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Pilot interview guide

Airline pilot interviews are scored against the nine EASA competencies and answered in STAR form. This guide teaches both, with worked aviation examples, and explains how values-based questions differ.

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The shape of a scored answer2 to 3 minutes

Situation
Task
ActionScored
Result

Situation and Task are setup and stay short. The Action is where you are scored, so it carries most of the answer.

The STAR method: structure, then substance

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. It is the standard framework for competency-based interview answers and almost every airline that runs structured interviews uses it, whether or not they name it. The four parts have distinct jobs.

Step 1SituationSet the scene, briefly. One or two sentences. Where were you, what type of flight, what made this moment notable. The interviewer needs enough context to understand the action.
Step 2TaskYour specific responsibility in that situation. What were you required or expected to do? This is usually one sentence and distinguishes your role from the broader event.
Step 3ActionWhat you personally did. This is where you are scored. Use "I" not "we". Walk through your reasoning and your specific choices. A strong action section explains why you did what you did, not just what you did.
Step 4ResultWhat happened and what you took from it. Be specific: the outcome, any feedback received, and one sentence on what you would replicate or change. Showing reflection marks you as a learner, which is a CRM indicator.

The most common STAR mistakes

Spending more than 20% of the answer on Situation. The setup is not the score.
Using "we" throughout the Action: the interviewer cannot score the team, only you.
A Result that is just "it went well": specify the outcome and show a reflection.
Choosing a story where you were passive: select examples where you initiated the key action.
Running over three minutes: if you need more time, you have chosen too complex a story.

The nine EASA competencies, and what each one means in an interview

The nine competencies below are quoted from EASA's own Flight Examiner Manual, Module 1, section 15.3.2, which introduces them as the set of pilot competencies EASA has defined on the basis of the ICAO recommendations. Interviewers do not always name the rubric aloud, but the questions they ask map directly onto these categories. Preparing one strong story for each competency before the interview is what stops you reaching for an example in the room.

KNO

Application of knowledge

Using theoretical, procedural and regulatory knowledge in the actual tasks of flight operations, rather than being able to recite it.

A technical question is only half of this. The other half is a story where you used what you knew, especially where the book answer needed judgement to apply. Saying you looked something up is a strength here, not a weakness.

PRO

Application of procedures and compliance with regulations

Identifying and applying the right procedure, and complying with the regulations and the operator's requirements.

Expect a scenario where the procedure and the pressure point in different directions. What is being listened for is whether you know which one wins, and whether you can say so without sounding rigid.

COM

Communication

Communicating clearly and unambiguously in normal and non-normal situations, and confirming that the message was received as intended.

Give the actual words you used. A candidate who paraphrases their own radio call or briefing is much less convincing than one who can quote it, and the quotation is what shows the message was unambiguous.

FPA

Aircraft flight path management, automation

Controlling the flight path through the automation, including selecting the right level of automation for the situation.

Usually assessed in the simulator, but it appears in interview as a question about a time the aircraft did something you did not expect, and what you did next. The good answer usually contains a decision to take automation away.

FPM

Aircraft flight path management, manual control

Controlling the flight path by hand, accurately and smoothly, with the appropriate use of the flight instruments.

Rare as a standalone interview question. It surfaces as how you keep hand flying current in a heavily automated operation, which is really a question about self-assessment.

LTW

Leadership and teamwork

Influencing others to achieve the shared goal, and contributing to it as a crew member whether or not you are in command.

The hardest one to evidence honestly, because the tempting story is one where you were right and somebody else was wrong. A stronger story is one where you changed your own position, or where you got a quiet crew member to speak.

PSD

Problem solving and decision making

Identifying precursors, recognising and defining problems, and reaching a decision with the time and information available.

The result matters far less than whether you can describe how you decided. Name the options you rejected, and say what would have changed your mind.

SAW

Situation awareness and management of information

Perceiving and understanding the relevant information, and projecting what it means for the next few minutes.

A story where you noticed something early is worth more than one where you handled something dramatic. Say what made you look, not just what you saw.

WLM

Workload management

Managing available resources to prioritise and carry out tasks efficiently under any circumstances.

Interviewers listen for what you dropped. A candidate who says they did everything has not answered the question, because prioritising means something did not get done first.

Mapping your stories to the framework

Before any interview, list six to eight stories from your aviation history (or other professional or team experience for cadets). For each story, note which competencies it most clearly demonstrates. Most strong stories touch two or three. If you have no story for a competency, that gap is worth thinking about before you sit down in the room.

Worked examples, values questions and the FAQ

Two annotated STAR answers built from original scenarios, how a values-based question differs from a competency question, and the questions readers ask most.

Two worked STAR examples, annotated

Original, constructed scenarios that show the structure. Not a real airline question bank.

The examples below use original, constructed scenarios to illustrate structure. They are not real airline question banks and are not affiliated with any specific carrier or assessment provider. Use them to understand what a well-structured answer looks like, then build your own examples from your own experience.

Situational Awareness (SAW) + Communication (COM)

S: During a descent briefing, you noticed that the weather report your captain had loaded was the TAF for a diversion airport, not the destination. The crew had already briefed for the destination weather verbally, using the correct ATIS, but the paper printout was wrong.
T: Correct the record without creating confusion about which information to use, and ensure the captain agreed on the departure point for the approach brief.
A: You waited for a natural break in the briefing, then raised the discrepancy as a question: "I want to confirm we are both using the same weather source. The printout I see is for the alternate. Should we step back and confirm the destination minima before we continue?" This kept it collaborative rather than a correction.
R: The captain confirmed the destination ATIS values verbally and updated the printout. The approach brief continued from the correct figures. No delay resulted.

Why this works

This example demonstrates SAW (caught a discrepancy before it became consequential), COM (raised it as a question rather than an assertion), and LTW (kept the dynamic collaborative). One story can often speak to two or three competencies at once.

Problem Solving and Decision Making (PSD)

S: During a night sector, you received a fault message indicating a hydraulic system advisory. The QRH action was complete but the system remained in a non-normal state.
T: Decide whether to continue to the planned destination, divert to a closer airport, or request priority handling at the destination.
A: You completed the QRH, declared a PAN-PAN to ATC to ensure priority handling was available if needed, and jointly reviewed the MEL with your captain. The MEL confirmed dispatch was permitted in this configuration for a limited number of sectors. You continued to the destination with priority handling and a full emergency response standing by.
R: The landing was uneventful. Maintenance replaced the component on the ground. The PAN-PAN gave you options without committing to a diversion that the MEL did not require.

Why this works

The PSD competency is most clearly shown by the decision-making process: what options did you generate, on what basis did you narrow them, and did you act before or after the situation forced your hand?

Values-based questions: how they work

Shorter answers, 30 to 60 seconds, anchored in the airline's own published values.

Many airlines have a named set of organisational values and use them explicitly to frame interview questions. A values-based question does not ask for a story in the same way a competency question does; it asks you to articulate what you believe and then, typically, to anchor that belief with an example. The answer is shorter (30 to 60 seconds) and more direct than a STAR answer.

Researching an airline's values before the interview is basic preparation. If the interview opens with a values question and you visibly recognise the framework, that is a positive signal. If you have not looked them up, you are answering blind.

easyJet

SafetySimplicityTeamworkIntegrityPassion

easyJet publicly names these as the "Orange Spirit" values. They appear in recruitment materials and are confirmed as the rubric for values-based questions at their selection days.

Ryanair

SafetyPunctualityCustomer experienceInnovation

Ryanair does not market a named values framework in the same way. Documented questions at selection focus on safety culture and the ability to operate to high schedule precision under pressure.

British Airways

Do the right thingBring your human bestAim higher together

BA Speedbird selection materials reference these publicly. Questions typically explore moments of moral courage or times you invested in a colleague's development.

The frameworks above are described factually based on publicly available airline recruitment and press materials. SkyStudy is not affiliated with easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways or any other airline. Value labels and question formats change over time and vary by intake. Always verify the current published materials for the specific carrier you are applying to.

Answering a values-based question

A values question like "What does safety mean to you?" is not asking for a definition. It is asking you to show that the value is real for you. A usable structure: state your position in one sentence, ground it in how it shows up in your behaviour, and offer a brief example if one strengthens the answer. Do not manufacture alignment with values that do not fit how you actually work; interviewers probe for specifics and generic answers are easy to identify.

Frequently asked questions

6 questions, from interview length to what to do when no example comes to mind.

How long does a pilot competency interview usually last?

Typically 45 to 60 minutes. One HR interviewer plus one pilot interviewer is the common format. Ryanair selection has been documented as 30 to 45 minutes. Most interviewers work through 8 to 12 questions in that time, so your answers need to be thorough but not open-ended.

Do all airlines use the EASA competency framework?

Not necessarily by that name, but the EASA competency-based training framework reflects the same skills every commercially certificated operator needs. The nine competencies are a useful preparation framework because they map to what any well-structured airline interview is probing for, regardless of whether the interviewer is aware of the EASA label.

How long should a STAR answer be?

Two to three minutes is the target. Shorter and you risk leaving out the action details that show how you think. Longer and the interviewer has to interrupt or loses the thread. Time your answers in practice and cut ruthlessly from the Situation and Task components, which are setup only. The Action is where the scoring happens.

Can I use non-aviation examples?

Yes, especially at the cadet stage. What the interviewer is assessing is the underlying behaviour, not the setting. A strong leadership example from a team sport, a previous profession or a voluntary role can score as well as an aviation example, provided the behaviour maps to the competency and the story is told precisely.

What if I cannot think of an example during the interview?

Ask for a moment to think: "That is a good question, can I take 30 seconds?" Interviewers expect this and it is far better than rushing to a thin or poorly structured answer. Prepare six to eight strong stories before the interview that each speak to at least one competency clearly; most questions can be answered from that set.

What is a values-based question and how is it different from a competency question?

A competency question asks for a specific example: "Tell me about a time when..." A values-based question probes alignment with the organisation's culture: "What does safety mean to you?" or "Describe the kind of team environment you work best in." Values-based answers are shorter, more direct, and reference the airline's stated values if you know them. Stating you researched the airline's framework is a positive signal.

Related practice and resources

Situational judgement trains the same scenario-reading the SAW and PSD competencies test, and the personality self-report builds familiarity with the questionnaire format used before or during many selection days. The rest of the list covers the wider selection process.

Next step: rehearse it in the Interview Room.

This guide explains how the interview is structured. The Interview Room is the material underneath it: the nine EASA core competencies with what an interviewer is actually listening for, employer profiles a human has verified, and a sim assessment guide. Free while SkyStudy is in beta.

Open the Interview Room Practise the aptitude tests

Once the interview is prepared, the next question is where to send it. See the open pilot vacancies.

Important information

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This guide describes airline pilot interview preparation based on publicly available information about interview formats and the EASA competency-based training framework. SkyStudy is an independent study aid, is not affiliated with any airline, test publisher, flight school, or aviation authority, and does not guarantee any interview invitation or outcome. Airline processes, value frameworks and scoring criteria change over time and vary by operator. Always verify the current published materials for each carrier you apply to.

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Last reviewed July 2026