So, you’re ready to take your first step to becoming an airline pilot? You’ve researched flying academies and have chosen where you would like to train. The next step now is to sit a Skills Assessment, this is where we find out if you have the skills and attributes required to achieve your goal and become an airline pilot. We’re sure you’ll be nervous, but the following guide sets out exactly what is in a Skills Assessment and looks at our newest assessments, our Virtual Skills Assessment. It’s much like the assessment days we ran before the Covid-19 pandemic, but it’s hosted virtually, so both you and our teams can remain at home, and remain safe.
THE VIRTUAL SCHEDULE & PROCESS
The key difference, apart from being at home, instead of at our academy at London Oxford Airport, is that you will probably sit the assessment over two days. We’ve found that there are different challenges when working remotely so more time in between sessions and activities help both you and our teams to maintain energy levels and engagement.
Once you’ve booked your assessment (https://leadingedgeaviation.com/courses/skills-assessment/), our team will contact you to confirm exact dates and timings and at this point you can chat through any IT or resources you need.
THE TASKS & ACTIVITIES
Computer-Based Testing (CBT)
Our CBT is conducted via Cut-e tests, which are completed from your home. You will need a laptop or home computer with good internet connection (try using phone hotspot if your broadband is weak), a quiet room, a comfortable temperature and no interruptions. We will send you your log-in codes which will enable you join the tests. We will need you to enable your webcam too. We will send further instructions and timings of all elements of the assessment in a separate email on the morning you’re scheduled to take them.
Group Exercise
As with everything else, our group exercise is also now virtual. You’ll need access to Microsoft Teams to join this exercise. (Teams is part of Microsoft 365 suite; you can find it with your Windows applications or access it from our invitation link. Please advise ASAP if you have any problems logging on). As with our face-to-face group exercise, you’ll be given a brief and expected to work as a team… the only difference is that instead of sitting around our boardroom table, you’ll be working via video link.
Interview
Our motivational and competency-based Interview is also hosted virtually via Teams. Make sure you are well presented, comfortable and have a drink to hand, but most of all relax. We want to see your passion and enthusiasm shine through.
Debrief with Feedback
At the end of the process, we’ll meet with you on Teams and we give you a full debrief following completion of all the elements. We’ll run through your performance during your assessment, giving you feedback on where you excelled and where you have areas of development. This is also a time where you can ask us questions such as ‘what are the next steps?’ If you haven’t passed, we’ll offer you guidance on how to develop and hopefully pass next time around with ease.
Personal Presentation
It will come as no surprise that even though the interview and tasks are virtual, your personal presentation is still important! So, get in the mindset that it’s no different to a face-to-face assessment, put on your best interview outfit and prepare to dazzle us. It’s good to think ahead, ensure you’re well rested and that if you live with others, they know not to interrupt you.
Now we appreciate you might be a little nervous, but don’t worry, that’s normal, just try to relax and do your best, if we’re doing our job right, we’ll hopefully put you at ease too. We want you to enjoy the process and experience what it’s like to be part of the Leading Edge family!
Plan Ahead
Whilst you won’t have a journey to consider, there’s still lots you can do to be prepared. Test your IT, try a Teams meeting with friends or family to ensure you know how it works and be ready a good 5 mins before your dial in time, just in case.
Don’t take our word for it, here are some comments from recent candidates…
“I was so impressed with the Virtual Skills Assessment process at Leading Edge. The structure was well explained, and we were given our timetables in advance so we knew exactly when to log on and complete certain tasks such as the online aptitude tests for example. The interview and group exercise ran extremely well, the connections were great and the group task was thoroughly enjoyable even though conducting it over video call makes it slightly harder not to talk over anybody!
Although we sat the assessment from the comfort of our own homes, I still felt that my assessment experience was professional and well-conducted, and I thank everyone at Leading Edge for putting this Virtual Skills Assessment together.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the virtual assessment, the team had clearly put a lot of time and effort into making sure everyone knew what the plan was and ensuring that it all ran smoothly on the day. Feedback was given at the end, face to face over video call, which is much more personal and was followed up with written feedback over email so I was able to reflect on any areas and take on-board the feedback from the assessors.”
“I recently undertook the first virtual skills assessment for Leading Edge Aviation Academy due to the COVID-19 outbreak. I was understandably apprehensive, mainly due to pre-interview nerves, but also due to this being the first formal video conference I had ever undertaken. This was compounded by the thought that being situated in my Living Room, whilst in a formal interview, would somewhat lull me into a false sense of security. This was not to be however. Debbie and Katie, who are both in charge of the Skills Assessments at Leading Edge, were fantastic. They made me feel at ease from the get go and were very sympathetic to the fact that this was an unprecedented situation. They made it abundantly clear that everyone was in the same boat, and that the fact this was being conducted over a video conference would not harm the chances of success.
They made the process as easy as possible whilst maintaining the professional standards expected and I, along with the rest of the candidates that I undertook my Group Exercise with, agreed that the system that Debbie and Katie had put in place worked very well. In fact, it wasn’t really at all too dissimilar to undertaking the interviews face to face at Oxford, perhaps only that you had a few of your homely possessions around you. All in all I cannot fault the way the interviews were conducted, and the fact that Debbie and Katie managed to change the dynamic of the interview process in such a short space of time only solidifies that fact.”
We’re really looking forward to meeting you and hope to see you in the academy very soon too.
To find out more about our courses, click here!
