ICAO English Test: The Complete Guide for Pilots and Controllers
Table of Contents11 sections
If you fly or control aircraft on international routes, your licence must carry an English language proficiency endorsement at ICAO Level 4 or higher. The surprise for most candidates is that there is no single official "ICAO English test". ICAO sets the standard, and each country's civil aviation authority decides which tests it accepts. This guide explains the whole system: the six levels, the six rated skills, the tests you can actually book (TEA, ELPAC, national exams and online options), how long your level stays valid, and what the test tasks look like, with sample questions you can practise on.
The short version: you need Level 4 out of 6, rated across six speaking and listening skills, and your overall level is the LOWEST of the six scores. Level 4 must be renewed periodically in most jurisdictions (every 4 years for EASA pilots), Level 6 is usually permanent.
The test is speaking and listening only. There is no reading or writing paper, and no multiple-choice grammar exam.
What Is the ICAO English Test?
ICAO (the International Civil Aviation Organization) introduced Language Proficiency Requirements after a series of accidents in which communication failures played a role. Since March 2008, pilots, air traffic controllers and aeronautical station operators working international operations must demonstrate that they can speak and understand the language used for radiotelephony, which in practice means English almost everywhere. The requirements live in ICAO Annex 1, with implementation guidance in ICAO Doc 9835.
The organisation itself does not run any exam. It publishes a rating scale and lets each national authority approve testing organisations. So "the ICAO English test" is really a family of tests built to measure the same scale. Which one you take depends on your licensing authority: a UK-licensed pilot will typically sit TEA with Mayflower College, a European air traffic controller will sit EUROCONTROL's ELPAC, a Brazilian pilot sits ANAC's Santos Dumont English Assessment, and many EASA pilots now take approved tests online by video call.
Coverage has also been growing. ICAO has extended the language requirement to remote pilots of remotely piloted aircraft systems, and since January 2026, when an EU transition period ended, even vehicle drivers who use the radio on the manoeuvring areas of European airports must hold operational-level English.
The 6 ICAO English Levels
Level | Name | What it means |
|---|---|---|
Level 1 | Pre-elementary | Isolated words only; cannot operate in English |
Level 2 | Elementary | Memorised phrases; frequent breakdowns |
Level 3 | Pre-operational | Basic exchanges work, but fails in unexpected situations |
Level 4 | Operational | The licensing minimum; effective in routine and most non-routine situations |
Level 5 | Extended | Accurate and fluent on a wide range of topics; rare errors |
Level 6 | Expert | Near-native command; subtle, nuanced and consistently accurate |
Level 4 is the pass mark for licensing. It does not require perfect English. A Level 4 speaker still makes grammar mistakes and has an accent; what matters is that errors only rarely interfere with meaning, and that the speaker can cope when a situation stops following the script. Level 5 shows comfortable command beyond work topics, and Level 6 is reserved for expert or native-like speakers. For the skill-by-skill descriptors, validity rules and a 30-day preparation plan, read our ICAO Level 4 guide.
The Six Rated Skills (and the Lowest-Score Rule)
Pronunciation
Your accent may be noticeable, but it must only rarely get in the way of understanding.
Structure
Control of basic grammar. Errors in unusual situations are tolerated at Level 4 if the meaning survives.
Vocabulary
Enough range for work-related topics, plus the key Level 4 skill: paraphrasing when the exact word is missing.
Fluency
A steady tempo without long silences. Fillers are fine as long as they do not distract.
Comprehension
Accurate understanding of routine and non-routine messages, including unfamiliar accents.
Interactions
Immediate, informative responses. Checking, confirming and clarifying when something is unclear.
Your overall level is the LOWEST of your six skill scores, not the average. A profile of 5, 4, 4, 3, 5, 4 is an overall Level 3 and a fail, because one skill fell below the bar. This single rule shapes how you should prepare: your weakest skill decides your result.
Which Test Will You Actually Take?
The test landscape splits into four groups: one dominant commercial test, an institutional European test, national state-run exams, and a growing group of approved online tests taken by video call. Other approved tests you may encounter include RELTA (developed by RMIT in Australia), the EPAP and TEC tests used in Turkey, and authority-specific assessments elsewhere. Your authority's approved list decides which of these are open to you, so always confirm with your CAA before booking.
Test | Who it's for | Format | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|
TEA (Mayflower College) | Pilots and ATCs in 20 countries and territories | 25 to 30 min face-to-face interview, 3 parts | About £150 to £165 at the Plymouth centre; varies by centre |
ELPAC (EUROCONTROL) | Mostly European ATCs, also pilots | 40 min online listening + 20 min oral with two examiners | Arranged through employers and licensed centres |
National tests (SDEA, PEPEC, EPTA, DGCA ELP) | Brazil, China, Korea, India | State-run interviews and computer-based tests | Set nationally (SDEA is R$700 via the SNA union) |
Online tests (EASA framework) | EASA-licensed pilots | 30 to 60 min webcam interview with an examiner | Roughly €150 to €250 |
TEA: the most widely available commercial test
Owned by Mayflower College in the UK, the Test of English for Aviation has been taken by more than 75,000 pilots and controllers according to Mayflower. It is a one-to-one spoken interview in three parts: questions about your aviation background, an interactive listening section built on recordings of non-routine situations, and a picture description with discussion. It deliberately tests plain English in an aviation context rather than standard phraseology. Read our full TEA test guide for the section-by-section breakdown and sample questions.
ELPAC: the European institutional test
ELPAC was developed by EUROCONTROL and is used for air traffic controller testing across much of Europe; a pilot version exists too. It has two papers: a web-based listening test of about 40 minutes, and an oral interaction test of about 20 minutes conducted with two examiners, one language expert and one operational expert. Its role-play tasks make you switch between standard phraseology and plain English, which is exactly the skill the requirement was created to protect. As of August 2026, ELPAC was the only test suite listed with full "conforms" status by AELTS, ICAO's voluntary test-evaluation service.
National state-run exams
Several large aviation markets run their own tests, and candidates licensed there generally cannot substitute a commercial alternative. Brazil's ANAC administers the Santos Dumont English Assessment (SDEA) for pilots, a recorded interview rated jointly by a language expert and an operational expert. China's CAAC runs PEPEC for pilots flying international operations. Korea uses EPTA, and India's DGCA examines candidates through authorised training and testing organisations with results processed on the eGCA portal.
Online tests by video call
A newer group of testing bodies approved under the EASA framework now delivers the whole test remotely: you book online, meet an examiner by webcam for a 30 to 60 minute session of picture descriptions, simulated communications and interview questions, and receive your certificate within hours or days. Prices at the time of writing cluster between €150 and €250. One caution: acceptance is authority-specific. A certificate recognised by one EASA member state is not automatically accepted by every authority, so check with your own CAA before paying.
One note if you searched for the Versant Aviation English Test: Pearson's fully automated VAET keeps a low profile today. Its former purchase pages no longer work and Pearson's current Versant line-up does not list an aviation test, so confirm availability with Pearson and acceptance with your authority before counting on it. Pearson's Versant tests remain widely used for general and workplace English, and you can practise that format on our Versant practice test pages, but for an aviation licence endorsement you will most likely need one of the tests above.
How Long Is Your Level Valid?
Validity is the most misquoted fact about the ICAO English test, because ICAO's recommendation and each authority's actual rule differ. ICAO recommends re-evaluation at least every 3 years for Level 4 and every 6 years for Level 5. What is binding is your authority's implementation:
Authority | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
ICAO recommendation | 3 years | 6 years | No re-evaluation |
EASA pilots (FCL.055) | 4 years | 6 years | No expiry |
EASA air traffic controllers | 3 years | 6 years | 9 years |
FAA (United States) | No expiry (see below) | - | - |
The FAA is the outlier: it runs no recurring ICAO English test at all. Every FAA pilot certificate issued since February 2008 carries an "English Proficient" endorsement, and English ability is screened continuously by examiners and instructors at training and checking events instead of on a calendar cycle. Elsewhere, always confirm the current interval with your own authority, since national rules change and some differ from all of the rows above.
If your Level 4 endorsement expires, you lose the privilege it supports: you cannot legally operate internationally on radiotelephony until you re-test. Airlines treat an expiring endorsement like an expiring medical, so put the renewal date in your calendar the day you get your certificate.
What the Test Tasks Look Like
Formats differ test by test, but decades of test design have converged on a small set of task types. If you can do these six things in English, you can pass any of the mainstream tests:
- Talk about your aviation background and duties in a natural interview
- Listen to a non-routine transmission once and report what was said and who said it
- Ask sensible questions about an incomplete situation, then give advice
- Handle a role-played radio exchange, switching between phraseology and plain English
- Describe an aviation photograph and speculate about what is happening
- Give and defend opinions on general aviation topics
ICAO English Sample Questions
Here are original practice items in the style of the main test tasks. Say your answers out loud; writing them defeats the purpose of a speaking test.
Interview questions
- What does a normal duty day look like in your current role?
- Tell me about a time the weather forced you to change a plan. What did you do?
- What differences do you notice between flying (or controlling) at a small airfield and at a major international airport?
- In your opinion, what is the most difficult phase of flight for communication, and why?
Listen and report (non-routine situations)
In the real test you hear a short recording once and must report the message and identify the speaker. Practise with these as read-aloud prompts. Example: "We have a passenger who collapsed in the aft galley. The crew are giving first aid. Request a doctor and ambulance to meet us on arrival." Your report should capture who is speaking (a pilot), the problem (a medical emergency in the cabin), and the request (medical assistance on arrival). Leaving out any element costs points, because completeness of the report is scored.
A second example, this time the other direction: "Hold position. A fuel truck has broken down on taxiway Alpha and we need to reroute departing traffic via Charlie and Golf." Who is speaking? What is the problem, and what happens next? Practise reporting all three parts in one or two clear sentences.
Three more to work through the same way: "Our de-icing is taking longer than planned. The fluid truck had to return to the depot to refill, and we expect to be ready in about twenty-five minutes." Then: "After landing we noticed a deep cut in the nose-wheel tyre. We are blocking the rapid exit and will need a tow to the stand." And finally: "The airport fire service is conducting an exercise on the far side of the field this afternoon. You may see smoke north of the runway; no action is required." For each one, name the speaker, the situation, and what happens next.
From phraseology to plain English
The requirement exists for the moment phraseology runs out, and several tests make you switch registers on purpose. Practise re-expressing radio calls as plain English you could say to a colleague. Take "Unable RNAV arrival due database error, request vectors", or "Going around, wind shear on short final", or "Request return to stand, cabin crew report a hot smell from the rear galley", and for each one explain in two or three natural sentences what happened, why, and what you need. Then reverse the drill: take a plain description and compress it back into a call.
Picture description
Take any photograph of a ramp scene, a cockpit, or a weather situation. Describe it for 30 seconds: what you can see, what is probably happening, what might happen next, and anything unusual. Then compare two related pictures and explain the differences. Examiners are listening for organised description, appropriate vocabulary, and comfortable speculation, not for operational correctness.
Unexpected-situation questions
These are language exercises, not operational guidance. Examiners rate how clearly you communicate a situation and a decision, not whether the decision matches your company's procedures, so always follow your own SOPs and training in real operations.
- Your destination airport closes unexpectedly while you are en route. Describe the situation and the conversation you would have with ATC about your options.
- A passenger becomes aggressive during boarding. What should the crew do, and what would you say to ATC if a return to the gate were needed?
- You see a large flock of birds near the threshold on short final. Describe the situation and your decision.
How to Prepare for the ICAO English Test
The lowest-score rule should drive your plan: find your weakest of the six skills and work on that one first. Most candidates who fail at Level 4 fail on one or two skills, not across the board.
- Record yourself answering interview questions, then listen for the errors that actually block meaning: verb tenses in narration, missing articles, and pronunciation of aviation words.
- Train paraphrase deliberately. The Level 4 vocabulary descriptor expressly rewards candidates who can talk around a missing word instead of stopping.
- Listen daily to real radiotelephony with non-native accents (live ATC streams work well) and summarise transmissions out loud in plain English.
- Practise saying more, not less. EUROCONTROL's own guidance warns that candidates who say very little risk being rated below their true level.
- Rehearse the move from phraseology to plain English: describe a technical problem twice, once as an RT call and once as you would explain it to a colleague.
- Do at least one full timed mock interview before test day so the format holds no surprises.
Costs and Booking
At the time of writing, expect roughly £150 to £250 for a commercial or online test sitting, with national exams priced locally (Brazil's SDEA costs R$700 through the pilots' union SNA, for example) and employer-arranged tests like ELPAC usually paid by the employer. Booking is direct with the test centre for commercial tests, through your employer or a licensed centre for ELPAC, and through authority portals for national exams. Results typically arrive within a few days, and up to 10 working days for TEA.
Where Mocko Fits
Mocko builds AI-scored practice platforms for high-stakes language exams, with full mock tests, instant speaking and listening feedback, and per-skill scoring for TEF, TCF, CELPIP, PTE and the Versant tests. An ICAO English practice experience, built around the six-skill rating scale and the task types above, is in development. In the meantime, this guide and the sample tasks on this page are a free starting point, and our Versant practice test is the closest way to experience AI-scored speaking practice today.
FAQ
You need Level 4, called Operational, in every one of the six rated skills: pronunciation, structure, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and interactions. Your overall level is the lowest of the six scores, not the average, so a single skill below 4 caps your result even if the rest are strong.
As an independent study platform, Mocko is not affiliated with, endorsed by or accredited by ICAO, Mayflower College, EUROCONTROL, Pearson, ANAC or any civil aviation authority or testing organisation. Test names are used for identification only, and every practice item on this page was written by Mocko. Requirements change: confirm current rules with your licensing authority before booking any test.