Pilot Aptitude Test Preparation: Every Test, Every Skill

Every route into a cockpit starts with an aptitude test. Which one you sit depends on where you apply: the Lufthansa Group and SWISS use the DLR test, Switzerland also has SPHAIR, air forces run their own selection, and many airlines and flight schools around the world use systems such as COMPASS, PILAPT, ADAPT or Aon (cut-e). On top of that, airlines often do not say publicly which provider they use.

The good news: behind the different brand names the tasks are surprisingly similar. Mental arithmetic under time pressure, spatial reasoning, working memory, concentration, technical comprehension and English appear in almost every pilot aptitude test. If you train those underlying skills, you prepare for several tests at once, even before you know exactly where you will apply.

This guide explains which pilot aptitude tests exist, which skills they measure, what an app such as DLR Test Trainer can train and what it cannot. Everything is as of October 2026. We are an independent app, not affiliated with the DLR or any other test provider, and the documents of your own selection always take precedence.

Which pilot aptitude tests are there?

The main pilot aptitude tests are the DLR test (Lufthansa Group, SWISS, Edelweiss), COMPASS, PILAPT, ADAPT, Aon (cut-e), the Vienna Test System, airline-specific procedures such as KLM's and military selection systems. The airline, flight school or air force you apply to decides which one you take.

As of October 2026. Which airline uses which provider is rarely confirmed officially, and airlines switch providers. A compact version is on the question page What pilot aptitude tests are there?; for airlines in the DLR world see Which airlines use the DLR test?.

Some context for each system:

• DLR: According to the DLR, its aerospace psychology test centre in Hamburg assesses around 10,000 applicants a year on 110 computer workstations and has been selecting pilots since the 1950s. Full details are in the DLR test complete guide.
• COMPASS: According to the provider's FAQ, the test runs offline on Windows PCs. Aviation Focus does not name the airlines that use it.
• PILAPT: Three of the eight tests are psychomotor with a joystick (Fly Through Boxes, ILS Tracking, Multi-task), plus Checkerboard and Squares and Circles for attention and a Mathematics test. One prep provider lists British Airways among its users; we have no primary source for that.
• ADAPT: According to secondary sources, airlines often do not disclose which ADAPT parts they use.
• Trying a test early: The UK organisation Air Pilots offers a two-hour ab initio aptitude test for GBP 105 as a reality check before expensive applications.

Military selection in Switzerland, Germany and Austria is covered in detail in Military pilot aptitude tests: SPHAIR, Bundeswehr and Bundesheer.

What skills does a pilot aptitude test measure?

Nearly every pilot aptitude test measures the same skill areas: numerical ability, spatial reasoning, memory, attention, multitasking, psychomotor coordination, technical and physics knowledge, English and personality. The tasks look different from provider to provider, but the underlying ability is the same.

The table maps each area to the tests where sources mention it, and to the module in DLR Test Trainer that trains it.

Sources: dlr.de, aviationfocus.aero, pilotest.com, flightdeckfriend.com, bundeswehr.de, sphair.ch. As of October 2026.

The app covers six of the ten rows directly, and those are exactly the areas where practice pays off most: tasks with a fixed format, clear strategies and measurable progress.

Can I use a DLR test app to practise for other pilot aptitude tests?

Yes, for the cognitive parts. Mental arithmetic, cube folding, path tracing, memory span, concentration tasks, technical questions, physics and English are skills that transfer between tests, even if the format in COMPASS or PILAPT looks different.

DLR Test Trainer is built as a complete training programme for these computer-based test types:

• 10 test types: SKT, VMC, RMS, KRN, OWT, PPT, WFG, TVT, PHY and ENS, covering concentration, memory, numerical ability, perception, spatial reasoning, technical knowledge, physics and English.
• Exam simulation: all 10 modules back to back in the order of the DLR test, about 60 minutes in full or about 30 minutes in the compact version. That builds the stamina and focus you need for any long test block.
• Adaptive levels and error analysis: after three green rounds in a row the app suggests the next level, and after every session it tells you what went wrong (too slow, wrong rule, which task type).
• Target-value traffic lights, history and a training plan with countdown: you see which skill lags behind, whatever test you are preparing for.
• Every task freshly generated: you cannot memorise answers, so you train the ability itself. That is what makes the practice transferable.
• Offline, no account, no ads, on iOS and Android, in English, German, French and Italian. PPT, WFG, TVT and ENS are free forever.

To be clear: the app contains no original tasks from the DLR or any other provider, and no training can guarantee a result. The detailed answer is on the question page Can I use a DLR test app for other pilot aptitude tests?. How the app compares with other practice software is covered in Best DLR test app compared.

What does an app not cover, and how do you fill the gaps?

No app trains real joystick coordination, personality questionnaires or group exercises. These parts appear in many pilot aptitude tests and need a different kind of preparation.

Psychomotor skills and multitasking. Whether it is MIC at the DLR, Fly Through Boxes and ILS Tracking in PILAPT or joystick, pedals and throttle at the Bundeswehr, this is hand-eye coordination with real hardware. You can supplement it realistically with a PC flight simulator and a basic joystick, tracking exercises and drills where you steer while keeping numbers in your head. More in MIC: the multitasking test.

Personality. There are no right answers. Read every item carefully, answer honestly and consistently, and arrive well rested. Why gaming the questionnaire backfires is explained in Can you prepare for the DLR personality questionnaire?.

Group exercises and interviews. These usually come after the computer test, for example in the Lufthansa Group assessment or, according to reports, at KLM. Practise explaining your motivation clearly in two minutes, and in groups practise listening, summarising and steering towards a joint decision.

Test-specific format. Every system has its own controls, time limits and instructions. In the last two weeks, use the official materials of your test as soon as they arrive with your invitation.

What does a 6-week foundation plan for any pilot aptitude test look like?

A test-independent plan trains the shared core skills for six weeks and switches to your specific format only at the end. Plan 20 to 45 minutes a day, five to six days a week.

This plan is deliberately shorter than a DLR-specific plan because it is a foundation. Once you have a date, move to a detailed plan such as DLR test preparation 2026 for dates this year or DLR test preparation 2027 if you are planning ahead. The training plan with countdown in the app helps you stay on track until test day.

Which tips help for each skill?

Each skill has a strategy that carries over between tests. Here are the essentials; the module articles go into depth.

Mental arithmetic

Memorise squares up to 30 and cubes up to 10, and practise percentages, unit conversions and speed, time and distance. If there is an input field, type intermediate results straight away instead of holding them in your head.

Spatial reasoning

For cube nets, pick one face as a reference and check its neighbours including orientation. Opposite faces are never visible at the same corner. For path figures, follow the line in your head as if you were driving it.

Memory

For n-back tasks, carry a short verbal code along like a snake. For digit sequences, the chunk-of-three technique works well: repeat digits silently in groups and drop the oldest block.

Attention and perception

Start deliberately slowly and only increase speed once your error rate is right. With instruments, first locate the relevant positions, then read only their values.

Technical knowledge, physics and English

Here, foundations count. Review formulas such as F = m · a, U = R · I and p = F/A, read English texts regularly and work towards a solid B2 level.

Sources

• DLR: Aerospace psychology test centre (German)
• DLR: Pilot certificate (German)
• Aviation Focus: COMPASS FAQ
• pilotest.com: PILAPT preparation
• Flight Deck Friend: Pilot aptitude tests
• Air Pilots: Aptitude tests
• Bundeswehr: Aptitude assessment for flying service (German)
• SPHAIR: pilot screening (in German)