Pre-Hire cognitive testing???

galvestonaggie

galvestonaggie

Well-Known Member
So a friend of mine that fly's for an unnamed airline got popped with a DWI awhile back and after great fan fare and thousands of dollars he finally gets this thing off his record. However, before the FAA will give him his medical back they make him do 2k worth of "cognitive testing" which he passed by the hair of his chinny chin chin. He said this test had ridiculous amounts of complex algebra, spelling (some words 16 letters long) and made him repeat complex stings of letters and numbers forward and backwards. At one point he told the doctor "dude I can't say the alphabet without singing the song and I haven't done this kind of Algebra in 15 years". Not sure if the doctor fudged the numbers or what but somehow he passed.

Anyway the interesting thing that he told me which I wanted to share/ask you guys is that apparently airlines are talking about requiring this test prior to employment. Has anyone heard anything about this? Apparently this doctors business has increased 2,000% since the FAA started using this test.

I for one think think this is a bunch of insane psycho babble crap that in no way dictates how an individual may or may not operate an aircraft, as that can only come with 'time on the water" and not sitting in some tweed jackets office playing word and number games. Your thoughts???? ​
 
This "friend" shouldn't have been drinking and driving....but anyways. I am sure the good doctor on the forum can shed light on to what actual testing your "friend" had to do. From my 5 minute search on the FAA's website it sounds like:

Complex Cognitive Assessment Battery

CCAB contains nine tests of higher cognitive functions. The tests include Tower Puzzle, Mark Numbers, Numbers and Words, Information Purchase, Route, Planning, and Missing Items. The PC-based software features the capability of customized test configurations, menu-driven software, repeated measures, variable levels of difficulty, and automated scoring and reporting. CCAB is written in the C programming language.

In terms of utilizing testing like this for airline hire, airlines in Europe and from what I understand Asia and parts of South America utilize it has a means to test the critical thinking abilities of their pilot applicants. At Lufthansa for example, you won't even get an interview until you have passed their critical thinking/psychological evaluation.

If you go to Lufthansa's career portal, they give you the option of seeing what kinds of testing is utilized for their hiring process. http://www.be-lufthansa.com/#/de/lounge/training-area/

I don't think it is necessarily difficult; in my opinion, if someone is able to become an ATP they can certainly master this sort of testing. My friends who have taken the AT-SAT liken the questions on there to this sort of test.
 
That sounds a little off the wall. I had a friend get a DUI same as DWI and he got his medical and the only thing he had to do was take a psychological exam but it didn't involve any crazy test it just was to see if he had an alcohol abuse problem.

My cousin is going through the process right now with two DUIs (long time ago) and he was told he just needs to get a psych eval done. Now give they are expensive and the closest guy to us is two states away but still doesn't sound anything like what your describing.
 
American Eagle used to do something that sounds very similar. It was a computer-based test that had you repeat letter-number sequences, do wierd little reaction time tests, and bizarre hand-eye coordination things (sometimes combining several of these into one exercise). I know of a couple of people who failed it and had to pay hundreds of dollars to have a doctor administer another one.

I thought I bombed it, but apparently it went OK. I don't think they do it anymore.

I for one think think this is a bunch of insane psycho babble crap that in no way dictates how an individual may or may not operate an aircraft, as that can only come with 'time on the water" and not sitting in some tweed jackets office playing word and number games.
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It could be, but I'd be willing to bet that the airlines that have or plan to use it probably know more about how good a predictor of ability it is that I do.
 
I should clairfy, the FAA only requires this if there is a question of Alcohol Abuse which in this case there was (this wasn't his first rodeo!)


I'm not saying this testing is a bad thing, I just question how good a predictor it is of ones flying skills. More than anything I think these "Human Resource" type people have way the hell to much power in the workplace today. These people rarely understand a dam thing about how companies actually work and make money, they are more concerned about technicalities and protecting there personal fiefdoms. Then twice a year they get in 15 passenger vans and go down to your local Double Tree and have a "HR professionals convention" were they waste the companies money paying some cockamamie shrink to come speak about "cognitive testing". I come from the old school, its called stick and rudder and I could give a dam if the guy doesn't put a cover sheet on his TPS report or can't say the alphabet backwards. Just my 2 cents
 
galvestonaggie said:

I for one think think this is a bunch of insane psycho babble crap that in no way dictates how an individual may or may not operate an aircraft, as that can only come with 'time on the water" and not sitting in some tweed jackets office playing word and number games. Your thoughts???? ​
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Cognitive testing involving problem-solving and logic does not equal "insane psycho babble".
 
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