Unfortunately, "psychometric testing", is used by all major airlines and won't go away,
especially when there's hundreds of applicants available to choose from.

An applicant can meet all the requirements but if they don't achieve the necessary score,
they fall out of the race.
People that usually do well in these "psychometric testing", have higher educational qualifications,
or a naturally gifted/talented, when it comes to this type of testing.

Apart from that, half the F/O positions at Jetstar/Virgin/QF, are filled by cadets or F/O's on turboprops.

Best option is for a person to look for airline flying jobs outside of OZ, if things don't workout here.

Folks,
Great interview of Dick Smith by Allan Jones and Peta Credlin on Jones & Co. tonight --- Let's hope the "Minister's aviation adviser" takes it in.
Tootle pip!!
PS: With a bit of luck, the video will be on Dick's Facebook RSN.

Goodness, LeadSled!
If you're listening to Alan Jones and Peta Credlin, no wonder you're bewildered.

There will never be a pilot shortage in Australia. The powers that be (govt) will change the rules following lobbying from powerbrokers (airlines) to allow the unrestricted employment of international pilots regardless of skill level (CASA will turn a blind eye because they are controlled by the govt) well before there is even a sniff of a pilot shortage in Australia.

Gerry,
"bewildered" --- whatever gave you that idea.
Tootle pip!!

There will be a shortage of pilots in Australia, at levels of aviation, within the next 3 to 5 years.

QF are recruiting up to 200 pilots, from now until the next 12 months (that includes current recruitment drive).
QF needs up to 800 pilots during now and within the next 10 years, to cover retirements, only.

A news article was published in the "Australian Business Traveler magazine", about two weeks ago, saying,
QF will order the A350 or 787X in 2019, for a 2022 delivery (I'd say it's a B747 replacement), nobody is talking about that on pprune.

There are at least 150 Oz pilots in the U.S now and i see that number climbing to 300 in the next 18 months to 24 months.
The rate of retirement in the U.S airlines from now, until the next 10 years, has some extra ordinary figures, which will take time to understand.

That's the reason why QF will set up a flying Academy, i'd say will start no later than January 2020, the first cadets will graduate by the end of 2021,
the academy will produce up to 100 graduates per year, from 2022, and that's when QF will need the numbers to cover gaps, within all their group
of airlines.

QF had a cadet scheme in the 70's, it's returning and here to stay.

The cadet scheme will only produce 50% of the pilots needed, to cover future aircrew requirements.

Seagull201 et al,
There have been airline sponsored cadet pilot schemes long before the 1970s in Australia, as I recall going back to the late 1950s, the AAPTS run by RAC of NSW at YSBK (or ASBK as it then was).
Qantas set up a scheme in the 1960s, the early courses are now long since retired. That was at about the same time BA (BOAC and BEA at the time) set up a college at Hamble.
I am always amused at the "flexibility" of recruit criteria, when business is bad and pilots are many, command time on a space shuttle is close to the minimum, when times are reversed, warm and walking with a valid medical fits the bill, being able to find the interview room satisfies the aptitude test.
HR by whatever name has always been an issue, as is the traditional turf war between HR and Flight Operations, resulting in some hires that were questionable as baggage slingers, let alone pilots.
Tootle pip!!