AEC Aircrew Selection

[LOLslamball]

I am currently applying for AEC through the ROTP program and am scheduled to go to Trenton to undergo aircrew selection. I haven't been told much about the actual simulator or testing and was hoping someone had some more information. I was told this is the first year the simulator/test has been administered.

The study guide given to me was for CAPSS and was written in 2007.

Thanks in advance.

edit: I got the impression that I was not told details about the testing because my MCC didn't know much about it, not because I am not allowed to know.

 

[aesop081]

You must have applies for ACSO or pilot as well.......AEC do not go through aircrew selection in trenton. Or theres been a sudden change.

 

[LOLslamball]

I applied for pilot, and was found suitable but not competitive, so I thought about it and went back and changed my application to AEC.

AEC is the only trade listed on my application, and the first sessions of this testing was run in December.  I think two sessions have been completed.

The join instrustions on the link below state that they are for Pilot/AEC and this table is pasted from the join instructions

AEC Selection
Wed.                                                   Thurs.             Thurs. eve., or Fri.
arrival at                                             Aircrew Tests
CFASC 32 Buffalo Ave, Trenton                                            departure
Yukon Lodge Trenton                                                 for home


http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/8w-8e/units-unites/page-eng.asp?id=1210#

 

[aesop081]

Fair enough, things change.

Don't worry about the CAPSS machine, not much you can do to prepare for it other than a bit of flight sim time on your computer. The thing shows you what you need to do, just be familiar with what is in the CAPSS book. The written tests are math intensive as well as spatial ability. Knowing a little about what basic aircraft instruments tell you will help. The rest is speed reading tables and you cant really prepare for that. They likely have added ( or something only for AECs) so this may all have changed a bit since i went there in 2008.

 

[Zoomie]

Looks like you will just be subjected to the written tests.  Not much point putting you in the CAPSS box since you won't be near any flight controls as an AEC.

It appears that they have instituted some sort of selection criteria for the AEC trade - hence the testing done on Thursday morning.  In the blue book, just focus on the written test portion - ignore anything that refers to the "simulator".

 

[LOLslamball]

Thanks for the replies,

I am not sure as to the format of the test, I think it is on computers or a new simulator, but it may include written parts too. 

When I was looking up CAPSS there was a DND publication that explained a lot about it and a lot of things that I would not disclose after I had finished, but I haven't found a scrap of anything online about this testing yet.

 

[aesop081]

Thanks for the replies,

I am not sure as to the format of the test, I think it is on computers or a new simulator, but it may include written parts too. 

When I was looking up CAPSS there was a DND publication that explained a lot about it and a lot of things that I would not disclose after I had finished, but I haven't found a scrap of anything online about this testing yet.

The CAPSS ( the "simulator") is for pilot candidates only. Don't worry about it. If they have something new for AEC candidates, this is what you will have to worry about. I am sure they will show you what you need to do when you are there.

 

[LOLslamball]

I suppose all candidates are on level footing.  I was just hoping to study more efficiently before I arrived.

 

[biggs]

Interesting.  I had heard through the grapevine that they were looking at implementing a pre-enrollment selection test for AEC applicants, but I didn't think they'd started using it already.  From what I was told, it's aimed at reducing the number of candidates who fail in phase training, which is fairly high.

I would imagine it's a written or computer based test, similar in format (but not necessarily subject matter) to the ACSO test.  Like any sort of selection or screening process, just give it your level best and hope it turns out.

 

[Melbatoast]

Here's some more speculation, but maybe the AEC stuff is based on the "experimental" CBT they were giving pilot candidates for a while.  I did it in 2009, I don't know if they are still doing it (it didn't count toward your selection, they were just going to compare your performance versus how you do/did in training after passing CAPSS).  It was more typical of airline-industry abstract style psychomotor testing, rather than CAPSS which provides a more directly observable (to the casual onlooker) connection to flying.  It might, might also work for AEC selection.

This is a guess.  Don't make any plans based on this wild-ass guess.

 

[LOLslamball]

It would make sense seeing as CAPSS was developed over 10 years and they obviously have to test the tests to make sure they work.

I won't base anything on your guess, but I will take a look into it and I'll let you know when I get back.

 

[biggs]

Well, I was holding back from speculating that far, but there may be something to what Melbatoast said.

When I was on SLT, they had all the AEC 2LTs in the language school go over to Cornwall for a day and do that very test.  I had done the same one when I was at CFASC (also in 2009).  Apparently they left out the stick-and-rudder stuff, but they did everything else.  Also, if I recall correctly, this is a test the RAF uses for their aircrew selection.

It was pretty clear that this was a trial to establish a baseline.  All the AECs at the language school at that time had not gone through any pre-enrollment selection, nor had they started their phase training.  They will no doubt have their career progress compared to their results on this test to see how good it is at predicting training success.  However I'm surprised they've forged ahead and are already using it for pre-enrollment selection.

P.S. You weren't by any chance at CFASC in June of 2009, were you Melbatoast?

(Edit: Missing word in a sentence...)

 

[Melbatoast]

P.S. You weren't by any chance at CFASC in June of 2009, were you Melbatoast?

Nope, April. 

Good intel on the other stuff. 

For the candidates there is a lot of free stuff of that style available on the web, and you can buy practice material, too, if you are really convinced it will help you and have the money.

 

[LOLslamball]

For the candidates there is a lot of free stuff of that style available on the web, and you can buy practice material, too, if you are really convinced it will help you and have the money.

I am neither, but I've already found lots to study.

Did you mean psychomotor testing or psychometric testing?

From what I have gathered from google I think that psychomotor is responding to questions using motor skills. And it usually tests spatial ability and/or motor skills.

While Psychometric testing is timed aptitude tests such as the CFAT.  Which is what NAV Canada uses in their application process.

 

[biggs]

If you read my previous post carefully you'll realize it will most likely be the latter.

While the trial test that Toast and I did at CFASC as pilot candidates included both a psychomotor (stick and rudder) and a psychometric portion, the trial test they had the untrained AECs do was only the psychometric part.

Logically, it would follow that this will be the case for you as an AEC candidate. The fact that Nav Canada uses those types of tests further supports that idea, as they train both civillian and military air traffic controllers.

 

[SentryMAn]

so....after reading this and pondering awhile, then looking on the forces website I came to the conclusion that I do not know what AEC stands for?  I see ACSO, AEO and ACO but no AEC listed?

 

[aesop081]

Aerospace Control Officer

http://www.forces.ca/en/job/aerospacecontrolofficer-35

 

[SentryMAn]

I just thought that would be ACO, ;-)

 

[LOLslamball]

Melbatoast and Biggs, I'd just like to thank you for your information and responses.

It ended up being the first session ever, and 3 of 7 passed.  Thankfully I was one of them. 

The testing was probably similar to what you beta tested, from speaking with an MCC after wards it sounded like  they had been testing it for awhile.  Not an AEC simulator, just a lot of aptitude stuff. 

It was something that would be extremely hard to study for, unless you were told exactly what was on the test.  Luckily for me a lot of the stuff was right up my alley, thanks to my mom forcing me to practice it during elementary school.

 

[biggs]

Glad to hear you passed.  If your mom was drilled you on that stuff when you were in grade school, I'll bet you weren't thanking her for it at the time. 

They surely had been beta testing it for a while since we did it 2 1/2 years ago, and we probably weren't the first.  The point of using it for AEC candidates is so they don't have so many people failing in phase training, which I've heard was upwards of 50% for that trade before they had the selection.  It'll be interesting to see if having the test cuts down on that.