DLR test experiences: what the reports agree on

Search for "DLR test experience" and you end up in forums, on YouTube and on blogs, with verdicts from "quite manageable" to "the hardest day of my life". Individual reports often contradict each other, vary widely in age and refer to different procedures. A more useful question is: what do several reports agree on, and how much of that matches the official information?

For this article we read four publicly accessible discussions on the English-language pilot forum PPRuNe in September 2026: a detailed report on the European Flight Academy selection (March 2024, Hamburg), a training discussion around a Milan test date for Air Dolomiti (February and March 2024), a Luxair recruitment thread (2022 to 2023) and an old Hamburg thread from 2009. We also used the German Wikipedia entry and the official DLR and EFA pages. Everything is paraphrased, without names or verbatim quotes.

One caveat: four threads are not a statistic. The largest German-language collection is the experience report forum on Pilotenboard.de, alongside blogs such as cockpitguide.com and many YouTube formats. We did not evaluate those individually, so the second half of this article shows you how to read such reports yourself.

What does the DLR test day look like according to reports?

Reports consistently describe a long, tightly scheduled day at a computer, from early morning to late afternoon. The March 2024 report gives 08:00 to 16:00 for Hamburg, with three 15-minute breaks and a one-hour lunch break, and around 20 candidates in the room. That fits the official DLR statement that the certificate assessment in Hamburg runs from 08:00 to around 17:00 (as of September 2026); times elsewhere may differ.

The same report lists cube tasks, a concentration test, path figures, perceptual speed, running memory span (RMS), physics and technical knowledge, English, mental arithmetic, visual memory, monitoring and instrument coordination (MIC) and a personality questionnaire. The 2009 thread adds that no pen or paper was allowed and that much of the input happened on a touchscreen.

The exact line-up and order change over time; what counts is your invitation. We summarise the typical structure on the page DLR test day schedule, and the complete DLR test guide gives the big picture.

Which parts of the DLR test are described as most tiring?

The length of the day, the memory tests and the multitasking test MIC come up most often. In the 2024 report, the MIC part alone lasted about an hour and a quarter, and the author describes it as a test of constant reacting and adapting rather than replaying something memorised.

The backwards digit format (RMS) is named as the hardest part in two threads: in 2009 it is called the toughest section, and in 2024 a candidate writes that the exercises in the official software felt very hard at first, especially anything relying on memory rather than reasoning. Physics is also described twice as underestimated: the old thread mentions that more depth was required than expected, for example on electrical circuits, and the 2024 candidate had to refresh his school knowledge thoroughly.

Complicated individual questions are not named as the main problem. The strain comes from pace, duration and unfamiliar formats, which matches our assessment in How hard is the DLR test really?. MIC, which can only be practised sensibly with a joystick on a desktop computer, has its own article: MIC: the multitasking test.

How long do candidates prepare for the DLR test?

The answers range from a few weeks to several months, depending on prior knowledge and everyday commitments. The author of the EFA report recommends starting practice at least two weeks before the date and says he ran through most tests around 25 times each. In the 2024 training discussion, a more experienced participant advises going well beyond the suggested 20 or so runs and stresses frequent, regular practice even when a full-time job leaves little time.

Officially, the DLR recommends spreading the prescribed training units over three weeks, because distributed learning works better than one block shortly before the date. As a general rule of thumb for the whole preparation, including physics, technical knowledge and English, two to three months at 20 to 45 minutes a day is commonly cited. More on that on the question page How long to prepare for the DLR test? and in the 8-week training plan.

One detail from the 2024 discussion: the candidate says he raised his RMS average from 3.0 to just over 4 during training, while another participant reports just under 6 at the fastest level. These are individual values, not norms, but they show that the skill moves with repetition. Techniques are in RMS: running memory span.

TipIf your date is already booked, the plan for the final three weeks before the DLR test will help you more than any forum debate.

What role does the official preparation software play?

In every report from 2022 onwards, the official practice software is the core of preparation. The Luxair thread mentions that candidates are given software to practise with before the date; the EFA report names it as the author's main resource; and the training discussion describes difficulty levels that build up gradually to test level. That matches the official information: according to the DLR, the documents and access details for preparation arrive with the invitation, and according to EFA the link to the software is in the booking confirmation email.

According to the 2024 report, several tests were slightly more demanding on the day than in the software, while a few were similar or a little easier. The practical rule: build in a margin when you practise.

Whether additional tools are worthwhile is judged very differently in forums; it depends on the person. A factual overview with criteria is in our comparison of DLR test practice software and apps. The DLR Test Trainer is designed for short daily sessions on the iPhone, trains ten test types but not MIC, and does not replace the official software.

Which typical mistakes do the reports mention?

The recurring mistakes have little to do with talent and a lot to do with planning. From the reports we read and the official guidance, this list emerges:

• Starting too late. If you first open the software in the final week, you will still be fighting the formats on test day.
• Stopping at the minimum number of runs. Several authors explicitly recommend going beyond it.
• Underestimating physics and technical knowledge. The 2024 author refreshed his school knowledge with freely available online learning videos.
• Arriving short of sleep. Enough rest is named as the most important tip for the day itself.
• Watching other candidates. The advice is to ignore your neighbours' screens and pace.
• Expecting perfection. According to the 2024 EFA report, you do not need to be the best everywhere; for his route, a B rating was enough by his account. Which rating is required is set by each airline or flight school.

For the Lufthansa Group assessment that follows, the same author recommends honest rather than rehearsed interview answers. What follows the certificate is explained in Passed the DLR test: what comes next?. For handling nerves, see Stress and mindset.

How reliable are failure rates from forums?

As statistics, not at all: there is no official failure rate for the DLR test. For the DLR Pilot Certificate this is even built into the design. According to the DLR, the certificate contains no selection decision but an evaluation against EASA criteria; every participant receives a certificate, and airlines and flight schools set their own minimum ratings.

Two examples show how numbers take on a life of their own. In the 2009 thread, a participant quotes success rates for three phases of a procedure without any source. And the often repeated "20 to 25 per cent" for the former Lufthansa Berufsgrunduntersuchung is referenced in the German Wikipedia entry to an archived web page from 2006. The order of magnitude may not be wrong, but the figure is old, refers to a different procedure and cannot be verified.

Self-selection adds to the distortion: people who post tend to have done very well or very badly. More on this on the page How many pass the DLR test?.

ImportantA rate says nothing about your personal chances. Your own training results over several weeks tell you more.

How do you read DLR experience reports properly?

Check three things first for every report: the date, the procedure and the location. Only then is it worth looking at tips and details.

Date. Procedures, prices and locations change. The 2024 report mentions around 430 EUR for the test; as of September 2026 the DLR Pilot Certificate costs 417.69 EUR plus VAT according to the DLR, and 427 EUR at the regular EFA price. Even older reports mention around 375 EUR. The 2009 thread is a good example too: it deals, among others, with Lufthansa Italia, an airline that stopped flying in 2011.

Procedure. In many older reports, the Berufsgrunduntersuchung (BU) is the first step at Lufthansa, followed by the Firmenqualifikation (FQ). According to the EFA website (as of September 2026), the route to the European Flight Academy now starts with the DLR certificate, which you book and pay for yourself; the Lufthansa Group assessment follows afterwards. Reports about BU and FQ therefore transfer only partly. Other airlines use DLR procedures in their own order: in the Luxair thread from 2022 to 2023, the DLR date was only the third of six stages. The page What is the DLR certificate? explains the difference between the procedures.

Location. The DLR itself lists Cologne and Hamburg, plus Vienna from October 2026. The EFA webshop offers dates in Hamburg, Milan and Zurich. Older reports naming Zurich as a DLR location for self-paying candidates no longer describe the current situation. According to EFA, content and certificate are identical at all locations.

Individual scores and test names. Scores, item counts or permitted numbers of mistakes are one person's recollection. Use them as a rough guide only. If a report names tests that do not appear in your software, your invitation applies.

Who is publishing. Many reports appear on platforms run by providers of preparation products, and this blog belongs to an app as well. That does not make the content wrong, but you should know it.

What to take away. The points of agreement are unspectacular: start early with the official software, do more repetitions than required, refresh physics and English, and arrive well rested. If a result is not good enough, the DLR recommends waiting six months before a retake, and EFA states no blocking period of its own. Your options are covered in DLR test not good enough: plan B.

Sources

• DLR: DLR-Zertifikat Cockpit (official information, German)
• European Flight Academy: Registration DLR test
• PPRuNe: European Flight Academy – Selection Process Experience (March 2024)
• PPRuNe: DLR test training advice (February/March 2024)
• PPRuNe: Luxair recruitment (2022 to 2023)
• PPRuNe: DLR Test – Hamburg (2009)
• Wikipedia (German): DLR-Test
• Pilotenboard.de: experience report forum (German)