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
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- 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.