NATS interview questions and how to answer them

The interview tests three things: evidence of the qualities a controller needs, motivation that will last through training, and a realistic picture of the job. Most unprepared candidates fall short on evidence. They describe what they would do, or what "we" did, instead of what they personally did.

By Carl Grzegorzek, an international air traffic controller with more than 20 years' experience training and assessing controllers. Updated 25 October 2026.

What the assessors are looking for

Structure every answer: STAR plus R

1. Situation: where and when, in a sentence or two.
2. Task: what you personally had to achieve.
3. Action: what you did, step by step, using "I" rather than "we". This should be most of the answer.
4. Result: what happened, with something concrete if you can.
5. Reflection: what you learnt, and why it matters for a controller. This is what lifts a good answer above an average one.

The difference in practice

Question: tell me about a time you worked under pressure.

Weak: "At work it gets really busy before Christmas, and we all pull together and get through it. I'm good under pressure."

Stronger: "Two weeks before Christmas, two of the five people on my shift called in sick on our busiest Saturday. I was the most experienced person there, so I split the floor into zones, took the returns desk myself because that's where queues built up, and checked in with each person every half hour. We cleared the queue by midday with no complaints. What I took from it was to make a plan in the first five minutes rather than reacting to whatever is loudest, which I think is exactly what a controller has to do."

Questions you're likely to be asked

• Why do you want to be an air traffic controller? Why now, and why with us?
• What do you know about the job and the training?
• What do you think will be the hardest part, and how will you cope?
• Tell me about a time you worked under pressure.
• Tell me about a time you made a mistake. What did you do?
• Describe a time you had to make a quick decision with limited information.
• Give an example of working in a team to achieve something difficult.
• Tell me about a time you received critical feedback.
• How would you deal with a colleague you thought was doing something unsafe?
• How do you feel about shift work and relocation?
• What would you do if you failed part of the training?

Expect some technical questions too, such as the difference between an altitude and a flight level, what wake turbulence is, or what the emergency squawk codes are. The knowledge test guide covers these.

How to prepare

1. List 15 to 20 moments from work, study, sport, travel and setbacks.
2. Choose 10 to 12 that between them show every quality at least twice. Include at least one mistake you made yourself.
3. Write each one as bullet points, not a script. Scripts sound recited.
4. Practise out loud and time yourself. Cut the situation, expand the action.
5. Prepare a personal answer to "why ATC?". "I've always loved aeroplanes" is a start, not an answer.
6. For an online interview: camera at eye level, a plain background, a wired connection, and notes out of sight.
7. Have two genuine questions ready, for example about how trainees are supported.

Questions