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Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam Syllabus
The Air Traffic Skills Assessment used by the FAA to select entry-level air traffic controller trainees.. The complete Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam outline — 7 subjects, 24 chapters and 72 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
3 chapters · 9 topics · 18 sub-topics
Air Traffic Scenarios Simulation (Dynamic Radar Task)4 chapters · 12 topics · 23 sub-topics
Memory and Working-Memory Subtests3 chapters · 9 topics · 12 sub-topics
Spatial Reasoning and Visualization3 chapters · 9 topics · 12 sub-topics
Numerical, Analytical, and Logical Reasoning3 chapters · 9 topics · 10 sub-topics
Personality, Biodata, and Behavioral Assessment3 chapters · 9 topics · 11 sub-topics
Foundational Air Traffic Control Knowledge5 chapters · 15 topics · 18 sub-topics
Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam flashcard decks
360 question-and-answer cards across 7 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- ATSA Exam Structure, Eligibility, and Selection Process — 51 cards
- Air Traffic Scenarios Simulation (Dynamic Radar Task) — 53 cards
- Memory and Working-Memory Subtests — 50 cards
- Spatial Reasoning and Visualization — 51 cards
- Numerical, Analytical, and Logical Reasoning — 51 cards
- Personality, Biodata, and Behavioral Assessment — 51 cards
- Foundational Air Traffic Control Knowledge — 53 cards
How to work through the Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Foundational Air Traffic Control Knowledge carries 15 topics while Personality, Biodata, and Behavioral Assessment carries 9. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam.
The ~75 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam syllabus?
Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam covers 7 subjects: ATSA Exam Structure, Eligibility, and Selection Process, Air Traffic Scenarios Simulation (Dynamic Radar Task), Memory and Working-Memory Subtests, Spatial Reasoning and Visualization, Numerical, Analytical, and Logical Reasoning, Personality, Biodata, and Behavioral Assessment and Foundational Air Traffic Control Knowledge. Together they contain 24 chapters and 72 named topics.
How big is the Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam syllabus?
The full Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam outline breaks down into 24 chapters, 72 topics and 104 sub-topics. Foundational Air Traffic Control Knowledge is the largest single subject with 15 topics across 5 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam syllabus?
Roughly 75 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 4 weeks.
Are there Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam flashcards?
Yes — 360 question-and-answer flashcards across 7 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Air Traffic Controller / FAA ATSA Exam syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United States and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
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