TEST OF ENGLISH FOR
AVIATION (T.E.A.)
Approved English testing for aviation
The Test of English for
Aviation is managed and
administered by Mayflower
College and:
meets the ICAO
English Language
Proficiency
Requirements (LPR’s)
for licensing purposes
is approved by the UK
Civil Aviation Authority
(certificate here) and
many other national
authorities
assesses spoken and
listening ability according to the ICAO Rating Scale
T.E.A. is:
A test of plain English in an aviation context for licensing
purposes – not a test of aviation phraseology
A test of ability to communicate in English – not a test of
operational knowledge
A face-to-face, human interaction test with 1 examiner who
asks questions for detailed responses
A 25 - 30 minute test that consists of 3 parts:
The following information is given to candidates about each
section:
Section One
Introduction & Experience-related Interview (7 – 8 minutes)
You will be asked a series of questions related to your role in
aviation, and then to a specific aviation-related topic. There are
no right or wrong answers – show you understand the questions
by responding to them directly and fully. The examiner will ask
you further questions, to encourage you to talk more about some
of the things you mention in your responses.
Section Two
Interactive Comprehension (8-12 minutes)
There are 3 parts – 2A, 2B and 2C. In each part, you will listen to
a series of recordings of international speakers of English.
Recordings will only be played once unless you ask for
repetition. You cannot hear recordings a third time. If you need to
listen again to check something you missed or didn’t understand
first time, please do ask for repetition. Be aware that regular
repetition will suggest that your Comprehension is slower and
this may affect your Comprehension score.
In Part 2A, you will hear 6 recordings in which a pilot or
controller is talking in a non-routine aviation situation. After each
recording, you should show you understand the situation fully by
reporting your answers to 2 questions: “what was the
message?”, and “who do you think was speaking, a pilot or a
controller?”. You will be given a Task Card to remind you of
these 2 questions. The examiner will ask you to “report what you
can”. You should show that you understood the situation by
reporting it either in your own words or using the words in the
recording. All the information in the situation is important. This
includes stating what the message was and who was speaking
(whether it was a pilot or controller). If you do not give all of the
information, it will affect your score.
In Part 2B, you will hear 4 longer recordings in which a pilot or
controller describes a problem, says what they need, and gives
some extra details. The examiner will give you a pen for you to
take notes on the Task Card. You need to report the message as
fully as possible - the more details you can provide, the better.
You should describe the problem, say what the speaker needs
and give any extra details that you can. If you do not give all of
the information, it will affect your score.
In Part 2C, you will hear 3 short recordings in more general, non-
routine situations. After each recording, you have 20 seconds to
ask the speaker questions to find out more about the situation.
Show you understand the situation by asking as many relevant
questions as you can. The examiner will also ask you if you have
any advice to give the speaker: again, show you understand the
situation by giving some relevant advice.
Section Three
Picture Description and Discussion (10 minutes)
Picture Description
You will be given 2 connected pictures to describe and compare.
You will be shown the first picture and asked to describe it, and
you will be given 30 seconds to speak. You will then be shown a
second picture and asked some questions about it. Finally you
will be asked some questions about both pictures.
Discussion
You will take part in an interactive discussion of general aviation
topics related to the pictures, and how aviation affects the wider
world. The examiner will discuss these topics with you to allow
you to show your ability to give opinions, speculate about the
future and justify your ideas.