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

I agree. No use worrying. Just wait and see type deal. What I don’t like though is that this is one of the only parts in the process that is out of your hands. In academy it’s only going to be on you and how hard you study. ATSA is just like let’s see how fast you can smash buttons on the keyboard and maybe how well you do says something about you.

That was my initial thought after, because thinking about it you go through ATC academy to LEARN. You are learning everything you need to become a controller. It's not fair to hold everyone to a test like the ATS especially when alot of us went through some type of prior schooling. Me personally I got my BS in AVI Management thinking that would mean something but after taking the test I think to my self did I fail in school? lol but I have to remind myself its not the academy its just a test
 
Do we know when the final day for testing for our group is? For some reason, I thought it was like November 18th or something...

Also, my test is next Friday so, to me, its really funny reading how everyone is handling it so far. Best of luck to everyone but I feel like a lot of people need some xanax haha
 
Just to confirm though, when they're deciding who gets TOLs, do they start at the highest score and work down, or do they randomize everyone in Band 1 and pick from that? I would hope it's based on who scored highest, but you never really can tell with the FAA.
The first few waves are the highest. Then after that they send some out as people drop out of the prices, etc. That’s how it works if I’m not mistaken
 
Just to confirm though, when they're deciding who gets TOLs, do they start at the highest score and work down, or do they randomize everyone in Band 1 and pick from that? I would hope it's based on who scored highest, but you never really can tell with the FAA.
They have a number of pool 1 applicants they take as well as pool 2 and pick the highest scores from each pool. For example they want 600 pool 1 applicants(military CTI) and 600 pool 2 applicants(OTS) the top scores from band 1 people will get TOL and the top scores from pool 2 will get TOL However there may be more applicants in each pool which does make it possible theoretically for someone to score lower then someone else in a different pool and still get chosen over that person. Sucks but that’s how it goes sometimes. Last year a handful of pool 1 “well qualified” applicants were not chosen because of how much they pull from each pool
 
Since people are finishing up the ATSA and are probably wondering about the next steps of the process, here’s my timeline from last year. If you have any specific questions, feel free to message me. I was clueless going into things, and people here helped out a ton. I have no clue how things will time out for the ‘18 bid compared to ours. Our timeline was relatively “fast” to other bids from the past, and they won’t be hiring as much from this bid.

Best advice I can give is to be patient and keep living your life. Some people from our bid are just now receiving academy dates. It’s a long and lengthy process, but INCREDIBLY worth it.
  • Job Bid Opens: 7/7 to 7/14
  • Accepted to take ATSA: 9/27
  • Referred ATSA Status: 10/27
  • TOL: 12/27
  • EODS Forms: 1/12
  • EODS Forms Approved 1/22
  • CIL: 2/1
  • MMPI-2 2/7
  • Security Clearance Submitted 2/13
  • Medical Exam 2/26
  • Drug Test 2/27
  • FOL 3/29
  • Class Date at Academy 5/2
 
Since people are finishing up the ATSA and are probably wondering about the next steps of the process, here’s my timeline from last year. If you have any specific questions, feel free to message me. I was clueless going into things, and people here helped out a ton. I have no clue how things will time out for the ‘18 bid compared to ours. Our timeline was relatively “fast” to other bids from the past, and they won’t be hiring as much from this bid.

Best advice I can give is to be patient and keep living your life. Some people from our bid are just now receiving academy dates. It’s a long and lengthy process, but INCREDIBLY worth it.
  • Job Bid Opens: 7/7 to 7/14
  • Accepted to take ATSA: 9/27
  • Referred ATSA Status: 10/27
  • TOL: 12/27
  • EODS Forms: 1/12
  • EODS Forms Approved 1/22
  • CIL: 2/1
  • MMPI-2 2/7
  • Security Clearance Submitted 2/13
  • Medical Exam 2/26
  • Drug Test 2/27
  • FOL 3/29
  • Class Date at Academy 5/2

For people wondering like me, I found this helpful glossary for all the abbreviations
ATC Hiring Glossary
 
So just finsished taking the test and let me be the 1199755th to say it takes you for a ride. Thank the heavens I attended college and play video games cause only someone so detached from life would create that. I felt everything was easy until the word problems then I just let jesus take the wheel. The first part will wipe u out if u not careful tho...goodluck to everyone else
 
Just got done with ATSA. Feel like I did well on everything else except the radar sim. I feel like I BOMBED that one.
 
This is speculation but I felt like I didn’t need do great on the ATSA however me and most others in my class felt like we did the differences section exceptionally longer than other people we tested with. I kinda think it let you do it until you messed up. That was the only significant thing we gathered from taking the test
 
This is speculation but I felt like I didn’t need do great on the ATSA however me and most others in my class felt like we did the differences section exceptionally longer than other people we tested with. I kinda think it let you do it until you messed up. That was the only significant thing we gathered from taking the test

True....mines had 8 parts for the number difference section
 
This is speculation but I felt like I didn’t need do great on the ATSA however me and most others in my class felt like we did the differences section exceptionally longer than other people we tested with. I kinda think it let you do it until you messed up. That was the only significant thing we gathered from taking the test

I was the exact opposite. I finished what seemed like way sooner than anyone else testing around me on that section. That whole test/process is just odd to say the least.
 
No matter how well you do you still have an uneasy feeling after tho...by far the hardest part is the personality test because itll try to trick you asking the same question multiple times to see if you your just selecting the best possible answer or that's how you really feel
 
No matter how well you do you still have an uneasy feeling after tho...by far the hardest part is the personality test because itll try to trick you asking the same question multiple times to see if you your just selecting the best possible answer or that's how you really feel

And then you have to take the MMPI which is 500 questions of the same thing. ;)
 
Helpful tip which helped me get thru the spatial recognition part I didnt miss any...when you reach part 2 of it and the eye ball pops up dont even worry about the large plane, just pretend it's not even there and answer with the smaller plane position from the eye. Most people will look at the big plane then the small plane then the eye which uses precious time and all it takes is for you to get flustered on one and it wrecks your rhythm for the entire section.
 
Helpful tip which helped me get thru the spatial recognition part I didnt miss any...when you reach part 2 of it and the eye ball pops up dont even worry about the large plane, just pretend it's not even there and answer with the smaller plane position from the eye. Most people will look at the big plane then the small plane then the eye which uses precious time and all it takes is for you to get flustered on one and it wrecks your rhythm for the entire section.

The eye represented the point of view for the position of the small plane relative to the large plane... If I’m remembering correctly at least.
 
The eye represented the point of view for the position of the small plane relative to the large plane... If I’m remembering correctly at least.

It prolly has changed but as of today when I took which I did the practice just to make sure, when the eye ball is there it's always like your standing in front of both planes or think of it as the eyeball is the tower and you looking from there.

But both ways will give u the same answer just I thought it was a lil easier just using the eye and the smaller plane
 
It prolly has changed but as of today when I took which I did the practice just to make sure, when the eye ball is there it's always like your standing in front of both planes or think of it as the eyeball is the tower and you looking from there.

But both ways will give u the same answer just I thought it was a lil easier just using the eye and the smaller plane

Fair enough. I’ve had to learn and brain dump so much information lately, who knows what I actually took on that test lol.
 
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