Has anyone been successful in the CX CPP ICAO re-sit test?
It seems that one of the difficulties is that people are not aware of their English ability in terms of an ICAO rating before they take the CX test.
If you take the ICAO test and do not achieve the required standard in any of the 6 categories the assessor will most likely recommend between 100 and 300 hours of English training.
That can be expensive, and possibly unnecessary. There is also the danger that the English training might not be appropriate for CPP candidates needs.
The main difficulty is that CPP candidates are being assessed by an internal rater - there is not (to the best of my knowledge) any independent body offering second opinions on the rating given. Actually CX don't have to - they know the English ability that they require in their cadets and they accept those candidates that meet their requirements.
ICAO testing is still a very new area, and there is much work to be done before there is any level of standardisation between tests. Particularly in the vaguely worded descriptors for levels 5 and 6. So don't be too hard on CX here. They have implemented a test and it seems to be effective and in line with our own independent tests.
The thing that is suspicious is that Cathay's assessor is recommending that candidates who do not reach the required standard take tuition from a friend of the assessor.
Now, at this stage I must declare that I am commercially involved in teaching aviation English. When I meet students that have not reached the required standard in the assessment, I am very aware of how much influence the assessor has over them.
I think that a personal recommendation for one private tutor from the assessor is an abuse of his position. There are some excellent English language schools in Hong Kong (including my own) and also some very bad ones.
How do you feel when you are referred to such a tutor? There is no magic pill for acquiring a language - language learning is an ongoing process and cant be acquired overnight.
A further consequence is that the assessor's conduct is preventing my own infant organisation developing. English for aviation is an area of language training that needs significant development. By recommending one particular tutor they are nipping this development in the bud (that's an idiom - you can guess what it means). The assessor's recommendation is anti-competitive.
There IS an alternative to the assessor's recommended tutor (though I am sure he is also very good at what he does). There is also more than one ICAO English test in the world, just as there are many types of English examination. Before you take the ICAO English test I recommend taking an independent assessment. This will give you confidence when you sit the CX ICAO test and a more detailed understanding of your language abilities and weaknesses.
Such feedback is important. Many students enrol in language courses unaware that they are out of their depth and struggle throughout a course.
If you choose to study with the assessor's friend, I wish you luck. I'm sure he is very good. If you would like to find out more about the courses that my organisation offers you are welcome to contact me or even ask pprune members that have taken our courses and passed the ICAO test.
To date, 100% of our students have passed the ICAO English test and we are all very happy with the results.