What the conversation usually covers
The online assessment lasts 20 minutes. It is a conversation, not a grammar quiz. You may discuss your aviation background, operational situations and unexpected events, and respond to follow-up questions. The examiner listens for six things: pronunciation, structure, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and interaction.
1. You and your flying
A short warm-up that lets you settle in. Answer naturally and add detail rather than giving one-line answers.
- Tell me about your current job. What aircraft do you fly and on which routes?
- How did you become a pilot, and what was the hardest part of your training?
- What do you enjoy most about your job, and what would you change about it?
- Describe a typical duty day from report time to off-blocks.
- How has your job changed since you started flying?
2. Operational and non-routine situations
The core of an ICAO assessment is how you communicate when things do not go as planned. Explain what happened, what you did and why.
- Tell me about a flight where the weather was much worse than forecast. How did you and your crew manage it?
- Have you ever had a technical problem in flight? Describe what happened and how you communicated with ATC and the cabin.
- Describe a situation where you misunderstood ATC, or ATC misunderstood you. How was it resolved?
- A passenger becomes seriously ill during cruise. What would you do, and what would you tell ATC?
- You smell smoke in the cockpit shortly after take-off. Talk me through your actions and your radio calls.
- Your destination closes because of a disabled aircraft on the runway. What are your options?
3. Explaining, comparing and giving opinions
These questions test vocabulary range and whether you can paraphrase when you do not know an exact word.
- Compare flying short-haul and long-haul. Which suits you better and why?
- What are the main causes of fatigue for airline pilots, and how can it be managed?
- How has automation changed the pilot’s role? Is it making pilots less skilled?
- Why do you think communication errors still happen in aviation?
- What advice would you give a new first officer joining your airline?
4. Understanding and clarifying
Comprehension and interaction count as much as speaking. In real operations you must check, confirm and clarify. Practise responding to statements like these:
- “Could you explain that procedure again in simpler terms?” Practise paraphrasing your own answer.
- Listen to a long ATC instruction (for example from a recorded frequency) and summarise it in your own words.
- Practise phrases for checking: “Just to confirm, you mean…”, “Sorry, did you say…?”, “Could you say that more slowly?”
What a strong answer sounds like
Question: Tell me about a time the weather was worse than forecast.
A short answer: “Yes, once in winter there was snow. We held and then we landed.”
A stronger answer: “Last winter we were inbound to Munich and the forecast showed light snow, but on descent the visibility dropped quickly and the runway was closed for snow clearance. We entered the hold, worked out how long we could stay with our fuel, and briefed a diversion to Nuremberg. I kept the cabin crew informed so they could prepare the passengers. After about twenty minutes the runway reopened and we landed safely, but it was a good reminder to always have a realistic plan B.”
The stronger answer is not about difficult words. It is organised, gives reasons, uses past tenses correctly and keeps going naturally. That is what moves you from Level 4 towards Level 5 and 6.
Five habits that cost points
- Memorised speeches. Examiners notice them quickly and ask follow-up questions that break the script.
- Answering only in phraseology. Standard phraseology matters, but the assessment focuses on plain English in an aviation context.
- Very short answers. One sentence gives the examiner too little to rate. Explain, give an example, add a reason.
- Not asking for clarification. Guessing is riskier than checking. Clarifying shows good interaction.
- Rushing. A steady, clear pace is better for pronunciation and fluency than speaking fast.
Not sure you are ready? Try a mock first
The ICAO mock assessment (€69) follows the real exam style, with personal feedback against the ICAO criteria and clear priorities before your official exam. It does not produce a certificate.
Request a mock or examWill these exact questions come up in my exam?
No. These are practice examples. Prompts vary from session to session and the real questions are not published in advance.
Is the ICAO English test about phraseology?
Not mainly. Standard phraseology is important in operations, but the ICAO language proficiency assessment focuses on plain English in an aviation context: explaining, describing, clarifying and handling unexpected situations.
How long are the answers supposed to be?
Long enough to show your range: usually several sentences with an explanation, an example or a reason. One-line answers make it hard for the examiner to rate you above Level 4.
Can I practise with the examiner before the official exam?
Yes. You can book an ICAO mock assessment or one-to-one aviation English lessons first. They help you prepare but cannot guarantee a particular level.