# Pilot Assessments vs SkyTest (2026): Pilot and ATC Prep > Compare PASS and SkyTest by pilot vs ATC test, product coverage, browser or installable delivery, terms, official sources and 2026 NATS facts. Canonical: https://www.atcpracticetest.com/reviews/pilot-assessments-vs-skytest/ Site guide: https://www.atcpracticetest.com/llms.txt **Pilot Assessments PASS and SkyTest solve different preparation problems.** PASS is primarily an **online pilot-selection preparation platform**. SkyTest sells **separate software editions** for pilot aptitude and air traffic controller screening. Neither vendor replaces the recruiting organisation’s official test instructions. **Practical verdict:** For a pilot applicant who needs broad aptitude, theory and interview practice, investigate PASS alongside any named SkyTest pilot edition. For an ATCO applicant, SkyTest’s specifically named ATCO editions are more directly relevant _than PASS’s public pilot catalogue_, but the **free official EUROCONTROL FEAST platform and the current employer invitation come first**. This is a documentary assessment of published products, not a hands-on test or a universal product ranking. ## How we compared PASS and SkyTest We reviewed the vendors’ own product and policy pages, plus the live source documents from [EUROCONTROL](https://feast-training.eurocontrol.int/en/faq) and [NATS](https://www.nats.aero/careers/operations/trainee-air-traffic-controllers/). We used seven criteria: **assessment fit, source authority, stated module coverage, delivery and device compatibility, access and payment model, refund or switching restrictions, and known limitations**. Our team has **not bought or independently run paid accounts**, compared their exercises with protected employer test items, checked affiliate-cookie attribution or conducted a controlled outcome study. We therefore **do not assign scores or call either provider a guaranteed winner**. References to a feature mean the vendor _advertises_ it, not that we verified its training efficacy. ## PASS vs SkyTest: product comparison Product-family comparison, not an official endorsement, independent efficacy trial or all-editions price list. Criterion Pilot Assessments PASS SkyTest Who it is chiefly for Pilot cadets, airline and academy candidates Separate pilot and air traffic controller screening editions Delivery Online browser service; active internet required Named installed software editions, e.g. Windows/Mac ATCO products; device support varies Named pilot test families Advertises Aon/cut-e, ADAPT, COMPASS, PILAPT and Mollymawk practice Sells named DLR, UK, regional and pilot-screening editions Dedicated ATCO products No publicly verified dedicated FEAST, NATS, NAV CANADA or FAA ATSA package in PASS's public pilot catalogue European FEAST-style, UK/Ireland Aon/FEAST-style and Germany/Austria/Switzerland ATCO software NATS 2026 relevance A pilot-first service is not a NATS selection simulator UK/Ireland product advertises SJT practice; NATS currently places SJT at stage 2, not vendor-described stage 3 Progress tools Seller advertises dashboard, performance history and target tracking Seller advertises Training Assistant, statistics and optional cloud features on supported editions Access and payments One-time, nonrecurring purchase for fixed access days; no pausing after activation Selected Windows/Mac ATCO editions advertise one-time payment without expiry; product-specific terms apply What neither can promise No official employer item bank, hiring score or selection guarantee No EUROCONTROL authorisation or reproduction of protected FEAST items **Read this by pathway, not by brand name.** The same vendor can sell a relevant product for one candidate and a poorly matched edition for another. On a narrow screen the table scrolls horizontally, with its headings and labels available to keyboard users. ## PASS: what its public pilot catalogue actually supports According to [PASS’s own overview](https://pilotassessments.com/about-pass/), the platform offers practice across pilot aptitude brands such as Aon/cut-e, ADAPT, COMPASS, PILAPT and Mollymawk. Its [Professional page](https://pilotassessments.com/pass-professional/) also lists ATPL refresher materials, maths, physics, Aviation English, reasoning, interviews and personality preparation. That breadth may be useful for pilots applying to airlines, cadet schools or flight academies. PASS also advertises performance dashboards and candidate progress tools. We have **not audited the number or accuracy of individual exercises in a paid package**. A course name is not evidence that an airline currently recruits, that a test is identical to licensed questions, or that PASS has employer approval. ### PASS purchase terms candidates can verify The current [PASS FAQ](https://pilotassessments.com/faq/) and [Professional offer](https://pilotassessments.com/pass-professional/) make several practical distinctions: - Access is purchased by **one-time, nonrecurring payment** for a fixed term, not an automatically recurring monthly bill. - The vendor offers **limited free-account access**, but **no complete free trial**. - The shortest airline or flight-school targeted access is **14 days**; generic Basic begins at **30 days**. - Activated packages **cannot be paused**. Two simultaneous packages run in parallel and may overlap. - **Professional Plus** allows one change to an eligible targeted airline or school course for the **days still paid**; a standalone targeted package does not gain unlimited transfer rights. The published [terms of use](https://pilotassessments.com/terms-and-conditions-of-use/) also set restrictive refund conditions and a **10% administration fee on approved refunds**, subject to applicable consumer rights. Fixed prices, discounts and taxes have intentionally not been copied: the final checkout may differ. **ATCO limitation:** PASS is openly **pilot-first**. Its public catalogue has not supplied independently verified dedicated FEAST, NATS, NAV CANADA or FAA ATSA packages. Skills such as attention or arithmetic may overlap, but a general PASS test does not become an ATCO simulator. ## SkyTest: compare the exact software edition SkyTest’s [ATCO catalogue](https://www.skytest.com/category_2.htm) separates three currently described product families: - **European ATCO Screenings:** FEAST I/II-themed and SureSelect-style training in a dedicated software edition; [European ATCO product details](https://www.skytest.com/ATCO-Air-Traffic-Controller.htm) list 37 practice modules. - **UK & Ireland ATCO Screenings:** a separate [UK/Ireland software product](https://www.skytest.com/SkyTest-for-ATCO-Screenings-in-UK-and-Ireland.htm) with Aon/cut-e, FEAST-style and situational-judgement practice. The vendor advertises 49 modules for that edition. - **Germany, Austria & Switzerland ATCO Screenings:** a separate regional catalogue package with national-selection-style modules. SkyTest describes 56 modules. SkyTest also maintains **pilot-specific** software for DLR, UK, Swiss, Middle East and other selection routes. Do not buy a European ATCO edition for a pilot DLR invitation or a generic pilot edition for a UK ATCO assessment merely because both carry the SkyTest name. The named Windows/Mac ATCO listings advertise a **one-time payment without expiry**. This should not be generalised to every SkyTest mobile app or service; platform, device, optional joystick or headset, activation and tax or delivery conditions depend on the **exact product edition**. SkyTest’s Training Assistant, statistics and optional cloud synchronisation are seller-described functions on supported software. **Critical disclaimer:** SkyTest explicitly states that it is **not affiliated with EUROCONTROL**, and that its training modules are similar-skill exercises, **not reproductions of official FEAST items**. Practice scores and screenshots are not official results. ### The old standalone SkyTest NATS product is obsolete SkyTest still lists [its old NATS ATCO product](https://www.skytest.com/NATS-ATCO-Test-Preparation.htm), but expressly labels it **outdated** and says the **UK & Ireland software replaced it in 2022**. The old listing may still display a price or purchasing interface. Do not interpret that as a recommendation to buy it. Inspect the current UK/Ireland edition and its compatibility instead. ## FEAST: which practice is actually official? For a candidate invited to take FEAST, begin at [EUROCONTROL’s free FEAST training platform](https://feast-training.eurocontrol.int/posts) and read its [official FAQ](https://feast-training.eurocontrol.int/en/faq). EUROCONTROL says its own platform is **the only FEAST practice platform it has authorised**. It covers **almost all FEAST I tests**; one requires extra hardware and is not included. **FEAST II is not included.** The recruiting organisation chooses which FEAST tests to administer, and the live assessments can differ in instructions, format or appearance from the familiarisation platform. SkyTest’s FEAST-themed tasks can be evaluated as **independent optional skill training**, not an authorised replacement. PASS’s pilot exercises are even less specific to FEAST. For deeper route information, see [What Is FEAST?](/feast/what-is-feast/), [FEAST preparation](/feast/how-to-prepare-for-feast/) and the [SkyTest ATCO guide](/skytest-atco-preparation/). ## NATS 2026: current stages versus vendor marketing The official [NATS trainee air traffic controller recruitment page](https://www.nats.aero/careers/operations/trainee-air-traffic-controllers/) describes the **2026 selection pathway** as follows: 1. **Stage 1:** eleven online ability tests, covering areas including spatial awareness, logic, numerical ability and reaction speed; NATS allows **14 days** to complete the invitation. 2. **Stage 2:** an online **Situational Judgement Test and Listening Comprehension test**, with another **14-day** completion window. 3. **Stage 3:** a virtual assessment centre, including an interview, ATC knowledge test and observed retests. 4. **Stage 4:** a practical exercise and further ATC knowledge testing, virtually or in person as instructed. **Important correction:** SkyTest’s UK/Ireland marketing still describes its SJT practice as helping with “**NATS stage 3**”. That is **not the stage number in NATS’s published 2026 process**: the official SJT is at **stage 2**. The product may offer general SJT practice, but the **employer’s current test stage and instructions take priority**. Nor should older prep marketing be treated as proof every NATS applicant takes FEAST I or FEAST II. For NATS, consult the [NATS hub](/nats/) and [NATS preparation guide](/nats/how-to-prepare-for-nats-atc/) after reading the official recruitment page. ## FAA ATSA and NAV CANADA: do not extrapolate SkyTest’s catalogue links to a **separate [ATCPrep.com](http://ATCPrep.com) FAA ATSA offering**, while some ATCO products include general abilities that resemble other systems. Neither establishes that the **SkyTest European, UK/Ireland, DACH or pilot edition** contains the FAA’s current ATSA battery. PASS’s broader pilot aptitude offering also cannot be presented as FAA ATSA preparation. If your invitation names FAA ATSA, use [What Is ATSA?](/atsa/what-is-the-atsa/) and the [ATSA preparation comparison](/reviews/best-atsa-practice-tests/) alongside FAA instructions. For NAV CANADA or other ANSPs, verify the named test, permitted preparation and recruitment instructions before selecting any commercial product. ## Worked purchase decisions, not test simulations **Example A - a pilot cadet is told “COMPASS”:** identify whether it is EPST cadet COMPASS or a different licensed test path. Read our [COMPASS versus PILAPT guide](/reviews/pilot-assessments-compass-pilapt-preparation/) and compare any matching PASS or SkyTest pilot edition. Do not buy an ATCO product. **Example B - a European ATCO candidate is invited to FEAST I:** use EUROCONTROL’s **free official FEAST I familiarisation first**. Afterward compare the _specific_ SkyTest European edition only if it addresses a demonstrated practice gap. Buying SkyTest does not confer official endorsement. **Example C - a NATS candidate follows the 2026 stages:** prepare for **stage 1 online tests** and, if advanced, **stage 2 SJT and listening comprehension** based on the current official instructions. Do not plan around the obsolete SkyTest “NATS stage 3 SJT” wording. These are selection **planning examples**, not protected test items or predictions of pass marks. ## Before paying either supplier Check the actual invitation, then confirm the **exact product URL**, included modules, supported platform, input hardware, expiry date or fixed access days, VAT, extras, cancellation/refund policy and whether training is officially authorised. Downloadable software and browser-only accounts are different purchases; the terms of one SkyTest edition do not describe every edition. See the [PASS platform review](/reviews/pilotassessments-review/), [SkyTest review](/reviews/skytest-review/), [PASS Professional vs Plus](/reviews/pass-professional-vs-professional-plus/) and [broader pilot training options](/reviews/best-pilot-aptitude-test-preparation-platforms/). The best fit is the one that matches the **named assessment**, not the product with the longest feature list. ## Editorial conclusion and affiliate disclosure **There is no universal winner.** PASS advertises broader **pilot-first browser-based preparation**. SkyTest has **distinct ATCO software editions**, which are more directly relevant to FEAST-like or certain UK and DACH controller pathways than PASS’s published pilot catalogue. Both remain **commercial and unofficial** relative to employer selection tests. A paid course can be unnecessary if official familiarisation meets the need. This page contains **one editorial PASS affiliate link**. [ATCPracticeTest.com](https://www.atcpracticetest.com/) may earn a commission if a purchase follows that link, at no extra cost to you. Commission arrangements do **not** constitute employer endorsement or evidence of course efficacy. [Check live PASS packages, course scope and terms](https://pilotassessments.com/pilot/atc/) The commercial link’s **checkout, cookies, discount and affiliate attribution have not been independently tested**. SkyTest links above go to the vendor’s own public product pages and are not represented as tracked partner offers. ## Primary sources, reviewed 5 November 2026 - [NATS - official 2026 trainee selection stages](https://www.nats.aero/careers/operations/trainee-air-traffic-controllers/). - [EUROCONTROL - official free FEAST training](https://feast-training.eurocontrol.int/posts) and [authorisation/scope FAQ](https://feast-training.eurocontrol.int/en/faq). - [SkyTest - current ATCO catalogue](https://www.skytest.com/category_2.htm), [European edition](https://www.skytest.com/ATCO-Air-Traffic-Controller.htm), [UK/Ireland edition](https://www.skytest.com/SkyTest-for-ATCO-Screenings-in-UK-and-Ireland.htm) and [obsolete NATS-only edition](https://www.skytest.com/NATS-ATCO-Test-Preparation.htm). - [PASS - about and aptitude scope](https://pilotassessments.com/about-pass/), [Professional and Plus](https://pilotassessments.com/pass-professional/), [FAQ](https://pilotassessments.com/faq/) and [legal terms](https://pilotassessments.com/terms-and-conditions-of-use/). **Scope limitation:** this is an independent desk review of public material. Recruitment stages, software editions, hardware, price and access conditions may change. We did not inspect actual protected employer tests or run purchased commercial products.