Having recently sat these tests, I thought it would be useful for other wannabes to get an idea of what is involved.
GAPAN started running the scheme a few years ago to give self-sponsored students a chance to get an objective measure of their suitability for airline training. The website (
www.gapan.org ) has got all the details, so I won’t repeat everything here, but basically they want to save people the grief of blowing upwards of £50k on training, only to find out that they can’t get through airline selection procedures. (Or even worse, make it to a right hand seat and then struggle throughout their careers).
The tests, which cost £150, are conducted at RAF Cranwell and – as WWW & others frequently point out, are recognised as the world standard in aptitude testing. I thought long and hard about the cost, as it could pay for another 1.5 hours in my log book (to go with my whopping 23 hour total) but decided that set against £50k plus, it was pretty small change. In any case I wanted the peace of mind of an impartial assessment - although I went solo in 10 hours and am told by my instructor that I’m ahead of the curve (and look good in a pair of RayBans
) its very difficult to be objective about ones own potential.
So, cheque duly sent, the big day came and G SXTY’s G60 zoomed up the A1, with a fellow Ppruner on board for company. Once everyone had arrived, we were given an introduction to GAPAN, as well as a thorough brief on the tests themselves. Candidates’ suitability for training is graded from HIGH, through HIGH AVERAGE, and AVERAGE to LOW. (A score of High Average or above would be required for RAF aircrew). A LOW grade would be a disappointment, but GAPAN point out that this shouldn’t necessarily deter you – Orville & Wilbur didn’t do too many aptitude tests. At the very least, you’ll have a clearer idea of your abilities. Anyway, without further ado, we trooped into the testing suite and were each sat at a computer terminal with keypad, joystick & rudder pedals. The on-screen instructions are clear, and you can take as much time as you need to understand them
The first tests examine eye / hand / foot co-ordination, firstly using a joystick & rudder pedals to keep a dot centred on a cross (while the computer tries to drag it away) and secondly using the joystick to align the dot with a series of dots that descend the screen. If you can fly an ILS approach in FS2000 in gusty conditions, you’ll be quite at home with these tests. Each one lasts a couple of minutes and requires a very delicate touch, as there is no springing or resistance in the controls. It’s quite draining, and the break before the next tests is very welcome.
The second set examine spatial reasoning, i.e. the ability to think in 3D. You are presented with an aircraft instrument panel containing the basic instruments (AI, compass, ASI, VSI & turn co-ordinator), are given 5 descriptions of an aircraft in flight, and have to chose the description that matches. Then its just the AI and compass, together with 5 pictures of aircraft – again you choose the one that matches the instruments. This is where the rather 1980s graphics are at their worst, and its sometimes quite difficult to decide which side (or even which end) of an aircraft you’re looking at. Then again, maybe its just my eyesight.
The next series tests short-term memory. A number string is shown for 5 seconds, and you have to type it back in when the screen goes blank. Up to 8 digits isn’t too bad, as you can memorise 2 strings of 4, but by the time it got to 11 digits, I was a quivering wreck underneath the desk. Hint: You get credit for each correct digit, with no negative marking, so you can at least memorise part of the number and guess the rest.
The final test is about speed / accuracy & prioritising tasks. You are given a grid with X & Y axis co-ordinates, and have to type in the coordinate to delete shapes as they appear randomly on the grid. To really make it fun, a priority shape appears every now and then, which you have to cancel first by pressing another button before the co-ordinates. This is another destruction test, as the shapes appear must faster than you could ever delete them. I would guess that the key is to keep plugging away and not allow yourself to get too flustered. I tried to concentrate just on one side of the grid and keep an eye out for the priorities, which made the task much easier to manage.
Once this is over, you can relax, go and grab a drink, and wait for everyone else to finish. There’s no marks for finishing first, so don’t worry if people start getting up and leaving while you’re only half way through.
When everyone has finished, you return to reception while the results are processed, and wait to be called in for a one to one interview. The debrief is with one of the GAPAN volunteers, all of whom are senior airline pilots with training and/or recruitment experience – i.e. the sort of people you want to listen to.
My interview was with none other than Capt. David Rowland, formerly B.A.’s Concorde Operations Manager. As pride of place in my video collection (the family one, that is
) is a flightdeck video of ‘Speedbird one’, driven by one David Rowland, I was chuffed to say the least. Needless to say, we spent about 5 minutes discussing the test results, and 20 minutes chatting about Concorde. . .
The aim is to give each candidate as much time as they need to talk through both the tests, and their options & plans. Its a great chance to have an informal chat with the type of person you’d normally only meet at a job interview, and this sort of advice & experience is worth a few bob on its own. I was fortunate enough to be graded ‘HIGH’ (as was my Ppruning passenger, so at least we were on speaking terms on the way home). In the words of Les Dawson, no-one goes away empty handed, and you get a letter from GAPAN confirming your grade, which is something well worth putting on CVs and taking to interviews.
So what does one get out of the day? For me, it was a chance to have a ‘dry run’ at the industry standard aptitude tests, a chance to discuss my plans with a very senior airline pilot, and an opportunity to meet a lot of like-minded people. Above all it was confirmation for my head that my heart was making the right career move. For all that, £150 seems like a pretty small price to pay.
If anyone wants to correct me on any of this, or add something I’ve forgotten, please feel free. Hopefully it’ll be a useful thread for anyone considering the tests, or who hasn’t heard of them before.
[Edited for out of control smilies
]
[ 24 October 2001: Message edited by: G SXTY ]
[ 24 October 2001: Message edited by: G SXTY ]