How Long Should You Prepare for the DLR Test?

There's no official figure here, but anecdotal reports commonly point to around 2 to 3 months of preparation, with roughly 20 to 45 minutes of practice a day. That's not an official DLR requirement — it's a rough benchmark drawn from candidates' own accounts. How much preparation you actually need depends on your starting point, which procedure you're aiming for, and how comfortable you already are with formats like concentration tests or mental arithmetic under time pressure.

Why consistency beats total hours

The computer-based performance tests in the DLR test — things like the triangle test, visual memory, or backward digit span — assess reaction speed, concentration, and composure under time pressure more than subject knowledge. Those kinds of skills are hard to build in a few intense sessions right before your appointment, but they respond well to short, frequently repeated practice spread across several weeks. A daily 20–45 minute window is usually more useful than occasional weekend marathons.

What else matters besides timing

Depending on the procedure, there's other content that needs its own lead time:

• Knowledge tests: English (usually targeting rating A or B), technical understanding, and sometimes maths/physics at a level between lower and upper secondary school — brushing up on formulas and vocabulary helps here.
• Performance tests: concentration, memory, spatial reasoning — mostly a matter of practicing with realistic formats.
• Personality questionnaire: not something you can "train" in the usual sense, but honest self-reflection beforehand can help you go in more relaxed.

For more detail on exactly what's tested, see the linked question; for a structured schedule, the 8-week training plan walks through it week by week.

Don't skip the mental side

Beyond content practice, many candidates report that managing exam stress matters just as much as raw preparation — more on that in the article on stress and mindset.

TipIf you want to practice the test types in a realistic, computer-based format rather than just reading about them, the DLR Exam Trainer app covers ten of them, works offline, and needs no account.

No training app or course can guarantee a pass — preparation improves your odds, but it doesn't replace your own performance on test day.

These figures come from anecdotal reports, not official DLR requirements. For binding information on any specific procedure, only DLR's own information and that of the relevant airline or flight school applies.