NAV Brasil ATCO (PTNA)

It combines a written theoretical examination, generally in multiple-choice form, with a practical or oral competence assessment conducted in a simulator environment. The theoretical part tests regulatory knowledge and procedural reasoning across the published subject areas; the practical part tests whether you can apply those procedures while controlling traffic under observation.

Those figures are set and published by the official Brazilian authority and can change between examination cycles. Rather than relying on second-hand numbers, check the current notice published by the responsible body, which states the question count, duration and structure for the specific sitting you are applying for.

The passing standard is defined in the official examination regulations and is not fixed permanently across all sittings. Confirm the current requirement in the official documentation for your examination cycle, and note that the practical assessment may be graded against separate competence criteria rather than a single written score.

It is demanding but predictable. The difficulty lies less in obscure facts than in the volume of procedural detail and the need to apply it quickly and correctly. Candidates who understand why a separation minimum exists, rather than only what it is, generally handle unfamiliar scenarios far better than those who memorise tables in isolation.

Retake arrangements, waiting periods and any limits on attempts are governed by the official regulations for the licence. These rules are subject to change, so verify the current policy directly with the examining body before you plan a resit, and allow realistic time for further training before attempting again.

Start with air law and the ATS framework, because the separation, airspace and phraseology material assumes that vocabulary. Then move to separation standards and control techniques, which carry the most applied weight. Layer in aerodromes and airspace structure, meteorology, navigation and communications, and finish with human factors, emergencies and wake turbulence, which are easier once the core procedures are secure.

Weak phraseology is the classic one: answers that are procedurally right but readmit non-standard readback or omit a required element. Others include confusing units and minima, applying radar separation where procedural separation is required, misjudging wake turbulence categories, and handling emergency scenarios by improvising instead of following the published sequence.

Treat it as phraseology and workload training, not revision. Practise full clearances aloud until the standard calls are automatic, run scenarios with traffic levels above what you expect, and rehearse coordination and handover scripts. Ask an instructor to mark you against the published competence criteria so you know which behaviours need work.

The examination is conducted in Portuguese, and radiotelephony phraseology follows the standardised ICAO phraseology used in Brazilian operations. Candidates whose Portuguese is not strong should build fluency in the specific vocabulary of control instructions, readbacks and coordination early, since hesitation in language costs marks in both written and practical parts.