What is Included in Skills Assessment

by **Mike Griffith** on Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:53 pm

This post is a sticky thread containing information and resources you can use to prepare for Skills Assessment. This thread is locked so that only OAA staff can edit the information herein.

There are sub posts for each segment of Assessment listed in the order in which they normally occur during the two day Assessment. Each post will include a brief description of the relevant part of the Assessment process, followed by preparation tips, links, resources, etc.

Some applicants will complete the Flight Simulator Assessment in the morning and the computer based testing in the afternoon.

Applicants for an airline cadet programme normally will not undergo the Flight Simulator Assessment. Only those who acheive the highest scores on the COMPASS and Technical Test and for whom the CPP shows no grave concerns will be invited to complete the second day's exercises.

by **Mike Griffith** on Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:55 pm

Here are details on the Computerised Pilot Assessment Screening System (COMPASS).

COMPASS testing forms the basis of the skills assessment system. These ‘online’ tests are designed to assess potential as well as immediate training risk and cover the following 6 areas:

CONTROL - Eye to Hand & Feet Coordination - Flying Aptitude & Motor Skills
SLALOM - Eye to Hand Coordination - Flying Aptitude & Motor Skills
MEMORY - Capacity
MATHEMATICS - Capacity and Technical Capability
ORIENTATION - Instrument Flying Capacity, Logic & Deductive Reasoning
TASK MANAGEMENT - Multi-Tasking & Capacity

Each test is graded from 1-7, giving a maximum achievable score of 42. Those achieving a score in the high 20s can be considered to have a good chance of successfully completing the APPFO course. Those scoring 35 or better are considered in the top tier and should go on to do very well on the APPFO course. Whilst the tests are theoretically designed for individuals of varying flying experience and a wide range of backgrounds, in practice the results can be conditioned by factors such as English Language capability and there is not, therefore, a fixed pass/fail mark. The results from other tests must be taken into account before any final judgment can be made.

Let's take each element of COMPASS in turn:

CONTROL - Eye to Hand & Feet Coordination - Flying Aptitude & Motor Skills
This test uses a joystick and rudder pedals. The joystick is used in the pitch channel only, fore and aft. After you read the on-screen instructions, you will get to practice. Use the practice session to get a feel for how the test responds to both the amplitude and rate of your pitch control inputs.

During the test, you will see a very simple diagram for an aircraft instrument known as a Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI). Google it if you want to see a real one, but this is an extremely simplified version with no markings. The diagram is a circle (a stick figure for a dial) with a small box overlapping the left edge. There is a needle in the centre of the dial and it will bounce up and down during the test. Your task is to keep the needle centred in the small box.

Beneath the VSI will be a rudder balance ball. Google 'Turn and Slip Indicator' if you want to see a real one, but bear in mind that this test does not include the turn rate indicator, just the slip indicator. In the test, there is a ball that will bounce from side to side. Your task is to keep it centred. Experiment with rate and amplitude of your rudder pedal inputs during the practice. Go ahead and use rapid full displacement. Then use small and slow inputs. This is your change to calibrate your brain to the way the test responds.

How to prepare for the Control test
Microsoft Flight Sim or any other computer based flight simulator is probably the best way to get some practice. This test checks your hand-eye coordination for straight and level flight. If your flight sim software allows you to simulate turbulent air this feature will introduce bouncing to the VSI needle.

SLALOM - Eye to Hand Coordination - Flying Aptitude & Motor Skills
This test uses the joystick only. The joystick is used in the roll channel only, left and right. After you read the on-screen instructions, you will get to practice. Use the practice session to get a feel for how the test responds to both the amplitude and rate of your pitch control inputs.

During the test, you will see a blue triangle shaped cursor. If you move the joystick left, the triangle moves left. If you move the joystick right, the triangle moves right. This test does not duplicate a real aircraft instrument, so there isn't anything to look for with Google. During the test, a row of green squares and a row of red squares will move downward from the top of the computer screen. They will always be about 3/4 of an inch apart and move in sync, snaking left and right, sort of like a downhill skiing slalom course, hence the name of the test. Your task is to keep the blue triangle between the red and green descending squares and not hit any of them.

How to prepare for the Control test
Most people do pretty well with this test, so don't worry excessively about practice for it as there is nothing in Microsoft Flight Sim to simulate this test.

MEMORY - Capacity
This tests your short term memory and it uses aviation terminology that you will encounter every time you fly. You will be shown a series of information for about 10 seconds, then it disappears and you must type it back in. The data will be anywhere from 1 to 4 pieces of information to memorize and it gets progressively more difficult. The information will be altitude, airspeed, heading and radio frequency assignments and will look something like this:
Altitude: 15000
Heading: 235
Speed: 160
Radio: 175.1250

What you would be expected to type in is:
15000 a
235 h
160 s
175.1250 r

How to prepare for the Memory test
Several students report that the Brain Training web site Lumosity is quite helpful for improving short term memory, mental maths, problem solving, attention and verbal reasoning. There are hundreds of mnemonic books available on Amazon, but I can't recommend anything specific.

MATHEMATICS - Capacity and Technical Capability
This will be a 24 question mental arithmetic test with a 20 minute time limit. Nothing on the test will be above the UK’s GCSE level of mathematics. It is not a multiple choice test, so you must calculate the answer and type it into the answer box. You can't use a calculator, but pen and paper will be provided. The questions are not numbered, so you might wish to keep track of them on the paper provided in order to manage your time well. You may skip a question, but you can’t come back to it. Negative marking is not used. Since you can’t use a calculator, the more difficult parts of the GCSE maths syllabus will not be tested.

How to prepare for the mathematics test
There is no substitute for learning your multiplication tables up to about 20 by heart. You should also know fractions and percentages very well and be prepared to use them to solve multiplication and divisions problems. Get used to dividing whole numbers into fractions and ratios and be able to apply this concept to time as well. For example there are 60 minutes in an hour, so a quarter of an hour is 15 minutes, a fifth of an hour is 12 minutes, a sixth of an hour is 10 minutes and a tenth of an hour is six minutes. You can easily apply your multiplication tables to time problems if you know them cold for numbers that evenly divide into segments of an hour (consider an hour to be 60 minutes), such as 2,3,4,5,6,10,12,15, 20 and 30.

Here are 12 sample questions to give you a rough idea of the difficulty level you will encounter:

The Essential Mathematics and Physics CDs from OAAMedia offer a very thorough review of the GCSE mathematics and physics syllabus. Many students have used them to prepare for Skills Assessment and ATPL Ground School.

Below are links to various websites that you may find helpful for practicing mental arithmetic. I found most of these by Googling ‘mental maths’ and ‘mental arithmetic’ and if you want even more practice, you can Google even more links:

BBC Bitesize GCSE Maths Provides a good review of the GCSE Mathematics syllabus. It goes deeper than what you will see during Skills Assessment, but you will need almost all of this during ATPL Ground School, so your time won’t be wasted reviewing this material)

Here you will find two GCSE Mock Exams that do not require a calculator, which will be very good to see if you can handle the difficulty level we require. These Mock Exams include questions that are more difficult than our test and they include things you are unlikely to see in aviation, such as designing a survey to oppose road construction, but I suppose developing such verbal reasoning skills as that might prove useful in an airline interview some day.

Brainwave Mental Maths Test
Braintwister Mental Maths Test
Braindrainer Mental Maths Test
Fraction Quiz
2, 5, 10 Multiplication Quiz
3 and 4 Multiplication Quiz
Multiplication Trainer from 1x1 to 12x12 and all variations between
The Totally Mental Machine
Callum’s Addition Pyramid
Multiplication Machine
Addition Machine
Subtraction Machine
Division Machine
Number Bonds (Determine the missing number to total 5, 10 or 100)
Various Mental Math Tests (These are quite good at speeding you up, but save the IQ Maths Year 6 until last)

If you can do IQ Maths Year 6 in 6-8 minutes on your first attempt, you are probably ready. Don’t try this Year 6 Test until you’ve used everything above to increase your speed because subsequent attempts are compromised by having seen the questions.

ORIENTATION - Instrument Flying Capacity, Logic & Deductive Reasoning
In this test you will have a row of three aircraft instruments across the top of the computer screen. They are, from left to right, an RBI, an Artificial Horizon and a Compass. The test uses a much simplified Compass, so I am not providing a link, as seeing an actual aircraft Compass could introduce confusion. The simplified Compass on the test has North at the top and a needle that points to the direction the aircraft is heading. Below the instruments, you will have a Plan View of four airplanes located around a radio beacon transmitter represented by a purple plus sign +. One of the airplanes will match all three instruments and the other three will not match at least one of the instruments. Your task is to choose the aircraft that matches all three instruments. The way to do this is to eliminate three of the choices. Most people find the Compass the easiest instrument to interpret, so if you wish to work right to left instead of the habitual left to right, this is fine and may be helpful, because as soon as you find an aircraft that does not match even a single instrument, you may eliminate it and look at it no further.

How to prepare for the Orientation test
The single most important thing you can do is to read the instructions carefully. When you are offered the chance to read the instructions a second time, you should do so. This task will test your ability to use deductive reasoning, the process of elimination and logic, as well as giving us an idea of how well you understand three dimensional spatial orientation. I don’t think it will be beneficial to say more about this test, so have a look at the links above and read the test instructions carefully on the day.

TASK MANAGEMENT - Multi-Tasking & Capacity
This test checks to see how well you divide your attention between competing tasks. You will have to cancel alert lights within 3 seconds of their illumination while simultaneously updating the settings on an aircraft Autopilot Panel. The alert lights are arranged in two 3x3 grids, one in each upper corner of the computer screen. They appear as a black square, a sub-section of which illuminates in red for 3 seconds on a random basis. In the lower corners of the computer screen there will be panels showing the current Autopilot settings, which consist of Airspeed, Altitude and Heading and new settings that you must enter.

The numeric keypad on the computer’s keyboard has keys for numbers 1-9, which are also arranged in a 3x3 grid. The Numlock key must be on with the indicator light illuminated for this test to work properly. It is on by default, but make sure you don’t accidentally turn it off. When an alert light comes on, you must press the corresponding key on the numeric keypad to extinguish it. For example, if the middle grid on the bottom row illuminates, you must press ‘2’ on the numeric keypad. If the upper right square on the 3x3 grid illuminates, you must press ‘9’ on the numeric keypad.

To adjust the Autopilot settings, you will use the four arrow keys on the keyboard and the + and – signs on the numeric keypad. Each press of the + or – sign will add or subtract altitude from the current autopilot setting.

Each press of the left or right arrow cursor keys will increase or decrease the heading on your autopilot.

Each press of the up and down arrow cursor keys will increase or decrease the airspeed on your autopilot.

Once all settings are correctly updated, press either ‘Enter’ key on the keyboard to submit your changes and move to the next test problem.

How to prepare for the Task Management test
The only preparation you can do is to read the instructions carefully so you understand the keys required during the test and what amount of change each key press implements, calculate the required number of key presses and keep your eyes on the alert light panels as much as you can. The goal is to keep a scan going and never fixate on one task or one part of the computer screen or the keyboard for long.

Oh by the way, do you want the answers to the mathematics problems above? Click here for the Answers.

by **Mike Griffith** on Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:57 pm

The Technical Test which follows COMPASS is effectively testing basic Physics, Science and Mechanics. Graded out of 15, an ‘average’ score would be 10/11 and approximates to GCSE standard.

The best way to prepare for the Technical Test is to purchase and complete OAA Media's Essential Physics CDs. These CDs cover the following topics:

Essential Physics 1
Force, Motion and Energy

The Earth and Universe

Essential Physics 2
Electricity

Magnetism

by **Mike Griffith** on Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:58 pm

The final automated assessment is known as CPP. There is no preparation needed for CPP, as it is not a test, rather a tool that will give us a profile of your presonality. Though temperament is fairly constant throughout adulthood, personality is dynamic and changes as we grow and mature. This profile is only relevant for the aviation industry, especially for the selection and coaching of pilots and is valid for one year.

This instrument seeks to measure core competencies usually found in successful commercial pilots, such as personal stability, conscientiousness, leadership, executive orientation, team orientation, decision making, communication, service orientation and sociability.

CPP is focused on the qualities sought in airline pilots and grades individuals from ‘No Serious Concerns’ to ‘Grave Concerns’ based upon completion of a detailed questionnaire. Overall, the test generally gives a good profile indicator but it is not foolproof. Some judgment is required in assessing the results and the results can occasionally be misleading, particularly for those with a relatively poor understanding of English. Results are balanced with the observations our assessors make in the team exercises and interview.

by **Mike Griffith** on Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:59 pm

Candidates ‘fly’ a short, 30 minute simulator assessment after a group briefing. The test, which is effectively designed to validate the COMPASS results, does not require any previous flying knowledge. Candidates are required to fly simple profiles under guidance and, when given instruction, to show that they have the capacity to absorb the guidance and improve on their performance. The assessor also introduces extraneous activities, usually mental arithmetic problems, to determine the individual’s capacity to cope with more than just the flying task. The assessors examine the applicant for smoothness and accuracy, staying ahead of the aircraft, whether or not they get upset easily, how well they cope with change and deal with problems, degree of anticipation and level of confidence, timely corrections, avoiding repeat errors, speed of learning the required control inputs and aircraft attitudes and the flight deck personality preferably observing a positive, relaxed and friendly manner instead of a passive or abrasive manner and a constant need for prompting.

by **Mike Griffith** on Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:00 pm

Candidates undertake 3 Group/Team Exercises:

1. Problem Solving, Verbal Reasoning and Communication
2. Practical Problem Solving
3. Group Discussion

For all these exercises, 6-8 candidates normally form a group and are monitored by 2 assessors. The exercises take approximately ½ day to complete with the same assessors then conducting individual interviews, each of which lasts for some 20-30 minutes. Candidates are graded on a conventional scale from ‘well below’ to ‘well above’ average. The assessors will be looking at team skills such as listening well, questioning for clarity and clarifying own statements, helpfulness of suggestions, seeking ideas, leadership, decisiveness and seeking support/concensus. They examine each applicants style of relating for calmness, enthusiasm, positive attitude, energy, cooperation and supportiveness vs. egoism and competitiveness, logical debate skills and getting on with others. Focusing on the task and time awareness are important, as are understanding the brief, making a positive contribution to both the discussion and implementation of the tasks and recognizing, acknowledging and recovering from serious errors.

by **Mike Griffith** on Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:00 pm

Candidates are interviewed individually. As for the Group Exercises, there are 2 assessors, at least one of whom is an experienced airline pilot, usually one still flying. Over a dozen airlines permit their staff to work on our assessment programme. The structured interview lasts approximately 30 minutes and is intended to assess an individual’s preparedness and suitability for a career in commercial aviation. The assessors will examine why and for how long you have wanted to become a pilot and what practical steps you have undertaken to prepare for the training and career. This could include educational preparation, extra curricular activities to develop social skills and personality, acquisition of flying or aviation related work experience, leadership and team working skills, etc., as well as financial planning and preparation and research of the career, lifestyle, industry and career progression of a professional pilot.

by **Mike Griffith** on Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:01 pm

The final stage is a comprehensive individual debrief of the overall assessment process. For many candidates, especially the younger ones, Skills Assessment may be the first such performance and personality assessment they have ever received, and OAA believes that feedback is a valuable training tool in its own right. It is intended to be comprehensive, objective, and open and candidates should leave Oxford feeling properly informed concerning all aspects of their performance. The debriefing is verbal and candidates do not receive any written report save a Certificate of Acceptance if they are successful. The contents of the Skills Assessment process are the intellectual property of OAA and/or EPST and protected by copyright law. Reproducing any portion of the material without written permission of the copyright owner is forbidden by law.

DECISION

The final judgment on whether a candidate has passed the assessment, and can therefore be offered an APPFO place, is made only at the end of the debrief. The debrief is, therefore, effectively part of the overall assessment process and, as such, can only be undertaken by the Director of Commercial and Employment Services, The Manager of Pilot Programmes, the Skills Development Officer or the Head of Training.

Some candidates may appear to have the potential to achieve the necessary performance levels but do not achieve a high enough standard to be accepted on their first appearance. In such circumstances, they may be offered an opportunity to resit some or all of the tests again. Normally, a minimum interval of 3 months must elapse prior to any re-assessment being permitted.

What is Included in Skills Assessment

What is Included in Skills Assessment

Day 1: COMPASS Test

Day 1: Technical Test

Day 1: CPP - Psychometric Profile

Day 1: Flight Simulator Assessment

Day 2: Group/Team Exercises

Day 2: Interview

Day 2: Debrief and Decision

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