▒ ▒ English Proficiency Test of Aviation ▒ ▒

The test consists of two (2) main parts. In the first part, the examinee responds to tape-mediated questions while in the second part, the examinee interacts face-to-face with an interlocutor.

Audio mediated and/or computer based

5 sections

30 minutes

20 questions

Interview with a ‘native-English’ speaker with a background in aviation

5-10 minutes

5 questions

Part 1. Tape-Mediated Questions (30 min, approx.)

Task			Qs	Time
Introduction	Task 1	Giving Personal Information	3	2min
Read message	Task 2	Enunciating Radiotelephony Messages	5	2min
Comprehending and Describing a Situation	Task 3	Stating Own Idea about a Situation	2	3min
	Task 4	Answering Questions about a Conversation	2	4min
	Task 5	Creating a Story from Illustrations	1	3min
Emergency Response	Task 6	Responding to a Communication Problem	2	2min
	Task 7	Responding to an Emergency	2	5min
	Task 8	Handling a System Malfunction	1	3min
Expressing an Opinion	Task 9	Expressing an Opinion 1	1	2min
Expressing an Opinion	Task 10	Expressing an Opinion 2	1	2min
Total number of questions and duration			20	30min

Part 2. Personal Interview (5-10 min, approx.)

Part 1.	Introduction and Casual Conversation
Part 2.	Giving Information about Day-to-Day Activities
Part 3.	Providing Job-Related Information
Part 4.	Providing a Solution to an Abnormal Situation
Part 5.	Sharing an Opinion

In this part of the test, the examinee listens and responds to different aviation related situations and tasks. All are conveyed in audio format except for Task 2 which requires the examinee to read Radiotelephony messages out loud.

Task 1. Giving Personal Information

This part of the test requires the examinee to respond to three (3) questions which ask for personal information. The examinee is given a specific amount of time to answer each question. These questions follow the format shown below:

a. Name, date and place of birth
b. Question requiring a response in the present tense
c. Question requiring a response in the past tense

Task 2. Enunciating Radiotelephony Messages

This task contains five (5) written radiotelephony messages that are to be read out loud by the examinee. Each message occurs at a different phase of flight operations. The purpose of this task is to assess the examinee’s ability to relay radiotelephony messages clearly and fluently.

The examinee is expected to enunciate messages that are usually transmitted during specific phases of flight operations, such as:

- Start-up
- Taxi to and from the airport terminal
- Takeoff
- Climb out
- En route
- Descent
- Landing
- In an abnormal or emergency situation

Enunciating ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) transmissions may also be included in the test sets for air traffic controllers (ATC).

Task 3. Stating Own Idea about a Situation

In this part of the test, a picture or illustration is presented, such as a damaged airplane, scraped runway, ditched aircraft, etc. The examinee will be asked first to describe the picture and then will be required to state a theory or idea of the chain of events which led to the situation depicted in the picture.

Task 4. Answering Questions about a Conversation

In this part of the test, the examinee listens to a simulated radiotelephony conversation between a pilot and an air traffic controller, and will be required to answer two questions regarding the conversation.

Task 5. Creating a Story from Illustrations

This part of the test presents five (5) illustrations or pictures. The examinee is required to narrate a story based on these pictures, and must begin the story with the phrase provided in the test booklet. The examinee should tell the story using the verb tense indicated in the opening phrase.

Task 6. Responding to a Communication Problem

In this part of the test, the examinee will be presented with a situation. The examinee will then be required to role-play by responding to a series of radiotelephony communications based on the situation.

Task 7. Responding to an Emergency

In this part of the test, the examinee is required to discuss the steps that he would take to handle an emergency situation that occurs during routine operations. The examinee will also be required to provide a sample of the radio message he/she will give to communicate his/her response to the situation. Possible scenarios include pilot or officer incapacitation, passenger health problem, etc.

Task 8. Handling a System Malfunction

A system malfunction that hinders the execution of his/her duty confronts the examinee in this task - aircraft systems or instrumentation in the case of a pilot and ATC equipment in the case of a controller. The examinee responds by stating how he/she would deal with the problem.

Task 9. Expressing an Opinion 1

This part of the test requires the examinee to express and defend an opinion about the issue presented in the task. Possible content includes issues about the environment, labor disputes, proposed regulations, new technology, etc.

Task 10. Expressing an Opinion 2

In this part of the test, the examinee is required to answer questions and follow the instructions given by the interlocutor. The interview will be recorded, and the verbal responses given by the examinee will be used to assess his speaking ability.

Task 1. Introduction and Casual Conversation

This part of the interview requires the examinee to provide personal information. The examinee will be rated on his ability to maintain a casual conversation with the interlocutor, and the degree of clarity he demonstrates in providing the information.

Task 2. Giving Information about Day-to-Day Activities

The examinee will be asked a question that pertains to day-to-day activities. He will be expected to respond by describing the activity in detail.

Task 3. Providing Job-Related Information

In this part of the test, the examinee is asked to provide a general description of his job functions. He may also be asked to provide simple descriptions of the functions and appearance of the machines and equipment he regularly uses in the performance of his duties as a pilot or air traffic controller. In doing so, the examinee is encouraged to use simple, non-technical words that would be easily understood by someone who is not in the same field.

Task 4. Providing a Solution to an Abnormal Situation

In this part of the test, the examinee is required to provide a solution to a situation depicted by the interlocutor. The situation depicted by the interlocutor is one which has either happened in the past, or can conceivably occur in the future. The examinee may also be asked to provide suggestions on how to prevent the situation from happening. The interlocutor may ask the examinee to clarify his response by asking follow-up questions about the solution presented by the examinee.

Task 5. Sharing an Opinion

This part of the interview requires the examinee to state an opinion about a topic or issue that the interlocutor presents. The examinee will be rated on his ability to formulate and state convincing arguments or reasons for his position.