COMPASS Pilot Test: Modules, Scoring, Retakes

SHORT ANSWER

COMPASS is a computer-based pilot aptitude test from EPST (European Pilot Selection & Training). It measures hand-eye-foot coordination, mental arithmetic, memory, multitasking and spatial orientation on a PC with a joystick and rudder pedals. Flight academies and airlines use it, including Emirates in Dubai. A sitting lasts about two hours: roughly 30 minutes of instruction, then 90 minutes of testing. Checked 25 October 2026.1

Was this useful?

Key facts

The main facts about COMPASS (EPST), each with its source.

Checked 24 and 25 October 2026
Fact	Detail
Publisher	EPST (European Pilot Selection & Training); COMPASS copyright is owned by EPST1
Pricing model	Aviation Focus charges airlines and training organisations per test taken, with prices on request4
Versions	COMPASS (ab initio candidates) and Advanced COMPASS (licence holders and experienced pilots only)1
Session length	A typical session takes about 2 hours: roughly 30 minutes of instruction and briefing, then 90 minutes of testing; the test itself runs at most two hours4
Equipment	The software is installed on a computer equipped with a joystick and rudder pedals and runs stand-alone3
Core modules (ab initio)	Control, Slalom, Mathematics, Memory, Task manager, Orientation1
Further modules listed by EPST	Tech-test, Aviation-english, Verbal reasoning1
Advanced COMPASS modules	Complex control task, Professional Knowledge (ATPL theory questions), Mathematics, Memory, Task manager, Orientation, with Aviation-english and Verbal reasoning also listed by EPST1
Instruction languages	British and American English, Chinese (2 versions), Spanish, Turkish, Arabic, Russian (EPST); Aviation Focus notes only the instructions are translated and any language in the questions is in English1
Scoring scale	Grades 1 to 7 per test; norm group aged 16 to 30 with university-entrance qualifications (manual version 3.0, January 2013)5
EPST cut-off, followed by a simulator session	Total of 24 across the six basic tests; a total of 24 or above with grades of 3 or better on every test indicates a general aptitude for typical piloting tasks (manual 2013)5
EPST cut-off, COMPASS as sole selection tool	Total of 32 (manual 2013)5
Retake advice	No sooner than 3 months after a failed attempt, one retake only; CPP personality questionnaire retake after 1 year (manual 2013)5
Personality questionnaire	CPP (Checklist Professional Profile), developed by the Institute of Aviation Psychology; online; EPST says it usually takes about 40 minutes1
CPP duration at Aviation Focus	Candidates can complete the CPP within one hour, with results available instantly (Aviation Focus calls it the Checklist Personality Profile)6
Price at Skywings (Belgium)	EUR 245 including tax; step 1 of the screening, about 2.5 hours7
Price at Emirates Flight Training Academy	Assessment day 1 fee AED 500, covering maths, physics and COMPASS tests (see programme page for the full fee table)8
Results	Available immediately once the test PC connects to the COMPASS server; stored locally on the test PC3
DLR exemption at Skywings	Candidates with a DLR certificate and minimum A or B scores are exempt from COMPASS and the personality test7

Modules

The modules of COMPASS (EPST) and what each one measures.

Module	What it measures	Duration	Answer format	Online or on site
Control1	Eye-hand-foot coordination in a compensation task	Part of the 90 minute session	Joystick and rudder pedals	At the assessment centre (Emirates Flight Training Academy describes COMPASS as online)
Slalom1	Eye-hand coordination in a tracking task	Part of the 90 minute session	Joystick	At the assessment centre (Emirates Flight Training Academy describes COMPASS as online)
Mathematics1	Mental arithmetic: applied mathematical understanding and speed	Part of the 90 minute session	Mental arithmetic; no calculator, paper and pencil provided (manual 2013)	At the assessment centre (Emirates Flight Training Academy describes COMPASS as online)
Memory1	Short-term recall accuracy and the ability to chunk information	Part of the 90 minute session	-	At the assessment centre (Emirates Flight Training Academy describes COMPASS as online)
Task manager1	Scanning the screen and managing two concurrent tasks accurately and quickly	Part of the 90 minute session	-	At the assessment centre (Emirates Flight Training Academy describes COMPASS as online)
Orientation1	Instrument interpretation, comprehension and spatial orientation	Part of the 90 minute session	-	At the assessment centre (Emirates Flight Training Academy describes COMPASS as online)
Tech-test1	Technical comprehension (physics)	-	-	At the assessment centre (Emirates Flight Training Academy describes COMPASS as online)
Aviation-english1	English ability, including recognising ATC sound messages	-	Includes recognising ATC sound messages	At the assessment centre (Emirates Flight Training Academy describes COMPASS as online)
Verbal reasoning1	Understanding, analysing and interpreting written information logically	-	Reading and interpreting written information	At the assessment centre (Emirates Flight Training Academy describes COMPASS as online)
Complex control task (Advanced COMPASS)1	Flying an ILS while handling rudder pedals and speed settings	Part of the session	Joystick, rudder pedals and speed settings	At the assessment centre (Emirates Flight Training Academy describes COMPASS as online)
Professional Knowledge (Advanced COMPASS)3	ATPL theory questions and situations	-	ATPL theory questions	At the assessment centre (Emirates Flight Training Academy describes COMPASS as online)
CPP personality questionnaire1	Personality traits relevant to the pilot profession; result in five categories from Contra-indication to Very good	About 40 minutes (EPST); within one hour (Aviation Focus)	Questionnaire	Online

Who uses it

Programmes and selections where COMPASS (EPST) appears, each with its source.

Programme
Emirates Flight Training Academy Integrated ATPL Programme (assessment day 1, five modules)8
Emirates direct entry pilots (Advanced COMPASS during stage two in Dubai)9
Skywings, Belgium (step 1 of the screening)7
EPST own selection (first stage, any working day)10

Scoring and retakes

EPST publishes its scoring method in the COMPASS users manual, version 3.0 from January 2013. Each test is graded from 1 to 7 against a norm group of men and women aged 16 to 30 with university-entrance qualifications: grades 1 and 2 are below average, 3 is just below average, 4 is average and 5 to 7 are above average. EPST adds the six basic grades into a total. Its cut-off is a total of 24 when a simulator session follows, with a 3 or better on every test, and 32 when COMPASS is the only selection tool. For Advanced COMPASS and licensed pilots the manual gives a cut-off of 28. Academies and airlines can set their own thresholds, so the number you need depends on who invited you. On retakes, the manual allows a same-day retest after a technical failure, or when everything is strong except one or two tests. After a failed attempt it recommends waiting at least 3 months and allowing one retake. The CPP personality questionnaire can be repeated after one year. Results appear as soon as the test PC connects to the COMPASS server, and the selecting organisation sees them directly.5

What COMPASS is and where it comes from

COMPASS stands for Computerized Pilot Aptitude Screening System. EPST developed it in 1998 as a selection tool for ab initio candidates, and the copyright is still owned by EPST. Aviation Focus charges airlines and flight training organisations per test taken, with prices on request. Candidates take COMPASS at an academy, an airline assessment centre or at EPST itself, where the first selection stage can be scheduled on any working day. You do not need flying experience to do well, because the tests look at aptitudes rather than knowledge.4

What a session looks like

A typical session lasts about two hours: roughly 30 minutes of instruction and a briefing, then about 90 minutes of testing, which runs for at most two hours. The tests run one after another from a main menu, and full instructions for each appear on screen. The computer is equipped with a joystick and rudder pedals. Mathematics is mental arithmetic, so calculators are not allowed; the 2013 manual says paper, pencil and tables are provided. Because every candidate sits the same standardised test, scores can be compared without human interpretation.3 4 5

COMPASS versus Advanced COMPASS

COMPASS is built for people who have never flown: Control, Slalom, Mathematics, Memory, Task manager and Orientation. Advanced COMPASS is for licence holders and experienced pilots. It keeps Mathematics, Memory, Task manager and Orientation, swaps the two coordination tasks for a Complex Control Task in which you fly an ILS while handling the rudder pedals and speed settings, and adds Professional Knowledge, which asks ATPL theory questions. EPST also lists Aviation-english and Verbal reasoning with Advanced COMPASS. Emirates uses Advanced COMPASS for direct entry pilots in Dubai.1 9

Why the module count differs between sources

EPST says COMPASS consists of six tests, yet its page also lists Tech-test, Aviation-english and Verbal reasoning. Aviation Focus describes Verbal reasoning as a free test bundled with the software. Emirates Flight Training Academy describes five modules on its admissions page: hand-eye coordination, hand-eye-foot coordination, spatial orientation, multitask management and short-term memory, and it runs maths and physics as separate one-hour tests on the same day. The practical lesson is to read your own invitation and prepare for the six core tests.3 4 8

What each module asks of you

Control is a compensation task: you use the joystick and rudder pedals to keep your hand, foot and eye working together. Slalom is a tracking task that tests hand-eye coordination. Mathematics tests applied understanding and speed with mental arithmetic, so think short sums solved in your head against the clock. Memory checks how accurately you recall information and how well you chunk it. Task manager asks you to scan the screen and manage two concurrent tasks accurately and quickly. Orientation covers instrument interpretation, comprehension and spatial orientation.1

How to prepare

Skywings says you can't really prepare for COMPASS, but that training your memory and mental calculation with a smartphone app might help. The 2013 manual's chapter on preparation suggests extra time on a simulator or on software that uses a joystick and pedals to improve coordination, mental-arithmetic drills for the Mathematics test, puzzles and Sudoku for Memory, and practising the two Task manager tasks separately before you combine them. It also says orientation is hard to train, although scores improved after flight school. Sleep well, because the manual stresses that fatigue and illness lower results. Here, the COMPASS practice page has spatial orientation, short-term memory, mental arithmetic, coordination and multitasking tests in the style of COMPASS, a maths test in COMPASS format with no calculator, and a technical comprehension test in EPST format.5 7

Regulatory background

EASA.CAT.GEN.MPA.175 has been in effect since 14 February 2021 and requires airlines to make sure flight crew have had a psychological assessment before line flying. The assessment should cover cognitive abilities, personality traits, operational and professional competencies, and social competences. A computer-based battery such as COMPASS, combined with a personality questionnaire, is one way operators meet the cognitive and personality parts.2 11

What you get with the Pilot Pass

The COMPASS practice page offers tests in the style of COMPASS: spatial orientation, short-term memory, mixed arithmetic, basic and advanced coordination and multitasking (on a computer), a maths test in COMPASS format (24 open questions, 20 minutes, no calculator), a technical comprehension test in EPST format (15 multiple-choice questions, 15 minutes) and practice by maths question type and physics topic, plus multiple-choice sets in numerical, verbal and abstract reasoning. Pilot Pass: all questions in study, test and exam mode, as often as you like for the length of your Pass; the interactive aptitude tests are part of the Pass. A free account gets up to 8 free 10-question sets a week.

Frequently asked questions

What is the COMPASS test for pilots?

COMPASS is EPST's computer-based pilot aptitude test. It measures coordination, mental arithmetic, memory, multitasking and spatial orientation, and academies and airlines use it to select candidates.1

How long does the COMPASS test take?

About 90 minutes of testing with a maximum of two hours, plus roughly 30 minutes of instruction. Skywings plans about 2.5 hours for its COMPASS step.4

Do I need a joystick for COMPASS?

The test station is usually set up with one: the COMPASS software is installed on a computer equipped with a joystick and rudder pedals. Practising with a joystick beforehand helps you feel at home.3

What score do I need on COMPASS?

EPST's 2013 manual sets a total of 24 across the six basic tests when a simulator session follows, and 32 when COMPASS stands alone. Each academy or airline may set its own thresholds.5

Can I retake COMPASS?

EPST recommends waiting at least 3 months after a failed attempt and allowing one retake. A same-day retest is possible after a technical failure. The organisation you apply to sets the actual rule.5

How much does COMPASS cost?

The price depends on the centre. Skywings charges EUR 245 including tax for its COMPASS step, and Emirates Flight Training Academy charges AED 500 for assessment day 1, which also covers maths and physics.7 8

What is the difference between COMPASS and Advanced COMPASS?

COMPASS is for candidates without a licence. Advanced COMPASS is for licence holders and experienced pilots and swaps Control and Slalom for a Complex Control Task, and adds ATPL knowledge questions.1

Can I use a calculator on the COMPASS maths test?

No. According to the 2013 manual the maths test measures mental arithmetic; paper, pencil and tables are provided.5

Which languages is COMPASS available in?

EPST lists instruction text in British and American English, Chinese (two versions), Spanish, Turkish, Arabic and Russian. Test content itself is in English.1 4