The Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) is an aptitude assessment used in FAA entry-level controller hiring. The FAA describes an in-person, computer-based appointment lasting about 3.5 hours at a Pearson testing center. It comes after the application stage and before clearance and training. FAA hiring sequence.
If you are still deciding how to enter the career, start with our entry-route comparison. If you have an invitation, use this guide to organize your appointment and prepare for the day.
Already booked? Open the printable test-day checklist. You can check items on screen or print a copy to fill in by hand.
On this page: booking · identification · accommodations · preparation · results and retesting.
Book the right appointment
Testing begins with an invitation through the FAA application process. Your authorization email supplies an AVIATOR ID for the Pearson account and appointment process. Follow that email to select a center and a date, then keep the booking confirmation. DOT explanation of the ATSA process.
Read the authorization’s testing window before arranging time away from work or school. Compare the center address with your actual travel options. A nearby city can still mean a long trip during the morning commute; check parking, transit connections, and the building entrance.
Three ATSA-specific rules to put in your calendar:
- Cost: FAA pays the exam fee; candidates cover travel and parking.
- Changes: Cancel or reschedule at least 48 hours before the appointment.
- Test time: Up to 2 hours 49 minutes of testing, plus 30 minutes of breaks, within the roughly 3.5-hour allocation.
Check these against the current ATSA candidate instructions when booking. Allow additional time for your journey and the reporting time in your confirmation.
If you change an appointment online, complete the confirmation step and check for a new confirmation email. An unfinished rescheduling request is not a new booking. Your authorization controls which testing dates are available. Pearson scheduling help.
Check your identification
Put your intended IDs next to each other before test day. The ATSA links to Pearson’s Policy 1S, which requires two original, valid physical IDs:
- Primary ID: Government-issued, with your matching first and last name, a recognizable recent photo, and a signature.
- Secondary ID: Your matching first and last name, plus a signature or a recognizable recent photo.
Copies and digital IDs do not meet this policy. Check its country-of-issuance and renewal-document rules if relevant; exceptions need sponsor approval at least five business days before testing. Pearson ID Policy 1S.
Resolve account-name discrepancies, including any suffix, before scheduling: atsa.questions@faa.gov. ATSA name guidance.
Make the check concrete: identify the two documents you will bring, inspect their expiration dates, and find the required photo and signature. If you are unsure whether a document qualifies, resolve that question using the linked policy and official support before traveling.
Arrange accommodations before you book
Request accommodations before scheduling; the ATSA instructions require supporting documentation less than one year old. ATSA accommodations requirements.
The FAA handles these requests. Email atsa.questions@faa.gov with your accommodation needs, the exam name, and preferred testing location, then follow the agency’s instructions for approval and scheduling. FAA-specific accommodations process.
Make this your first scheduling task if it applies to you. Leave time for the agency to review the request and for any follow-up before choosing travel or work arrangements.
What the assessment measures
Assessed abilities include decision-making, spatial awareness, multitasking, and working memory. Pearson says studying is unnecessary; the FAA endorses no practice test. Official ATSA overview and preparation guidance.
Use that distinction when evaluating a preparation product. A commercial practice score is not an FAA result. Before paying, ask what the product actually offers, whether its content is current, and what evidence supports any promised improvement. We do not have evidence here that a particular game, simulator, or paid course raises ATSA scores.
Flight simulation can be a way to explore your interest in aviation. Keep that goal separate from deciding how to prepare for this appointment. You do not need to turn a short testing window into a months-long simulation project.
A practical preparation plan
This is AeroEd’s suggested organization plan. Adjust it to the time in your invitation; it is not an FAA training program or a prediction of your result.
- When the invitation arrives: Read it fully. Record the window and contact details, check your account and IDs, and start any accommodation request. Save the authorization somewhere you can find again. Your goal is to resolve anything that could prevent a valid booking.
- After booking: Put the appointment, reporting time, and change deadline in your calendar. Save the confirmation and center address. Arrange transport and time away from work or school, with enough margin that a delay does not force a rushed arrival.
- In the days before testing: Recheck the booking and your two IDs. Read the official candidate instructions. If you choose optional practice, set a limit on time and money; use it to identify questions about instructions, and avoid treating a vendor’s score as a hiring forecast.
- The day before: Pack your IDs, review the route, and set your departure time. Plan a normal meal and a full night’s rest. Keep the evening manageable instead of adding a last-minute practice marathon.
Pearson’s general test-day advice supports the practical basics: rest, eat beforehand, allow time to arrive, and read the instructions carefully. Test-taker resources.
At the test center
Follow the reporting time in your confirmation email. Check-in includes identity checks and testing rules. Expect to secure personal belongings, including your phone and watch, outside the testing room and follow staff directions about permitted items and breaks. The check-in process can vary by exam. Pearson’s in-person check-in guide.
Read each section’s instructions before starting. If the equipment or testing environment causes a problem, tell the administrator immediately so it can be documented. Pearson test-day support.
Results and previous attempts
Check AVIATOR via USAJOBS “Track this application”, about two weeks after the testing window ends. Categories: Well Qualified, Qualified, Not Referred. No overall numeric score is provided. ATSA results guidance.
The FAA recruitment page currently requires Well-Qualified. A result does not guarantee selection: the hiring process still includes clearance requirements and the training applicable to your route. Follow the notice for your specific application.
Results remain valid three years from testing and can be reused. Retesting replaces them, even if worse. ATSA prior-result policy.
Before deciding to retest, locate your prior test date and result, read the new invitation, and resolve any uncertainty with the FAA contact on the candidate page. Do not assume you will be able to choose your better attempt afterward.
Your test-day checklist
Open the one-page ATSA checklist to record your appointment, reporting time, center, and change deadline. Print it or use your browser’s Save as PDF option. Keep the official confirmation with your appointment records.
If you use My Flight Plan, the ATC step is Prepare for the ATSA. Mark it complete when you have reviewed the guide and recorded the next action that fits your application stage. The checkmark records your preparation progress.
Sources and review
Prepared by AeroEd with AI-assisted source checking on September 14, 2026. This review covers the ATSA candidate policies and linked checklist. Pearson’s ATSA page was last updated July 20, 2026; its current program instructions and the FAA’s recruitment guidance are the main sources. The 2021 DOT document supports the invitation and booking background only.
Recheck the official instructions with each invitation. The hiring guide and ATC statistics reference retain their own review scopes and dates.