British Airways Assessment Centre, Aptitude Tests & Interview Process Online Preparation – 2024

What Is British Airways?

British Airways is the subsidy of International Airlines Group and the second-largest airline in the United Kingdom. Since 1974, they have expanded to a fleet of over 400 aircraft and almost two-hundred international destinations. British Airways has two hubs located near the London Heathrow Airport. These two hubs are the sites for interviewing, training and recruiting new pilots for their team.

What Is the British Airway’s Hiring Process?

British Airways employs a rigorous hiring process to ensure the quality of the pilot. This includes multiple-aptitude tests, pre-employment checks, and behavioural assessments. The process itself can take about three months and follows the outline below:

• Application
• Assessment Centre
• Simulator Test

Application

The online application takes about a half-hour to complete. Depending on the position, job seekers are required to meet certain eligibility criteria such as flight hours or experience with a particular aircraft. Be sure to double-check these before applying for the role.

British Airways includes a handful of behavioural and technical tests on the application form as well as inquiries about interest in the company and knowledge of the job.

British Airway’s Assessment Centre

The assessment centre has two parts which occur during two, separate days. The first day is chiefly concerned with testing and the general intelligence of the candidates. The second day, on the other hand, focuses more on behaviour and teamwork capabilities. This is achieved through a series of interviews and group exercises.

Applicants invited to the first round at the assessment centre will be introduced to a few key members of the British Airways team. Then, certain documents must be presented and verified with the company before the testing can begin.

British Airways uses online tests are a way of gaining insight into the candidate’s mental capacity and intelligence. The tests are taken onsite and with a proctor to prevent cheating and guarantee accurate results. Pilots interested in British Airways may encounter the following assessments on the first day:

• Capacity Test
  The capacity test consists of two exams assessing the candidate on their knowledge of flying and aircraft. Each exam is split into sections such as multitasking, directing flights and flight crew testing. The assessments are timed and interactive, which means that none of the questions are multiple-choice.
• Numerical Reasoning
  The numerical reasoning exam is an eighteen-question assessment designed to evaluate analytical thinking and understanding of mathematics. The test follows a simple, multiple-choice question format. A graph or table is presented that must be analyzed for particular trends, subsequently, there will be a handful of follow-up questions about the data. The questions allow the candidate to demonstrate their comprehension of quantitative patterns, mathematical operations, and the ability to use deductive and numerical reasoning. There is a twenty-five-minute time limit on the test, and the questions get harder as the candidate progresses through the test.
• Verbal Reasoning
  The verbal reasoning test contains thirty adaptive questions. The structure mirrors that of the numerical reasoning test. There will be a brief passage followed by three to five statements regarding the relationship of particular facts to the subject and details of the passage. Each passage will cover random topics; this is done to emphasise the candidate’s ability to understand and work with foreign information. The statements can only be answered with “True”, “False”, or “Cannot Say” and every question must be answered in a total of nineteen minutes.

After the assessments, the interviewers review the scores and compare them to their benchmarks. If the results are satisfactory, the candidate is invited to the next portion of the assessment centre.

The second day includes a one-on-one interview with one of British Airways’ pilots. Then, candidates meet with an HR manager to answer behavioural and competency-based questions. When these interviews are finished, the candidates are gathered to participate in a group exercise. Each team is given a certain task to complete such as solving a problem or conflict, or the team must answer a question like “what three things would you bring to survive on a deserted island?”. An assessor sits with the teams to evaluate each candidate on their leadership, teamwork, and communication skills.

At the end of the second day, depending on the candidate’s performance, an invitation may be extended to take the simulator test.

Simulator Test

The simulator test is the final part of British Airway’s hiring process. The company gives each candidate ten minutes to practice and then forty-five minutes to be briefed on the flight. British Airways’ typically uses a B747-400 or a 767 for the flight simulations accompanied by a training pilot.

When the simulator test is finished, the candidate is moved into a holding pool until a vacancy arises for a position. Candidates will only remain in the holding pool for one year, and after the year is over, they must reapply.

How to Prepare for British Airway’s Pilot Assessments?

British Airways’ online assessments are one of the most important steps in the interview process. About half of the candidate pool is cut after this stage due to their inability to meet the airline’s benchmarks. This makes preparing for these assessments that much more important.

One popular way of preparing is using online practice tests. These tests imitate genuine assessments to help the candidate get a feel for what to expect when they go to the assessment centre. The time limits and questions are replicated in both short and full-length tests. Another benefit is that you will be provided with your scores. This gives you the chance to estimate how well you will do on the test and how much more you need to prepare.

Another option is sample questions. If you are someone who is struggling with the content of the assessment rather than the structure, sample questions will be very beneficial for you. They help you slow down your thought process and focus on the task at hand. Eventually, you can increase your speed while maintaining your accuracy on the assessment.

Both methods are great ways to practice for the test, and whichever you choose depends on your needs and how you study.

Interview Tips for British Airways

If you have an upcoming interview with British Airways, it’s crucial to do background research on the company and the role you are interviewing for. Interviewers ask a handful of questions solely about the role responsibilities and how your strengths will be an asset for completing said responsibilities.

There is also a good amount of questions about how you align with the company’s values. British Airways values include:

• Knowhow
• Creativity
• Energy
• Diversity
• Open-mindedness

Prepare a few answers and examples about how you represent these traits. These examples could be personal or professional, however, professional is recommended.

Lastly, make sure you devote enough time to preparing for the interviews and assessments. Demonstrating your dedication to the company right out of the gate will help you go far with them and make a good first impression. Best of luck!