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.