The Center for Aviation Safety Research at Saint Louis University (SLU) and the Professional Aviation Board of Certification and Professional Testing have signed a joint agreement to evaluate the use of enhanced knowledge testing for pilots. The aim is to ensure that pilot training effectively prepares new aviators for employment in an industry with knowledge and skill requirements radically different from those previous generations faced. Today’s aircraft technology and operating conditions pose an elevated safety risk that must be addressed, according to an SLU news release issued last week.

The two organizations are jointly developing entry-level knowledge standards and testing to identify “gaps” in a pilot’s practical knowledge long before he begins any kind of professional pilot training on the job. While the prototype results expected from the research will address a limited set of subject areas, the standards and testing are expected to scale easily to address the full spectrum of pre-employment knowledge and competencies.

Potential characteristics the research will be watching include possession of airline-transport-category knowledge regardless of the category of pilot certificate held, as well as pilots’ ability to apply theoretical knowledge rather than simply pass exams that test rote memorization of facts. Another expectation is that all future testing will be administered in the English language.