Airservices Australia Psychometric Testing
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Canberra, Australia
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Study time
Congrats to all who have been offered spots in the near and distance future.
For those with little kiddies, don't stress too much about study time and being away from the fam for long hours. I was a little concerned about it upon starting at the college in October but even with 3 kids under 4 it hasn't had an impact on family time.
We've just crammed 6 exams into the last week and a half and apart from about 2 hours of list recitals for the SAR exam (another tla) the night before the exam, there hasn't really been a need for any home time study.
Firstly, the instructors do all they can to prepare you for the exams in the allocated classes and, secondly, you'll find you get plenty of private study time included in your working hours.
Don't stress too much about the precourse material either but if you feel the need to dedicate some time to it, go for Meteorology, Flight Instruments and Aids and Principles of Flight
For those with little kiddies, don't stress too much about study time and being away from the fam for long hours. I was a little concerned about it upon starting at the college in October but even with 3 kids under 4 it hasn't had an impact on family time.
We've just crammed 6 exams into the last week and a half and apart from about 2 hours of list recitals for the SAR exam (another tla) the night before the exam, there hasn't really been a need for any home time study.
Firstly, the instructors do all they can to prepare you for the exams in the allocated classes and, secondly, you'll find you get plenty of private study time included in your working hours.
Don't stress too much about the precourse material either but if you feel the need to dedicate some time to it, go for Meteorology, Flight Instruments and Aids and Principles of Flight
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Australia
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Hey Guys.
Tobito, looks like i will be starting the course with you. April 19th... although ill be staying for melb enroute. Looking forward to moving down there.
Im looking for a hose mate to make things easier if anyones interested. gemmy im not starting till April so will be a good month behind you moving down.
I recon around the essendon area would be good. At least for the first six months while getting settled. Then i might move closer to the city when i figure out where i like.
Can anybody recomend a good area to find and apartment complex with gym and pool (lane) thats still close to the airport (20mins).
Congrats to you guys who just made the merit list. Hopefully they get through this one quickly cause its the new year.
Tobito, looks like i will be starting the course with you. April 19th... although ill be staying for melb enroute. Looking forward to moving down there.
Im looking for a hose mate to make things easier if anyones interested. gemmy im not starting till April so will be a good month behind you moving down.
I recon around the essendon area would be good. At least for the first six months while getting settled. Then i might move closer to the city when i figure out where i like.
Can anybody recomend a good area to find and apartment complex with gym and pool (lane) thats still close to the airport (20mins).
Congrats to you guys who just made the merit list. Hopefully they get through this one quickly cause its the new year.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Perth, Australia
Age: 46
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Congrats to all those currently receiving positions and good luck to all those still waiting.
Thanks for the heads up MRTWISTER, certainly put my mind at ease - now i can enjoy Chirstmas a little.
O yeah, I'm ex Air Force so love TLAs
Thanks for the heads up MRTWISTER, certainly put my mind at ease - now i can enjoy Chirstmas a little.
O yeah, I'm ex Air Force so love TLAs
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Melbourne
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Judging by the "yes you're on the order of merit" e-mail, it sounds like they intend to get people through quickly:
At this stage we have current opportunities available for the April and June 2010 courses (sooner than we had expected), as well as several courses soon to be scheduled for the second half of 2010. Which course you will be offered is determined by your position on the Merit List.
They had told me at my panel interview to expect if you're high on the OOM that you would get offered first half of 2010, if you're low on it it could be as late as early 2011. Good to know that it could be sooner rather then later.
I suppose no one has any idea how many people were put on the order of merit from this round of applications?
At this stage we have current opportunities available for the April and June 2010 courses (sooner than we had expected), as well as several courses soon to be scheduled for the second half of 2010. Which course you will be offered is determined by your position on the Merit List.
They had told me at my panel interview to expect if you're high on the OOM that you would get offered first half of 2010, if you're low on it it could be as late as early 2011. Good to know that it could be sooner rather then later.
I suppose no one has any idea how many people were put on the order of merit from this round of applications?
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Canberra, Australia
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joedebrincat,
No worries. We had 2 last minute additions to our course, one of which had 2 weeks notice. They had no chance to read any of the pre-course reading but they weren't behind the rest of us at all.
I feel a little sorry for you Jan guys. Our first 4 days were full of 'induction' activities. You guys have 2 hours of Comms on Tuesday morning, straight into the slog.
No worries. We had 2 last minute additions to our course, one of which had 2 weeks notice. They had no chance to read any of the pre-course reading but they weren't behind the rest of us at all.
I feel a little sorry for you Jan guys. Our first 4 days were full of 'induction' activities. You guys have 2 hours of Comms on Tuesday morning, straight into the slog.
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Canberra, Australia
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I'm not saying that it's the norm but I had the same fears heading in as well but I haven't found it to be anywhere near that bad. Seriously, the majority of our theory subjects, as they were before our first sim stage, had heaps of study time. It was usually from 2:20 - 3:30 every day as the SSOs have gone home and the lecturers rarely took classes after 2:30 so they gave us 'private study time'. Some days even had up to 3 hours study time when there were exams on in the sim and they didn't want a lot of groups in there.
I'm sure there are others that have worked their tails off in the theory but Im just letting others know that it isn't like that for everyone. And I haven't been scraping in either, I too am looking at mid 90s for exams and not many of them have been below that.
As far as family time is concerned, you're right, as secondary carer it's no different to my last job. From the minute I walk in the door until the last one is in bed I'm on the clock and if study is needed, I do it then.
By the way, 5 break ups out of 10. That must be close to the standard divorce rate these days isn't it?
I'm sure there are others that have worked their tails off in the theory but Im just letting others know that it isn't like that for everyone. And I haven't been scraping in either, I too am looking at mid 90s for exams and not many of them have been below that.
As far as family time is concerned, you're right, as secondary carer it's no different to my last job. From the minute I walk in the door until the last one is in bed I'm on the clock and if study is needed, I do it then.
By the way, 5 break ups out of 10. That must be close to the standard divorce rate these days isn't it?
Many people find it easy, many find it hard. The advice given above about it being easy with staacks of family time is probably not the most prudent thing to be telling people about to set off an a course that has historically high failure rates. As an example, my course had a failure in the first 6 weeks. This individual thought that his background in a similar aviation profession would see him through but it did not.
Good luck to you all. It is probably a fairly worthwhile lesson to learn early that the whole job is based around it being a piece of piss 99% of the time and quite diffficult the other 1%. That 1% is why you should put in as much effort as you possibly can in the early stages as when you get rated, there will be noone holding your hand to remind you of the 20% that you did not learn as 80% was a pass in the college.
Good luck to you all. It is probably a fairly worthwhile lesson to learn early that the whole job is based around it being a piece of piss 99% of the time and quite diffficult the other 1%. That 1% is why you should put in as much effort as you possibly can in the early stages as when you get rated, there will be noone holding your hand to remind you of the 20% that you did not learn as 80% was a pass in the college.
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: NSW- 3rd world state
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To all those starting in 2010, good luck, I hope it allworks out for you. Just be prepared to work hard. Nothing comes easy in life and don't burn any bridges with former employers. You might need them again. Listen to the advice given by those already in the organisation. Have a back up plan in case it doesn't work out.
Without being pessimistic, your prior experience may not count for buggar all if you get scrubbed.
I passed en-route course but not final field training. I thought putting my hand up and saying "I'm no good at this non-radar stuff" might have helped me out plus my ten yrs Air Force experience and a pilots license but no it didn't. I got two weeks notice with my last day being X-mas eve.
Without being pessimistic, your prior experience may not count for buggar all if you get scrubbed.
I passed en-route course but not final field training. I thought putting my hand up and saying "I'm no good at this non-radar stuff" might have helped me out plus my ten yrs Air Force experience and a pilots license but no it didn't. I got two weeks notice with my last day being X-mas eve.
Join Date: Dec 2001
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Passing a training course at the Airservices College does not necessarily mean that you are good enough to do the job. All it means is that you are good enough to try to do the job.
I don't know that statistics but if you think it's all over after the ATC college you're kidding yourself. On my course (many years ago) that actually passed the college there were plenty of people who were so confident of their ability....50% didn't check out.
I'm sure AsA has got their training programs much much better nowadays - those bank managers would have made sure of that. The instuctors at the ATC college these days are definately some very experienced people but that doesn't mean they can fully prepare you for the reality of doing the job. Standards are necessarily high - some people can't make it - some people do who shouldn't (maybe a couple of managers in there) - some have a natural ability.
There are a couple of old guys who are your instructors at the college who can give you some no BS advice on what you need to do. Listen to them.
I don't know that statistics but if you think it's all over after the ATC college you're kidding yourself. On my course (many years ago) that actually passed the college there were plenty of people who were so confident of their ability....50% didn't check out.
I'm sure AsA has got their training programs much much better nowadays - those bank managers would have made sure of that. The instuctors at the ATC college these days are definately some very experienced people but that doesn't mean they can fully prepare you for the reality of doing the job. Standards are necessarily high - some people can't make it - some people do who shouldn't (maybe a couple of managers in there) - some have a natural ability.
There are a couple of old guys who are your instructors at the college who can give you some no BS advice on what you need to do. Listen to them.
Join Date: Sep 2009
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Im kinda scared ****less and excited now to start this new job.
I havent received the pre pack yet (hopefully it will come soon) but i have a question about the five year bond. If you pass the course and then get dismissed at some point due to not making the standards, do you still have to pay back the money that you would if you quit?
Looks like it will take a lot of work just to keep this job, not just the stress of doing the job.
I havent received the pre pack yet (hopefully it will come soon) but i have a question about the five year bond. If you pass the course and then get dismissed at some point due to not making the standards, do you still have to pay back the money that you would if you quit?
Looks like it will take a lot of work just to keep this job, not just the stress of doing the job.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Melbourne
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Met a guy at a bbq on Sat who had a similar experience to C-change.
He'd made it through the Enroute college phase but not the final field training. His instructor told him that he needed a couple of weeks of extra training prior to his final check, but didn't tell him that he was at a make-or-break stage.
In the past week, this guy had moved house, had a newborn bubs, and bubs was crook.
Two days before his final check, he made a mistake in a sim and his instructor pulled the plug, told him that's it and that he wasn't cut out for this career.
He appealed the decision, but it seemed the instructor had the final say so it didn't get him very far.
He was upset at the ruthlessness of the whole experience as he honestly felt that given the 2 days he had left before his final check, he would have been fine.
This happened around Easter last year and he was still gutted. I reckon I still would be as well.
Some sobering advice from the posts above has given us newbies a lot to think about.
Keep your head up C-change
He'd made it through the Enroute college phase but not the final field training. His instructor told him that he needed a couple of weeks of extra training prior to his final check, but didn't tell him that he was at a make-or-break stage.
In the past week, this guy had moved house, had a newborn bubs, and bubs was crook.
Two days before his final check, he made a mistake in a sim and his instructor pulled the plug, told him that's it and that he wasn't cut out for this career.
He appealed the decision, but it seemed the instructor had the final say so it didn't get him very far.
He was upset at the ruthlessness of the whole experience as he honestly felt that given the 2 days he had left before his final check, he would have been fine.
This happened around Easter last year and he was still gutted. I reckon I still would be as well.
Some sobering advice from the posts above has given us newbies a lot to think about.
Keep your head up C-change
Join Date: Oct 2009
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I guess we can only hope we are cut out for it... i know that after a year application process, additional 6 months wait for placement... 10 months of training, moving state twice... i'm going to be devastated to fail at the final stage.
Although, at the same time, I wouldn't want to be passed if i really wasn't up to doing the job... i'd much rather waste a couple of years of my life than risk the lives of hundreds of people.
Although, at the same time, I wouldn't want to be passed if i really wasn't up to doing the job... i'd much rather waste a couple of years of my life than risk the lives of hundreds of people.
Join Date: Jul 2009
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does anyone out there like ATC with ASA?
totally agree MIKE...this forum is sort of scaring me now & making me think question is this for me and i havnt even begun (and read about a very close encounter over melbourne just before christmas-i dont want to be the person making those kind of mistakes). there appears to be a lot of negative energy regarding maybe not ATC but AsA the company themselves. is there anyone out there who loves this job?
by the way if anybody starting on march 1st course is melbourne is interested in sharing accommodation i have found some great accommodation with pool, near the airport, and at a very reasonable price. there are a number ive seen varying from 2-5 bedrooms so if your interested give me a shout as i will be viewing them in the first week of february!
by the way if anybody starting on march 1st course is melbourne is interested in sharing accommodation i have found some great accommodation with pool, near the airport, and at a very reasonable price. there are a number ive seen varying from 2-5 bedrooms so if your interested give me a shout as i will be viewing them in the first week of february!
Enemy Mig, I would suggest that the story you were told is not entirely accurate (infact, you could call it horsesh!t). When training, there are events that are known as Critical Milestones. The end of the college is one, simulator phase another and so is the final check. These have to be completed to be able to have training terminated or continued. Training is not terminated in the manner that you described. In the 'olden days', yes but not now. There is a large amount of paper work that follows you and it is very black and white as to what a pass is and not just based on an opinion of your field sim instructor.
In years gone by, there have been dudes termminated after their sim progress check and there have been a number I can think of that failed their final check before even plugging in. Those days are mostly (for better or worse I don't know) behind us.
In years gone by, there have been dudes termminated after their sim progress check and there have been a number I can think of that failed their final check before even plugging in. Those days are mostly (for better or worse I don't know) behind us.