Careers / Score Bands
CAREERS
Score bands and results
The ATSA sorts you into a result category rather than handing back a numeric score. Higher categories are prioritized for the next steps in hiring.
The current categories
Well QualifiedThe top category. Prioritized for referral and the next steps.
QualifiedMeets the bar but ranks below Well Qualified for referral.
Not ReferredNot advanced for this announcement.
Older guides sometimes list a separate Best Qualified band above these. The current published result structure is the three categories shown here. If you see a four-band list elsewhere, treat it as out of date and rely on current Pearson VUE and FAA language.
How referral works
Placement in a higher category improves your standing for advancement, and under the 2024 reforms the FAA prioritizes higher scorers. Referral also depends on the needs of the announcement, so a given category does not guarantee a specific outcome.
What the FAA does not release
- Your numeric score.
- The cut points between categories.
- How the seven sections are weighted in the result.
Because those are not public, any tool that hands you a precise ATSA score or a definite band is guessing. This is why our practice reports your performance on each task honestly and does not invent an FAA result for you.
Result validity
An ATSA result is valid for three years.
Sources
- Pearson VUE FAA ATSA page. Result categories, invitation-only access, and three-year validity.
- FAA hiring-reform announcements (2024-2025). Prioritization of higher scorers.
- DOT Office of Inspector General, report AV2023011 (Jan 2023). Use of scoring bands in referral and the share of applicants reaching the top categories.
- U.S. GAO report on the ATSA (2026). Noted the FAA plans a new version of the assessment, so specifics can change.