Cleared to Explainan air traffic controller explains Decode your screen

10 practice questions

A taste of the mental maths, direction and checking tasks in controller selection tests. No calculator. Try to answer each one in under a minute.

These questions are our own, written to feel like the real thing. They are not taken from NATS, FAA or Airservices tests, which are confidential.

  1. 1 · Speed, distance, timeAn aircraft flies at 480 knots. How far does it travel in 5 minutes?
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    B: 40 NM. 480 knots is 480 nautical miles per hour, so 8 NM per minute. 8 × 5 = 40 NM.

  2. 2 · HeadingsAn aircraft is heading 090. It turns right by 120 degrees. What is its new heading?
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    C: 210. Turning right adds degrees: 090 + 120 = 210.

  3. 3 · HeadingsAn aircraft is heading 300. It turns left by 90 degrees. What is its new heading?
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    C: 210. Turning left subtracts degrees: 300 − 90 = 210.

  4. 4 · Closing speedTwo aircraft are 30 NM apart, flying straight towards each other at 300 knots each. In how many minutes would they meet?
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    B: 3. Their closing speed is 300 + 300 = 600 knots, or 10 NM per minute. 30 ÷ 10 = 3 minutes.

  5. 5 · Rate of descentAn aircraft at FL350 descends at 2,000 feet per minute to FL150. How long does it take?
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    B: 10 minutes. FL350 to FL150 is 20,000 feet. 20,000 ÷ 2,000 = 10 minutes.

  6. 6 · ReciprocalsWhat is the reciprocal (the exact opposite direction) of 045?
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    B: 225. Add 180: 045 + 180 = 225.

  7. 7 · Ground speedAn aircraft covers 120 NM in 15 minutes. What is its ground speed?
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    C: 480 knots. 15 minutes is a quarter of an hour. 120 × 4 = 480 knots.

  8. 8 · CheckingHow many of these pairs are exactly identical? CTX4821 / CTX4821 · CTX17K / CTX71K · CTX93QF / CTX93QF · CTX2ZX / CTX2XZ
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    B: 2. Only the first and third pairs match. In the other two, two characters have swapped places.

  9. 9 · Phonetic alphabetIn the radio alphabet, which word is used for the letter Q?
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    B: Quebec. Q is Quebec. The radio alphabet is the same worldwide.

  10. 10 · Rate of climbAn aircraft at 6,000 feet climbs at 1,500 feet per minute for 4 minutes. What height is it at now?
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    C: 12,000 ft. 1,500 × 4 = 6,000 feet of climb. 6,000 + 6,000 = 12,000 feet.

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