Hey there =)
I took the Skills Assesment back in June this year, and unfortunately i failed on the interview, and the teamwork skills. This is because i had literally just turned 17 years old, and as such when i was trying to engage in a group discussion with 5 other 20-24 year olds i found it extremely difficult and intimidating! So my advice in this context would be don't be afraid to make yourself heard, the worst thing you can do is say nothing at all, which is more or less what i did.
I cant remember what group discussion topics we had, all i remember is that i didn't really have a clue about them. Which is why i would also very strongly recommend you wise up on aviation knowledge and news before hand!
For my group activity we were tasked with building a skyscraper that could withstand the weight of a cup of water, 5 minutes of the building time had to be in silence, which was....interesting. Again because of my timidness here i failed to engage well enough and thus failed the assessment. One thing i remember us being told at the end was that we did not use the white board on the wall to help draw out our plans, so make sure you do that
My interview i found to be very tough. I was interviewed by an airline pilot and one of the women from OAT's admin center. They were nice people who made for a nice atmosphere, but that didn't stop me from being nervous, especially since it was literally the first real interview i've ever done in my life. I remember being asked questions like 'Give an example of something you have worked hard for in your life', and 'what do you see as your strongest qualities' etc. However i remember very specifically being asked in depth questions about the APP First Officer course, such as 'In what plane do you train in at Goodyear, and how many hours will you complete' So i would advise you to
thoroughly learn every stage of the course and its details in depth. They could ask you for example, 'what is the main objective of the CRM' (Crew Resource Management) part of the course.
The COMPASS tests, i found to be much easier than expected, although i remember the memory test being a bit daft and poorly designed. All i did was a bit of mental arithmetic and basic physics brush over before hand. Long division and long multiplication would be good things to revise. Some of the aspects of the COMPASS tests are either skills you have, or don't have. For example hand-eye coordination.
Simulator assessment was good fun and quite easy for me, its one of those things you can either do or cant do. Although its very hard to tell at the time how well you've done. Remember they are NOT looking to see how pro you are at controlling a plane, they want to see how you IMPROVE over the assessment.
Another piece of advice i cant emphasize enough is - make friends with the other people on the assessment, they are going through the same thing as you. When i got to know the chaps on my assessment we went out to the pub on the first day, and had a superb time. It was great to talk to people in exactly the same situations and nervous states as you are, also making friends with them helps reduce some of the tension when doing group activities.
When i had my debrief, i was told that if i went away, went to university, got some more life experience, and came back to retake it, i would sail through it. i was told i had enormous potential, which made me feel extremely encouraged as i was basically being told i was too young at the time. So i am currently taking a National Diploma in Aerospace Engineering, and will hopefully take a degree after. Then return to retake the assessment. I am also taking a PPL in the meantime.
To conclude i actually had a fantastic time in the assessment, OAT is a superb establishment, i loved the staff, the students and the atmosphere there, and to some forum trolls who try to give the false impression that OAT is a corrupt and money hoarding establishment. That is quite frankly some of the most unfounded tripe i have ever read.
Regs.
Matt.