Before hiring, airlines usually conduct assessments to evaluate the suitability of candidates for the role of flight attendants and cabin crew members.
What to Expect from A Flight Attendant or Cabin Crew Assessment
If you have ever wanted to see the world but can’t find the time, becoming a member of an airline’s cabin crew may be the perfect job for you. However, these aren’t easy jobs to acquire.
Whether you are just starting out in your career as a flight attendant, or you are looking to elevate your role into a senior position, you will likely be faced with a pre-employment assessment to test your abilities. Skills from cognitive and reasoning all the way to interpersonal and physical will be tested before you are given one of the most important roles in air travel.
About the Cabin Crew Assessment
The cabin crew assessment may alter slightly dependent on the airline with which you’ve applied, but the general topics, scoring, and skill necessities will be the same.
Most airlines require you to take five tests as a part of your overall assessment – situational judgement test, capacity assessment, verbal reasoning test, logical reasoning test, personality test.
Each test is specifically included to test for specific knowledge and skills that are applicable to the position.
Start practice today and improve your hiring chances
Situational Judgement Test (SJT)
Situational Judgement Tests are popular in many industries, but especially those where a wrong decision can be detrimental to the wellbeing of others. In this exam, you will be presented with hypothetical scenarios and asked to choose how you relate to those scenarios or how you would choose to respond.
Capacity Assessment
The Capacity Assessment is a geometric/ spatial reasoning test that is specific to the flight attendant profession. This section will test you using shapes, flight crew operations information, and other specific skills necessary for the job.
Verbal Reasoning Test
The verbal reasoning assessment uses written information and asks you questions that requires you to read, assess, and comprehend the written text. This portion of the test is typically timed.
Logical Reasoning Test
The logical reasoning test will show you questions in a visual and/or written format and require you to draw conclusions from the information provided. The questions are usually themed toward the cabin crew position to which you are applying.
Personality Test
The personality test is especially important. No airline wants to hire a confrontational or short-fused person to be in an airplane for long periods of time. The personality assessment will take a look at your personality, natural behaviors, approach to work relationships, motivations, and more.
The Cabin Crew Hiring Process
Though every airline may have a slightly different procedure to hiring cabin crew members, most places follow the same 5 basic steps.
- Submit Your Application – The first step in the long hiring process is to submit an application. This might be done through the airline’s online portal, or you may be submitting your application through a recruiter. Either way, be sure your information is up-to-date, applicable, and properly formatted.
- Complete your Pre-Employment Assessments – If you want to get an interview with an airline, you will need to perform well on your cabin crew assessment. The best way to ensure you score highly is by preparing with the study materials custom crafted by Next-Interview.
- Submit a Video Interview – Many airlines require the submission of a video interview before you will be able to speak to anyone over the phone or face to face. Some places will provide you with specific questions to answer during this video and other will give you a general idea of the things they want you to discuss. Remember to read the instructions carefully and include all requested information.
- Complete a Phone Interview – You may be asked to complete a phone screening as part of your hiring process. This is usually with a member of HR. They will go over your resume information and confirm details of your work and education history. It is best to have a copy of your resume with you, so you don’t answer questions about your work history incorrectly.
- Attend a Face-to-Face Interview – Perhaps the most nerve-wracking part of the hiring process, the final step is to complete a face-to-face interview. In this interview you may be asked questions about workplace approaches, your goals in your career, past work experience, etc.
Some airlines may include group interviews or team exercises as part of the interview process to assess:
- Teamwork Skills: Observing how candidates interact with each other, communicate, and work together to achieve common goals.
- Leadership Qualities: Identifying potential leadership abilities through group dynamics.
Preparation Tips for Candidates
- Research the Airline: Understand its values, culture, and expectations.
- Practice Common Questions: Such as why you want to be a flight attendant, how you handle stress, and how you’ve dealt with difficult situations in the past.
- Dress Professionally: Wear appropriate attire that aligns with the expected grooming standards.
- Ask Thoughtful Questions: Showing curiosity about the role, company, and industry.
