Here is what to expect during the airBaltic online assessment for their academy
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2025
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Locarno
Here is what to expect during the airBaltic online assessment for their academy
Hello fellow PPRuNe wannabes, just a couple of minutes ago I finished my online assessment for the airBaltic cadet program. For various reasons that I won't bother explaining , that program is not what I'm looking for at the moment, even if you have a job guaranteed; but with that said, I decided to take the assessment anyway since it was free and I was bored, and so you could be better prepared thanks to this report.
Here is what I was asked to do today, 10.02.2025, keep in mind that it's clearly subject to change.
To begin with, this was not an easy test, my school years are long gone but even begin fresh out of college won't make this an easy task, especially math and physics, the required English level is also fairly high, as the exam is often using "advanced" wording and the English test is not all that simple (was fairly easy for me with a C1 but if you are in the B region make sure to study some grammar). During the test you are in a video-call with an airBaltic assessor, and you will be asked to place a camera (or your phone) in a way that shows you, your screen, and your immediate surroundings. After a very short explanation, the assesment will begin.
Before anybody asks: NO, a calculator is not permitted, the only external help allowed is paper and pen with no annotation already present.
ALL the exams besides "coding" are multiple choices, sometimes more than an answer may be possible.
Between tests you will be allowed to take a 5 minutes break, or you can take 2 tests in a row and rest for 10 minutes. You will manage your test autonomously, take a break when you want but be aware you are watched, so don't exceed the agreed break time. Once the exam is over you will simply close the tab and end the video-call, no announcement needed.
You will receive a link with the test a couple of hours before the exam, with a username and password to log in their online platform.
The exam will take from 2 to 3 hours.
Content:
Personality test:
This is just your average personality test, you only reply "true" or "false" to different statement and it's pretty oblivious what your answer should be, some questions where really weird like "I wish I was a girl".
You have a total of 370 question, it takes a while to complete. If a question doesn't apply to you or you are not sure of the meaning, you may skip it, but be aware that skipped questions may be no more than 2% of the questions (so, 7 questions), only skip as a last resort. During this test, you don't have a time limit, but you are required to complete them as fast as you can.
Mechanical reasoning and physics:
This one was arguably the toughest, composed of 33 questions and 20 minutes to solve them, you have some simple stuff such as "if two gears are placed in such and such way, what will be the direction of rotation and what gear will be faster?" but also more "complicated" stuff, such as: If an airplane flies at 800mph and covers 1600 miles while burning 3700kg of fuel per hour, how much fuel will the plane burn? (this is just an example, the numbers won't be that easy!) You obliviously need to know some formulas, keep in mind you will need to answer these question FAST if you want to have a chance to complete it. Expect basic questions about electric circuits (Ampere, Volt, Ohm, etc... and the formulas to calculate them) and other questions about forces, Newtons, weight, speed, yadda yadda.
Numerical reasoning and math:
This was just a math a test, different calcs to do and again, no calculators allowed. As before, 33 questions and 20 minutes to solve them. Some examples are:
-how many minutes are in 2 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes?
-If Riga is in UTC +2 and Sydney is 8 hours ahead, what time is in Sydney if time is 1900UTC?
-153 * 77
Abstract visual test:
This exam is shorter and even more fast paced, if I recall correctly you have 10 minutes to answer 30ish questions. Every question will display a series of symbols and geometrical figures, with another series below from which you will select your answer. You have two type of question: either "what's the next in sequence" or "What is the odd one that doesn't fit the sequence?". Most of these where not too hard and similar to the ones you find in training websites online, BUT, you have an extremely short span of time to answer so the difficulty come from the time limit rather than the complexity of the individual questions.
Numerical test:
This was one of the easier tests, but still quite challenging as similarly to the others you have a tight time frame to answer, I believe 35 questions in 15 minutes. The questions are all the same and only the number changes, you are tasked to observe a couple of numbers, or in some cases two couple of numbers, and find which of the answers have a connection with it, example:
2/4
a)1/2
b)3/5
c)3/3
d)none
The answer is a), because they are both "half", numbers can also be inverted es: 4/2, it works the same
Another example:
3/7 3/9
a)11/20
b)2/3
c)1/3
d)none
The answer is c), because 3/9 represents a third, same as C), only one couple need a link, so you may disregard the "3/7" if you don't find the connection.
Verbal test:
Another test with quite some time pressure, 33 questions and 20 minutes to solve them. You will read a combination of statements, example:
"Mr. Black, Mr. Saul and Mr Hardy travel by bus. Mr. Jones and Mr. Peters travel by train. Mr. Black and Mr. Saul walk for a portion of their trip. Mr. Saul and Mr. Hardy have a daily ticket."
You will then be presented with 2 or 3 different questions (each questions accounts to 1 out of the 33) such as: "Who has a ticket, travel by bus and also walks?" answer: Mr. Saul.
Some questions may be impossible to answer, like (using the example above) "Who arrives first at their destination?" answer: can't tell.
Spatial test:
This one is also not as hard, but you are again limited by time, 35 questions in 10 or 15 minutes, I don't recall. You are presented a cube composed of what looks like Lego pieces, of different sizes and dimension, sometime one piece may be missing, and the cube is always black and white. You are shown a picture of said cube always in a different configuration, and you are tasked with selecting between different possibilities a specific hidden side of the cube. You can find similar puzzles online that you can use to train, there is nothing much else to say on this part if not that it gets progressively harder, pieces start missing and the composition gets really creative.
Coding:
The only test with free text answers, and again, you guessed it, time restrictions... 10 minutes on the clock (pretty sure) you will be presented with 3 grids, each grid is a question set and it works like this: you will have part of the grid filled with signs, special characters and numbers with a letter underneath. Under the grid you will find multiple combinations of the signs, special character and numbers, you will have to use the table and "decode" the words, below all the coded phrases you will find a text box in which you will write the answers. Those are corrected manually.
Ex: % ç / ) 5
L A E N P
1) 5%ç)/
answer = PLANE
Of course the table will be much bigger, you will have to decode and write fast, the time is really short and the words get progressively longer.
English test:
An English test, is not that bad. If you do have a good knowledge of the language you won't struggle here, is still timed but way more generous than the other tests, about 60 questions.
Example: "Let me ______ on what happened yesterday night"
a)tell
b)fill you in
c)spoke
Correct answer is b), as it's the only one that goes along with the text, some are more subtle so don't rush it, you have time.
Once you are finished with your exam you will simply log out of the platform and close the call, you won't need to speak to anybody or do anything extra.
Conclusion:
I believe this test is doable, but you will need to study and train for it. There are tools online that are pretty accurate on simulating these exams, but is hard to find one for each exercise here. Even if you are able to answer questions like this, be aware that you will have to do it under a fair amount of time pressure, so get used to it, time yourself and become the flash of math and physics.
Remember that you are only allowed paper and pen during the exam, so train with those! I will estimate at least one or two month of intense training if you are serious about it.
Ultimately, have a look on what airBaltic is doing and the condition after you get your licenses,. I believe for most of you aspiring pilots is a fantastic opportunity, for some older lads like myself it can be more difficult, but I won't get into details as another post here already covers very well the latest happenings in airBaltic and the academy.
Good luck out there!
Here is what I was asked to do today, 10.02.2025, keep in mind that it's clearly subject to change.
To begin with, this was not an easy test, my school years are long gone but even begin fresh out of college won't make this an easy task, especially math and physics, the required English level is also fairly high, as the exam is often using "advanced" wording and the English test is not all that simple (was fairly easy for me with a C1 but if you are in the B region make sure to study some grammar). During the test you are in a video-call with an airBaltic assessor, and you will be asked to place a camera (or your phone) in a way that shows you, your screen, and your immediate surroundings. After a very short explanation, the assesment will begin.
Before anybody asks: NO, a calculator is not permitted, the only external help allowed is paper and pen with no annotation already present.
ALL the exams besides "coding" are multiple choices, sometimes more than an answer may be possible.
Between tests you will be allowed to take a 5 minutes break, or you can take 2 tests in a row and rest for 10 minutes. You will manage your test autonomously, take a break when you want but be aware you are watched, so don't exceed the agreed break time. Once the exam is over you will simply close the tab and end the video-call, no announcement needed.
You will receive a link with the test a couple of hours before the exam, with a username and password to log in their online platform.
The exam will take from 2 to 3 hours.
Content:
- Personality test
- Mechanical reasoning and physics
- Numerical reasoning and math
- Abstract visual test
- Numerical test
- Verbal test
- Spatial test
- Coding
- English test
Personality test:
This is just your average personality test, you only reply "true" or "false" to different statement and it's pretty oblivious what your answer should be, some questions where really weird like "I wish I was a girl".
You have a total of 370 question, it takes a while to complete. If a question doesn't apply to you or you are not sure of the meaning, you may skip it, but be aware that skipped questions may be no more than 2% of the questions (so, 7 questions), only skip as a last resort. During this test, you don't have a time limit, but you are required to complete them as fast as you can.
Mechanical reasoning and physics:
This one was arguably the toughest, composed of 33 questions and 20 minutes to solve them, you have some simple stuff such as "if two gears are placed in such and such way, what will be the direction of rotation and what gear will be faster?" but also more "complicated" stuff, such as: If an airplane flies at 800mph and covers 1600 miles while burning 3700kg of fuel per hour, how much fuel will the plane burn? (this is just an example, the numbers won't be that easy!) You obliviously need to know some formulas, keep in mind you will need to answer these question FAST if you want to have a chance to complete it. Expect basic questions about electric circuits (Ampere, Volt, Ohm, etc... and the formulas to calculate them) and other questions about forces, Newtons, weight, speed, yadda yadda.
Numerical reasoning and math:
This was just a math a test, different calcs to do and again, no calculators allowed. As before, 33 questions and 20 minutes to solve them. Some examples are:
-how many minutes are in 2 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes?
-If Riga is in UTC +2 and Sydney is 8 hours ahead, what time is in Sydney if time is 1900UTC?
-153 * 77
Abstract visual test:
This exam is shorter and even more fast paced, if I recall correctly you have 10 minutes to answer 30ish questions. Every question will display a series of symbols and geometrical figures, with another series below from which you will select your answer. You have two type of question: either "what's the next in sequence" or "What is the odd one that doesn't fit the sequence?". Most of these where not too hard and similar to the ones you find in training websites online, BUT, you have an extremely short span of time to answer so the difficulty come from the time limit rather than the complexity of the individual questions.
Numerical test:
This was one of the easier tests, but still quite challenging as similarly to the others you have a tight time frame to answer, I believe 35 questions in 15 minutes. The questions are all the same and only the number changes, you are tasked to observe a couple of numbers, or in some cases two couple of numbers, and find which of the answers have a connection with it, example:
2/4
a)1/2
b)3/5
c)3/3
d)none
The answer is a), because they are both "half", numbers can also be inverted es: 4/2, it works the same
Another example:
3/7 3/9
a)11/20
b)2/3
c)1/3
d)none
The answer is c), because 3/9 represents a third, same as C), only one couple need a link, so you may disregard the "3/7" if you don't find the connection.
Verbal test:
Another test with quite some time pressure, 33 questions and 20 minutes to solve them. You will read a combination of statements, example:
"Mr. Black, Mr. Saul and Mr Hardy travel by bus. Mr. Jones and Mr. Peters travel by train. Mr. Black and Mr. Saul walk for a portion of their trip. Mr. Saul and Mr. Hardy have a daily ticket."
You will then be presented with 2 or 3 different questions (each questions accounts to 1 out of the 33) such as: "Who has a ticket, travel by bus and also walks?" answer: Mr. Saul.
Some questions may be impossible to answer, like (using the example above) "Who arrives first at their destination?" answer: can't tell.
Spatial test:
This one is also not as hard, but you are again limited by time, 35 questions in 10 or 15 minutes, I don't recall. You are presented a cube composed of what looks like Lego pieces, of different sizes and dimension, sometime one piece may be missing, and the cube is always black and white. You are shown a picture of said cube always in a different configuration, and you are tasked with selecting between different possibilities a specific hidden side of the cube. You can find similar puzzles online that you can use to train, there is nothing much else to say on this part if not that it gets progressively harder, pieces start missing and the composition gets really creative.
Coding:
The only test with free text answers, and again, you guessed it, time restrictions... 10 minutes on the clock (pretty sure) you will be presented with 3 grids, each grid is a question set and it works like this: you will have part of the grid filled with signs, special characters and numbers with a letter underneath. Under the grid you will find multiple combinations of the signs, special character and numbers, you will have to use the table and "decode" the words, below all the coded phrases you will find a text box in which you will write the answers. Those are corrected manually.
Ex: % ç / ) 5
L A E N P
1) 5%ç)/
answer = PLANE
Of course the table will be much bigger, you will have to decode and write fast, the time is really short and the words get progressively longer.
English test:
An English test, is not that bad. If you do have a good knowledge of the language you won't struggle here, is still timed but way more generous than the other tests, about 60 questions.
Example: "Let me ______ on what happened yesterday night"
a)tell
b)fill you in
c)spoke
Correct answer is b), as it's the only one that goes along with the text, some are more subtle so don't rush it, you have time.
Once you are finished with your exam you will simply log out of the platform and close the call, you won't need to speak to anybody or do anything extra.
Conclusion:
I believe this test is doable, but you will need to study and train for it. There are tools online that are pretty accurate on simulating these exams, but is hard to find one for each exercise here. Even if you are able to answer questions like this, be aware that you will have to do it under a fair amount of time pressure, so get used to it, time yourself and become the flash of math and physics.
Remember that you are only allowed paper and pen during the exam, so train with those! I will estimate at least one or two month of intense training if you are serious about it.
Ultimately, have a look on what airBaltic is doing and the condition after you get your licenses,. I believe for most of you aspiring pilots is a fantastic opportunity, for some older lads like myself it can be more difficult, but I won't get into details as another post here already covers very well the latest happenings in airBaltic and the academy.
Good luck out there!
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Bordeaux
Thank you for this insight!
I agree - I am using PilotAptitudeTest.com, rather than PilotAssessments.com as it is much better suited to these style of online assessments.
Sukhoi_Enjoyer were you successful with your application?
I agree - I am using PilotAptitudeTest.com, rather than PilotAssessments.com as it is much better suited to these style of online assessments.
Sukhoi_Enjoyer were you successful with your application?
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2025
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Locarno
Thank you for this insight!
I agree - I am using PilotAptitudeTest.com, rather than PilotAssessments.com as it is much better suited to these style of online assessments.
Sukhoi_Enjoyer were you successful with your application?
I agree - I am using PilotAptitudeTest.com, rather than PilotAssessments.com as it is much better suited to these style of online assessments.
Sukhoi_Enjoyer were you successful with your application?
Nice! Study and you will have a solid chance.
I did the online interview but for various reasons I was never intersted in the program in the first place (couldn't move to Riga, salary was an issue, etc), so we had a nice chat and I moved on on a modular program :-)
Joined: Jul 2024
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Serbia
Is it good for the physics and math part? Because I study with PilotAssessments.com only physics and math its the same questions as the OP stated.
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Bordeaux
I found the Maths and Physics in PilotAssessments.com to not be very good - there are very few of them and the explanations are too small/poorly written. I think PilotAptitudeTest.com has many more, 600+ each with better explanations I think?
Joined: May 2024
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Porto
Hello Sukhoi_Enjoyer , where did you find information about the salaries?
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2025
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Locarno
Hello Sukhoi_Enjoyer , where did you find information about the salaries?
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: venezuela
I applied last month, and I was invited to complete an online questionnaire. Then I selected the start dates and completed the assessments. But now they’ve placed me in a standby pool for further evaluation, and they haven’t scheduled the initial assessment stage for me yet.
What happened in your expirience ?
What happened in your expirience ?
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: venezuela
Hey! I applied last month, and I was invited to complete an online questionnaire. Then I selected the start dates and completed the assessments. But now they’ve placed me in a standby pool for further evaluation, and they haven’t scheduled the initial assessment stage for me yet.
What happened in your case? Are you in?
What happened in your case? Are you in?
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: London
Airbaltic pilot academy assesssment
Hey people,
for the ones that has done the assessment, should i focous too much on the mechanical reasoning ? like gears, pulleys? I ask this because yeah it can be tricky and just wanted to know if its a big slice of the assessment or even if you dont do well you still have a chance...
thank you and good luck to all
for the ones that has done the assessment, should i focous too much on the mechanical reasoning ? like gears, pulleys? I ask this because yeah it can be tricky and just wanted to know if its a big slice of the assessment or even if you dont do well you still have a chance...
thank you and good luck to all
