FAA Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) Pass Rate, Format & Study Guide

The Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) is the FAA aptitude exam that applicants to air traffic controller positions take in the FAA hiring pipeline. It is a computer-based cognitive and aptitude battery delivered at Pearson VUE test centers. The FAA describes it as a 3.5-hour computer-based test of your cognitive skills. You do not receive a numeric score: the FAA places you in Well Qualified, Qualified or Not Referred, and only Well Qualified candidates are referred to the selecting official (FAA Be ATC pages).

Passing the ATSA at the Well Qualified level is a gate in the FAA hiring pipeline for air traffic controllers: applicants who do not reach it are not referred for hiring.

Applicants preparing for the FAA air traffic controller hiring process and Collegiate Training Initiative graduates who need a refresher on reasoning skills.

The certifying body does not publicly publish an official pass rate for this exam. Be wary of third-party sites citing a specific number here — treat any pass-rate claim you see elsewhere for this exam as unverified.

The FAA sets retake rules for the aptitude exam in each hiring announcement; check the FAA Be ATC pages before you apply.

Passing standard: you do not receive a numeric score: only candidates placed in the Well Qualified category are referred for hiring consideration, and the FAA states that Well Qualified is required. The FAA describes it as a 3.5-hour computer-based test of your cognitive skills. You do not receive a numeric score: the FAA places you in Well Qualified, Qualified or Not Referred, and only Well Qualified candidates are referred to the selecting official (FAA Be ATC pages). No official pass rate is available for this exam, so none is quoted here.

The FAA describes it as a 3.5-hour computer-based test of your cognitive skills. You do not receive a numeric score: the FAA places you in Well Qualified, Qualified or Not Referred, and only Well Qualified candidates are referred to the selecting official (FAA Be ATC pages). Format: About 3.5 hours · computer-based cognitive and aptitude battery at a Pearson VUE test center · result is a placement category, not a score. Passing standard: you do not receive a numeric score: only candidates placed in the Well Qualified category are referred for hiring consideration, and the FAA states that Well Qualified is required.

The certifying body publishes no exact weights for the areas it tests, so none are shown here.

You must apply through an FAA air traffic controller hiring announcement and meet the FAA qualifications listed on faa.gov (including U.S. citizenship and an age limit); the FAA decides who is invited to the assessment.

No candidate fee is quoted here; the FAA hiring pages do not list one. Travel to the test center and any other costs are yours.

This exam is a hiring step, not a credential: no renewal applies. The FAA sets what happens after a placement; check the FAA announcement.

Work through every topic area first, then switch to timed practice (120 questions in 150 minutes) and review the questions you miss.

Content outlines, fees and passing standards change; this guide follows the materials listed under Verification as of October 2026. Check the certifying body or hiring authority before you register.