FEAST: how to prepare for the EUROCONTROL selection test
FEAST, EUROCONTROL's First European Air Traffic Controller Selection Test, is used by many European air navigation service providers and some beyond Europe. It measures the abilities the job needs. Like any aptitude test, it rewards knowing the formats and practising the underlying skills.
By Carl Grzegorzek, an international air traffic controller with more than 20 years' experience training and assessing controllers. Updated 25 October 2026.
What FEAST measures
FEAST is usually described in three parts: cognitive and English tests, ATC-style work samples, and a personality questionnaire. Which parts you sit, and in what order, depends on the provider you're applying to. Its tests cover abilities such as:
| Ability | Practise it with |
|---|---|
| English listening and comprehension | Aviation English coaching |
| Reaction time, speed and attention | Figure match, strip check, stay alert |
| Learning and applying rules | Rules, sort and switch |
| Planning | Landing plan |
| Three-dimensional visualisation | Cube folding, left or right |
| Work samples: managing simulated traffic | The radar vectoring and final approach games (full access) |
Start with the official practice
EUROCONTROL runs a free FEAST practice platform. Its tests follow the concept of the FEAST I tests without being identical to them. Use it to learn the formats. ATC Edge adds different items, feedback on where you lost marks, a record of your progress and radar work samples, so you can practise the abilities more widely.
Play fair. Real FEAST content is confidential. Don't look for copies of real tests or share what you saw in a session. Preparation is about the abilities, not the items, and providers act on candidates who break the rules.
A six-week plan
- Week 1: work through the official practice, then take a full-length baseline on every ATC Edge test.
- Weeks 2 and 3: technique on your two weakest tests, untimed until your accuracy is high.
- Weeks 3 to 5: daily timed practice of 30 to 45 minutes, plus one longer stamina session a week.
- Week 6: light practice only, a good night's sleep, and a quiet set-up for the day.
If English isn't your first language, start on it early. Listening and comprehension improve more slowly than the cognitive tests.
Practise the abilities FEAST measuresFree one-minute samples of every test, full-length tests with feedback for £24.99 a year, and coaching from an international controller.
Try the testsCoaching