# NAV CANADA Interview 2026: Pre-Screening vs Assessment Centre > NAV CANADA interview guide: the official 15-minute same-day pre-screening, separate assessment-centre interview, experience-focused preparation and original examples. Canonical: https://www.atcpracticetest.com/nav-canada/interview/ Site guide: https://www.atcpracticetest.com/llms.txt **There are two different interview-related moments in NAV CANADA’s published air traffic control selection process.** After the approximately six-hour regional cognitive test, **successful candidates** are invited to a **15-minute pre-screening interview on the same day**. A **separate half-day assessment centre** includes an interview alongside individual and group exercises. [NAV CANADA’s official selection page](https://www.navcanada.ca/en/air-traffic-control-selection-and-training.aspx) explains both. _Reviewed November 7, 2026. This page is an independent preparation guide. Your actual invitation governs who attends, when, where, the interview language and all logistics._ ## NAV CANADA pre-screening vs assessment-centre interview _On a narrow screen, swipe the table horizontally to see all columns. Keyboard users can focus the region and scroll sideways._ Stage Employer's published description Do not confuse with Online assessment Earlier remote, timed test; approximately 30 minutes An interview or a job offer In-person cognitive test Regional testing, approximately six hours; successful candidates invited to a 15-minute same-day pre-screening interview The separate half-day assessment centre Assessment centre Half-day session with group and individual exercises plus an interview The earlier 15-minute pre-screening Language testing, if required Possible third-party assessment over the telephone The bilingual assessment-centre session The [in-person test guide](/nav-canada/assessment-test/) explains the cognitive stage, and the [assessment-centre guide](/nav-canada/assessment-centre/) covers the later half-day session. **Passing any one stage does not guarantee the next invitation.** NAV CANADA schedules and selects candidates based on its process and operational requirements. ## What NAV CANADA actually publishes about interview content The employer states that the assessment centre includes an interview to assess candidates’ **skills, abilities and attitudes**. It specifically advises candidates to discuss their **academic and work experience** and their **interest in an air traffic control career**. Its current public selection page does **not** disclose the complete interview questions, confidential marking rubrics, named competency scoring weights or an official answer framework. The list below is therefore **editorial preparation**, not a prediction of actual questions: - Explain **why the role appeals to you** and what you have learned about safety-critical, shift-based aviation work. - Choose one **real example of working with others** and explain what you personally did. - Reflect on a **mistake or feedback** you received and how you improved your process. - Describe a time you handled **competing priorities** while communicating accurately. NAV CANADA’s [tower controller](/nav-canada/tower-controller/), [area controller](/nav-canada/area-controller/) and [flight service specialist](/nav-canada/flight-service-specialist/) pages help distinguish roles. You do not need to invent aviation experience you do not have. ## Free original interview preparation: two reflection exercises The prompts below are **original educational prompts**, not NAV CANADA questions, interview transcripts, scoring guides or evidence of what will appear in your session. They have no pass/fail grade. ### Exercise 1 - Describe feedback you used Think of a time a teacher, colleague or supervisor corrected something you did. In 60-90 seconds, explain what changed because of that feedback. Use a truthful example rather than memorizing a fictional ideal answer. Show an example STAR-L answer framework **Situation:** Identify a real task and its context. **Task:** State your responsibility. **Action:** Describe the feedback and the specific change you made. **Result:** Give an observable effect, without inventing numbers. **Lesson:** Explain how you apply that lesson today. STAR-L is an optional independent structure, not NAV CANADA's official marking rubric. ### Exercise 2 - Make a decision under conflicting deadlines Select a genuine situation in which two requests competed for your time. Describe how you clarified the deadlines, chose a sequence, communicated your decision and checked the result. Show a concise self-review checklist Did I identify the facts and my actual responsibility? Did I explain **why** one task came first? Did I say whom I informed? Can I describe a real outcome and one improvement? If you cannot answer truthfully, choose another genuine event. This is not a confidential employer scenario. A structure such as **Situation, Task, Action, Result, Lesson (STAR-L)** can help you organize your thoughts, but NAV CANADA has not published it as an official interview scoring methodology. Avoid writing scripted accounts of events that never happened. ## Practical preparation without guessing the interview format Confirm whether your invitation is for the **same-day 15-minute pre-screening** or the **assessment-centre interview**. Follow any instructions about venue, arrival time, identification, accessibility arrangements, language and permitted materials. Do not assume every session is virtual, in person or conducted in the same language. For **bilingual positions in the Montreal Flight Information Region**, NAV CANADA says the assessment-centre session is bilingual. Possible **telephone language testing by a third party** is a separate step. See [language requirements](/nav-canada/language-requirements/). If you wish to practise general aptitude skills as well, start with [30 original free questions](/nav-canada-assessment/practice-questions/) or the [NAV CANADA free-first guide](/nav-canada-assessment/preparation/). These are **not** interview simulators and no commercial product is required. ## After the interview: how to interpret the next step NAV CANADA states that **selected candidates** receive an offer before their course start date and must meet relevant **medical and licensing, security-clearance and drug-testing requirements** before employment. That does not mean attending or passing an interview guarantees an offer. Check **Workday and the personal email address** associated with your application. There is no universal public deadline by which every candidate must hear back. See [assessment results](/nav-canada/results/) and [selection timeline](/nav-canada/selection-timeline/). ## Sources and editorial independence - [NAV CANADA - Air Traffic Control Selection and Training](https://www.navcanada.ca/en/air-traffic-control-selection-and-training.aspx): two separate interviews, same-day 15 minutes for successful in-person candidates, half-day centre, official experience-focused preparation and next steps. - [NAV CANADA - French-language selection guide](https://www.navcanada.ca/fr/selection-et-formation-en-controle-de-la-circulation-aerienne.aspx): independent cross-check of durations and selection stages. - [NAV CANADA - Careers in Aviation](https://www.navcanada.ca/en/careers-in-aviation): Workday applications, operational selection and individual messages. **Editorial independence:** This page has **no direct vendor links** and does not claim access to real NAV CANADA interview questions, private candidate results or assessments. The official invitation always takes precedence.