The CAA requires a test notification to be made where an applicant is to complete a Skill Test.
Notification may be requested by applicants or by examiners conducting tests/checks, where the applicant to be tested holds a licence or certificate issued by the UK CAA.
A test notification request must be made by filling in online form SRG2126 Flight Examiner - Notification of Test prior to conducting the Skill Test. Once the online form has been submitted, both the examiner and the candidate will receive an email copy of the submission. Within that receipt, you will find authorisation to conduct the requested test.
Please note that for CPL, IR or CBIR Flight Tests, CAA Flight Test Bookings must nominate the examiner to be used, as stated in the Information Notices referred to above. To request and pay for a commercial pilot licence (CPL) or instrument rating (IR) flight test booking, please instead complete online Flight Test Booking form SRG2153.
Reason for Test Notification
The CAA is required to have procedures to designate examiners for the conduct of skill tests on holders of UK-issued licences or applicants for UK-issued licences. These procedures do not apply to proficiency checks or assessments of competence, as the designation of examiners is not required for those activities.
Examiners intending to conduct skill tests for pilots who hold (or will hold) licences issued by EASA States must be designated according to the procedures of those States. In this case, examiners should not fill in the CAA’s Notification of Test form.
Where a skill test is to be conducted for the initial issue of a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) or Instrument Rating (IR) (including a ‘Competency-Based IR’ (CB IR)), the examiner shall be selected and designated by the CAA. The examiner may be designated by the CAA or alternatively a UK examiner may be designated by a UK-based Approved Training Organisation (ATO) or commercial operator that has a procedure approved by the CAA for that purpose. The alternative procedure is only available to ATOs and Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders based in the UK and approved by the CAA.
Skill Tests for a Commercial Pilot Licence or Instrument Rating
For any skill test for a UK-issued Part-FCL CPL or to add an IR (including a CB IR) to a UK-issued licence, the applicant must book the test via the CAA Flight Test Booking Service.
When requesting examiner designation, the applicant may advise the CAA of the name, licence/certificate number and contact details of an examiner, local to the intended test
venue, by whom they would prefer to have the test conducted. However, the CAA will not be bound to designate the examiner nominated by the applicant.
Before undertaking the test, the applicant must have written confirmation from the CAA identifying the examiner designated for the test. Once this e-mail confirmation has been received the test may proceed with that examiner. (Any automated acknowledgement of Notification of Test is not confirmation of designation by the CAA of an examiner for a CPL, IR or CB IR skill test).
Skill Tests for Licences and Ratings Other than CPL and IR
For initial skill tests for:
- the Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL);
- the Private Pilot Licence (PPL);
- the Sailplane Pilot Licence (SPL);
- the Balloon Pilot Licence (BPL);
- the Multi-crew Pilot Licence (MPL);
- the Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL);
and - Class, Type or additional ratings (including the En-route Instrument Rating (EIR)).
The selection and designation of a UK examiner may be made by the UK ATO or UK AOC holder that is recommending the applicant for the test. Designation by the ATO or AOC holder is subject to that organisation complying with the arrangements set out in the ‘Designation of Examiners by UK ATOs and UK AOC Holders’ section below. However, if designation by a UK ATO or UK AOC holder is not available, application for designation of an examiner by the CAA shall be made through online form SRG2126.
Note: This excludes designation for CPL, IR and CB IR tests which must be requested through Flight Test Bookings
Designation of Examiners by UK ATOs and UK AOC Holders
UK AOC holders and UK-approved ATOs wishing to designate examiners (holding certificates issued by the UK CAA) for skill tests shall include a procedure in their CAA-approved manuals for the designation of examiners for each skill test. The ATO/AOC holder must provide the CAA with a list of the examiners they intend to use, specifying for each examiner:
- The course (or courses) for which each examiner is nominated to conduct skill tests.
- Type of skill test including aircraft category, licence or rating title and (where applicable) specific type or class of aircraft.
- Examiner’s forename, initials and surname.
- Examiner’s UK licence/certificate number.
- Confirmation that the organisation has reviewed the examiner’s certificate and verified that he has the examining privileges to conduct the tests specified in (ii) above.
This list must be sent to licenceapplications@caa.co.uk. The CAA must be provided with the latest version whenever the list of examiners is amended. Any one of the examiners nominated and detailed on the organisation’s list may then, where appropriately qualified, be designated by the AOC holder or ATO to conduct the skill test.
The ATO/AOC holder’s procedure must ensure that for each skill test conducted information related to that test is captured and stored in the organisation’s training records. These procedures and their application will be subject to audit by the CAA as part of the oversight of the ATO/AOC approval.
Designation of Examiners by the CAA
Where the procedure for designation by a UK ATO or UK AOC holder is not used, designation of the examiner must be requested from the CAA using online form SRG2126.
For these skill tests (which exclude CPL, IR or CB IR, but include EIR and IR(R)), the applicant or examiner shall propose the examiner to be used. The automated application receipt will acknowledge receipt of the request and will confirm that the examiner is designated for the test provided that they hold a valid examiner certificate appropriate to the intended test.
Where the examiner is designated by the CAA (and not by a UK AOC holder or UK ATO) the examiner shall NOT conduct the skill test unless they have written confirmation by the CAA of their designation as the examiner for the test.
In accordance with ARA.FCL.205, the CAA will publish a list of the examiners holding examiner certificates issued by the CAA.
Examiners are reminded that FCL.1005 states that examiners shall not conduct:
‘(a) skill tests or assessments of competence of applicants for the issue of a licence, rating or certificate:
(1) to whom they have provided more than 25% of the required flight instruction for the licence, rating or certificate for which the skill test or assessment of competence is being taken;
or
(2) when they have been responsible for the recommendation for the skill test, in accordance with FCL.030(b);
(b) skill tests, proficiency checks or assessments of competence whenever they feel that their objectivity may be affected.’
For the purpose of (a)(1), instruction includes any flight that relies upon the privileges of the instructor certificate, and so includes ‘progress checks’ completed during the course.
To comply with the obligations placed on the CAA by ARA.FCL.205, CAA Licensing Standards Inspectors, CAA Flight Examiners and CAA Training Inspectors will conduct sampling, audits and inspections of skill tests and proficiency checks as the CAA considers necessary in order to be assured that the test standards are being met and that the agreed processes and procedures are being complied with.
An examiner is not permitted to endorse a UK-issued licence with a new rating following the (initial) skill test. Where a rating is to be added to a licence (in Section XII) application must be made to the CAA for the licence to be amended.
Note: In the case of renewal of a rating by proficiency check, the holder of an examiner certificate issued by the CAA may endorse the certificate of revalidation in a pilot’s licence, but only if the rating is still shown in Section XII on page 4 of the licence. If the rating is no longer shown in Section XII it will be shown on the back of the licence as a previously held rating. In such cases the application for renewal of the rating must be made to the CAA enclosing evidence of compliance with the renewal requirements. The licence will then be reprinted by the CAA with the rating reinstated as current
Queries
Please contact us at: Email: fclweb@caa.co.uk
Tel: 0330 022 1972 (Mon - Fri 08:30-16:30)
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