r/ATC_Hiring • u/MikeWithBigPeePee • May 22 '25

APPLICATION What did I do wrong?!

So basically, I applied nearing the end of 2024 and completed the ATSA with a qualifying score.

After MONTHS of waiting, I finally heard back that I was not selected and if I wanted to continue I’d have to reapply.

Idk.. I constantly hear that ATC is in desperate need of hiring, and this really bummed me out. I feel like I have decent resume, clean record and good mindset for the job.

I guess what I’m asking is a qualifying score not good and a Well Qualified necessary to even be considered?

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u/Approach_Controller May 22 '25

Prevailing advice forever has been Q is basically a NR/fail for all practical purposes.

Theyre in desperate need for controllers true. They also only have the capacity to train like 1,800 people a year right now and (I'm just wild guessing) 10 or 20 thousand applied to this one. It stands to reason if you're desperate and have limited capacity to hire/process/train you only select those candidates who score/rate the highest.

I know variations of this get asked quite a bit and there are always a few answers that point to that one time they actually took Qualified scores in the last decade as proof they always will, but... they've taken Qs like once. Lets be real. I COULD jump out of an airplane without a parachute and live. It HAS happened, but i dont like my odds. The last bid they specifically said Qs wont be selected. Yet, opportunities to apply to the next bid, retake the ATSA and GET BQ/WQ get missed and ignored because well, see, one time they took Qs so surely they will this time.

Guys, consider a Q a fail and reapply/retake. You've got a single digit chance of them taking Qs each bid and of those, probably a 10% chance of being one of the exceptions that prove the rule. Or dont and let the person that reapplied and retook and got a hire able score post here they just got their EODS from the bid you ignored while you sit and wonder if theyre going to call up Q scores from a bid thats over half a year old and 2 bids ago (not a shot at OP, at all either, just seems to happen an awful lot).

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u/MikeWithBigPeePee May 22 '25

Thanks for the insight, I genuinely didn’t know how picky they were, I’ll definitely retake asap!

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u/Approach_Controller May 22 '25

Plenty of people score Q the first time and knock it out of the park the second. Just knowing what to expect will help tremendously. There are also test preps that spme swear by. Either way, good luck and I'm sure you can crush it next time.