FEAST Visual Perception and Memory 2

Question 1

On a radar display, a primary radar return (skin paint) appears without an associated secondary radar return (transponder). This most likely indicates:

Accepted Answer

An aircraft with a non-functional or switched-off transponder

Answer

A primary return without secondary return typically indicates either a transponder failure, switched-off transponder, or an unequipped aircraft — requiring closer monitoring and potential coordination.

Question 2

A controller looks at a radar scope and must compare the current positions of 6 aircraft with their positions from 30 seconds ago. The mental skill primarily required is:

Accepted Answer

Visual working memory — holding the previous positions in memory and comparing with current positions

Answer

Comparing current and previous positions requires holding the earlier positions in visual working memory while simultaneously viewing current positions.

Question 3

On a radar display, three aircraft are in a line between positions A and B. Aircraft 1 is at A, Aircraft 2 is at midpoint, Aircraft 3 is at B. Which is the most visually salient cue that aircraft 2 is at risk of being involved in a conflict?

Accepted Answer

Aircraft 2 is between two other tracks — geometrically constrained with nowhere to manoeuvre without conflicting with one of the others

Answer

Being geometrically sandwiched between two other aircraft limits manoeuvre options and increases conflict risk — this is a visual-spatial reasoning element requiring 3D track awareness.

Question 4

A radar display uses colour coding: green = normal, amber = alert, red = critical. A controller working in a dimly lit operations room suddenly sees a red track. The most likely visual processing pathway that allows fastest detection of this red track among green tracks is:

Accepted Answer

Pre-attentive feature detection — colour is processed in parallel across the visual field without requiring focused attention

Answer

Colour is a pre-attentive visual feature — it pops out automatically in parallel visual processing, allowing immediate detection without serial search.

Question 5

A controller has been monitoring a radar display for 30 minutes. A new aircraft track appears that differs from the established traffic pattern. Despite the difference, the controller takes 15 seconds to notice the new track. This delay is most consistent with:

Accepted Answer

Change blindness — the failure to notice changes in a complex visual scene when attention is not focused on the changing element

Answer

Change blindness is a well-documented phenomenon where changes in a complex scene go undetected unless attention is specifically directed to the changing element.

FEAST - First European Air Traffic Controller Selection Test Practice Test

FEAST - First European Air Traffic Controller Selection Test Practice Test

FEAST Visual Perception and Memory 2