ICAO English test preparation

What happens in ICAO training?

The training is run by an experienced ICAO examiner – but never the one who will test you later. This is not just our choice: AMC1 FCL.055 says an examiner should not assess candidates they have trained, and Austro Control requires the people who train candidates and the people who test them to be different.

• A detailed briefing on procedure and rating criteria
• A mock exam with picture description and questions
• Listening to and practising ATIS messages and ATC instructions
• An honest estimate: would it have been Level 4, 5 or 6?
• Concrete tips on what to work on before the test

If you book the test after your training, the same principle applies: you do the mock exam with one examiner and the test with another.

Training or PreCheck: which one do you need?

Neither the PreCheck nor the training leads to a certificate: you only get a level for your licence by taking the test.

Which mistakes do Italian speakers often make?

If your first language is Italian, some mistakes come up again and again – and speakers of other Romance languages may recognise a few of them too. An Italian accent is fine – what counts is that people understand you without effort. But some of these mistakes cause misunderstandings or affect your rating for pronunciation, structure and vocabulary. The good news: a little targeted practice fixes most of them.

Pronunciation: th, h and long vowels

• The th sound. It often turns into t or d: think sounds like tink, the like de. Put the tip of your tongue between your teeth. Note: in radiotelephony the number 3 is deliberately pronounced tree – but in conversation, three, weather and through need the th.
• The h sound. If you drop it, hold becomes old and heading becomes eading. If you add it where it does not belong, air becomes hair. In hour and honest the h is silent.
• Long and short vowels. Pairs such as feet/fit, leave/live and seat/sit are different words. Italian does not make this distinction – English does.
• No extra vowel at the end. “I think-a”, “hold-a short”: adding a vowel after the final consonant is typical of Italian speakers. End the word on the consonant.

False friends

An example: “We had an incident on approach” describes an event that affected safety – not an accident. If someone was seriously injured or the aircraft was badly damaged, the word is accident.

Grammar: tenses and prepositions

• Present perfect or past simple? The Italian passato prossimo does not always translate as the present perfect. With a specific time in the past, use the past simple: “I flew to Catania yesterday”, not “I have flown to Catania yesterday”. Use the present perfect for experience without a date: “I have flown about 300 hours”.
• Since and for. “I am a pilot since 2015” is a word-for-word translation from Italian. Say “I have been a pilot since 2015” or “I have been a pilot for over ten years”.
• Prepositions. depend on (not from), arrive in Milan or at the airport (not to), explain to me (not explain me).
• Age. “I am 35”, not “I have 35 years”.

Numbers and read-backs

In a read-back, accuracy is what counts: repeat the information in the order you received it, say numbers digit by digit and end with your call sign. The exception is whole thousands and hundreds, for example in altitudes: 5000 feet is “fife tousand”. The ICAO pronunciation of numbers exists to avoid confusion on the radio:

More examples, from word stress to a mini-glossary, are in our guide to aviation English for pilots.

How can you practise on your own, even with little time?

Even 15 to 20 minutes a day helps – as long as you keep it up. This is what works best:

1. Listen to ATC recordings in EnglishTen minutes a day: note down QNH, frequencies and levels, then read the instructions back out loud.
2. Describe aviation photosOne minute per picture: first the overview, then the details, finally a guess at what has happened or will happen. Record yourself and listen back.
3. Talk about your flights in EnglishA diversion due to weather, a technical problem, a passenger feeling unwell: practise describing situations like these in 4–5 sentences.
4. Revise numbers and phraseologyICAO number pronunciation, the phonetic alphabet, standard read-backs: they should become automatic.
5. Simulate the testDo the free sample test as if it were real: headset on, quiet room, no breaks.

10 examiner tips for test day

1. Answer in full. Four to five sentences per question – a single sentence gives too little to show vocabulary and structure.
2. Structure picture descriptions. First the overview, then the details, then your guess: what has happened, what happens next?
3. Compare systematically. Similarities first, then differences: “Both pictures show … whereas …”.
4. Ask when you don’t understand. Asking for clarification does not cost you points – it is part of good interaction.
5. Paraphrase missing words. Keep talking instead of searching for the perfect term.
6. Use linking words. First of all, however, on the other hand, for example, in my opinion – they make your answers flow.
7. Read-backs: numbers and order. Heading, altitude, speed, frequency, squawk – and your call sign at the end.
8. ATIS: listen for the key information. Information letter, runway in use, wind, visibility, clouds, temperature and dew point, QNH.
9. Speak at your own pace. Short pauses to think are normal. Rushing hurts more than a calm “Let me think …”.
10. Test your equipment beforehand. A working headset takes away a lot of stress – use our tech check.

Which phrases help you during the test?

How can you handle exam nerves?

The test is not an interrogation but a conversation. The examiner explains the procedure beforehand, and in the interview you talk about topics you know well: travel, work, hobbies. In our experience, the tension usually fades after the first few minutes.

It helps to know exactly what to expect: read how the ICAO test works and go through the format at least once, on your own or in a training session.

Frequently asked questions about preparation