PABC is designed to provide consistent testing that supports the requirements published by various national aviation authorities (NAAs). PABC anticipates this program will eventually become a global standard for knowledge and knowledge competency training and testing of future cadet pilots.
A key goal of PABC is to develop an
entry-level professional standard to help prepare
new pilots for entry into the advanced training
programs provided by airlines and similar air operators.
Like the PE test
for engineers, the Bar exam for attorneys, and the CPA exam for accountants,
PABC's test is rigorous and intended to help Air Operators’ New Hire Pilots identify gaps in their aeronautical knowledge before they begin
training.
The test results serve as Gap
Analysisresource that helps each Pilot to be better prepared for each
block of instruction, thereby reducing training costs, failures and interruptions
in the training schedule.
Each Pilot receives a
personal set of test scores in each of the test’s 21 topics. Instructors receive
two (2) different reports: #1) shows the average score of the entire class in
each subject, and #2) shows each Pilot’s score in each of the 21 topics in a
de-identified format to prevent Instructor bias based on a Pilot’s scores.
NOTE: PABC is not a pilot training
organization, training designer/developer or a
Pilot
test preparation service.
PABC's Professional Pilot Knowledge and Knowledge Competency Certification test is based on FAA’s new Ab Initio Airman Certification Standards (ACS) to earn:
PABC builds on the ACS criteria in order to achieve/maintain ISO Standards for Professional Certification:
PABC’s role is to identify and develop:
The International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is the aviation arm of the United Nations.
It publishes Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS), not regulations, to
guide the air operations of its’ 193 nation-states.
States like Canada, Japan and the US, publish
regulations that may agree with the SARPS or request an exemption to use
revised procedures. Since regulations may differ from one State to another,
pilots involved in International flights must know the differences that apply
when flying outside their “home” State.
Pilots that fly to
international destinations (outside their home-State), must comply with ATC
clearances and/or the digital or print publications that apply to the domestic,
international and overwater routes to their destination and any alternate
airports listed on their flight plan.
PABC’s tests are based on the FAA’s Airman
Certification Standards (ACS) for all of the certificates and ratings that Ab
Initio graduates and New Hire airline pilots will need. While the test
designs are virtually identical, all of PABC’s test items (questions) are
exclusively developed by and for PABC.
While most of PABC’s test CRITERIA are included in the best Ab Initio programs, PABC’s tests also include some Exemption features, because pilots may encounter them in New Hire training.
Exemption features
include equipment and methods of training that are not covered by the FAA’s
current
Standards. However, trainers that
can justify their use of those methods (such as Virtual Reality) may be granted
an
exemption to use them, typically for NO CREDIT, until that approach is formally
approved for use by the FAA. Those criteria are designed to ensure that each Ab Initio Cadet will have been exposed to programs that are designed to prepare them to enter and complete an Air Operator’s course for qualification as a Line Service Pilot for that Operator. The Ab Initio additions are intended to ensure that pilots are well-prepared to enter airline New Hire training and steadily increase the global pool of well-prepared airline pilots.
PABC’s training criteria will always meet or exceed the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and all of the World’s 193 Civil / National Aviation Authorities (CAAs / NAAs). Ultimately, PABC will generate and maintain continuously updated Professional knowledge and knowledge competency CRITERIA for Ab Initio programs that are applicable worldwide.
This
Professional Pilot Knowledge and Competency Certification test items (questions) use varied levels of complexity
and acumen -- that is, some test items are simple and some difficult --
to assess a broad range of knowledge competency in each domain.
PABC's aim is go beyond mere academic knowledge, so PABC uses highly-experienced pilots and subject matter experts (SMEs) to develop and validate its test. PABC draws from a rich reservoir of SMEs with hands-on experience who have dealt with these subjects and issues in real-world situations.
In addition, each item on the test has been validated with two groups of experts. This means that multiple experts have confirmed the relevance of each item in the test bank.
As PABC continues the development and evolution of its tests and related activities, it's working toward achieving accreditation by ISO, the International Standards Organization. In that effort, PABC works closely with ANSI, the American National Standards Institute, which is the local arm of ISO.
ISO/ANSI is the international Gold Standard of test accreditation, oversight, and quality control. The public can rest assured that ISO-accredited companies can and will live up to their published standards.
PABC has chosen ISO's rigorous accreditation criteria in regards to our test design, administration, and oversight. By meeting these criteria, PABC is committed to excellence in every aspect of standard setting, testing, and testing.