The NATS Aptitude Test
Everything you need to know about the NATS aptitude test for trainee air traffic controllers — plus a free NATS practice test. Learn what the Stage 1 online battery involves, how it’s scored, how competitive it is, and exactly how to practise the spatial, numerical, logical reasoning and situational judgement tests before your assessment.
ATC Practice is an independent practice platform. We are not affiliated with NATS or Aon; test names are used for identification only. Always confirm the current selection process on the official NATS careers website.
What is the NATS aptitude test?
The NATS aptitude test is the Stage 1 online assessment for trainee air traffic controllers with NATS. It is a timed battery of aptitude tests — spatial reasoning, numerical reasoning, logical reasoning and situational judgement — completed remotely in around 75 minutes to shortlist candidates before later assessment stages.
NATS (National Air Traffic Services) is the UK’s main air traffic control provider, and its trainee air traffic controller scheme is one of the most competitive graduate-level routes in the country. The NATS aptitude test is the first hurdle: an online battery of timed tests that screens applicants before the later, air-traffic-specific assessment stages.
The test isn’t about aviation knowledge — you don’t need any to apply. Instead it measures the raw mental skills the job depends on: holding and manipulating information in your head, working with numbers quickly and accurately, spotting patterns and rules, and making sound decisions under time pressure. Because those skills can be sharpened, focused practice makes a real difference to your score.
The Stage 1 battery
The NATS aptitude tests you’ll face
Each sub-test below has a free demo, so you can try the exact question style before you sit the real NATS test.
Spatial reasoning
Mentally rotating and positioning objects and directions — the skill most directly linked to managing traffic in three dimensions.
Try the free spatial reasoning demo →Numerical reasoning
Fast, accurate work with percentages, ratios, time, speed and distance, often against a tight clock and without a calculator.
Try the free numerical reasoning demo →Logical (abstract) reasoning
Spotting the rule or pattern in sequences of shapes or symbols and applying it correctly at speed.
Try the free logical (abstract) reasoning demo →Situational judgement
Choosing the safest, most procedure-led response to realistic workplace scenarios — judgement matters as much as ability.
Try the free situational judgement demo →The Stage 1 battery is typically completed online in around 75 minutes. Later stages add air-traffic-specific tasks — similar in style to the Eurocontrol FEAST tests — so it’s worth practising both. See all free NATS practice test demos.
How it works & scoring
How the NATS Stage 1 assessment works
The NATS test is sat online from home, usually on the Aon assessment platform, and takes in the region of 75 minutes across the full battery. Each sub-test is separately timed and is either multiple-choice or interactive, and you generally cannot use a calculator on the numerical section. Once you start a test you are working against the clock, so most candidates run out of time before they run out of ability — which is exactly why the tests feel harder than the questions themselves are.
How is the NATS aptitude test scored?
NATS does not publish an exact pass mark, and it can vary between intakes, so treat any specific figure with caution and follow the official NATS guidance. What candidates consistently report is that the bar is high: historically only around 20–30% clear all of the Stage 1 tests, and your result depends on performing across every sub-test rather than acing one and neglecting another. A single weak area can end an otherwise strong application, so balanced preparation matters.
What happens after Stage 1?
If you pass the Stage 1 NATS aptitude test, later stages typically add a situational judgement and listening exercise and an assessment centre with observed aptitude re-tests, a group exercise and a competency interview. Read our full NATS Stage 1 guide and NATS assessment centre guide for the later stages. The current process is always confirmed on the official NATS careers website.
How to prepare
How to pass the NATS aptitude test: five steps
You can’t sit the exact live questions in advance, but you can practise the same NATS test types under realistic timed conditions so the format and time pressure feel familiar on the day.
Learn the exact test types first
Before drilling questions, understand what each NATS Stage 1 test measures — spatial reasoning, numerical reasoning, logical reasoning and situational judgement. Knowing the format means no surprises on the day and less time wasted reading instructions.
Practise under strict time limits
The NATS tests are hard because of speed, not difficulty. Always practise with a timer so you build the pace and the calm accuracy the real assessment demands. Untimed practice gives a false sense of readiness.
Sharpen your mental arithmetic
The numerical test rewards fast, confident work with percentages, ratios, time and distance — with no calculator on some tasks. Practise mental maths daily so the numbers stop being the bottleneck.
Target your weakest test type
Your overall result depends on performing across every test, so a single weak area can sink an otherwise strong application. Identify it early and spend the most practice time there.
Rehearse situational judgement the NATS way
Situational judgement rewards safety-first, procedure-following, team-oriented choices. Practise reading each scenario for the response that keeps operations safe and follows the rules, rather than the one that feels most assertive.
FAQ
NATS aptitude test — common questions
What is the NATS aptitude test?
The NATS aptitude test is the first stage of selection for trainee air traffic controllers with NATS (National Air Traffic Services). It is an online battery of timed aptitude tests that measures the core mental skills air traffic control demands — spatial awareness, quick and accurate numerical work, logical reasoning and judgement under pressure. It is completed remotely and is used to shortlist candidates before later assessment stages.
What tests are in the NATS Stage 1 aptitude battery?
The NATS Stage 1 online battery is delivered by Aon and typically includes spatial reasoning, numerical reasoning, logical (abstract) reasoning and a situational judgement test, completed in roughly 75 minutes in total. Later assessment stages add air-traffic-specific aptitude tasks such as the kind of tests found in the Eurocontrol FEAST suite. Always confirm the current format on the official NATS careers site, as selection can change.
How hard is the NATS aptitude test?
It is very competitive. NATS recruits a small number of trainees each intake against thousands of applicants, and historically only around 20–30% of applicants pass all of the Stage 1 tests. The questions themselves are not advanced, but the tight timing and high accuracy required make them demanding — which is why practising each test type under timed conditions matters so much.
Can I practise the NATS aptitude test online?
Yes. While you can't sit the exact live questions in advance, you can practise the same test types under realistic timed conditions. Our platform provides full-length timed simulations of spatial, numerical, logical and situational judgement tests, plus air-traffic-specific tasks, so the format and time pressure feel familiar on the day.
How long should I prepare for the NATS aptitude test?
Most candidates start practising four to eight weeks before their assessment. That is enough time to get comfortable with every test type, build speed and accuracy, and iron out weak areas without burning out. Short, regular timed practice sessions work far better than one or two long cramming sessions.
Is the NATS test hard?
The NATS test is demanding, but mainly because of speed and accuracy rather than difficult content. The individual questions are pitched at a level most people can answer given time — the challenge is answering enough of them correctly against a tight clock. Combined with a low pass rate (historically around 20–30% clear all of Stage 1), that makes timed practice the single most useful thing you can do.
What is on the NATS Stage 1 assessment?
The NATS Stage 1 online assessment is a battery of timed aptitude tests — typically spatial reasoning, numerical reasoning, logical (abstract) reasoning and a situational judgement test, taking roughly 75 minutes in total. It is completed remotely on the Aon platform and screens applicants before the later, air-traffic-specific assessment stages. Always confirm the current line-up on the official NATS careers site, as the process can change.
How do I pass the NATS test?
There is no shortcut, but candidates who pass tend to do the same things: learn each test type in advance so nothing is a surprise, practise under strict time limits to build speed, sharpen mental arithmetic for the numerical test, fix their weakest area early, and answer situational judgement questions with a safety-first, procedure-led mindset. Short, regular timed sessions over four to eight weeks work far better than last-minute cramming.
Is this the same as the Eurocontrol FEAST test?
They overlap but are not identical. NATS uses its own Stage 1 aptitude battery for initial screening, while many European air navigation service providers use the Eurocontrol FEAST battery. Several underlying skills are the same, so practising both broad reasoning tests and air-traffic-specific tasks prepares you either way.
Practise the real test types
Nine full-length, timed NATS-style practice tests plus interview prep — one payment, unlimited attempts.