Turkish Airlines Pilot Interview & Assessment Prep
A sourced, founder-reviewed walkthrough of Turkish Airlines (THY) cockpit-crew selection — direct entry, experienced first officer, and the Take-Off Cadet programme — covering the PACE psychometric battery, CRM/competency day, simulator check, panel interview and requirements.
The selection process, stage by stage
THY runs a compact, on-site screening in Istanbul. Travel and accommodation for experienced-pilot screening are covered by the airline.
- ✈Experienced-pilot screening is run as a ~3-day block (Monday-Wednesday), inclusive of the medical, at Turkish Airlines facilities in Istanbul.
- ✈Official stage order for experienced pilots: (1) CRM/Group psychometric assessment, (2) document & licence check, (3) simulator check, (4) panel/competency interview, (5) medical check at a DGCA-authorised centre.
- ✈Interview results are communicated roughly 1-3 weeks after the assessment; work permits for expats take about 4 weeks.
- ✈Minimum contract is one year; early departure requires reimbursement of training costs. Mandatory retirement age is 65.
- ✈An Expat Relations Department supports foreign pilots, and Turkish-language courses are offered in Istanbul.
- ✈Cadet (Take-Off) selection has its own five-stage flow: English proficiency exam, PACE psychometrics, CRM competency assessment, HR/technical interview, then medical.
Requirements & eligibility
Numbers below are from THY's published hiring criteria; cadet eligibility is from the official Take-Off Cadet posting.
- ✈Direct Entry Captain, narrow-body (B737/A320): min 5,500 hrs total time, 3,000 hrs PIC on >27t aircraft, 500 hrs PIC on type, 250 hrs in last 12 months on type.
- ✈Direct Entry Captain, wide-body (B777/A330): min 7,000 hrs total, 3,000 hrs PIC on >27t, 1,000 hrs PIC on type, 250 hrs in last 12 months.
- ✈Experienced First Officer: min 1,500 hrs on >27t aircraft, plus type-rating hours (500 narrow-body / 1,000 wide-body) and 250 hrs recent on type.
- ✈Non-Type-Rated (NTR) routes exist for both Captain and FO with higher total-time floors (e.g. NTR FO ~3,000 hrs on >27t); type rating for NTR positions is reported as self-funded by the candidate.candidate-reported
- ✈Licence: EASA/FAA/ICAO ATPL(A), or CPL/IR with ATPL theory credit; valid Class 1 medical with no limitations; valid type rating on a relevant THY fleet type for direct-entry roles.
- ✈English: minimum ICAO Level 4. Minimum high-school diploma; clean criminal record and no disciplinary penalties.
- ✈Cadet (Take-Off) programme: Turkish citizenship or blue card, born roughly 1995-2004, bachelor's degree, height 160-190 cm, BMI 20-30.
- ✈Cadet English: valid TOEFL iBT 60 (speaking 18), IELTS 6.0 (speaking 6.0) or PTE Academic 46 (speaking 46) within 2 years; otherwise sit THY's English Proficiency Exam.
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PACE — the psychometric & aptitude battery
THY's in-house psychometric system is called PACE, run by the Flight Training Department. Module breakdown below is from prep-vendor analysis and candidate reports.
- ✈PACE is reported to comprise ~9 modules across 4 sections with breaks, running roughly 5-6 hours total.candidate-reported
- ✈Knowledge modules: Mathematics (analytical/aviation problem-solving) and Physics (mechanics, thermodynamics, basics).candidate-reported
- ✈Memory modules: Audio-Visual Memory (simultaneous visual+auditory recall) and Verbal Memory / Digit Span (numerical short-term recall).candidate-reported
- ✈Spatial modules: 3D Spatial Perception and Spatial Orientation (direction, position, movement analysis).candidate-reported
- ✈Attention/agility modules: Sustained Attention (vigilance over time) and Cognitive Agility (rapid task switching).candidate-reported
- ✈Psychomotor module: hand-eye coordination plus multitasking — managing several tasks simultaneously (joystick/tracking-style).candidate-reported
- ✈Candidates report psychologist interviews and recorded simple written tasks on the psychometric day, with a meaningful fail cut at this stage.candidate-reported
Simulator check & CRM/competency day
Experienced applicants fly a sim check; what's graded is handling appropriate to your experience plus how you take coaching under pressure.
- ✈Sim is reported as an FNPT-type device resembling a Boeing 737, not necessarily your own type.candidate-reported
- ✈Evaluators reportedly assess basic instrument flying, raw-data handling and how you respond to in-seat criticism and stress, rather than type-specific perfection.candidate-reported
- ✈Candidates report the sim ride feels stressful by design; staying calm and incorporating correction is the point.candidate-reported
- ✈Competency/CRM assessment evaluates situational awareness, communication, teamwork/leadership, stress management and decision-making.
- ✈A group exercise/CRM scenario is part of the day for many candidates.candidate-reported
- ✈Some candidates report a ~30-question ATPL-style technical written paper (reported as drawn from ATPL refresher material).candidate-reported
Panel interview & English test
The panel typically pairs a line captain with an HR representative; questions skew motivational and relocation-focused rather than deep technical.
- ✈Computer-based ICAO English test, reported as self-administered (no examiner present) and straightforward.candidate-reported
- ✈Reported interview question: 'Why Turkish Airlines?'candidate-reported
- ✈Reported interview question: 'Do you enjoy instrument flying?'candidate-reported
- ✈Reported interview question: 'If you have a family, would you relocate to Istanbul?'candidate-reported
- ✈Reported interview question: 'Where do you see yourself in five years?'candidate-reported
- ✈Expect competency/behavioural follow-ups on CRM, crew coordination and decision-making.
Take-Off Cadet programme & AJet pathway
THY's ab-initio scheme trains low-hour candidates to ATPL then type rating; an AJet (subsidiary) route can feed into mainline.
- ✈Cadets complete an integrated ATPL programme, then type-rating training (mostly narrow-body A320 or B737) lasting roughly 6 months.candidate-reported
- ✈Cadet selection sequence: English Proficiency Exam (if no valid certificate), PACE psychometrics, CRM competency assessment, HR/technical interview, medical.
- ✈The 2025 'Take-Off Cadet' cohort accepted applications via apply.turkishairlines.com with a published July 2025 deadline.
- ✈An AJet transfer pathway is reported as a route to accelerate progression toward Turkish Airlines mainline.candidate-reported
Aptitude stage
Practise the Turkish Airlines battery, not aptitude in general
Timed papers built from the families Turkish Airlines is reported to use, with the sourced line behind each one — plus the parts we deliberately do not simulate and why.
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Sources
- Official: careers.turkishairlines.com/en-us/cockpit-crew — categories (Captain, FO, Cadet, SFI), 3-day screening order, medical, contract/retirement terms (verified directly).
- Official: apply.turkishairlines.com Take-Off Cadet 2025-1 posting — cadet eligibility, citizenship/age/education/height-BMI, English score thresholds, 5-stage flow.
- Prep-vendor (reliable analysis): aviotest.org — detailed PACE module breakdown (9 modules, math/physics/memory/spatial/attention/psychomotor). Treat module list as reported.
- Prep-vendor: pilotassessments.com — lists assessment stages (group exercise, psychological interview, English test, simulator, technical & HR interviews) and ATPL refresher prep.
- First-hand (candidate debrief): PPRuNe 'turkish airlines assessment' thread — FNPT B737 sim, psychometrics, ~30-Q ATPL paper, self-administered English test, fail cuts, interview questions. Reported, not airline-official.
- Third-party summary: epicflightacademy.com hiring-requirements page — DEC/FO hours tables, licence/ICAO Level 4/Class 1 criteria. Cross-checks official figures.
- Third-party: readyfortakeoffbook.com — AJet → Turkish Airlines transfer pathway (reported).
Items marked “candidate-reported” come from pilot forums and prep sources, not from British Airways. BA does not publish its question bank or test content. Always verify against the live BA careers pages.