NAV CANADA’s published air traffic controller selection process contains several separate assessment stages. Applying through an open Workday posting comes before the approximately 30-minute online test, regional six-hour in-person testing and subsequent evaluation. Passing an assessment is not a promise of further invitations or employment. Primary source: NAV CANADA - Air Traffic Control Selection and Training.
Reviewed November 7, 2026. An older recruitment deadline of October 31, 2026 has passed; a published assessment date is not proof that new applications are being accepted.
The eight selection steps at a glance
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| Step | Employer's published stage | What applicants must understand |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Eligibility | Six basic requirements and current Workday job application | Without an open vacancy, no new application can be assumed |
| 2. Online assessment | About 30 minutes, remotely, by invitation | Use the computer and deadline in the official invitation |
| 3. In-person testing | About six hours at a regional testing location | A passing result does not automatically secure further stages |
| 4. Pre-screening interview | About 15 minutes on the same day after in-person success | Different from the later assessment-centre interview |
| 5. Assessment centre | Separate half-day group and individual evaluation with interview | Later invitations depend on selection and operational need |
| 6. Language assessment | Third-party telephone test when required | Regional bilingual criteria still apply |
| 7. Selection and offer | An offer is made before the course start date if selected | Not every applicant completing tests will be selected |
| 8. Pre-employment checks | Medical/licensing, security and initial drug testing | Conditions remain separate from the six entry rules |
This is an editorial grouping of official stages, not a NAV CANADA guarantee that every action occurs on a fixed calendar or in a strictly identical order for every cohort.
Before stage one: is the job actually open?
Start with NAV CANADA Careers and the Air Traffic Controller role. Follow an actually available posting into the employer’s Workday system. The October 31, 2026 recruitment deadline is already past. An invitation-only regional test event can serve existing applicants while new applications are closed. The careers site changes; this guide has no candidate portal access.
The six published entry requirements cover age 18+, secondary school completion, Canadian citizenship or permanent residence, region-specific language ability, willingness to relocate and availability to start full-time training within 18 months of applying. Medical, security and initial drug-screening conditions apply separately.
Read the dedicated application-process guide to prepare accurate academic and professional history. The employer may screen out ineligible submissions immediately.
Online, in-person and the two interviews
The online assessment is an approximately 30-minute timed remote test. NAV CANADA recommends a desktop or laptop, rather than a phone or tablet. Follow the invitation itself, not a third-party test simulator, for technical rules or due dates.
The in-person assessment is approximately six hours and covers multiple cognitive aptitudes described by the employer. NAV CANADA says candidates successful at this stage are invited to a roughly 15-minute pre-screening interview on the same day.
The later assessment centre is a half-day session with group and individual exercises and an interview. These are not one combined universal “six-hour interview”. The published selection material does not expose its internal tasks or pass scores. Do not rely on leaked test questions or claim a paid practice product reproduces NAV CANADA’s tests.
Languages, selection and safety checks
NAV CANADA requires fluent English and French for the Montreal Flight Information Region, including the National Capital Region; English fluency applies in other regions. When appropriate, the official selection process uses a third-party telephone language assessment. See language requirements.
Selected applicants receive an offer before their training course starts. Candidates must meet applicable medical and licensing conditions, obtain security clearance and undergo initial drug screening, including cannabis. These safety requirements and continuing obligations are distinct from entry eligibility. See medical and background checks.
Training after a selection offer is a separate, demanding phase. NAV CANADA training compares ACC and tower courses and the additional qualification process. A training offer does not guarantee a controller licence.
Reapplication after an unsuccessful assessment
The employer’s selection guide states the following waiting periods following unsuccessful stages. These refer to reapplication eligibility, not a guaranteed retest appointment.
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| Unsuccessful stage | Published waiting period | Starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Online assessment | 1 year | From the online testing date |
| In-person assessment | 2 years | From the in-person testing date |
| Assessment centre | 3 years | From the assessment-centre date |
The separate 36-month active-application period in NAV CANADA Careers in Aviation does not erase an applicable waiting period or promise an offer before expiry. Read retake policy and results for the correct distinction.
How long does the whole process take?
The general job-seeker FAQ gives an approximate two-to-three-month hiring period for other roles, then directs Air Traffic Services candidates to the role-specific pages. Do not apply that general estimate to ATC. A candidate’s true invitation, screening, and course-start dates depend on staffing and employer communications. The selection timeline explains what a dated test calendar does and does not establish.
Two free original interpretation questions
These are independent reading-comprehension exercises, not official NAV CANADA aptitude questions or protected assessment content.
Example 1 - Two interview stages
A fictional candidate completes the six-hour in-person test and is offered a 15-minute pre-screening interview that day. Does that mean they have already completed the later half-day assessment centre?
Show the two-interview distinction
No. The 15-minute pre-screening interview follows the in-person test, while the half-day assessment centre is a separate subsequent stage, subject to invitation.
Example 2 - Application expiry is not a retake rule
A fictional candidate fails an in-person test but reads that an ATS application can remain active for 36 months. May they automatically repeat the in-person test after a few weeks?
Show the reapplication timing answer
No. NAV CANADA publishes **two years after the in-person test** for eligibility to reapply following an unsuccessful result. The 36-month application activity period is not a waiver of that separate rule.
Public sources and editorial independence
- NAV CANADA - Air Traffic Control Selection and Training: selection stages, test durations, interviews, reapplication and pre-employment checks.
- NAV CANADA - Air Traffic Controller: career role and basic eligibility.
- NAV CANADA - Careers in Aviation: requirements, application activity and recruitment communication.
- NAV CANADA - Job Seeker FAQ: general hiring timeline, explicitly separated from ATS.
This page contains no direct merchant or affiliate links. Products advertised for FEAST or ATSA are not automatically appropriate for NAV CANADA’s actual selection stages and never substitute for employer instructions.