COMPASS

Flightsimcenter COMPASS Pilot Apptitude test in India. COMPASS is a product of European Pilot Selection & Training (EPST) www.epst.com

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About COMPASS

COMPASS consists of six tests which have been developed to test some of the key aptitude areas for the pilot profession. Flying experience is not required to perform well in the tests.

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The tests include:

 

✈ Control: a compensation task looking at basic hand/foot/eye co-ordination.

 

✈ Slalom: a tracking task looking at hand/eye co-ordination.

 

✈ Mathematics: a test of basic applied mathematical understanding and speed.

 

✈ Memory: accuracy of short-term memory recall and ability to 'chunk’ information.

 

✈ Task Manager: a test of the candidate’s ability to scan the screen and manage two concurrent tasks accurately and quickly.

 

✈ Orientation: instrument interpretation, comprehension and spatial orientation.

 

✈ Tech-Test: technical comprehension test (physics test).

 

✈ Aviation-English: test English language ability, including recognizing ATC sound messages.

 

✈ Verbal Reasoning: the ability of the candidate to understand, analyze and logically interpret written information.

Design:

 

The test battery was designed and developed by Captain Robin Acton BA (design and testing), dr. John Acton PhD (data processing) and ing. Martijn Niekerk BSc (IT specialist). Robin Acton has been involved in basic pilot training since 1968 and was British Airway’s manager responsible for pilot recruitment and selection in the late 1980s.           

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Validation:

An independent validation of the COMPASS product has been carried out by Mr. Wouter Tooren of the University of Amsterdam as the final practice part for his study psychologist. The total validity of the COMPASS test is .761. The confidence level is also .79. This means that if someone takes the tests twice, the odds are .79 that the result will be the same. Also here the lowest level is .6. A lot of tests give a confidence level that can be calculated in many ways. Often tests are divided in two parts and one half linked to the other half. The EPST method (analysing results of candidates doing the test with 3 months in between) is more realistic but often gives a lower result. So .79 is not bad.”     The confidence level was analyzed several years ago by drs. Lilian Biber-Klever of the Aviation Human Factor Center. Drs. Lillian Biber is a specialist Aviation Psychologist.

It is EPST's experience (together with its world-wide clients with over 17.000 tests performed with this product) that a combination of COMPASS and a simulator assessment prior to training virtually reduces flying training failures to near zero. EPST had no flying training failure since the introduction of these elements in their selection.

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COMPASS is available in the following languages (instruction text): British and American English, Chinese (2 versions), Spanish, Turkey, Arabic and Russian.

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COMPASS Copyright is owned by European Pilot Selection & Training (EPST).

 

Advanced-COMPASS (COMPASS for license holders/pilots)

 

Advanced COMPASS consists of six tests which have been developed to test some of the key skill areas for the pilot profession.

 

Advanced COMPASS is for licence holders and experienced pilots only.

 

The tests include:

 

✈ Complex Control Task: a test to fly an ILS while handling the rudder pedals and speed settings.

 

✈ Profesional knowledge: a number of questions and situations to test the pilot's theoretical comprehension.

 

✈ Mathematics: a test of basic applied mathematical understanding and speed.

 

✈ Memory: accuracy of short-term memory recall and ability to 'chunk’ information.

 

✈ Task Manager: a test of the candidate’s ability to scan the screen and manage two concurrent tasks accurately and quickly.

 

✈ Orientation: instrument interpretation, comprehension and spatial orientation.

 

✈ Aviation-English: test English language abiity, including recognizing ATC sound messages

 

✈ Verbal Reasoning: the ability of the candidate to understand, analyze and logically interpret written information

 

 

The result of Advanced-COMPASS is a very cost-effective way to avoid unnecessary grading cost (and time). The tests are produced automatically.

 

 

Design:

Advanced-COMPASS is a product of European Pilot Selection & Training (EPST). The test battery was designed and developed by Captain Robin Acton BA (design and testing), dr. John Acton PhD (data processing) and ing. Martijn Niekerk BSc (IT specialist). Robin Acton has been involved in basic pilot training since 1968 and was British Airway’s manager responsible for pilot recruitment and selection in the late 1980s.

          

Validation:

An independent validation of the COMPASS product has been carried out by drs. Lilian Biber-Klever of the Aviation Human Factor Center. Drs. Lillian Biber is a specialist Aviation Psychologist. The results is summarised below.

“ The total validity of the COMPASS testing battery is .79. The lowest level is .6 and so .79 is not bad. The confidence level is also .79. This means that if someone takes the tests twice, the odds are .79 that the result will be the same. Also here the lowest level is .6.

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A lot of tests give a confidence level that can be calculated in many ways. Often tests are divided in two parts and one half linked to the other half. The EPST method (analysing results of candidates doing the test with 3 months in between) is more realistic but often gives a lower result. So .79 is not bad.”

It is EPST's experience (together with its world-wide clients with over 5000 tests performed with this product) that a combination of Advanced-COMPASS and a simulator grading prior to a Type Rating virtually reduces the training failures to near zero.

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EPST had no flying training failure since the introduction of these elements in their selection.

 

Advanced-COMPASS is available in the following languages (instruction text): British and American English, Chinese (2 versions), Spanish, Turkey, Arabic and Russian.

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Advanced-COMPASS Copyright is owned by European Pilot Selection & Training (EPST).

 

Checklist Professional Profile (CPP)

Experienced pilots would agree nowadays that the human factor plays an important role in their profession. For the past decade, the emphasis in their function is no longer on the technical aspects only. Managerial and communication skills, for example, are also of great importance. Taking on a pilot or flight school student who does not possess these kinds of competencies increases the risks for airlines and flight schools.

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By using the psychological assessment methods this, risk can be reduced to acceptable proportions. Therefore the Institute of Aviation Psychology (IAP) has developed the Checklist Professional Profile (CPP), which can be described as a psychological instrument, to play a crucial role in the selection and training of (ab initio) pilots. More specifically, the test can be characterized as a - tailor made - personality questionnaire that measures relevant personality traits to assess the competences, as mentioned above, for the function of a (ab initio) pilot.

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Test construction:

At first, relevant personality traits and competences were defined, based on extensive analysis of the target group and years of selection experience (within the aviation). After constructing the questionnaire, it has been filled out by a large number of applicants (ab initio pilots), who all participated in a selection procedure. This made it possible to create a so called ‘aviation data base’. Subsequently - with the help of a statistic program that has been developed for the research in social sciences – special norms have been constructed for (ab initio) pilots. Based on the results of the CPP, compared to these norms, interpretations and conclusions are made. The Checklist Professional Profile (CPP) can be filled out online and is easy to understand and interpret. Usually, it takes an applicant about 40 minutes to answer the questions.

Interpretation and conclusion of the results:

Scoring the answers of the CPP questionnaire leads to the construction of a unique, personal profile. In this profile one can immediately read out whether someone has enough potential to function as a pilot and/or to join a flight education successfully. In other words the profile makes clear to which extend the demanded personal competences are already present and/or in which way they need to be further developed. As mentioned above the CPP questionnaire produces a personal profile of each applicant and/or student. As far as the selection of applicants concerns, conclusions can be divided into five categories, indicating the extent to which one seems fit for the function of a (ab initio) pilot, as follows:

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1. Contra-indication

2. Moderate

3. Average

4. Good

5. Very good

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Application:

The CPP can be used to assess individuals in selection procedures as a basic tool. During a follow up procedure (interview, compass etc.) one can use the results of the questionnaire as a guideline for a more specific questioning and observation. Furthermore, this instrument can be applied as a departure point for training or coaching procedures of (ab initio) pilots.

 

For more info call : +919820274179.

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