The Student Room Group

How the RAF aptitude tests pick out skills of a future pilot?

The aptitude tests pick out and identify skills needed for Pilot, can it be that post- aptitude tests, the RAF find that a person who has done just A levels has the skills for pilot more than someone who is a graduate and does this happen often? Can even people who fly planes in the cadets fail these tests too or does flying guarantee you'll pass?
Reply 1
Original post by RikArk
The aptitude tests pick out and identify skills needed for Pilot, can it be that post- aptitude tests, the RAF find that a person who has done just A levels has the skills for pilot more than someone who is a graduate

Yes, aptitude testing is nothing to do with your level of education, simply how much potetential you show for learning the skills required.
does this happen often?

That's irrelevant.
Can even people who fly planes in the cadets fail these tests too

Of course they can. Can people who've raced go carts as a child fail their driving theory test?
or does flying guarantee you'll pass?

Nothing guarantees a pass (except perhaps a brown envelope full of cash and a member of staff with no integrity)

jacet
Original post by RikArk
The aptitude tests pick out and identify skills needed for Pilot, can it be that post- aptitude tests, the RAF find that a person who has done just A levels has the skills for pilot more than someone who is a graduate and does this happen often? Can even people who fly planes in the cadets fail these tests too or does flying guarantee you'll pass?



I'm not sure exactly what you are asking, but I'll attempt an explanation. The aptitude tests are only part of the selection process. If you have absolutely epic hand to eye co-ordination, it will mean nothing if you haven't got the basic leadership, confidence, verbal fluency etc to make an officer. You have to have the whole package.

I can't recall the exact figures, but hand to eye co-ordination peaks at about the age of 19, and begins to degrade noticeably at about the age of 28, when taken across an entire population. The problem is that most people, aged 19 couldn't lead their way out of a paper bag, especially if they have to take experienced 40-50 year olds with them. Hence the preference for graduates, getting a happy medium between youthful co-ordination and a bit of life experience.

Passing the aptitude tests at OASC does not guarantee you will pass flying training. Although in recent years a lot of work has gone in to making the tests as accurate as possible, to save very expensive wastage rates in flying training.

Civilian flying and AEF flying have no relevance. You can get a PPL with minimal aptitude, you just have to have enough money to build up the hours and not crash until you have managed to pass all the necessary elements. It's a completely different activity. Its a bit like comparing passing your driving test, which your granny can do, versus being an F1 driver which very few people can do.
Reply 3
I don't really understand what you want to know... many aptitude tests used by civilian recruitment want to pick out your ability to learn and improve. For instance you will be given 3 attempts at a scenario and they want to see an improvement on every go. I have no idea if they use this in the RAF but wouldn't surprise me.
Reply 4
Original post by jacet
Yes, aptitude testing is nothing to do with your level of education, simply how much potetential you show for learning the skills required.

That's irrelevant.

Of course they can. Can people who've raced go carts as a child fail their driving theory test?

Nothing guarantees a pass (except perhaps a brown envelope full of cash and a member of staff with no integrity)

jacet


Can people who have A level Maths and Physics fail the aptitude pilot tests because thye are under this impression that having these A levels guarantees their success in the tests and in getting selected?
Reply 5
Original post by RikArk
Can people who have A level Maths and Physics fail the aptitude pilot tests because thye are under this impression that having these A levels guarantees their success in the tests and in getting selected?


if they are that stupid, then yes.
Reply 6
Original post by RikArk
Can people who have A level Maths and Physics fail the aptitude pilot tests because thye are under this impression that having these A levels guarantees their success in the tests and in getting selected?


Nothing can guarantee you of passing the aptitude tests. It's not like A levels or GCSE's where you can just practice and memorise the material and regurgitate it in an exam.

pretty much any idiot can fly a plane by gettin a PPL but that does not mean you are in anyway more capable of passing the RAF training.
Reply 7
Original post by RikArk
Can people who have A level Maths and Physics fail the aptitude pilot tests because thye are under this impression that having these A levels guarantees their success in the tests and in getting selected?

Yes. Anyone can fail for any number of reasons. Becoming complacent at any point during the application process is a good way of ruining what was otherwise a very strong application. As an example I'm very close to the end of the recruiting process but if I rest on my laurels and let my fitness drop before my FAM visit I won't be allowed to progress to IOT (see Inch High DI's warning here) which is why I got up early this morning to go for a run before work.

As I said before, nothing guarantees a pass and nothing can be taken as a given. You've got to work dam hard to make it to the end of the selection process and even then the odds are stacked against you.

Jacet
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 8
Original post by RikArk
Can people who have A level Maths and Physics fail the aptitude pilot tests because thye are under this impression that having these A levels guarantees their success in the tests and in getting selected?


You do realise that the aptitude testing is not a test of academic intelligence, right?

It's testing your innate hand-eye coordination, multitasking, mental processing and short term memory skills.
I know this is an old thread but past experience has nothing to do with it, you can either do it or you can't. I took my FATs yesterday and 2/6 of us (including me) passed.
I am 18 and just finished A levels in Economics & Business, Enronmental Studues and Geography (not the sort of qualifications you would relate to pilot training). A couple of the other guys had degrees in engineering and failed.

It's really just about innate ability, and if you are going to do your FATs, don't stress while you're down there because you can either do it or you can't. It's probably the most mentally challenging thing I've ever done though.
I know this is an old thread but past experience has nothing to do with it, you can either do it or you can't. I took my FATs yesterday and 2/6 of us (including me) passed.
I am 18 and just finished A levels in Economics & Business, Enronmental Studues and Geography (not the sort of qualifications you would relate to pilot training). A couple of the other guys had degrees in engineering and failed.

It's really just about innate ability, and if you are going to do your FATs, don't stress while you're down there because you can either do it or you can't. It's probably the most mentally challenging thing I've ever done though.



Out of interest, what did you score? From the sounds of it you had a lucky group. There were about 35 of us and only 2 of us passed outright, one guy was borderline.
We weren't given our exact scores on the day I was just told I got a high range score. I have contacted my ALCO to see if there is anyway of finding out, will post on here if I learn anything!
They gave me a detailed breakdown with scores and all the things they were testing for each role etc

Quick Reply

Latest