Question 1

What is the FCL.055 English language proficiency exam?

Accepted Answer

Questions related to language proficiency assessment for pilots were first adressed by ICAO in 1998 as a direct response to several fatal accidents in which the lack of fluency in English was identified as a contributing factor.
Today, the applicant for a language proficiency endorsement shall demonstrate, in accordance with EASA PART-FCL 0.55, at least an operational level in the use of both phraseology and plain language.
This assessment must be performed by qualified examiners through a registered test program such as the one we created at Air English. Both the test program and the examiners must be officially aproved by a competent Licensing Authority.

Question 2

What does the exam consist in?

Accepted Answer

Whether you choose to take the test in person or fully online, the exam will always consist in a 30-minute individual interview with both a commercial pilot and a professional English linguist. 
 
The exam is divided into 4 exercices:
 
1. First, candidates are asked to talk about themselves and their aeronautical experience in a few sentences. After that, the examiners will generally ask a few more questions to encourage further interaction.

2. Candidates are then presented with an aviation-related picture and asked to describe this picture. The examiners may ask a question or two to complement the description. The image is displayed during the entire exercise.

3. Candidates are presented with a short text extract (AFM, Check-light, magazine article etc...) and are then asked one or two comprehension questions pertaining to the text. The text extract is displayed during the entire exercise.

4. Finally, candidates will be required to complete a simulated flight exercise (VFR or IFR depending on the rating they desire) in which the candidate will play the role of the pilot and the examiner that of the Air Traffic Controller. 
A scenario with the type and registration of the aircraft, the flight parameters and the emmergency encountered by the pilot in flight, as well as a map of the airfield will be shown to the candidate a few minutes before the start. This scenario is displayed during the entire exercise.

Question 3

What are the airfield and procedures used for the simulated flight exercise?

Accepted Answer

Our simulated flight exercise takes place on a fictional airfield called ELPINGTON. The choice of a fictional place puts all our candidates on equal terms, regardless of their flying experience and country of origin. 
A single chart representing the airfield and the requested flight parameters will be displayed, no other chart is needed.
The chart model used by Air English is inspired by professional AMM (Airport Moving Map) taxi charts and depicts the runways, the taxiways, the buildings and hangars as well as the general airport outlines*.

After a certain amount of time allocated for the candidate to become familiar with the parameters, all scenarios follow the same structure:
-A first contact and a request (taxi clearance in the case of VFR flights and departure clearance/push and start clearance/taxi clearance in the case of IFR flights)
-a taxi phase to the holding point
-a takeoff phase
-a departure phase
-an incident depicted in red on the scenario plate
-a resolution phase with vectors back to the airfield

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/072611_4e9c2fa39b3042b7a68d44a2cd696b15~mv2.jpg
* Please note that the questions marks (???) replace actual parameters given to the candidate during the exam. Each scenario plate is singular and we decided not to include them on this demo chart in order not to influence your future exam.

Question 4

How will the examiners score my exam?

Accepted Answer

Our examiners follow both ICAO recommendations and our very strict company guidelines.
The ICAO scale defines six rating criteria, namely Pronunciation, Structure, Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension and Interactions.
The candidate is attributed a level -ranging from 1 to 6- for each of the six criteria.
The lowest level out of the six dictates the final level.

A few examples:
-a candidate who gets 4 in Pronunciation , 4 in Structure, 5 in Vocabulary, 5 in Fluency,  5 in Comprehension and 4 in Interactions will get a final level of 4.
-a candidate who gets 5 in Pronunciation , 5 in Structure, 5 in Vocabulary, 5 in Fluency,  5 in Comprehension and 5 in Interactions will get a final level of 5.
 
A minimum final level of 4 is required to pass the language proficiency exam and receive the official FCL.055 certificate.

You can find the detailed list of rating criteria for each level by clicking on the link below:

Question 5

What happens if I fail the exam?

Accepted Answer

You can retake the EASA FCL.055 exam as many times as you want, without any time constraint or without any limitation on the number of attempts.

If you fail the exam with us, our examiners will always provide detailed explanations during your debriefing and they will offer you advice on what criteria (according to the ICAO grid) you need to focus your efforts on.

You will also be contacted by email by our administrative team in order to help you organize your training programme. We can even put you in touch with our reputable training partners to help you retake the exam in the best possible conditions.

Whatever you decide to do, DO NOT GIVE UP. There is always a solution to achieve your dreams, and we will do our best to accompany you on that journey!

Question 6

How long is the FCL.055 certificate valid for?

Accepted Answer

The validity of your FCL.055 certificate depends on the level you receive during the exam:
-A level 4 certificate (operational level) remains valid for 4 years (48 Months)
-A level 5 certificate (extended level) remains valid for 6 years (72 Months)
-A level 6 certificate (expert level) remains valid for life

Question 7

What countries will accept the Air English FCL.055 certificate?

Accepted Answer

Our certificate is EASA-approved and it will be accepted by the Civil Aviation authorities of all EASA member states. Please find the list of the 31 EASA member states below:

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France (DGAC recognises our Level 6 certificates since 2019)
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland

French pilots : you will receive a special form (87i) along with your certificate in order to have your English level recognised by the French DGAC. Since 2019, we are officialy sanctioned to deliver level 4, level 5 and level 6 for French licence holders.

For countries outside of EASA, the validity and acceptance of your certificate will depend on the work agreements passed between EASA and your own country. Please contact the Civil Aviation Authority in your country to learn whether or not they will accept EASA FCL.055 English Language Proficiency certificates.

Question 8

How can I get a copy of your EASA approval if I need one?

Accepted Answer

You can obtain a copy of our EASA/BCAA Master Approval and Examiner List by clicking on the link below:

Question 9

What is the difference between the on-site and online exams?

Accepted Answer

There is no difference between the on-site version and the online version of our test!
With our new standardized exam template, you will do the same four exercises in the same order, and it will take approximatively 30 minutes in both cases.

It is important to note that ALL our sessions have been done online during the COVID-19 pandemics, and that we are only just starting the on-site sessions again. Nowadays, most on-site sessions are reserved for airlines, flight schools, aeroclubs and air force squadrons.

If you want to organize an on-site session at your location (minimum: 10 people), please contact us at info@air-english.com and our sales team will get in touch with you as soon as possible!

Question 10

I can only book online sessions on your website. How can I book an on-site session?

Accepted Answer

With COVID-19, we converted all our exam sessions to online sessions!
And since we only received positive feedback from our candidates, we decided to keep the formula.
The online test has the advantage of being faster, more convenient and less expensive! And we guarantee that the quality will be the same : You will still face two real examiners, perform the same four exercises, receive the same debriefing and you will still get your certificate within 24 hours of the exam day!

Our on-site sessions are now mostly reserved for airlines, flight schools, aeroclubs and air force squadrons.
If you are part of one of these institutions and if you would like to organize an on-site session directly at your location, please contact us at info@air-english.com (info@air-english.com)and our sales team will get in touch with you as fast as possible.

Question 11

Can I reschedule my exam after booking a session?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! The confirmation email that you receive after booking an exam session contains a direct link that allows you to reschedule your exam to any session you want.

However please note that you can only reschedule your exam up to 48 hours before the starting time.

Question 12

I lost the Online Exam Candidate Guide that you sent to me  by email, where can I get a new one?

Accepted Answer

The link to the Online Exam Candidate Guide was sent to you in the confirmation email that you received after registering for an online exam on our website.
Additionally, you can find the guide below:

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Question 13

I don't have a VISA, a MASTERCARD or a PAYPAL account, how can I pay for the exam?

Accepted Answer

Please send us an email through the CONTACT page with the type of exam you wish to sit and the location and we will send you back an invoice that you can pay by bank transfer. Upon reception of your payment, you will be sent a coupon code that you can use to register to the session of your choosing.

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Please send us a message using the CONTACT Page below!

FCL.055 FCL 055 aviation english fcl.055 exam fcl 055 exam

Cannot find an answer in our FAQ? Please send us a message using the CONTACT Page below!

Cannot find an answer in our FAQ?
Please send us a message using the CONTACT Page below!