Selection exercise
 

Hi everyone,

I have been able to get through the Aptitude tests and Psychometric tests in 2005. Found the group exercise a bit difficult though … in fact, got 10 guys to do the group exercise, which last for 30mins only. The one who talks keep talking and others keep listening :bored: . Wasn’t selected for the next step … how about you VD?

Aptitude test was OK for me … didn’t prepare myself before the test yet was fine. But I read in this thread only that this time might be tough so may be got to do some preparation.

Tay19 if you are 19years old this might explain why you didn’t get your letter … but better wait till Saturday … your letter might be on it’s way :)

Anyone aware how many potential candidates have applied for this year’s selection exercise?

hi guys,
i don't want u guys to keep ur hopes up for those who have not received their letters (due to not meeting the criteria). normally for a registered letter u shd have received it by yesterday as the whole lot was posted on Sat.
Especially Tay u were 1 week short in meeting the age requirement, what i've got to say mate is that "never lose sight of ur dreams... no matter what.."
seriously this scheme will go for a while up to the next 4 yrs... i'm sure someone like u, will lots of enthusiasm n determination will make it through.
i hope i make it through this time n will be able to let everyone know the process in detail.

last time i did not even get through the aptitude test (normally i'm good at those kind of tests, back in Australia I've got an IQ of 130 which is not that bad! i do agree that aptitude test n IQ test r not the same, i'm not too sure how can i improve. last time i think i had some issues in tackling the verbal bit, the passages kept increasing in length n had to choose 2 true statement out of 4 answers.

anyway I'll do my best on Monday n will let u guys know if i receive the phone call on Tuesday.

btw simplifire, what did the group exercise consist of, any specific topic to talk on or any problem solving?
i guess the psych test was before the group exercise, again how was this one?

Non successful candidates
 

Hi guys,

Just like to know. For guys who have not succeeded, Can they just pay for their course to 43 Air School and follow the same program as the ab-initio? If yes, you people think that MK will consider their application in priority next time?

Anyone knows the answer?

Selection exercise
 

Hi Guys

Indeed the psych test comes after the aptitude test.

For the group exercise, you are given a scenario where you are asked to make decision … all the candidates are given around 10 mins to read the text and the group gets 20 mins to discuss about the possible solutions. In the end the group should come with a solution agreed by everyone in the group.

Now get 10 guys in a room and each of them trying to convey their ideas … you can imagine the scene … complete chaos :bored: !!! I read somewhere that normally groups of 3 candidates are selected for this exercise … wonder why air mru chose 10 candidates in a group.

Tay19 I was in the same situation like you some years back … no worries dude!! Hopefully this scheme will come again :)

Shakeel1st you definitely can apply directly to 43 Air School. However, this doesn’t guarantee you a job with mk. Cost a lot as well dude … if you got over Rs1.5 million to spend you can make it!!

Anyone aware how many candidates applied for this year's selection exercise??

thx
 

thx danythau,
every piece of advice is so helpful!
will let u guys updated.
just to estimate how many got the call for the aptitude test
my surname starts with "D" index number is 60 n i know someone else with surname "K" n has index number around the 90's. I'm guessing around 250 postulants.

Cheers
VD

Air Mauritius ab-initio scheme 2007
 

Hi Mates..
Many thanks for your continuous PMs,questions and contributions to this forum dedicated for potential MK Mauritian pilots..

Indeed,the selection exercise will be much more faster this time and it will be an ongoing process for other batches in the near future..Lots of efforts have been made after the reshuffling in MK management..

The new team is very dynamic and results will reflect in the coming years..It is very encouraging to see this forum where young and dedicated people are contributing valuable,informative and very accurate information at this stage..

MK management wants to double the number of cadets this time and discussions with 43 Air School will be made..it remains to be finalised..

The selection exercise itself is highly competitive..Over the years,I found that most of the cadidates who had a high IQ did not necessarily make it to MK..There are more qualities that MK needs apart 'A' Grades or 1 units results..A high calibre personality,a versatile character,excellent communication skills,teamwork spirit and passion for flying are the main qualities that MK looks for..

So,it's not just results and hard work that will help..There is much more required to succeed..As far up till the psychometric test,most candidates can do extremely well..

In fact the psychometric test is already a clear indication to the selection board on choosing the ideal candidate..But the main downfall is the group exercise..Over the years,I have observed that most candidates who overshadow all team members in their distinct group have been rejected straight away although they could had been good leaders..

A perfect leader and a perfect pilot will be one who thinks for the team,work for the team and promote his team members..Remember this guys and girls..You are not called in the group exercise to prove that you are a good leader..rather,you just have to show how well you can work with a team and stand as a leader..

To give you a precise idea,in a group of 10 candidates,only two will be chosen..and you should really stand out in all qualities..In fact,last time,there were 12 groups,each consisting of 10 candidates..and from each,2 were selected..before the panel interview whereby,after, only 13 candidates were confirmed..This gives you an idea on how competitive this stage might be..

This posting answers most of the questions I have received and I will keep the thread updated..Wish you guys and girls all the best and hope to meet you all in the flight deck..

All the best..
RaviMK..

Thanks for everyone's comments.
Don't want to scare you shakeel but air mauritius are very picky and paying for your course at 43 will, and i re-iterate danny, not guarantee you a job with them. Even getting through the selection is a big investment, don't forget that its NOT a sponsorship, mk facilitate a loan with SBM and if you fail any part of the course its up to you to pay it back!
Group excercises are nothing to be worried about, trust me! the hard part will be the psychometric tests, these you cannot prepare for!
Cheers
UAU

Felt exactly the same
 

Hi Tay,

Know what you mean!! Got the same letter, the same day and saying EXACTLY THE SME THING:E

Shakeel

Got the bad news as well. Was not too sure why. I have around 2000 hrs with 750 multi. Hope to get in one day.
All the best to the selected one,
cheers,
Mk943

hey mk943,
I'm quite stunned! with all those hours n not being selected.
have u got an IR? n which scheme did u apply for?
why don't do try another airline with these kind of hours? i know it's not that easy, anyway i wish u all the best mate.

take care
VD

Selection exercise
 

Helo guyz!

Just like VD I’m quite stunned mk943 was not selected! I believe mk has reasons to accept application only from those who are 20-25 for the cadet scheme
- maturity of applicants?
- condition imposed by 43 school or SBM?
but seems like this yr's selection exercise is going to be tough.

Concerning the group exercise selecting only 2 out of 10 for each distinct group doesn’t seem to be fair. It could be that for a given group A, 4 of the candidates have been to the level while the 2 best candidates in, say group C, have been less convincing compared to the 4 best candidates in group A. This would mean mk’s selection exercise is kind of bias.

I would like to have your views about a sensitive issue. I have always and still hear that bribery is current at mk. Heard that for the last selection exercise many influential persons had their relatives offered the place for cadet pilot. How far you think this might be true because if it is the case, it’s very discouraging!!

Btw VD my surname starts with M and index in the 110s … so should be around 250 applicants as you said.

interesting stuff!
 

hey Tay,
firstly i would like to say if some was chosen for the selection process n not attaining 20 yrs of age before or on the closing date, it's just unfair!! it says clearly on the vacancy notice of the age requirement!

where did u get all that passing marks from n where do they do the flying, it would be just too foolish to take them all the way to SAfrica n return them if they don't perform to certain std(i mean flying skills), that's what i did mention in early post that AirMtius shd incorporate "hand&eye coordination tests" such as the WOMBAT test to screen for trainee pilots.

n Simplifire the issue of bribery in taking pilots if a very delicate one, i think they'd be careful with this particular job as the responsibility involved with a pilot is too much to gamble with the safety records of an airline.

btw anyone one knows if the set aptitude test on Monday will be of the same format as the last one. i think last time AirMtius used an overseas Test publisher n Supplier (it was from London form memory).

Cheers
VD

Air Mauritius ab-initio scheme 2007
 

Dear Mates..

Thank you very much for all your PMs and emails..Will try to answer all your questions and clear doubts..

Indeed,many of you do under-estimate the importance of the group exercise..I would like to highlight it again if necessary..The figure that I gave in my previous posting is accurate..Only two candidates get selected per group..There is equal chances and I see it's quite fair enough as all groups get the same situation and are expected to have common reactions with other groups..So,even if a group does extremely well,only the best two candidates are selected out of it..I also think it is unfair to mention here that a group will have more 'better' candidates than another..this has never been the case..

In fact,all candidates who make it up to the group exercise have scored above 80% in the psychometric tests..So they get equal chances like all other other groups to present themselves,work with the group they have been assigned and succeed to the next stage of the selection exercise..

For your references,I do have very accurate figures..The top 13 candidates scored above 95% in all the stages of the previous selection exercise..No wonder,most of them are overqualified with postgraduate degrees for this job..

I think it is very unprofessional to question their performance and their success..The thing called 'backing' where some of you here have politely highlighted it as 'bribery' is existent within the company for senior positions and all general recruitments but in the selection of flight deck members,this has never been the case..

After exhaustive research and enquiries,I found out that the 3 candidates who were removed from the course was simply because they would take more time to adapt to the course and they did not satisfy the 25hr requirements of the test..

It is very incorrect to question their failure and generalise this as a defect in the system..In fact,all airlines do reject some candidates even after they are confirmed in the training..So,it is nothing new here..

Also,i know a couple of guys with thousands of hours and who have not made it up till now to MK..it is certainly depressing but they always need to keep on trying..Much more is required apart licenses,hours,and interesting grades..

And a very important point to be noted for candidates who have not been invited for this selection exercise..Most pilots who joined MK have not made it in the first attempt..So,whenever a new chance will arise in the near future,you should try harder..

Hope this answers the questions I received..
Wish you guys and girls all the best in your forthcoming tests..
Cheers..
RaviMK..

Gd luck to all, i wish you all the very best for this chance with Air Mauritius.
I was not selected either, i guess i was stupid to not re-submit my application when they started advertising. Whilst on holiday in Mauritius in December Mr Balgobin advised me to send in my application as soon as possible. So thats what i did, i regret not resubmitting this Febuaury.
Anyway, thats done now i will be going off to Australia to start my JAA CAA Integrated course in July. Unfortunately self-sponsored so i got all that money to pay back :bored: . I hope that once i am finished that i will be given the chance to enter Air Mauritius in the RHS.
Good luck to all once again.

ATPLWhoops

the test
 

ok guys, looks like i'm the first to get back so i'll start with the comments.

Firstly, that was tough!! I found the comprehension test quite easy, a couple of tricky ones in there, especially the last one. my first language is english and even i didnt have a clue a about what they meant with "east of the sun and west of the ,moon". Maybe someone else knows!

Maths questions got very very hard towards the end, i went for estimation as opposed to calculating them all. Actually i'd be very impressed if someone can do those on paper and without a calculator. But no worries, they're designed to be impossible!

As for the "technical/science" exam, it turned out to be a chemistry/biology/physics test! its been around 10 yrs since i did those and i'm struggling to understand which aspect of our aptitudes it was supposed to be testing! If someone knows then please tell me! I can understand physics, but chemistry?? Biology??? the application requirements said nothing about needing to know those subjects!
For those who werent there, it consisted of questions such as "how many atoms/molecules does water consist of" and "when do leaves create oxygen". "what happens to the water when you sit in the bath". "what is the name of the element Pb". what is the name of the process when metal rusts" or something like that! also a question on hydroelectricity. thats all i can remember at the moment.

Good luck to all that were there!

UAU242

Feedback for the 1st test
 

Hi guys

Just came back from the 2nd batch test and YES it was … it was TOUGH!!! :\

As I read the instruction leaflet, the 1st difference to the previous selection exercise (2005) was that it consisted of 4 sections instead of 3. The comprehension section, mental exercise section, computational section and last, the technical section.

The comprehension section was tricky indeed. I had to read each short text twice to understand it and when answering the questions I had to return back again. :hmm: I was thus short of time to complete the last one. In all 4 short texts with 5 questions each, a total of 20 questions.

The mental one consisted of around 30 questions. Very different from the last selection exercise once again. No diagrammatic questions but related to patterns logic. I had a few problems with this section as well.

There was around 30-35 questions (can’t really remember) for the Computational section for a total of 35mins. It started with easy ones … too easy I thought but as I reached number 15, things were not that easy … by number 25 I simply had to guess the answers … why?? My brain just couldn’t do it!!! :ugh:

And the last part well, been 5years now didn’t learn anything about chemistry, biology or physics so no doubt I didn’t know many questions.

Conclusion I don’t feel like I did well this time :( … was difficult for me … time management was the main problem I believe and the technical part I didn’t expect it at all!!

How bout U guys who did the test?? Easy or Tough??

1st test feedback
 

hi guys!! it was very difficult for me too!!!
i don`t think they will call me for the next test...maybe nxt year !! :(

i don't remember seeing a name published on the paper, but a South African called Dr Lick (or something like that) was the guy supervising.
I really don't see how a general science test can do anything to test aptitudes. If you didnt study chemistry and biology you could be einstein and still not pass! For me it was a guessing game. Maybe MK want lucky pilots, not able ones.
Sorry, just cant get over it at the moment!

Feedback
 

Same for me! :( Can't get over it!!
No negative marking but the supervisor (Dr Lick as called by UAU242) mentioned that there will be negative marking for those giving more than 2 answers ... Dont know if he was joking or was really the case!

Test Feedback!
 

hey guys,
well sorry for the late feedback, wasn't in the mood yesterday after what i went through.
I also found the aptitude test tough n unfair to those who have not studied chemistry or biology at high school and for those who have done the science subjects ages ago.
personally, i have never done biology n did know the meaning of "osmosis", as for the physics bit I was kind of rusty but was lucky for chemistry as it is my favourite subject at high school,though i've not done it for 6 yrs since i last did it.

the test: reading comprehension was extract of articles from the reader's digest, the fonts were so small n the lines so close to each other that made reading a bit difficult. yeah they were tricky ones!!! luckily this time that there was only one correct answer to choose out of the four statements.

mental alertness: some sequences with numbers and "sequences" or pattern i don't how to refer them, with alphabets, i can't remember the exact example but just to give u an idea, if 'BIN' could be written as 'AHM', how would 'HOUSE' be coded as? n more stuff on this.
also there were questions like these, if if 'SOIL' is to 'EARTH' what would 'OXYGEN' is to..... 2 of the answers were GAS n ATMOSPHERE, i chose the latter.

computation(maths) which got pretty hard towards the end, some of them i had to make some educated guess. still it was not that hard but it was just the time constraint. i don't know why they've chosen this kind of numerical reasoning as one in the plane interprets charts, data or stuff like that n not evaluate complex mathematical problems!

n last bit as u've all heard already is the science n technical test.
formula of sulphuric acid, how can water be separated into hydrogen n oxygen, what happens to water when it is heated/ when it freezes does it contracts/expands /stays the same. speed of light,what do fertilizers do, meaning of galvanometer, isotope, what is a pipette, i went for a scientific measurement, the other answers were a bit weird.

yeah that's about it,

will let u guys know of the outcome, good luck.
cheers
VD