DLR Test 2026: The Complete Guide for Aspiring Pilots

If you want to become an airline pilot, there's a good chance you'll run into the DLR aptitude test at some point. For many candidates it's the first real hurdle in the selection process — sometimes even before the airline's own assessment centre. The test doesn't ask what you know about aviation; it checks basic cognitive and psychological prerequisites: how fast you react, how well you remember things, and how you hold up under time pressure.

Because the exact procedure isn't widely publicised, a lot of applicants first hear the details once the invitation letter is already sitting in their inbox. This guide is meant to fix that: what actually gets tested, which airlines and schools use it, and how to prepare realistically instead of relying on forum rumours.

Think of this as the map. Each of the ten modules also has its own in-depth article with concrete strategies — this page just shows you where to go next.

What is the DLR aptitude test?

The "DLR test" is the computer-based psychological aptitude assessment run by the Aviation and Space Psychology department of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The version you can book yourself is officially called the DLR Certificate Cockpit (DLR-Zertifikat Cockpit). The result is a certificate with ratings in four areas: basic cognitive abilities, operational competencies, personality traits and social competencies.

Within an airline's selection process, the certificate is the first of several stages:

Stage 1 (DLR certificate, formerly the basic examination BU/GU) is the computer-based test day this guide, and this whole site, is about. It measures cognitive abilities such as concentration, reaction speed, spatial reasoning and memory, and tests knowledge in English, technical comprehension and physics. According to DLR, neither an assessment centre nor an interview is part of it, and there is no medical examination on this day.

Stage 2 (the airline's assessment, formerly the company qualification FQ) only follows once you have applied with your certificate: interviews, group exercises and psychomotor tasks with the airline or its assessment partner. The aero-medical fitness examination (EASA Class 1) comes after that as a separate step. The full path is described in Passed the DLR test: what comes next?.

For the vast majority of applicants, Stage 1 is the first hurdle, and it is exactly what the DLR Test Trainer is built around.

ImportantThe exact procedure, the selection of modules and the requirements can change and vary by airline. Always rely on the official information from DLR, your airline or your flight school.

Who actually needs this test?

The DLR certificate is the first step in the selection process of the Lufthansa Group via the European Flight Academy (EFA), which also covers SWISS, Edelweiss, Austrian and Eurowings. In Switzerland, a SPHAIR certificate can replace the DLR test. Other airlines and flight schools use the certificate or their own related procedures; see Which airlines use the DLR test? for an overview.

Worth knowing: not every airline accepts the certificate, and some run their own selection with similar test types. Always check the job posting of your specific programme. The two big routes are covered in How to become a Lufthansa pilot and How to become a SWISS pilot.

What does a typical test day look like?

The assessment takes one day and is in person only. According to DLR, it starts at 08:00 in Hamburg and ends at around 17:00; times at other locations may differ. DLR lists Cologne and Hamburg as locations, plus Vienna from October 2026. Through the EFA web shop you book appointments in Hamburg, Milan or Zurich (as of September 2026). A typical day looks like this:

• Computer-based performance tests (CBT): a series of short, focused exercises covering perception, memory, reaction speed, spatial reasoning and multitasking. This is the part this guide and the app focus on.
• Knowledge tests: multiple-choice questions on English, technical comprehension and physics, plus mental arithmetic.
• Personality questionnaire: also on the computer.
• Breaks between blocks where you can recover briefly. Use them deliberately.
• A certificate with ratings rather than simple percentages. According to DLR you receive it by email; it is valid for two years.

With your invitation you get access to the official preparation software. DLR recommends spreading the training units over three weeks; how to plan that is covered in DLR test booked: the final 3 weeks. Experience reports paint a fairly consistent picture of the day, but do not rely on forum knowledge as your only source.

The 10 test types at a glance

The computer-based performance tests consist of several modules, each targeting a different cognitive skill. Here's a short overview — you'll find detailed strategies in the linked articles.

• [SKT – Triangle Test](/en/blog/skt-triangle-test): Triangles appear one after another and you compare each one to the previous one, reacting according to fixed rules. Tests reaction speed and rule application under pressure.
• [VMC – Visual Memory](/en/blog/vmc-visual-memory): Symbols appear in sequence, and you judge whether the current one matches one shown several steps earlier (an n-back task).
• [RMS – Running Memory Span](/en/blog/rms-running-memory-span): A string of digits is read aloud through headphones; afterwards you enter as many digits as you can, backwards.
• [KRN – Mental Arithmetic](/en/blog/krn-mental-arithmetic): Arithmetic problems are only read aloud — you solve them in your head and type in the result.
• [OWT – Instrument Reading](/en/blog/owt-instrument-reading): In a grid of dial instruments, you have to identify the critical ones and read their values correctly.
• [PPT – Cube Folding](/en/blog/ppt-cube-folding): Spatial reasoning: which folded cube matches the unfolded net you were shown?
• [WFG – Path Figures](/en/blog/wfg-path-figures): You mentally trace a tangled line and count turns in a given direction.
• [TVT – Technical Comprehension](/en/blog/tvt-technical-comprehension): Multiple-choice questions on mechanics, electrics, heat, optics and hydraulics.
• [PHY – Physics](/en/blog/phy-physics): More formula-driven multiple-choice questions on forces, energy, electricity and waves.
• [ENS – English Test](/en/blog/ens-english-test): Grammar, vocabulary and idioms at a solid B2 level.

There's also MIC (monitoring and instrument coordination), a multitasking exercise with a joystick and pedals, and a PSY personality questionnaire. Neither can be meaningfully trained through an app, so preparation reasonably focuses on the ten trainable modules above.

How is the test scored?

The DLR's exact scoring methodology isn't fully public, but based on candidate reports and general principles, a few things are consistent: the CBT modules are typically summarised into ratings — often on a letter scale, where the top categories are usually sufficient while weaker results can trigger extra requirements or a fail. For knowledge tests like English, a good rating is often enough on its own, while a weaker result may additionally require a recognised language certificate.

Importantly, it's rarely accuracy or speed alone — it's usually a combination of both. Someone who's fast but sloppy loses just as many points as someone accurate but too slow. "Clean first, fast second" is a sound baseline strategy for almost every module.

Quoting a specific pass or fail rate as fact would be irresponsible — such numbers circulate in forums but aren't officially confirmed, and they vary considerably by airline, intake year and requirement profile. Treat anything you read there as a loose anecdote, not a fact.

How long should you prepare?

The cognitive modules genuinely respond to preparation — not because you get "smarter," but because you get familiar with the task mechanics, find your own pace, and learn where your errors tend to come from. Most candidates do well with roughly six to eight weeks of preparation, using short, regular sessions of 20 to 45 minutes rather than rare marathon sessions.

For a concrete, structured plan, see our 8-week training plan: week by week, with clear focus modules and guidance on when to add a full exam simulation.

How challenging the test feels to you personally depends a lot on how familiar you already are with each task type. For a more realistic look at what candidates actually find hard, see How hard is the DLR test?

Common preparation mistakes

• Only trying each module once instead of practising regularly. These modules train reaction patterns, and patterns form through repetition, not a single attempt right before the test date.
• Focusing only on the module you enjoy and ignoring the ones you don't. RMS, KRN and OWT in particular tend to get underestimated because they feel less familiar than multiple-choice knowledge questions.
• Leaving the exam simulation too late. A realistic simulation with all modules back-to-back, no breaks and no feedback, feels very different from isolated single-module practice — you should have experienced that at least once beforehand.
• Letting forum rumours get under your skin. Many circulating "insider tips" are outdated or misapplied. Stick to strategies you can actually verify instead of fear-mongering threads.
• Training your head but not your state. Lack of sleep, nerves and tension measurably affect reaction time and memory. Our article on stress and mindset goes deeper into staying calm and focused on test day.

Pre-test checklist

• Date, location and required documents confirmed in good time
• Enough sleep planned in the nights before the test
• All 10 module types practised at least once, calmly and without time pressure
• At least one full exam simulation completed under realistic conditions
• Your own weak spots identified and specifically retrained
• Comfortable with the headphone setup for the listening tasks (RMS, KRN); volume tested in advance
• Travel and time buffer for test day planned

Ticking off this list will get you into the examination noticeably calmer. For targeted practice of the individual modules — with freshly generated tasks, traffic-light feedback and error analysis — you can use DLR Test Trainer, which is built specifically around these ten CBT modules.

Sources

This guide is based on publicly available information from DLR and the flight schools, plus candidate experience reports; the procedure and modules can change. The documents you receive with your invitation are what counts.

• DLR: DLR-Zertifikat Cockpit (in German)
• DLR: Testzentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrtpsychologie (in German)
• European Flight Academy: Selection process
• European Flight Academy: Registration DLR test
• European Flight Academy: FAQ