NATS gives you 14 days to sit its first aptitude tests, then retests you under observation at the assessment centre

NATS says its stage one online tests assess spatial awareness, logical thinking, numerical ability, sense of direction and reaction speed. Our reasoning test covers the numerical and logical parts with timed questions, and our spatial reasoning practice adds rotation and direction items.

We have no reaction-speed tasks, no listening comprehension, no multitasking radar simulation and nothing on air traffic control knowledge, all of which NATS or FEAST include. Use our tests to sharpen arithmetic and logic; the rest needs dedicated practice.

NATS says the stage three assessment centre includes a retest of the earlier tests while you are observed. That design checks that the person who passed online is the person in front of the camera, and that the result holds up. It also means your stage one score is not a one-off: you need a level you can reproduce.

So prepare for consistency rather than one lucky sitting. Practise until your accuracy is steady across several attempts, not just on your best day. If a result swings widely between practice sessions, focus on the topic that swings, usually mental arithmetic under time pressure or keeping track of direction.

Spatial awareness and sense of direction tasks ask you to rotate shapes mentally, read headings or work out where something will be after a series of turns. Our spatial reasoning test gives practice with mental rotation, and a compass drawn on paper helps with headings at first.

Numerical ability items lean on quick mental arithmetic: speeds, distances, times and simple rates. Logical thinking items test rules and sequences. Reaction speed is the one you cannot cram, but sleep, a quiet room and a familiar keyboard and mouse help on the day.

The tests are proctored remotely. NATS asks you to keep your face in clear view of the camera and to avoid noise. Set up the room the day before and do not plan to finish everything on the last day of the 14.

Controllers listen and speak all shift, so NATS tests listening comprehension: you hear spoken information and answer questions about it. Practise by listening to short factual audio clips once, then writing down every number, name and instruction you heard.

The situational judgement test asks how you would act in workplace scenarios. Safety, teamwork and honest reporting of mistakes are the themes to look for. Our situational judgement guide explains the method.

FEAST, EUROCONTROL's First European Air traffic controller Selection Test, is a computer-based battery used by many providers across Europe. FEAST I covers basic abilities and English and takes at least two and a half hours. FEAST II measures multitasking and may include a radar simulation and a test called MULTI-PASS. A FEAST III personality questionnaire exists, but not every organisation uses it.

EUROCONTROL says you do not need an aviation background to pass FEAST, though later selection phases expect knowledge of the job. Older NATS guidance described FEAST alongside its own tests, and prep sites say NATS may ask candidates to sit tests again even if they passed FEAST elsewhere. Go by the tests named in your NATS invitation.

Stages three and four both include an air traffic control knowledge test. NATS does not publish the syllabus in the pages we found, but the intent is clear: by this point you should understand what controllers do, the difference between area, approach and aerodrome control, and basic aviation terms. Read NATS's own careers material and blog posts by trainees before stage three.

These come from anonymous reviews, university careers pages and prep guides. They often disagree, and Trainee air traffic controller (UK) has not confirmed them. Read them as leads, not rules.

• Prep sites describe a radar-style simulation at the NATS assessment stage, sometimes called DART, which we could not confirm on NATS pages.
• Candidates on aviation forums mention a NATS infographic showing a fourth stage that some posters questioned; current NATS pages now list four stages.
• Prep sites say NATS may ask candidates to retake FEAST-style tests even if they passed FEAST with another provider.