ICAO English test simulation
A free timed mock in three parts: a spoken interview, listening with two plays, and a picture description with discussion. About 25 to 30 minutes in one sitting.
No sign-up. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is saved until the result screen.
- 3
- Parts in one sitting
- 6
- Interview questions
- 4
- Recordings, 2 plays
- 6
- Skills self-rated
Timed mock test · 3 parts · about 25 to 30 minutes
One sitting, three parts, the common shape of a proficiency interview: spoken interview questions, listening with limited plays and a spoken reply, then a picture description with follow-up discussion. Afterwards a guided self-assessment turns your run into an indicative profile of the six rated skills.
Part 1 · 6 interview questionsPart 2 · 4 recordings, 2 plays eachPart 3 · picture + 3 discussion prompts
This simulator follows the generic shape of aviation English proficiency interviews. It deliberately does not copy the format, questions or scoring of any particular test product, and completing it does not predict the result of any real assessment.
Free, no sign-up. Result = your own honest self-assessment.
This is a free practice aid, not an official test. It cannot award an ICAO level or a licence endorsement; only an assessor certified by a competent authority or an approved language testing body can do that. The result screen is a structured self-estimate and does not predict the outcome of any real assessment.
The three parts, and what each one is rated on
Assessors do not award one impression mark. Six skills are rated separately, and each part of the simulation loads different ones.
Part 1
Spoken interview
6 questions, 60 seconds of speaking time each
An assessor-style run of questions, in the order a real interview tends to take them: 1 on your background, 2 on routine operations, 2 on non-routine experiences, 1 on opinions and speculation. You read the question, the clock starts, and you talk until it runs out.
Rated here: Fluency, because a minute of continuous speech is longer than it sounds. Structure, because the answers are narratives and narratives need past tenses. Vocabulary and pronunciation throughout.
Part 2
Listening, then a spoken reply
4 recordings, each playing at most twice
Half radio exchanges with the radio effect on them, half plain English: briefings, announcements and narrations. Comprehension questions after each recording, then a short prompt asking what you would say back. No feedback until the end, and the transcripts appear only then.
Rated here: Comprehension, on both phraseology and plain language. Interactions, because the reply is judged on whether it answers, confirms or asks for clarification rather than on how pretty it is.
Part 3
Picture description and discussion
1 picture with its own timer, then 3 discussion prompts of 60 seconds
A drawn aviation situation to describe against a visible clock, then follow-up questions that move away from the picture and towards your own experience and what you think would happen next.
Rated here: Vocabulary, because a picture asks for precise words you cannot rehearse. Structure again, since speculation needs conditionals and modals. Fluency and interactions on the follow-ups.
How the mock test maps to the real thing
What the timed simulator can and cannot reproduce, honestly.
The mock test above follows the shape most language proficiency interviews share: a spoken interview about your background, routine operations and non-routine experiences; a listening element where each recording plays a limited number of times; and a picture description followed by discussion questions that move from the picture to your own experience and opinions. One sitting takes about 25 to 30 minutes, plus a few minutes for the guided self-assessment at the end. It is deliberately a generic shape: it does not copy the format, questions or scoring of any particular test product, because each competent authority approves its own tests and formats differ in the details.
Some parts translate directly. The time pressure is real: you speak against a visible clock, exactly the discipline a live interview imposes. The two-play limit on recordings matches how formal listening sections work. Answering comprehension questions with no feedback until the end, and only then seeing the transcripts, mirrors the real experience of walking out unsure how it went. And the six-skill self-assessment applies the actual logic of the rating: six separate estimates, with the overall level equal to the lowest of the six.
Other parts cannot be reproduced, and it is better to say so than to pretend. There is no live examiner, so nobody steers the conversation toward your weak spots, interrupts with a follow-up you did not expect, or asks you to expand exactly when you hoped to stop. The listening voices are computer generated, consistent and clear, while real tests use varied human accents and telephone-quality audio. Most importantly, the speaking parts are rated by you, not by a trained assessor: your result is a structured self-estimate, which is why this page never calls it a level.
Used honestly, the mock still does the two things that matter before a real assessment: it rehearses the endurance of speaking aviation English continuously for half an hour, and it forces a skill-by-skill look at where you actually stand, with a study plan pointing at the trainer modules that move your weakest skill. Take it once cold to find your baseline, train the weak areas, then repeat it before you book the real assessment with your authority's approved testing body.
Frequently asked questions
Cost, timing, what the result is and is not, and how often you can sit it.
Frequently asked questions
Cost, timing, what the result is and is not, and how often you can sit it.Is this ICAO English test simulation free?
How long does the simulation take?
Does the simulation give me an ICAO level?
Do I need a microphone?
Which test does this simulation copy?
Can I take it more than once?
Go deeper
The rest of the free ICAO English cluster. Each page answers one question and ends with an exercise you can start.
- Question databaseA directory of the practice sets in the free bank, grouped by topic, with links to browse and practise each set.
- Level 4 explainedWhat operational level means for each of the six rated skills, and the habits that pull a candidate down to level 3.
- A full worked sampleOne listening item with its transcript, one picture task answered at three levels, one interview answer annotated skill by skill.
- Practise onlineHow to prepare for the assessment from a browser, and what online practice can and cannot stand in for.
- Listening practiceRadio exchanges and plain English recordings, with what to listen for and the transcript after you answer.
- Speaking practiceDescribing pictures, narrating what happened and answering follow-up questions, alone and against a timer.
- Renewal and validityHow long each demonstrated level lasts under FCL.055(c), and what happens as the date comes round.
Important information
This page is general educational information for student and licensed pilots and may go out of date. Language proficiency rules, their national administration and approved testing bodies change over time and vary by competent authority. SkyStudy is an independent study aid, is not affiliated with ICAO, EASA, any competent authority or any language testing body, and does not guarantee any assessment or licensing outcome. Always verify current requirements with your ATO and competent authority.
Last reviewed September 2026