An online airline assessment is a test or interview you complete on your own device, usually at home, as part of applying to an airline, academy or air navigation service provider. Doing well depends partly on preparation for the questions and partly on getting the practical set-up right, which is what this guide covers.
Some online stages are unsupervised: you get a link and a deadline. Others are remotely proctored, which means someone watches through your webcam or software records the session. Your invitation will tell you which kind you face.
Check the invitation first
Every organisation sets its own rules, and they change between campaigns. Before you do anything else, read the invitation in full and note:
- the deadline and how long you have once you start
- whether a calculator, rough paper or notes are allowed
- which browsers or devices are supported
- whether the session is proctored or recorded
- who to contact if something goes wrong
Deadlines can be generous. NATS, for example, gives candidates 14 days to complete its online ability tests. That does not mean leaving it to the last evening, when a technical problem leaves you no room to recover.
Calculators, notes and rough paper
There is no single rule. Some tests provide an on-screen calculator, some allow your own, and some allow none. Rough paper may be allowed, banned or replaced by a digital scratchpad. Proctored platforms tend to be strict. Pearson VUE's OnVUE service, for example, requires books, notes, paper and writing tools to be removed from the desk unless they are specifically permitted.
If the invitation is silent, ask the recruiter before you start rather than guessing.
Run the technical checks early
Most platforms offer a system check. Run it days before, on the same device and the same network you will use on the day. OnVUE asks candidates to do exactly that, and sets a minimum connection of 6 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload.
Practical steps that help with almost any platform:
- Use a personal computer rather than a work laptop with restrictive security software.
- Plug the laptop into power.
- Close other programs, especially anything that sends notifications.
- Ask others in the house not to stream or download during your session.
- Use a wired connection if you can.
- Restart the computer shortly before you begin.
Set up the room
For an unsupervised test, you simply need quiet and no interruptions. For a proctored test, the rules are tighter. OnVUE, for example, requires you to be alone, with a clear desk, a single display, and phones and watches out of reach.
Choose a room with a door you can close. Tell anyone at home when you will be busy. Clear the desk completely, and check what the camera can see behind you if video is involved.
Timing
If a test is timed, assume the clock keeps running once you start a section, even if you step away. Before you begin, make sure you have the full time available plus a margin for check-in and technical steps.
Pick a time of day when you are usually alert. Eat beforehand and keep water nearby if allowed. Read the instructions carefully before you start a timed section, and use any example questions offered to settle into the format.
Our numerical reasoning practice and verbal reasoning practice are useful for building pace before the real thing.
If the connection drops
Stay calm. What happens next depends on the platform. Some resume where you left off, some pause, and some end the attempt. OnVUE's guidance, for example, is to close and relaunch the software if your computer freezes or disconnects, and it notes that proctors cannot pause or extend your exam.
Whatever the platform, take a photo or screenshot of any error message, note the time, and contact the support address in your invitation as soon as possible. Recruiters may be able to reset an attempt when there is a clear record of a genuine technical fault. Do not simply restart and say nothing.
Online scores may be checked later
Doing the test honestly at home matters. Some processes confirm online results in a supervised setting. NATS, for instance, includes a retest of its earlier tests at the assessment centre, taken while being observed. Getting help from someone else would only catch up with you later.
Video interviews in brief
Online stages can include interviews as well as tests. British Airways describes its pilot application as including recorded answers to a series of interview questions, and NATS holds its assessment centre virtually through Microsoft Teams.
For recorded interviews, check your camera and microphone, sit facing a light source, and look at the camera when you speak. Practise answering aloud in two or three minutes. Our article on remote aviation interviews goes into this in more depth, and our guide to the airline assessment day covers what tends to follow.
