Airline Pilot Simulator Assessment: What are they really assessing?
For many pilots, the simulator assessment is the part of an airline selection process that creates the most anxiety.
You can prepare for interview questions.
You can research the airline.
You can rehearse your technical knowledge.
But once you sit down in the simulator and the assessment starts, everything becomes real.
The aircraft starts moving.
The workload builds.
Something doesn't go according to plan.
Your assessor is watching.
And suddenly you're wondering:
"What exactly are they looking for?"
Is it manual flying?
Technical knowledge?
CRM?
Decision making?
How accurately you fly the approach?
How you respond to an engine failure?
The answer is:
Potentially all of these — but the weighting and format vary considerably between airlines and assessments.
A simulator assessment isn't simply a test of whether you can fly an aircraft accurately.
For many airline selection processes, it is an opportunity to observe how you operate as a pilot when the workload increases.
That means the most important question isn't:
"How do I fly a perfect simulator session?"
It's:
"What does my behaviour in the simulator tell the airline about the way I would operate in their flight deck?"
That is a much better way to prepare.
SEAN'S PERSPECTIVE
I've sat in enough airline simulators to know how easy it is to become obsessed with the wrong thing.
You start thinking:
"I need to fly the approach perfectly."
"I can't make a mistake."
"I need to show them how good my handling is."
That mindset can actually make you a worse candidate.
Because the simulator isn't necessarily looking for someone who can perform a flawless demonstration flight.
The assessor wants to see how you operate.
How do you prepare?
How do you brief?
How do you manage the aircraft?
How do you communicate?
What happens when the workload increases?
Do you recognise when you're becoming overloaded?
Do you prioritise?
Do you use the other pilot effectively?
Can you make a decision?
Can you maintain control when something doesn't go according to plan?
Those behaviours tell an airline much more than whether you flew one approach to an impressively small deviation.
WHAT IS AN AIRLINE PILOT SIMULATOR ASSESSMENT?
An airline pilot simulator assessment is a practical evaluation used by some airlines as part of their pilot recruitment or selection process.
Depending on the airline, candidate experience and aircraft, it can involve some combination of:
• Basic aircraft handling
• Instrument flying
• Approaches
• Raw-data flying
• Normal procedures
• Abnormal or emergency scenarios
• Briefing
• Communication
• CRM
• Workload management
• Decision making
• Problem solving
• Leadership
• Following procedures
• Situational awareness
The exact format varies.
Some airlines may use a full-flight simulator.
Others may use a fixed-base device or another approved training device.
Some assessments are highly type-specific.
Others are designed to assess general flying ability and pilot competencies.
There is therefore no single universal airline simulator assessment.
That's important because it illustrates a broader point:
Being able to control the aircraft is only one part of being assessed as a pilot.
WHAT ARE INTERVIEWERS REALLY ASSESSING IN A PILOT SIMULATOR?
There isn't one universal scoring system across every airline.
But based on current airline assessment guidance and competency frameworks, there are several recurring areas you should expect to matter.
1. AIRCRAFT CONTROL
Can you safely control the aircraft?
This includes things such as:
• Flight path management
• Instrument tracking
• Speed control
• Altitude control
• Heading
• Approach management
• Basic manoeuvring
This is obviously important.
But here's the first misconception I'd challenge:
Good simulator performance does not necessarily mean perfect simulator performance.
Airlines know candidates can make small errors.
What matters is often how you manage them.
If you become slightly high on an approach, do you recognise it?
Do you correct appropriately?
Do you allow the correction to create another problem?
Do you become fixated?
Or do you maintain a stable, controlled approach to the situation?
Error management is part of flying.
2. PROCEDURES AND SOP DISCIPLINE
Airlines don't simply want pilots who can manipulate controls.
They want pilots who can operate safely within an established system.
That means assessors may pay attention to:
• Briefings
• Checklists
• Callouts
• Standard operating procedures
• Mode awareness
• Configuration
• Communication
• Appropriate sequencing of tasks
The exact procedures obviously depend on the aircraft and assessment.
But the underlying principle is straightforward:
Can you operate in a disciplined, structured way?
This becomes particularly important when the workload increases.
Anyone can look organised when everything is going perfectly.
The assessment becomes more revealing when something changes.
3. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
Situational awareness is more than knowing your altitude and heading.
It means maintaining an accurate mental picture of:
• Where you are
• Where you're going
• What the aircraft is doing
• What the other crew member is doing
• What has changed
• What is likely to happen next
• What options remain available
A candidate can become technically fixated and lose the bigger picture.
For example, imagine you're dealing with an abnormal situation while also managing an approach.
You might be so focused on completing a procedure that you fail to recognise:
• The aircraft is becoming unstable
• Your workload is increasing
• Your fuel situation is changing
• Your available options are reducing
That's where situational awareness becomes visible.
4. WORKLOAD MANAGEMENT
This is one of the most important areas to understand.
Airline flying isn't about doing everything simultaneously.
It's about prioritising correctly.
A useful principle is:
Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.
But effective workload management goes further.
You need to recognise:
What matters now?
What can wait?
What can I delegate?
What information do I actually need?
What task should I stop doing?
Do I need to slow the situation down?
The simulator is often designed to increase your workload.
An assessment may start relatively comfortably.
Then another task appears.
Then another.
Then something unexpected happens.
The purpose isn't necessarily to see whether you can perform a complicated sequence of tasks simultaneously.
It's to see how your performance changes as the workload increases.
Do you:
• Prioritise?
• Delegate?
• Slow down?
• Communicate?
• Ask for help?
• Recognise your limitations?
• Continue trying to do everything yourself?
The last one can be a problem.
5. CRM
Crew Resource Management is a major component of modern multi-crew airline operations.
So don't treat CRM as:
"We get along well."
CRM is much more than that.
Assessors can observe how you:
• Brief the other pilot
• Communicate your intentions
• Listen
• Share information
• Use available resources
• Challenge appropriately
• Accept input
• Delegate
• Maintain authority without becoming authoritarian
• Support the other crew member
GOOD CRM DOESN'T MEAN BEING QUIET AND POLITE
This is an important distinction.
Some pilots hear "CRM" and think:
"I need to be really nice and collaborative."
Yes — but not at the expense of assertiveness.
A good First Officer should be able to challenge the captain.
A good captain should be receptive to challenge.
A good crew should be able to disagree professionally.
If you see something that concerns you, saying nothing because you don't want to appear difficult isn't good CRM.
Likewise, aggressively taking over every situation isn't good CRM either.
The balance is:
Assertive enough to protect safety.
Collaborative enough to use the crew effectively.
That's much closer to what you're trying to demonstrate.
A simulator assessment gives an airline the opportunity to see decision making rather than simply hear you talk about it.
That's valuable.
In an interview, you can say:
"I'm a strong decision maker."
In a simulator, the assessor can watch you make decisions.
What do you do when:
• The approach deteriorates?
• A technical issue develops?
• The workload increases?
• Your initial plan stops working?
• You have competing priorities?
• You need to discontinue an approach?
• You need to consider another option?
The decision itself isn't always the most important part.
The process behind it matters.
DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE SITUATION BECOMES A CRISIS
One of the strongest habits you can demonstrate is recognising a problem before it becomes a major problem.
Imagine your approach is gradually becoming less stable.
A poor response might be:
Continue trying to salvage it because you're committed to landing.
A stronger response might be:
Recognise the trend early, communicate it, reassess and take appropriate action.
That's proactive decision making.
You're not waiting for the aircraft to become obviously unsafe before doing something.
7. THREAT AND ERROR MANAGEMENT
Threat and Error Management is closely related to the areas above.
You don't necessarily need to verbalise every theoretical TEM concept.
But your behaviour should demonstrate that you understand:
What could go wrong?
What threats are present?
What errors have occurred?
What can I do before they develop into an undesired aircraft state?
The important point is that you're managing the situation before the situation manages you.
8. COMMUNICATION
Assessors aren't just listening for whether you speak.
They're looking at how you communicate.
Effective communication in a simulator includes:
• Clear briefings
• Concise instructions
• Appropriate callouts
• Sharing relevant information
• Closed-loop communication
• Speaking up when necessary
• Listening to the other pilot
• Avoiding unnecessary communication when workload is high
And there's another subtle point.
Good communication reduces workload.
Poor communication creates it.
If your instructions are vague, the other pilot has to interpret them.
If your briefing is disorganised, the crew has to work harder to understand the plan.
If you don't communicate a change in strategy, the other pilot can no longer anticipate what you're doing.
The simulator can expose these things very quickly.
9. LEADERSHIP
Leadership may be particularly visible if the assessment involves a multi-crew environment.
But leadership doesn't mean dominating the simulator.
In fact, that can be counterproductive.
Good leadership might look like:
"Let's stop here for a second. We're getting quite task saturated. I'll take the aircraft while you work through the checklist."
That's leadership.
So is:
"Can you confirm what you're seeing?"
So is:
"I don't think we're in a good position to continue this approach. Let's go around."
Leadership is often about creating clarity and keeping the crew ahead of the aircraft.
Not talking the most.
10. YOUR RESPONSE TO MISTAKES
This is one of the areas candidates often misunderstand.
They think:
"If I make a mistake, I've failed."
Not necessarily.
A simulator assessment is not real-world line flying.
The assessor knows you're under assessment.
They may be interested in how you respond when something doesn't go perfectly.
Suppose you make an error.
What happens next?
Do you:
• Recognise it?
• Correct it?
• Communicate it?
• Reprioritise?
• Become flustered?
• Ignore it?
• Blame someone else?
The ability to recover from an error is itself valuable evidence.
THE BIGGEST SIMULATOR ASSESSMENT MISTAKE: TRYING TO HIDE ERRORS
This is where I'd strongly challenge the normal mindset.
Some candidates become so focused on looking competent that they try to hide every mistake.
That's dangerous.
If you've made an error, recognise it and manage it.
Trying to pretend it didn't happen can create a bigger problem.
For example:
"I was slightly high, but I can get it back."
Then you keep forcing the approach.
Instead:
"We're not where we need to be. Let's reassess."
That's professional.
Airline flying isn't about never making an error.
It's about recognising and managing threats and errors effectively.
WHAT ABOUT MANUAL FLYING SKILLS?
Of course they matter.
You need to demonstrate sufficient aircraft control for the assessment.
Depending on the airline and candidate profile, this could involve:
• Straight and level flight
• Turns
• Climbs and descents
• Instrument tracking
• Approaches
• Go-arounds
• Abnormal procedures
• Other manoeuvres specified by the airline
But don't assume:
"If I fly perfectly, I'll pass."
A simulator assessment can reveal much more than manual handling.
A candidate could fly beautifully while demonstrating poor:
• CRM
• Workload management
• Decision making
• Communication
• Situational awareness
Conversely, a candidate might make a small handling error and demonstrate excellent recovery and crew management.
That doesn't mean handling is unimportant.
It means handling is part of the overall assessment rather than necessarily being the whole assessment.
WHAT IF YOU ARE USING AN AIRCRAFT TYPE YOU DON'T CURRENTLY FLY?
This is where airline-specific preparation becomes important.
Some simulator assessments are type-specific.
Others are designed for candidates who aren't current on that aircraft.
The airline should provide information about the expected format, equipment and preparation requirements.
Don't assume that because you found a forum post from another candidate, your assessment will be identical.
Candidate reports can become outdated.
The aircraft can change.
The recruitment campaign can change.
The simulator profile can change.
Even the assessor's briefing can change.
Always prioritise the information provided by the airline for your specific assessment.
SHOULD YOU PAY FOR SIMULATOR ASSESSMENT PREPARATION?
Potentially.
But this is another area where I'd challenge the conventional approach.
More simulator time isn't automatically better preparation.
If you don't understand what you're trying to improve, you can spend thousands of dollars repeating the same mistakes.
Before paying for simulator preparation, find out:
• What simulator will be used?
• What aircraft type?
• Is it type-specific?
• What exercises are expected?
• How long is the assessment?
• Is there a briefing?
• Is it single or multi-crew?
• What competencies are assessed?
• What technical preparation is expected?
Assessment-specific preparation beats generic simulator time.
DON'T OVER-TRAIN THE WRONG SIMULATOR
This is a costly mistake.
Imagine you've been told your assessment will involve a fixed-base device with a particular aircraft profile.
You spend several sessions in an expensive full-flight simulator practising something completely different.
You've gained flying time.
But have you improved your chances?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Assessment-specific preparation beats generic simulator time.
This is why knowing the airline's actual assessment format is so important.
WHAT SHOULD YOU PRACTISE BEFORE AN AIRLINE SIMULATOR ASSESSMENT?
I'd divide preparation into five areas.
1. AIRCRAFT HANDLING
Maintain currency in:
• Instrument flying
• Flight path control
• Speed
• Altitude
• Heading
• Approaches
• Go-arounds
2. PROCEDURES
Review:
• SOPs
• Callouts
• Checklists
• Briefings
• Normal procedures
3. ABNORMAL THINKING
Don't just memorise actions.
Understand:
• What is happening?
• What are the immediate priorities?
• What information do I need?
• What options do I have?
• What are the threats?
4. CRM
Practise:
• Briefing
• Delegation
• Challenge
• Communication
• Information sharing
• Decision making
5. WORKLOAD MANAGEMENT
Practise recognising:
When do I need to slow down?
That's an underrated skill.
YOUR BRIEFING MATTERS MORE THAN YOU THINK
Before the simulator starts, you may have an opportunity to brief.
Don't treat it as something you need to rush through because you want to start flying.
A good briefing establishes:
• The plan
• Roles
• Threats
• Expected challenges
• Communication
• What you'll do if things change
It also tells the assessor something about how you think.
Do you anticipate?
Do you structure information?
Do you understand the operation?
Do you make the other pilot part of the plan?
WHAT DOES A STRONG SIMULATOR CANDIDATE LOOK LIKE?
Imagine watching two candidates.
Candidate A:
Flies accurately.
Doesn't say much.
Does most tasks themselves.
Becomes increasingly stressed when workload increases.
Tries to recover every problem themselves.
Rarely asks for help.
Candidate B:
Flies competently.
Briefs clearly.
Communicates.
Delegates.
Recognises when workload is increasing.
Prioritises.
Uses the other pilot.
Makes decisions.
Corrects errors.
Maintains situational awareness.
Which candidate would you rather have sitting next to you on the flight deck?
That's the point.
The simulator is an opportunity to observe the pilot behind the hands.
HOW TO STAY CALM DURING A SIMULATOR ASSESSMENT
You can't completely eliminate nerves.
And you don't need to.
Instead, give yourself a process.
Before the session:
Understand the format.
Know what you are expected to do.
Prepare technically.
During the briefing:
Listen carefully.
Ask sensible clarification questions where necessary.
Don't try to demonstrate everything you know.
Once flying:
Fly the aircraft.
Stay ahead.
Use your normal scan.
When workload increases:
Prioritise.
Don't rush.
Communicate.
Delegate.
When something goes wrong:
Don't panic.
Identify the problem.
Stabilise the situation.
Decide.
Act.
Review.
That's it.
You don't need a special "assessment personality."
Operate like the professional pilot you already are.
THE SIMULATOR ASSESSMENT ISN'T AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW OFF
This might be the biggest mindset shift in this article.
You aren't there to impress the assessor with how much you can do.
You're there to demonstrate that you're safe, competent, trainable and capable of operating effectively in a multi-crew environment.
Don't volunteer unnecessary manoeuvres.
Don't aggressively chase perfection.
Don't turn every situation into an opportunity to demonstrate heroics.
If something doesn't need to be done, don't do it simply because you think it will impress the assessor.
Good airline pilots are not rewarded for making simple situations complicated.
SEAN'S PERSPECTIVE
The best advice I can give a pilot before a simulator assessment is:
"Don't try to become a different pilot for the assessment."
You've already built your flying experience.
Your job is to demonstrate it.
Use your normal scan.
Use your normal discipline.
Communicate as you normally would.
If something isn't going well, recognise it.
If you need help, use the other pilot.
If the situation is becoming unstable, slow it down.
And if you make a mistake, manage it.
You’d much rather see a candidate make a small error, recognise it and recover professionally than watch someone make the same error and spend the next five minutes trying to hide it.
The assessor isn't looking for perfection.
They're looking for evidence of how you operate.
WHAT ARE ASSESSORS REALLY LOOKING FOR?
If you want to simplify everything in this article, think about these questions.
Can you fly the aircraft safely?
Can you follow procedures?
Can you maintain situational awareness?
Can you manage workload?
Can you communicate?
Can you work effectively with another pilot?
Can you make decisions?
Can you recognise and manage threats?
Can you recover from mistakes?
Can you remain composed when the workload increases?
Can you demonstrate leadership without becoming overbearing?
Can you accept input and challenge appropriately?
That's a much more useful checklist than:
"How accurately can I fly an ILS?"
A BETTER WAY TO PREPARE FOR AN AIRLINE SIMULATOR ASSESSMENT
Rather than simply buying simulator hours, work through this sequence.
STEP 1 — FIND OUT WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY BEING ASSESSED ON
Get the airline's official information.
Don't rely entirely on internet forums.
STEP 2 — UNDERSTAND THE SIMULATOR
Find out:
• Aircraft
• Simulator type
• Session length
• PF/PM roles
• Expected manoeuvres
• Technical requirements
STEP 3 — IDENTIFY THE COMPETENCIES
What is the airline likely to observe?
Handling?
CRM?
Decision making?
Workload?
Leadership?
STEP 4 — PRACTISE THE WEAKEST AREAS
Don't spend all your time practising what you're already good at.
STEP 5 — PRACTISE UNDER INCREASING WORKLOAD
A simulator assessment is dynamic.
Preparation should be too.
STEP 6 — GET OBJECTIVE FEEDBACK
Ask someone to observe:
• Your communication
• Your scan
• Your prioritisation
• Your decision making
• Your CRM
• Your workload management
Don't just ask:
"Did I fly well?"
Ask:
"What did my performance tell you about me as a pilot?"
That's a much better question.
FREE AIRLINE INTERVIEW READINESS ASSESSMENT
The simulator is only one part of many airline selection processes.
If you're preparing for an airline interview and want to understand where your overall preparation currently sits, take the free Airline Interview Readiness Assessment.
It takes around two minutes and gives you a starting point for identifying areas you may need to work on before interview day.
WANT AIRLINE-SPECIFIC INTERVIEW PREPARATION?
Simulator assessments are particularly airline-specific.
The format, aircraft, competencies and expectations can vary considerably between airlines.
That's why generic preparation only gets you so far.
Our Airline Interview Coaching Assessment is built around the specific airline you're applying to.
You tell us who you're interviewing with.
We research the relevant recruitment process, reported interview questions, competencies and assessment themes we can identify.
We then use that research, together with your application and experience, to build a personalised mock interview specifically for your application.
We don't promise that the questions we research will be the exact questions you receive.
They may change.
The purpose of the research is to make your preparation as relevant as possible to the airline and application you're actually preparing for — while helping you develop the ability to deal with questions and scenarios you haven't seen before.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is an airline pilot simulator assessment?
An airline pilot simulator assessment is a practical evaluation used by some airlines during pilot recruitment and selection.
Depending on the airline, candidates may be assessed on aircraft handling, instrument flying, procedures, abnormal situations, CRM, communication, decision making and workload management.
The exact format varies between airlines.
What do airlines assess in a simulator assessment?
Airlines can assess both technical and non-technical pilot competencies.
These may include:
• Aircraft handling
• Procedures
• Situational awareness
• Workload management
• Decision making
• CRM
• Communication
• Leadership
• Threat and error management
• Response to abnormal situations
New Zealand's aviation competency framework, for example, explicitly recognises both technical and non-technical aspects of aircraft operation, including human factors and CRM.
Do you need to fly perfectly to pass an airline simulator assessment?
No assessment should be approached with the assumption that one minor error automatically means failure.
The required standard varies by airline and assessment.
More importantly, assessors can observe how you recognise and manage errors.
A candidate who makes a small mistake and responds professionally may demonstrate better judgement than one who becomes fixated on hiding the mistake.
You still need to demonstrate the required level of aircraft control, but simulator performance should be viewed as a broader assessment of how you operate.
Is CRM assessed during a pilot simulator assessment?
It can be.
CRM can include communication, teamwork, leadership, workload management, information sharing, appropriate challenge and use of available resources.
What happens if I make a mistake during the simulator assessment?
Don't panic.
Recognise the error, correct it where appropriate, communicate and continue operating.
Trying to hide a mistake can make the situation worse.
The important thing is to demonstrate that you can recognise and manage errors professionally.
Should I practise in a simulator before an airline assessment?
It can be useful, particularly if the preparation is relevant to the airline's actual assessment format.
However, more simulator time isn't automatically better.
Ideally, find out what simulator, aircraft, profile and competencies will be used before investing heavily in preparation.
What should I practise for an airline simulator assessment?
Focus on:
• Aircraft handling
• Instrument flying
• Procedures
• Briefings
• CRM
• Communication
• Workload management
• Decision making
• Abnormal situations
• Threat and error management
Your preparation should reflect the actual airline assessment requirements where those are known.
What if the simulator is on an aircraft I don't currently fly?
Don't assume you'll be assessed in exactly the same way as a type-rated pilot.
Assessment profiles vary.
Find out what the airline expects and what information it provides about the simulator session.
If the assessment involves an unfamiliar aircraft, focus particularly on the briefing, procedures you're given, basic handling, instrument skills and your ability to learn and apply information.
How can I improve my CRM before a simulator assessment?
Practise communicating your intentions clearly.
Work on:
• Briefing
• Delegation
• Listening
• Appropriate challenge
• Sharing information
• Decision making
• Asking for assistance
• Maintaining situational awareness
Good CRM isn't about talking constantly.
It's about making effective use of the crew and available resources.
What is the biggest mistake candidates make in simulator assessments?
One of the biggest mistakes is focusing almost entirely on manual flying while forgetting that the simulator can also reveal how you manage workload, communicate, make decisions and work with another pilot.
Another common mistake is trying to hide errors rather than recognising and managing them.
How do I stay calm during an airline simulator assessment?
Prepare the format beforehand, maintain your normal scan and avoid rushing when the workload increases.
When something goes wrong, prioritise the aircraft, communicate clearly and work through the problem systematically.
Don't try to impress the assessor.
Operate professionally.
Can airline interview coaching help with simulator assessment preparation?
Interview coaching and simulator preparation are not the same thing.
Simulator training should be aligned to the practical requirements of the specific assessment.
However, understanding the broader airline recruitment process and the competencies being assessed can help you prepare more effectively for the selection process as a whole.
Our Airline Interview Coaching Assessment focuses on the interview side of airline selection. We research the specific airline's recruitment process, reported questions and competencies and build a mock interview tailored to the candidate's application.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The simulator assessment can feel like a test of whether you're a good enough pilot.
But that's only part of what's happening.
The assessor isn't just watching the flight path.
They're watching the pilot.
How you prepare.
How you communicate.
How you prioritise.
How you respond when something changes.
How you use the other pilot.
How you make decisions.
How you recover from mistakes.
How you manage your workload.
And whether you remain safe and effective when things become more complicated.
So don't walk into the simulator thinking:
"I need to fly perfectly."
Walk in thinking:
"I need to demonstrate how I operate."
That's a very different mindset.
And, ultimately, it's much closer to what an airline is trying to find out:
Can this pilot operate safely, professionally and effectively as part of our flight crew?
Best regards
Sean | B787 Pilot | Founder - My Flight Deck Prep