To be hired as a pilot, you may be required to take and pass an aptitude test.
This article provides complete information, facts, and tips on the pilot aptitude test that you will be expected to take if you are seeking to become a pilot.
It also provides valuable practice tests that you can work with in your preparation for a pilot aptitude test, to improve your chances of scoring highly in the exam.
Please, read on:
Becoming a pilot can be expensive and time-consuming. For you to be accepted onto a training program, you need to first demonstrate the skills and abilities that a pilot would require.
In other words, you must perform really well during your pilot aptitude test.
Who is a Pilot?
A pilot is a person who works in the aviation industry, and who can operate aircraft so as to transport passengers or goods from one place to another.
What Type of Test does a Pilot Need to Take?
A pilot aptitude test is an exam for anyone aspiring to work as a pilot in the aviation industry.
The purpose of the test is to assess your skills and abilities to know if you can actually handle your position when offered.
Passing through this test requires adequate preparation, and you can’t prepare without practice.
20 Important Facts about Pilot Aptitude Tests
Here are important facts and tips you need to know about the pilot aptitude test to be able to perform excellently in it:
What is a Pilot Aptitude Test?
A pilot aptitude test is a type of psychometric test that recruiters use to evaluate your ability to acquire the skills necessary in becoming a pilot.
It measures your long-term memory, recall competence, hand-to-eye coordination, reaction data, data analysis, pattern recognition, and spatial awareness.
All these skills are needed to become a safe, effective pilot. They are used by aviation schools primarily for cadet recruitment.
You will be required to complete specific tests so that any high competency in you might be discovered.
Aptitude means inborn abilities that cannot be learned, but it does have room for improvement through constant practice.
Practice will help you progress a lot in the pilot aptitude test.
What does the Pilot Aptitude Test Measure?
You need to possess great interpersonal skills and mechanical knowledge before you can become a qualified pilot.
Core proficiencies for a successful pilot include the ability to make decisions fast based on data provided and usually under pressure while performing other tasks.
The pilot aptitude test is more about how you utilize your natural knowledge than what you have learned.
Being successful on this test shows you will also be successful in the training.
The pilot aptitude test will give you the confidence to possess the right skills that the career entails and the ability to develop the courage to also pass similar tests in the future.
The pilot aptitude test assesses your logical thinking, mental arithmetic, spatial orientation, resilience, multi-tasking ability, memory, speed, and accuracy.
How Complex is the Pilot Aptitude Test?
A pilot aptitude test is designed to be challenging. The questions will move you as they were constructed as a problem that needs to be solved.
The test is not only difficult but taken under a serious time constraint, as a way to ensure candidates are suitable for training. For you to be accepted into the cadet program, you need a high score.
You can receive subsidized training with some little expenses only when your score is high enough. If not, it will cost you exceedingly to actualize your dream of being a pilot.
Why is a Pilot Aptitude Test Important?
Not only is the pilot aptitude test one of a number of steps required to complete so as to become a qualified pilot, but also used within the interview process.
Because the aviation career is a competitive job market, only pilots with the highest scores will be chosen by the largest airline companies.
Can a Pilot Aptitude Test be prepared for?
You can practice various aptitude tests before the interview to train your brain to perform better, faster, and stronger.
As part of preparing for the pilot aptitude test and enabling your brain to work competently, you need a good night’s sleep, eat healthy diets, and exercise as much as possible.
Practice will give you an idea of what to expect during the pilot aptitude test and make you feel more confident and relaxed.
You will need to jot down points to remember, and know that each airline makes use of its own criteria.
Where can you Practice the Pilot Aptitude Test?
There are different kinds of pilot aptitude testing packages available online; some are free while some are paid for. Tailor your practice questions for the specific airline you are applying to.
Purchasing some of the products will help you discover what works best for you.
Top 5 Tips to Help You Prepare for a Pilot Aptitude Test
These top five tips are important to your career as a pilot, including:
Conduct research: If you are applying for a pilot role, you need to research thoroughly.
There are various prerequisites for each pilot role; for example, flying commercial airlines around the world isn’t the same as flying private jets.
So, for you to get a job according to your preference, you need to research thoroughly for what you want.
You also need to decide how you would like to train after you have decided where your aviation career is heading to.
This requires that you choose a cadet program with an airline like JetBlue Airways, Delta Air Lines, etc.
Know what is coming forth: Not only do you need to choose a training route, but also get knowledge about what is ahead so you can anticipate it without fear.
The information about how to apply and what to expect is provided on the websites of many commercial airlines.
You might want to engage in discussion boards or forums for an idea of what people are discussing and their experiences.
Find out what testing platform is best for you: Not all testing platforms for the pilot aptitude test are the same, although all of them are looking for the same personal abilities and skills.
If you can discover the organizations that are publishing the assessments you want to take, you can concentrate fully on their tests.
Learn: Do you think that the pilot aptitude test doesn’t need specific knowledge just as other aptitude tests?
You might be wrong because this particular test is difficult and needs to be thoroughly prepared for in order to achieve a high score.
Areas to focus on include mathematics and physics, and the English aspect.
In addition, read, understand, and make much analysis on passages of business newspapers and magazines.
Practice: Practice will get you familiar with necessary areas such as numerical, verbal, and spatial reasoning tests, and can bring you close to the layout, wording, and structure patterns used in the test.
For this purpose, it’s important that you know the publisher of your test or at least (even if you don’t know who the publisher is) get familiar with the similarities and differences of a pilot aptitude test to help make your performance better or help you score higher in all the tests combined.
Are Commercial Pilots the only People Made to take a Pilot Aptitude Test?
A pilot aptitude test is important to you if you are actually serious about becoming a pilot, despite whether you plan to become a member of the RAF, a commercial airline pilot, or a freight pilot.
Flying is very competitive and requires adequate preparation with a high score on the aptitude test for an opportunity for greater employability.
The pilot aptitude test doesn’t care to know if you are pursuing being a commercial or private pilot.
The only demand is to achieve the average score that the test requires.
Compass
Compass is used globally by a variety of popular flight and airline schools.
It’s a screening system that includes 6 individual tests, evaluating the coordination of the pilot’s hands and eyes, and other skills as well.
This test was recommended by the EPST and has been taken by thousands of candidates worldwide since its introduction in the ‘90s.
The full meaning of Compass is Computerized Pilot Aptitude Screening System.
Advanced Compass
This is an advanced version of the Compass test for those qualified pilots who want to get higher-ranking jobs in the same airline.
The advanced Compass can be more difficult than the original Compass, but that depends on the position applied for.
Those who want to become licensed pilots go for the advanced test, consisting of 8 individual tests.
CUT-E
The CUT-E assessment is used by many popular brands worldwide, including EasyJet, Norwegian Air, and Aer Lingus.
Being newer than some others, CUT-E has been around since early 2000 as an online test and has been considered a big part of the recruitment processes.
PILAPT
PILAPT is another type of cognitive ability test used by different airlines and flight academies to measure talents at the beginning of the process.
This part of aptitude tests for pilots has been used by both the commercial aviation industry and the military since 1997.
It is presented in different languages worldwide and has become a recognized method of assessment among pilots.
These tests have been in existence since 2006 and are mainly used by Qatar Airways.
Questions featured are psychometrically used to assess candidates on spatial awareness, logic, and numerical reasoning, etc.
DLR BU/GR Test
This test is used by airline Companies like Turkish Airlines, SunExpress, Luxair, Cargolux, Kuwait Airways, and Lufthansa.
The DLR BU/GR test is designed for both fresh pilots and trained and contains 6 DLR modules.
You can set the timer manually and restart questions in training mode.
Cognitive Skills
In the pilot aptitude test, cognitive skills affect the way you understand the information provided, the manner you study it, and the logical technique you use to find an answer.
Here are three types of cognitive skills needed in the pilot aptitude test. These include:
Numerical Reasoning
This test is used to assess your ability to understand and interpret data to provide an answer to a question.
This can come in the form of a math word problem, a table, a chart, or a graph.
No prior knowledge is required other than basic math knowledge as the data provided is enough to tell the answer.
Verbal Reasoning
This test features a passage of information on which you will be required to answer questions. The subject is not necessary as answers will be offered in the text.
To be successful in verbal reasoning assessments, you have to be meticulous in answering the questions provided.
First, read and understand the text, and then analyze it to find the answers.
Spatial Awareness
Spatial awareness helps pilots maintain a good awareness of the things that are around them.
You should be able to understand the relationship between objects and answer questions based on shapes and patterns, as well as removing the odd one or predicting the next pattern in the series.
Mechanical Reasoning Skills
This assessment test measures your understanding of physical forces and mechanical elements.
These skills are vital in the life of every pilot. Besides flying, pilots are supposed to have an understanding of the principles behind flight and also the practical knowledge of mechanics.
Questions that feature the mechanical reasoning assessments for pilots often focus on topics like time, force, movement, and space under physics.
As an aptitude test, you must not need a degree in science before you can do well.
You only need basic knowledge of scientific principles and skills for understanding how mechanical elements work in practical scenarios.
Psychomotor Skills
Flying a plane is a skill that requires accuracy, hand-to-eye coordination, and great attention to detail.
You will be required to complete a task using a joystick during the psychometric skills test, and the times and movement of your reaction will be tracked and recorded.
Put your concentration on quick and measured reactions being the vital skills for a pilot.
You may actually be asked to complete the joystick task while also doing something else and expressing your ability to multitask.
Physics Knowledge
Assessment of your physics knowledge is another important part of the pilot aptitude test.
Understanding time, space, force, and movement will help you know how the airplane works.
You need to know the time required to flight from one location to another, and the direction the plane needs to go, and so on.
Personality Test
Personality may not be a strict aptitude test but it does demonstrate your strengths and weaknesses.
If you come to the pilot aptitude test, personality is a vital factor to consider in deciding whether you will become a Captain.
In a personality test, you will be asked to rate your reaction, which is “agree” or “disagree”.
You will be asked to decide what response would be to a given situation or decide whether a personality trait explains you.
Answering personality tests honestly is the best advice, and not providing “right” answers, as this is one of the reasons that determine whether you will make a great pilot or not.
Aviation Knowledge
The last section of the pilot aptitude test may consist of some general questions relating to the aviation industry.
You may also face these types of questions in your pilot’s interview.
The prospective employer needs to hire people with demonstrated passion and commitment to the aviation industry in a competitive environment.
Aircraft instrumentation, aerodynamics, and law are common subjects you will meet.
If the plane is fitted with a radar transponder and two-way radio communication is lost, a pilot should use code 7600.
Pilot Aptitude Test Practice Questions and Answers
Here are practice questions and answers you can use in your preparation for a pilot aptitude test:
Question 1
JetBlue is selling its housing units. It has sold 40% of the available units and still has 420 left to sell. How many JetBlue housing units were free?
A. 600 B. 400 C. 300 D. 700
The correct answer is: D = 700
The 420 remaining units are 60% of JetBlue’s total housing units. One way to find the total units is to calculate what 40% would be and add that to 420.
40% is 2/3 of 60%. So, divide 420 by 3 to get 140, and then multiply 140 by 2 to get 280. Add 280 to 420 to get 700; thus, 280 + 420 = 700.
A quick way to divide a multiple of 10 by any other number is first to remove the 0 from the end, thus giving you 42. Then divide that by the number, thus 3, giving 14. Then add the 0 back on and arrive at 140.
Question 2
Which of the following words below is a type of energy?
A. Air resistance B. Heat C. Pull D. Gravity
The correct answer is B = Heat
Question 3
Which is NOT a force?
A. Gravity B. Thrust C. Heat D. Air resistance E. Magnetic
The correct answer is: C
A force is caused by pulling or pushing an object due to another object interacting with it. Heat is a type of energy.
Conclusion
Becoming a pilot is a competitive career. They earn a 6-figure salary. Many candidates are applying for available roles within the aviation industry.
If you are aspiring to work as a pilot someday, you must be sure you are fully prepared for all that the pilot recruitment process might need from you, including the psychometric aptitude tests you will be required to take.
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