Design of a Competence-Based Assessment System for Air Traffic Control Training

Air traffic control (ATC) simulator and on-the-job training requires a valid and reliable assessment system. Competence-based assessment results in more effective learning processes and better founded pass–fail decisions, which may contribute to an increased output of competent controllers from training. At Air Traffic Control The Netherlands (LVNL) we designed an assessment system based on a newly defined set of competences. The ATC Performance Model, derived from this competence analysis, has served as a framework for the design. This article describes the background, the design process, the properties, and the evaluation results of the competence-based assessment system in use by LVNL.