ATSA Practice Test Guide: All 7 Sections Explained

The ATSA (Air Traffic Skills Assessment) is the computer-based aptitude test the FAA uses to screen entry-level air traffic controller trainee applicants. You take it in person at a Pearson VUE test center after applying to a trainee announcement on USAJOBS, it runs for up to about 3.5 hours including breaks, and it is made up of seven subtests covering things like working memory, spatial reasoning, multitasking, reading and logic. You don't get a numeric score: the FAA places you in a result category, and only the top result moves you forward in the current process.

This guide covers what is publicly documented about the test, what candidates consistently report about each section, and how to use practice sensibly. A note on sources before we start: the FAA publishes very little about the ATSA's content, and the test items are proprietary to the companies that supply them. Where a detail comes from candidate reports rather than an FAA, Pearson VUE or oversight document, we say so.

What the ATSA is and where it came from

The FAA introduced the ATSA in November 2016, replacing the older AT-SAT (Air Traffic Selection and Training) test. According to the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (OIG), the FAA's 2012 review of controller hiring found that the AT-SAT didn't sufficiently test skills tied to current job requirements, wasn't designed for modern technology and security features, and had been leaked to the public. For a fuller comparison, see ATSA vs. AT-SAT.

To build the replacement, the FAA worked with a human resources consulting firm, APTMetrics, which analyzed the controller job and identified the critical skills and abilities it requires. The FAA then picked 15 commercially available assessments from two vendors and tried them out on more than 1,380 working Certified Professional Controllers, whose supervisors rated their job performance, and on an estimated 620 Academy students. Seven of those 15 assessments made the final test. The OIG concluded in its January 2023 report that these steps gave reasonable assurance the test addresses the skills controllers need, while recommending the FAA set up a plan to evaluate how well the test actually identifies successful candidates.

Pearson VUE's FAA page describes the ATSA as "an entry-level employment aptitude assessment consisting of multiple subtests" covering "decision-making ability, spatial awareness, multitasking, and working memory, among others." A 2021 DOT privacy impact assessment names the two content vendors as Airways International Limited and SHL, with Pearson VUE administering the test and PDRI, an SHL subsidiary working under Pearson, building the interface that ties the two vendors' content together.

Who takes it, and how you get invited

You can't simply book the ATSA. You first apply to an air traffic control specialist trainee announcement on USAJOBS. If the FAA finds you eligible and selects you to test, Pearson VUE emails you an authorization to test with your AVIATOR ID, and you create an account and schedule a seat at a test center. The 2021 privacy assessment notes that the number of candidates invited to test depends on the FAA's hiring needs.

Announcements open rarely and can close fast. The April 2026 national announcement (FAA-ATO-26-ALLSRCE-97350) was capped at 8,000 applications and reached that cap on the day it opened. Our hiring window tracker lists recent announcements and what to have ready before the next one.

Test day logistics

• Length: Pearson VUE's FAQ says nearly 3.5 hours are allotted, made up of a maximum test time of 2 hours 49 minutes plus up to 30 minutes of break time.
• Cost: invited candidates aren't charged for the test; the FAA covers it. You must cancel or reschedule at least 48 hours ahead if you can't attend.
• Travel: the FAA doesn't pay or reimburse travel or parking. The 2026 announcement repeats that testing travel is paid by the applicant.
• ID: your name must match your ID. The 2021 privacy assessment described two forms of ID being required: a government-issued photo ID plus a second ID with your name and signature. Check the current Pearson VUE ID policy linked from your confirmation email.
• Controls: the game-style sections are answered on the keyboard, mostly the numeric keypad. Candidates who tested after Pearson VUE took over administration in 2021 reported different key assignments from earlier years, so read each section's instructions rather than relying on what someone else remembers.

Candidate-reported: most subtests reportedly open with instructions and a short practice round before the scored part begins, and some candidates say they were not told about breaks and had to raise a hand between sections to take one.

The seven sections at a glance

The FAA doesn't publish a section list. The names below are the descriptive labels candidates and prep sites commonly use; the order is reported to vary, particularly for the last three sections. Item counts and timings are candidate-reported and may have changed.

Section	What you do (candidate-reported)	Likely focus
Number Differences	Digits appear one at a time; type the gap between each new digit and the one before it	Working memory, speed
Memory Variables	Remember letter values, then solve short equations built from them, with no notes	Working memory, mental arithmetic
Visual Relationships	Decide True or False: is the small aircraft on the stated side of the large jet, from the jet's or an observer's viewpoint	Spatial orientation
ATC Simulation	Remove numbered dots before they collide; a later part adds multiple-choice math at the same time	Multitasking, prioritization
Work Style	Pick which statements are most and least like you	Work-related behavior and preferences
Reading Comprehension	Short passages, several questions each, under time pressure	Reading accuracy
Logical Reasoning	Word problems about order, rules and schedules	Deductive reasoning, decision-making

The four game-style sections

The first four sections are fast, repetitive tasks on the keypad. In Number Differences, a widely shared 2016 candidate write-up describes digits from 1 to 9 staying on screen for about two seconds, with every answer a positive gap. Memory Variables is reported as three parts of about ten questions, moving from plain values (A = 3) to one and then two equations. Visual Relationships shows a large jet, a small aircraft and the word LEFT or RIGHT; in the second part an eye symbol sometimes appears and moves the viewpoint. The ATC Simulation starts with two slow dots and builds up to seven or more, and its second part flashes arithmetic questions with four answer choices while you keep separating traffic.

These are the sections where unfamiliarity costs the most, because the pace is set by the screen rather than by you. You can try short versions of each: Number Differences, Memory Variables, Visual Relationships and ATC Simulation.

The three question-based sections

The work style section is a forced-choice questionnaire; the 2016 write-up counted 108 items. Reading comprehension is reported as a handful of passages with three questions each, and the logical reasoning section as roughly 15 to 20 word problems in around 20 minutes, with instructions warning that unanswered questions count against you. Reported counts differ between candidates and years, so treat them as a rough guide. Demos: Work Style, Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning.

How results work

Your responses are scored by the vendors' systems, then combined by the FAA using what the 2021 privacy assessment calls a proprietary algorithm, and the FAA's AVIATOR system places you in a category. You never see a number. Pearson VUE's FAQ is explicit: "You will not receive an overall score, only your placement into one of these three categories."

The categories have changed over time. From 2018, the FAA used three passing bands: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified, plus "Not Referred" for anyone who didn't pass. The OIG report gave the 2018 cutoffs as 70 percent to pass, 70 to 84 for Qualified, 85 to 89 for Well Qualified and 90 or above for Best Qualified, and noted that the FAA had hired only from the top two bands. Pearson VUE's FAQ, updated in July 2026, now lists just three categories: Well Qualified, Qualified and Not Referred. The FAA's hiring page lists "Well-Qualified required," while the April 2026 announcement still refers to "Best" or "Well-Qualified" results. The FAA hasn't published current cutoffs. ATSA score bands explained covers the history in detail.

Pearson VUE's current FAQ says to check your status in USAJOBS, via "Track this application," approximately two weeks after the last date of testing; its 2023 version said about three weeks. Real-world timing depends on the testing cycle; see how long ATSA results take.

Validity and retakes

Pearson VUE's page says results are valid for three years from the date you complete the test, and that if you're invited again you can let a still-valid result carry over automatically. If you retest, your latest result is used, even if it's lower. The 2026 announcement says the same. That makes a retake a real decision rather than a free second try; our retake guide walks through it.

Should you prepare?

Be clear-eyed about the FAA's position. Pearson VUE's FAQ says: "The ATSA is an aptitude assessment; therefore no studying or preparation is necessary," and that the FAA "does not endorse any practice test." Its advice is a good night's sleep, comfortable clothes, a proper meal and arriving early.

That advice is sensible, and nothing, including this site, can promise you a particular band. At the same time, candidate reports repeat a few practical points that familiarization addresses:

• The game-style sections move quickly, and the first minute is not the time to be working out which key means True.
• Some rules are easy to misread under pressure, such as which viewpoint applies when the eye appears, or whether to press a key when no collision is coming.
• Candidates have reported that old AT-SAT study material doesn't match the ATSA's content.
• Several candidates describe leaving the test sure they had done badly and still being referred. Knowing in advance that the simulation's math questions are widely described as hard to finish in time helps you avoid spiraling mid-test.

A realistic goal for practice is to know every format well enough that your attention goes on the task, not the interface. Our practice sections use original items modeled on public descriptions, not copies of the real test, and they won't match it exactly. How to prepare for the ATSA sets out a two-to-four-week plan, and pricing shows what's in each plan.

Frequently asked questions

Does the FAA provide an ATSA practice test?

No. Pearson VUE's FAQ states that because the ATSA is an aptitude assessment, the FAA does not endorse any practice test. Candidates do report short practice rounds inside the test itself before most scored subtests. Any practice test you find online, including ours, is independent and built from public descriptions.

How long is the ATSA?

Pearson VUE describes nearly 3.5 hours in total: up to 2 hours 49 minutes of test time plus up to 30 minutes of breaks. Allow extra time for check-in.

What is a passing score on the ATSA?

You won't see a number, and the FAA doesn't publish current cutoffs. You're placed in a category, and in the current process Well Qualified is the result that moves you forward. The OIG's 2023 report described 2018-era cutoffs (70 percent to pass, 85 for Well Qualified, 90 for Best Qualified), but the categories have since changed, so don't assume those figures still apply.

Can I reuse an old ATSA result?

Pearson VUE says results stay valid for three years from the test date and carry over automatically if you don't retest. If you do retest, the newest result replaces the old one even if it's lower.

Does the ATSA cost anything?

Invited candidates aren't charged for the test itself, but you pay your own travel and parking.