DLR Can I use a DLR test app for other pilot aptitude tests?
Yes, for the cognitive parts. Mental arithmetic, spatial reasoning, memory, concentration, technical knowledge and English are also tested by COMPASS, PILAPT, ADAPT, SPHAIR and air forces. No app covers joystick tasks, personality or group exercises, and the exact format comes from official materials.
Yes, with one caveat. The tasks in COMPASS, PILAPT, ADAPT or SPHAIR look different from the DLR test, but the skills being measured overlap heavily. If you use a DLR test app to train mental arithmetic, cube nets, memory span and concentration under time pressure, you improve exactly the foundations that almost every pilot aptitude test measures. What does not transfer is what no app can do anyway: real joystick coordination, personality questionnaires and group exercises.
Which skills transfer?
| Skill | Appears in (according to sources) | DLR Test Trainer module |
|---|---|---|
| Mental arithmetic, numerical | DLR, PILAPT, ADAPT, SPHAIR, Bundeswehr | KRN |
| Spatial reasoning | DLR, PILAPT, SPHAIR, Bundeswehr | PPT, WFG |
| Memory | DLR, SPHAIR, Bundeswehr | VMC, RMS |
| Attention under time pressure | DLR, PILAPT, SPHAIR | SKT, OWT |
| Technical knowledge and physics | DLR, ADAPT, SPHAIR | TVT, PHY |
| English | DLR, COMPASS, SPHAIR | ENS |
| Psychomotor with joystick | DLR (MIC), PILAPT, ADAPT, SPHAIR, Bundeswehr | not covered |
| Personality | DLR, ADAPT, SPHAIR | not covered |
Sources: dlr.de, aviationfocus.aero, pilotest.com, flightdeckfriend.com, sphair.ch, bundeswehr.de. As of October 2026.
DLR Test Trainer trains 10 of these test types, which makes it a complete foundation programme: every task is freshly generated, so you train the skill rather than memorising answers. Adaptive levels, error analysis after every session, target-value traffic lights and an exam simulation of all 10 modules (about 60 minutes in full, about 30 minutes compact) show you where you stand. The app runs offline, without an account and without ads on iOS and Android, and four modules are free forever.
What does not transfer?
Psychomotor skills: MIC at the DLR, Fly Through Boxes and ILS Tracking in PILAPT, or joystick and pedals at the Bundeswehr need real hardware. A basic joystick and a PC flight simulator help, see How to train MIC for the DLR test.
Personality: there are no right answers. Answering honestly and consistently is the best preparation; more in Can you prepare for the DLR personality questionnaire?.
Test format: controls, time limits and instructions differ by provider. The app contains no original tasks from the DLR or any other provider, and it is not affiliated with any test provider. Practise the specific format shortly before your date with the official materials. What the DLR test itself covers is in the DLR test complete guide, and what an app can do in general is on Can you prepare for the DLR test with an app?.
How should I go about it?
TipStart with the shared core skills while your procedure is still open, and switch to the specific format in the last two weeks.
A test-independent 6-week plan and an overview of all procedures are in Pilot aptitude test preparation. If you are aiming for an air force, read Military pilot aptitude tests: SPHAIR, Bundeswehr and Bundesheer. Which practice apps exist and how they differ is compared in Best DLR test app compared. No app can guarantee a result, but regular training takes a lot of uncertainty out of test day.