NAV CANADA FEAST Selection Guide: Process, Timeline, and How to Prepare
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Last updated: July 31, 2026
NAV CANADA runs its own air traffic controller selection process. You apply on Workday, get invited by email, and if you pass the online screen you travel to a regional area control centre for a full-day cognitive session. That in-person day is what most people mean when they search "NAV CANADA FEAST."
NAV CANADA licenses FEAST technology from EUROCONTROL, but its public materials use different stage names: online assessment, in-person test, assessment centre. Advice from another country's FEAST campaign may not map directly onto the Canadian process.
Contents
Where FEAST fits in
FEAST is EUROCONTROL's aptitude battery for air traffic controller selection. NAV CANADA is a licensed user, one of the non-European ANSPs on that list. The in-person day tests memory, processing speed, spatial visualization, reasoning, attention, and basic math—the same broad territory FEAST was built for.
What you will not find on NAV CANADA's careers site is a FEAST I / FEAST II timetable; they use their own labels instead. Invited candidates may also receive access to an official preparation platform, which is the best place to start if that link arrives in your inbox.
Can you apply?
Check the basics before you spend weeks training. NAV CANADA's selection page lists the usual floor:
- Be at least 18 years old at the time of application
- Hold a high school diploma or recognized equivalency
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Meet language requirements: English for all regions; English and French fluency for the Montreal Flight Information Region, including the National Capital Region
- Be willing to relocate to the location of training and/or work
- Be available to start full-time training within 18 months of application
- Meet Transport Canada medical requirements, pass security screening, and comply with NAV CANADA's drug and alcohol policy (including initial drug screening)
No prior aviation experience is required, and selected candidates receive paid training through NAV CANADA.
The selection stages
Passing a stage does not auto-advance you. NAV CANADA compares results across applicants and hires to operational need. The published path:
| Stage | What NAV CANADA publishes |
|---|---|
| Application | Submit an online application through NAV CANADA's Workday recruiting system on the careers page. |
| Online assessment | Timed remote assessment, approximately 30 minutes. Complete promptly on a desktop or laptop, not a phone or tablet. |
| In-person test | Full-day computer-based session, approximately six hours, held at regional area control centres by invitation. |
| Pre-screening interview | 15-minute interview on the same day as the in-person test for candidates who are successful at that stage. |
| Assessment centre | Half-day session with group and individual exercises plus an interview. Bilingual assessment centre sessions apply for bilingual Montreal-region positions. |
| Language testing | Third-party phone assessment when required to confirm English or bilingual proficiency. |
| Selection | Offer followed by pre-employment conditions: medical, licensing, security clearance, and drug screening. |
Sessions run at ACCs across the country (Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Moncton, Gander, among others). Testing is by invitation only; walk-ins are not accepted.
What the in-person day tests
NAV CANADA names seven cognitive areas on its selection page:
- Memory
- Working speed
- Spatial visualization
- Thinking and reasoning
- Attention
- Information processing
- Simple math
The exercises cover multitasking, spatial reasoning, and memory under time pressure—the kind of cognitive load that FEAST-style modules are designed to train, even though NAV CANADA does not market the session under the FEAST name. Which exact tasks appear can vary by campaign.
The online assessment is a separate step: a timed remote session of about thirty minutes that you should complete promptly on a laptop.
The assessments are designed to measure aptitude rather than aviation knowledge, so prior ATC experience is not expected.
In-person testing happens at regional area control centres. Image credit: EUROCONTROL.
What surprised previous candidates
Official materials cover the structure, but candidates who have been through the in-person day often mention a few practical points worth knowing in advance. NAV CANADA schedules roughly six hours of computer-based testing, and fatigue becomes a real factor in the later sections.
Allow time to check in at the area control centre, especially if you are unfamiliar with the location or parking, and bring water if your invitation or test centre rules allow it. Several exercises run back to back, and many candidates report that struggling on one task did not automatically end the session.
The assessment is also designed to be demanding throughout; that level of difficulty is intentional and does not necessarily mean you are doing uniquely badly.
These are common candidate reports, not NAV CANADA policy. For rules on breaks, permitted items, or what to bring, follow the instructions in your invitation email.
If you do not get through
Reapplication waits are long, so it helps to know the published timelines before you test:
| Stage | Eligible to reapply |
|---|---|
| Online assessment | One (1) year after testing date |
| In-person test | Two (2) years after testing date |
| Assessment centre | Three (3) years after assessment date |
A failed in-person assessment means waiting two years before reapplying, so it is worth preparing thoroughly before your first attempt.
Waiting between stages
NAV CANADA does not publish a fixed calendar for moving between stages, and gaps of several weeks or months between invitations are normal. Watch the email address you applied with, keep your Workday profile updated, and try not to read silence as a rejection—regional hiring waves are communicated by email only.
Use the waiting period to train at a steady pace rather than cramming when an invitation finally arrives.
How to prepare
If NAV CANADA sends you an official preparation link, start there before anything else. After that, build comfort with timed computer tasks in the areas NAV CANADA lists: memory, spatial reasoning, multitasking, and simple math. Our FEAST Preparation Suite covers that ground with modules like Dynamic Radar (DART), Multi Pass, and Radar Control. Not official NAV CANADA or EUROCONTROL material. See our FEAST modules guide, or try free FEAST training first.
The in-person session runs about six hours, so stamina matters as much as raw skill. Practice in 60 to 90 minute blocks, sleep properly the week before, and sort travel early if you are heading to an ACC outside your city. If possible, practise on the same type of setup you will use during the assessment: a desktop or laptop, not a phone.
After you are selected
Paid training: classroom, simulators, on-the-job. ACC stream runs roughly 20 to 27 months; tower roughly 12 to 18. According to NAV CANADA's published 2026 training salary schedule, pay starts at $58,606 and rises to $61,337 after one year. Licensed controller bands depend on role and location.
Training is full-time, with a steep learning curve, and no aviation background is required going in. The assessment centre stage is partly about checking that you can handle that pace.
FAQ
Do I need flying experience?
No. NAV CANADA requires a high school diploma and the other eligibility criteria listed above, not flying experience.
Can I do the online assessment on my phone?
NAV CANADA specifies a desktop or laptop for the online assessment. For the in-person day, you travel to an ACC for a proctored computer session on similar equipment.
Does passing the in-person test mean I have the job?
No. Several steps remain after a successful in-person test, including a same-day pre-screening interview, a possible assessment centre, and medical, security, and language checks.
Where to apply?
navcanada.ca/en/careers (Workday). Full process description: Air Traffic Control Selection and Training.
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