 30 secs and then picked a letter to always go with I applied the same thing to my atc test in high school and it worked wonders they say don’t guess if you pick a letter and stick with it you should get a few right! Just a suggestion. Your penalized if you don’t answer all questions anyway!!
 
I took the ATSA last Friday and I just checked the PSI status and it says “absent for the test”. Is anyone else seeing this?

This happened to me in 2017. I took the test and the proctors said it was their first time proctoring it, so I was already nervous at that fact. I finished the test and they told me I could leave, and that was it. I later checked online and saw "absent for test". I spent many calls with PSI and ultimately got the response "we're sorry but the proctor wouldn't have marked you absent if you were there. there is no test data to your name. we're sorry." (This happened to everyone who took the test that AM at that location. So about 8 of us got screwed and PSI wouldn't allow a retest)

This year I made sure I was marked present and that my test was submitted. Once I finished, I watched the test proctor check me out and upload the test to PSI. I had to enter my name and ID number. (I didn't do anything like that in 2017). I now see "schedule completed" online for my 2019 test. I called PSI to confirm that this means I was present for the test and there was data uploaded from a completed test. They confirmed that.

Sorry this happened, best of luck in correcting THEIR error!
 
Last edited:
Woooo - test is done!

TLDR:
Parts 1-4 were fairly easy (differences/variables/spacial relationship/simulation) I practiced a lot using the ATCprep software on the most difficult settings possible. Parts 5-7 (logical reasoning/reading comprehension/personality q's) were definitely a bit more challenging mostly because of the time limit. I'm not the fastest reader on the planet so while I tried my best to manage my time for each question, somehow it still got away from me verrrry quickly. The personality questions weren't hard...just a lot of them.

Full Test Review:
  1. Differences - this is the first part on the test and very similar to the ATCprep software. I know some people said they felt it was faster/different than the software but I didn't feel that way. I recommend practicing 8 rounds in a row on the ATCprep software because then you can get a feel for how you perform during those last few rounds when your brain is pretty much on autopilot. Each of these rounds seem to test how many accurate differences you can input. I went into it thinking there would be a set number of differences to calculate for each round, but just do as many as accurately and as quickly as possible.
  2. Variables - again, very similar if not identical to what's on the ATCprep software. Practice and get a system down that works for you that doesn't involve talking out loud. You have to be quiet enough so no one else in the tiny room can hear you so don't get in the habit of saying the numbers out loud.
  3. Spacial Relationships - similar to ATCprep but mixes up the eye being present and not present. There's no way to practice this type of randomization on the ATCprep software but I didn't think it was difficult to swap between the two. You CAN practice this section before you take the actual test so at least you can get fairly comfortable with it right before testing.
  4. ATC Simulation - I definitely had a few collisions towards the end and definitely missed math problems. Honestly, the speed of the "planes" didn't seem that much faster to me than what I set in ATCprep (I used custom settings and made everything as fast and difficult as possible and was scoring ~87/88%). I actually feel like the math questions were a lot harder because I wasn't able to do as much quick mental math and figure out the answer based on the last numbers (ie: 12*53 - the answer would have to end in 6). The problem was, you'd have multiple answers ending in 6 that were close together so you would have to do a more thorough estimate of the number before answering....and by that point the next math question was on the screen so I learned quickly to just pick something and move on. The ATCprep was also different in how it divided answers - ie: the real test shows 5/1 vs ATCprep which would show 5÷1. You'd also get division math questions where the answer was a decimal - ie: 61/2 and the answers offered could be 30.5, 32, 31, 31.5. Focus on the collisions but definitely try to get as many math questions answered as you can. After section 4 is a good time to take a break before the PSI moderator helps you set up for sections 5-7. You can take more breaks than just 1 (do what works best for you)...but I only felt the need to grab some water and run to the bathroom and I was ready for the next section.
  5. Logical reasoning - Ha. There are 18 questions and 20 min to answer them. You better be good at allocating your time because it goes by QUICKLY. You can easily spend 2-3min trying to wrap your mind around the mumblejumble within one word problem and what it is you're actually trying to answer....I DON'T RECOMMEND this approach...because there's not enough time to spend 2-3min on a single question. There are charts where you have to interpret information provided (ie an invoice with expenses and purchasing conditions for sales and you have to find the answer for "how many purchases qualified for the sale in June and July"). There are lots of ordering questions where you have to interpret which of the following statements can or cannot be true based on the conditions provided in the problem. Personally, I find this difficult to do in my head and piece of paper would help me at least order out peoples initials to know where they fall in place in a line. I know I got a few correct but others I had to guess.
  6. Personality Questions - 2 sets of questions on each page...52 pages. You get 3 statements for each question in which you have to pick you are "most like" or "least like". Lots of the statements are repeated throughout but in different ways (ie: "I like to be the leader of a team" or "I like to lead" or "I like to be in control"). No right or wrong. I don't know how they use these questions to identify if you're a good fit or not, but that's not my job soooo.
  7. Reading Comprehension - Very straightforward. You get a paragraph and you answer questions regarding it. All I can say again is allocate your time correctly so you don't spend too much time on one question.
Tips (disclaimer - I haven't actually passed the ATSA *yet* ;) and this was my first time taking it so this is just what I feel helped me):
  • The ATSA Compilation post is very helpful to understand what is on the test. If you haven't reviewed this, you're doing something wrong. Also spend some time reviewing the comments in that post. Many of your questions will be answered on there.
  • I found the ATC Prep software very helpful. I felt extremely confident going into this portion of the test because of my practice with this. Only $29.90. I just wish the software also included some timed reading comprehension and logical reasoning questions so I could have practiced gauging my time a bit better but you can find timed practice questions online if you just google it.
  • Many others have said this but if you mess up, get over it and move on. The next question is coming whether you like it or not so if you're still stuck on what happened with the last question, you're going to continue making mistakes.
  • At no point during the test does it tell you if you got something wrong. ATCprep does this so I want to make it clear that you're not going to receive any active feedback during the test.
  • No pen and paper offered and no you're not able to bring your own
  • Don't wear a bulky jacket as you'll have to take it off, but come prepared wearing a tighter fitting pullover in case it's cold in the room.
Good luck to everyone! Fingers crossed!
Thanks for the pointers! Someone mentioned ATCPrep uses numbers 1-20 but the ATSA only uses 1-9 for the variable/difference questions. Did you find that to be true? Thanks in advance!
 
I took the ATSA last Friday and I just checked the PSI status and it says “absent for the test”. Is anyone else seeing this?

Mine says the same thing, I called, got transferred about 5 or 6 times and they told me that its an issue they have been having and they are going in and correcting them.
 
Huh. I did think about this at the time. I filled in my info and had to make a new password I think, and I never got a message saying there's an existing account with my name or anything, so I was guessing they must wipe the system after each testing cycle. None of our proctors said anything about this. I am really undecided on whether I did better or not this year, so maybe it wouldn't matter if this happened for me.

They don't wipe it. It asks you to input a username alongside your name and a password. When I used my previous username, I forgot my password and told the proctor and he told me to make a new username since the test scores carry over if you don't. I had to think of a new username, lol. You probably used a new username.

This happened to me in 2017. I took the test and the proctors said it was their first time proctoring it, so I was already nervous at that fact. I finished the test and they told me I could leave, and that was it. I later checked online and saw "absent for test". I spent many calls with PSI and ultimately got the response "we're sorry but the proctor wouldn't have marked you absent if you were there. there is no test data to your name. we're sorry." (This happened to everyone who took the test that AM at that location. So about 8 of us got screwed and PSI wouldn't allow a retest)

This year I made sure I was marked present and that my test was submitted. Once I finished, I watched the test proctor check me out and upload the test to PSI. I had to enter my name and ID number. (I didn't do anything like that in 2017). I now see "schedule completed" online for my 2019 test. I called PSI to confirm that this means I was present for the test and there was data uploaded from a completed test. They confirmed that.

Sorry this happened, best of luck in correcting THEIR error!

This is EXACTLY why I logged out once it said I had finished all the logic/personality questions. With PSI, you never know how they will screw something up.
 
Out of curiosity, how many parts of the differences did you guys do? I remember last year some dude said he went through 8. I only did it 5 times before it said test completed.
 
I did 8. The test specifically said there were 8 parts to the Differences section before I started.

Well...I think I just suck at counting how many times I did it then. Unless I sucked so badly at subtracting the test said no more and kicked me out ?. Honestly the test was kinda a blur. The 2 hours flew by super fast.
 
I took the ATSA in 2017, and due to a PSI error, my test result was "absent for test". There was nothing they could do about it, and I took the test towards the end of the testing period and a retest was not possible. I took the test again this year and was wondering what a successful test completion and submission status is on the PSI website? I know a score will not be posted, I am just wanting to confirm my test has actually been submitted and uploaded this time. Thank you!
I took the test last Friday and the status is what yours showed
This happened to me in 2017. I took the test and the proctors said it was their first time proctoring it, so I was already nervous at that fact. I finished the test and they told me I could leave, and that was it. I later checked online and saw "absent for test". I spent many calls with PSI and ultimately got the response "we're sorry but the proctor wouldn't have marked you absent if you were there. there is no test data to your name. we're sorry." (This happened to everyone who took the test that AM at that location. So about 8 of us got screwed and PSI wouldn't allow a retest)

This year I made sure I was marked present and that my test was submitted. Once I finished, I watched the test proctor check me out and upload the test to PSI. I had to enter my name and ID number. (I didn't do anything like that in 2017). I now see "schedule completed" online for my 2019 test. I called PSI to confirm that this means I was present for the test and there was data uploaded from a completed test. They confirmed that.

Sorry this happened, best of luck in correcting THEIR error!
thanks for the info. I called PSI. They didn’t know what was going on, got put on hold, then a message said leave my name and info for them to call me back. Smh
 
Mine says the same thing, I called, got transferred about 5 or 6 times and they told me that its an issue they have been having and they are going in and correcting them.
That sucks. I called and was basically put on hold for a long time and then had to leave a message. I’ll keep bothering them until I get an answer.
 
Woooo - test is done!

TLDR:
Parts 1-4 were fairly easy (differences/variables/spacial relationship/simulation) I practiced a lot using the ATCprep software on the most difficult settings possible. Parts 5-7 (logical reasoning/reading comprehension/personality q's) were definitely a bit more challenging mostly because of the time limit. I'm not the fastest reader on the planet so while I tried my best to manage my time for each question, somehow it still got away from me verrrry quickly. The personality questions weren't hard...just a lot of them.

Full Test Review:
  1. Differences - this is the first part on the test and very similar to the ATCprep software. I know some people said they felt it was faster/different than the software but I didn't feel that way. I recommend practicing 8 rounds in a row on the ATCprep software because then you can get a feel for how you perform during those last few rounds when your brain is pretty much on autopilot. Each of these rounds seem to test how many accurate differences you can input. I went into it thinking there would be a set number of differences to calculate for each round, but just do as many as accurately and as quickly as possible.
  2. Variables - again, very similar if not identical to what's on the ATCprep software. Practice and get a system down that works for you that doesn't involve talking out loud. You have to be quiet enough so no one else in the tiny room can hear you so don't get in the habit of saying the numbers out loud.
  3. Spacial Relationships - similar to ATCprep but mixes up the eye being present and not present. There's no way to practice this type of randomization on the ATCprep software but I didn't think it was difficult to swap between the two. You CAN practice this section before you take the actual test so at least you can get fairly comfortable with it right before testing.
  4. ATC Simulation - I definitely had a few collisions towards the end and definitely missed math problems. Honestly, the speed of the "planes" didn't seem that much faster to me than what I set in ATCprep (I used custom settings and made everything as fast and difficult as possible and was scoring ~87/88%). I actually feel like the math questions were a lot harder because I wasn't able to do as much quick mental math and figure out the answer based on the last numbers (ie: 12*53 - the answer would have to end in 6). The problem was, you'd have multiple answers ending in 6 that were close together so you would have to do a more thorough estimate of the number before answering....and by that point the next math question was on the screen so I learned quickly to just pick something and move on. The ATCprep was also different in how it divided answers - ie: the real test shows 5/1 vs ATCprep which would show 5÷1. You'd also get division math questions where the answer was a decimal - ie: 61/2 and the answers offered could be 30.5, 32, 31, 31.5. Focus on the collisions but definitely try to get as many math questions answered as you can. After section 4 is a good time to take a break before the PSI moderator helps you set up for sections 5-7. You can take more breaks than just 1 (do what works best for you)...but I only felt the need to grab some water and run to the bathroom and I was ready for the next section.
  5. Logical reasoning - Ha. There are 18 questions and 20 min to answer them. You better be good at allocating your time because it goes by QUICKLY. You can easily spend 2-3min trying to wrap your mind around the mumblejumble within one word problem and what it is you're actually trying to answer....I DON'T RECOMMEND this approach...because there's not enough time to spend 2-3min on a single question. There are charts where you have to interpret information provided (ie an invoice with expenses and purchasing conditions for sales and you have to find the answer for "how many purchases qualified for the sale in June and July"). There are lots of ordering questions where you have to interpret which of the following statements can or cannot be true based on the conditions provided in the problem. Personally, I find this difficult to do in my head and piece of paper would help me at least order out peoples initials to know where they fall in place in a line. I know I got a few correct but others I had to guess.
  6. Personality Questions - 2 sets of questions on each page...52 pages. You get 3 statements for each question in which you have to pick you are "most like" or "least like". Lots of the statements are repeated throughout but in different ways (ie: "I like to be the leader of a team" or "I like to lead" or "I like to be in control"). No right or wrong. I don't know how they use these questions to identify if you're a good fit or not, but that's not my job soooo.
  7. Reading Comprehension - Very straightforward. You get a paragraph and you answer questions regarding it. All I can say again is allocate your time correctly so you don't spend too much time on one question.
Tips (disclaimer - I haven't actually passed the ATSA *yet* ;) and this was my first time taking it so this is just what I feel helped me):
  • The ATSA Compilation post is very helpful to understand what is on the test. If you haven't reviewed this, you're doing something wrong. Also spend some time reviewing the comments in that post. Many of your questions will be answered on there.
  • I found the ATC Prep software very helpful. I felt extremely confident going into this portion of the test because of my practice with this. Only $29.90. I just wish the software also included some timed reading comprehension and logical reasoning questions so I could have practiced gauging my time a bit better but you can find timed practice questions online if you just google it.
  • Many others have said this but if you mess up, get over it and move on. The next question is coming whether you like it or not so if you're still stuck on what happened with the last question, you're going to continue making mistakes.
  • At no point during the test does it tell you if you got something wrong. ATCprep does this so I want to make it clear that you're not going to receive any active feedback during the test.
  • No pen and paper offered and no you're not able to bring your own
  • Don't wear a bulky jacket as you'll have to take it off, but come prepared wearing a tighter fitting pullover in case it's cold in the room.
Good luck to everyone! Fingers crossed!

This should be pinned somewhere so when someone asks for the 645th time what the ATSA is like they can read this.
 
I have my drivers license as my primary identification. I was planning on using my birth certificate as my secondary form of identification. Will this be accepted?
 
That sucks. I called and was basically put on hold for a long time and then had to leave a message. I’ll keep bothering them until I get an answer.
I called 800 733 9267, they transferred me to another number where you have to push option 2 for FAA testing, who then transferred me to candidate support, who then transferred me to FAA Exam candidate support, who almost instantly knew what I was asking as soon as I started talking. She seemed like she had gotten a lot of the same questions today but I'd definitely call also and see if you get any kind of different answer.
 
I called 800 733 9267, they transferred me to another number where you have to push option 2 for FAA testing, who then transferred me to candidate support, who then transferred me to FAA Exam candidate support, who almost instantly knew what I was asking as soon as I started talking. She seemed like she had gotten a lot of the same questions today but I'd definitely call also and see if you get any kind of different answer.
So I did get a different answer. It was a supervisor and she said that all she knows is I have to wait up to 90 days for the status to change. It doesn’t make any sense because it’s giving me the often to reschedule the exam. She didn’t care what other people had to say (referencing you guys) from what I was telling her and she said she would talk to their tech ops and then she’ll get back to me in 24-48 hours. Seems like I ended talking to someone who was not familiar with the problem and kept thinking I was asking about my results if I passed or failed. At this point my time window to reschedule is winding down and I don’t know what to do. I have no idea if my test was submitted or not.
 
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