Understand the FAA’s assessment, learn the skills behind our exercises and make a focused plan for practice.
The FAA says preparation is not necessary and does not endorse practice programs. If you choose to practice, use it to learn unfamiliar task demands and recognize your own mistakes. Read Pearson VUE’s FAA guidance.
These are the skills and rules used in our original exercises. They are not an official ATSA section list. On the actual assessment, follow the instructions supplied for each task.
Keep the most recently shown number in mind. When the next number appears, calculate the difference, then replace the old number with the new one. In this practice, subtract the smaller number from the larger and respond with the nonnegative difference.
Watch for: Carrying an older number into the next comparison, or letting one mistake interrupt several later responses.
Practice number differencesRemember each label with its value. When a later card uses an earlier value in an equation, work out the new labeled value before the card disappears. In review, separate lost values from arithmetic errors or swapped labels.
Watch for: Remembering a number under the wrong label or substituting the wrong value into an equation.
Practice variable memoryRead whether the task uses the aircraft’s forward direction or the opposite direction. Establish that viewing direction, then judge the beacon’s side. Work slowly until you can explain the orientation before adding speed.
Watch for: Using screen-left and screen-right, or keeping the cockpit viewpoint when the task asks for the opposite direction.
Practice spatial relationshipsScan the whole display, then examine possible conflicts. A crossing path alone does not establish a collision: compare when the targets will reach the same area. Remove one endangered aircraft before contact and preserve safe aircraft. In collision-only practice, a safe round requires waiting without a response.
Watch for: Fixating on the closest pair now while missing another pair that is converging.
Practice collision avoidanceLearn each demand separately before combining them. Read and retain the arithmetic cue while monitoring motion. Remove an endangered aircraft before contact; you can enter the calculation before or after removal. Submit the calculation as instructed. On a safe round, choose No conflict in the final second.
Watch for: Spending too long on arithmetic while a moving conflict develops elsewhere.
Practice divided attentionIdentify the main point, conditions and exceptions. Check the exact sentence that supports your choice. Separate something that could be true from something the passage actually establishes.
Watch for: Choosing a plausible answer that adds outside information or overlooks a limiting word.
Practice reading comprehensionRestate the rules before comparing the options. Check the most restrictive condition first, then test the remaining conditions. Distinguish what must be true from what is merely possible.
Watch for: Reversing an implication or satisfying one rule while violating another.
Practice logical reasoningThe ATSA is part of the U.S. FAA’s entry-level air traffic controller hiring process. Invited candidates take it in person at a Pearson VUE test center. Check FAA hiring guidance and your invitation for your route.
Pearson VUE gives this maximum for the assessment itself. Follow the on-screen instructions and timing for each task.
Break time is separate from the published testing maximum. Follow the testing center’s rules for when and how to take breaks.
Plan around the appointment described in your invitation, along with arrival, check-in and travel time.
Timing source: Pearson VUE’s FAA assessment page.
Our questions, displays, controls, task lengths and scores are independently designed. The moving-target exercises use abstract fictional scenarios and simplified conflict rules. They are ability exercises, not operational air traffic control training.
Our combined session joins the seven scored practice areas in one sitting. Its counts and time limits appear on the practice card. It does not reproduce the complete official ATSA appointment.
The optional work-style example is separate from scored practice. It uses original groups of statements to illustrate most-and-least choices and does not assess suitability for air traffic control.
Pearson VUE currently lists Well Qualified, Qualified and Not Referred and states that an overall numerical score is not supplied. The FAA’s current hiring page says applicants must achieve Well-Qualified to move forward in that route.
Follow the announcement under which you applied. An assessment category is one part of the selection process, not a job offer.
Check current result guidanceOur feedback shows how you performed on our exercises. Review accuracy, mistakes, unanswered tasks and response timing to decide what to work on next.
We do not convert practice results into an official ATSA score, qualification category, percentile or hiring prediction. Repeating familiar exercises can improve your practice performance without showing how you will do on a different assessment.
Pearson VUE says ATSA results are valid for three years. If you complete a retest, the most recent result is used, even if a previous result was higher. Retesting and scheduling depend on the applicable FAA announcement and your invitation; read the current official guidance before deciding.
Use your usual behavior as your reference. This optional example lets you try most-and-least choices without a time limit, pass, score or suggested profile.
This optional, free example lets you try choosing the statement most like you and the statement least like you in each group of three. These are original examples, not official ATSA items or a reproduction of the test. You can change your choices or skip any group.
Your choices stay on this page and are not saved, sent, or scored. There is no result, profile, or suggested answer.
Choose two different statements in each group. If you choose the same statement for both, your earlier choice is cleared.
0 of 3 groups completed · Unscored example
The Air Traffic Skills Assessment is part of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s hiring process for entry-level air traffic controllers. Invited applicants take the computer-based assessment in person through Pearson VUE. Follow the FAA announcement and your assessment invitation for your own requirements.
Pearson VUE’s current guidance allows up to 2 hours 49 minutes of testing and up to 30 minutes of break time, within an appointment of nearly 3.5 hours. Our shorter drills and combined session have their own counts and time limits, shown on the practice cards.
No. These are original, independent ability exercises. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA or Pearson VUE. The FAA does not endorse any ATSA preparation program and says preparation is not necessary. Our questions, controls, timing and scoring are our own.
Access is shown when you sign in. An eligible short drill offers one free attempt; some accounts require a pass before starting. One ATSA pass includes combined practice and unlimited short-drill replays for the selected period. The untimed page example and private work-style familiarization are free.
No. Our results describe accuracy, timing and errors on our own exercises. They do not estimate your official score, ranking or chance of selection. Pearson VUE currently lists Well Qualified, Qualified and Not Referred result categories and states that an overall numerical score is not supplied.
Use the instructions provided and answer about your usual behavior. The free example in our guide only illustrates a response format. It has no answer key, ideal profile, score or recommendation, and your choices are not saved or sent.
Use a desktop or laptop with a physical keyboard and pointing device for the timed drills, especially moving-target and divided-attention tasks. You can read the guide and try the untimed examples on a phone. Follow Pearson VUE’s instructions for the actual in-person assessment.
Public guidance checked October 2026. Requirements can change; your invitation and the applicable FAA announcement take precedence. Game Assessment Prep is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA or Pearson VUE.