Comparison

ATC ACADEMY vs ATC Aptitude Prep

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ATC ACADEMY

An interactive simulation app designed for aspiring air traffic controllers. It teaches fundamental communication, radar interpretation, and decision-making skills through step-by-step lessons and realistic scenarios. Prepare for ATC training with hands-on practice anytime, anywhere.

Highlights
  • Intro to ATC Basics
  • Interactive Scenarios
  • Radar Simulations
  • Advanced Options
  • Progress Tracking
Features
Read full description

ATC Academy – Air Traffic Control Simulator ATC Academy is your first step into the world of Air Traffic Control. Designed for future controllers, aviation enthusiasts, and students preparing for ATC training, this interactive app teaches the fundamentals of air traffic communication, radar interpretation, and decision-making through hands-on learning. Master the basics before entering ATC school with step-by-step lessons, live scenario simulations, and advanced practice modules that bring real-world tower and radar operations to life. Whether you are just starting out or looking to sharpen your phraseology and situational awareness, ATC Academy provides the perfect foundation for success in the skies. Learn air traffic control skills anytime, anywhere with realistic simulations and guided practice modules. Features: • Intro to ATC Basics: Learn terminology, phraseology, and procedures used by real controllers • Interactive Scenarios: Experience realistic tower and radar situations that test your skills • Radar Simulations: Track aircraft, issue clearances, and manage traffic flow • Advanced Options: Unlock complex airspace scenarios and high-traffic environments • Progress Tracking: Monitor your performance and see how you improve over time Prepare with confidence, control with precision - ATC Academy makes learning the skies simple, engaging, and authentic. Disclaimer: ATC Academy is an educational simulation app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

About

ATC Aptitude Prep

Features
Read full description

Passing isn't the same as getting hired. The FAA's published pass mark for its air traffic controller aptitude test is 70%. But it sorts everyone who passes into score bands — and since 2018 it has selected candidates only from the top two: Well Qualified (85–89%) and Best Qualified (90%+). Thousands of people pass every year and are never referred. Most prep aims at the pass. ATC Aptitude Prep aims at the band. WHAT YOU GET • 2,100 original practice questions across the nine skills every ATC selection battery tests • Six interactive timed drills, generated fresh every run — nothing to memorise, only skill to build • A full-length practice battery: 100 questions in 100 minutes, scored into the real bands • A worked explanation for every single answer — the method, not just the letter • Spaced repetition that resurfaces what you got wrong, right before you'd forget it • A readiness score and per-skill mastery, so you always know what to work on tonight • Flashcards and a glossary: ICAO phonetics, headings, Zulu time, flight levels, separation • Works fully offline. No account. No sign-in. No ads. No tracking. THE NINE SKILLS Spatial reasoning & 3D orientation · Numerical, time & distance · Pattern recognition & sequences · Working memory · Multitasking & divided attention · Logical reasoning & analogies · Situational judgment & prioritisation · Scanning & visual search · ATC knowledge basics The FAA's assessment, EUROCONTROL FEAST, NATS, NAV CANADA and Airservices Australia were developed independently — and all converge on these same constructs. None requires prior aviation knowledge. They measure aptitude, and aptitude is trainable. THE SIX DRILLS Heading & Turn · Radar Scan · Clearance Memory · Dual-Task · Sequence Sprint · Time to Conflict Every round is generated fresh, so you can run them forever. Speed is scored on every real battery, not just accuracy — the questions teach the method, the drills build the speed. HONESTY ABOUT WHAT THIS IS No ATC selection battery publishes its test items — they are proprietary and only ever seen in a supervised test centre. Nobody can sell you "the real questions." Every question, drill and explanation here is an original work, written from public descriptions of the skills these tests measure. PURCHASE REQUIRED ATC Aptitude Prep is free to download, and a purchase is required to use it — there is no free tier. All three plans unlock everything: • Monthly — $9.99 per month, auto-renewing • Annual — $49.99 per year (about $4.17/month) with a 3-DAY FREE TRIAL, auto-renewing • Lifetime — $99.99 one-time purchase, never renews Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your App Store account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Prices are in US dollars and may vary by storefront. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://joykhansayan1.github.io/atc-aptitude-prep/privacy.html DISCLAIMER ATC Aptitude Prep is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with, authorized by, endorsed by, sponsored by, or associated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pearson VUE, EUROCONTROL, NATS, NAV CANADA, Airservices Australia, or any other testing authority. ATSA, FEAST and all other marks are the property of their respective owners and are used only to describe the kind of aptitude testing this app helps you practise. No real test questions are reproduced. The ATC reference material is simplified for study and is not for operational use.

Screenshots

ATC ACADEMY4 screens
ATC Aptitude Prep4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ATC ACADEMY at none against ATC Aptitude Prep's 3. ATC ACADEMY also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). ATC Aptitude Prep's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ATC Aptitude Prep sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. ATC ACADEMY asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ATC ACADEMY ships an update fortnightly, ATC Aptitude Prep every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ATC ACADEMY versus ATC Aptitude Prep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterATC ACADEMYATC Aptitude Prep
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size704 MB6 MB
Age rating12+4+
Developerjames edwardsMD Shahariar Nazim Joy

In-app purchases

None

ATC ACADEMY

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

ATC Aptitude Prep

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Annual3 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$99.99

Questions

Is ATC ACADEMY free?
ATC ACADEMY is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ATC Aptitude Prep free?
ATC Aptitude Prep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ATC ACADEMY or ATC Aptitude Prep have ads?
Neither ATC ACADEMY nor ATC Aptitude Prep shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ATC ACADEMY or ATC Aptitude Prep?
ATC ACADEMY ships an update fortnightly, and ATC Aptitude Prep every 3 months. Most recently, ATC ACADEMY was updated on October 20, 2026 and ATC Aptitude Prep on October 25, 2026.

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