About Wizz Air
Wizz Air is a Hungarian airline, with headquarters in Budapest. Established in 2003, Wizz Air has grown to become the largest low-cost airline in Europe based on passenger numbers in 2020, and has plans to grow larger over the coming years.
Wizz Air flies to 48 countries, landing at 161 destinations using a growing fleet of over 100 Airbus planes.
For aspiring pilots, Wizz Air operates a Pilot Academy to give the opportunity of gaining a Commercial Pilots License with little to no previous aviation experience. The Pilot Academy is in several stages, with the first being the longest.
To become a qualified pilot, you need to undertake ab-initio training. At Wizz Air, this can take up to two years of full-time study at one of the partner air training schools; one located in Greece, and one in Hungary.
Once you have completed the Academy, you will have achieved:
Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL) with Instrument Rating (IR)
Multi-Engine Piston Class Rating (MEP)
Multi-Crew Cooperation (MCC)
Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) Theoretical Knowledge
Following this, cadets can go on for advanced training and then into Wizz Training - and once complete, you will be released as a first officer and ready to be a pilot for Wizz Air.
The prerequisites for entrance include:
The unrestricted right to live and work in the EU (or a country where Wizz Air have an operating base)
Minimum qualifications of at least a high school degree
Minimum age of 18
Fluent written and spoken English
Valid Class 1 Aeromedical Certificate
Can swim 50m unaided
The full cost of the Wizz Air Pilot Academy is a little over 61,000 EUR, which is payable in instalments.
Wizz Air Application Process
The application process for entrance to the Pilot Academy for both new cadets and those with previous aviation experience begins with a simple application form. If you meet the criteria, you will be invited to a multiple day assessment at Wizz Air head office and take part in a number of assessments and interviews to ensure you have the required aptitudes and abilities to be successful in the Pilot Academy.
Wizz Air Online Application
The online application form is simple and straightforward, including basic contact information and details about qualifications and previous experience.
If you meet the required standards here, you will be asked to attend an in-person assessment in Budapest. This has a cost to cover the aptitude tests, and you will have to pay for flights and accommodation if you need to travel.
The first day of the assessment will consist of the Pilot Aptitude Test, an English Test and a Checklist Professional Profile test.
Wizz Air Aptitude Tests
The Pilot Aptitude Test used by Wizz Air is called COMPASS (Computerised Pilot Aptitude and Screening System). This test is produced by European Pilot Selection and Training, and since the first tests were administered in the 1990s, more than 17,000 aspiring pilots have taken a COMPASS assessment.
COMPASS is one of the leading tests used for assessment of candidates for ab-initio training and for experienced pilots too. It is made up of a number of tests provided in a battery, and there are nine separate components that are can be used, depending on the level and the role applied for:
Control: compensation assessment of hand, foot and eye coordination
Slalom: tracking test of hand/eye coordination
Mathematics: speed and ability in maths
Memory: short-term memory recall
Task Manager: manage concurrent tasks accurately and quickly
Orientation: spatial orientation as well as instrument comprehension and interpretation
Tech-Test: understanding of physics
Aviation-English: recognising and understanding ATC sound messages
Verbal Reasoning: reading, understanding and analysing written information.
Wizz Air English Test
The English test is a check of your English language knowledge and skills to be sure that you have enough proficiency to make the most of the training, which will take place entirely in English.
Wizz Air Personality Questionnaire
The Checklist Personality Profile (CPP) is a psychometric test that is designed by the Institute of Aviation Psychology to assess the personal skills and competencies of a candidate to measure against the desired characteristics of a Wizz Air pilot. The aptitudes include:
Leadership skills
Personal Stability
Team Orientation
Executive Orientation
Sociability
Decision-making skills
Wizz Air Interview
At the end of the first day, you will have a short interview to discuss your motivations and why you want to become a pilot - and this is a good time for the team to get to know you as a potential candidate.
If you are successful on this first day, you will be invited back to the second stage which will take place on the next day.
Wizz Air Group Exercise
The first part of the second day is a group exercise, where you will have to work with other candidates to complete a team task. You will be assessed on your ability to communicate, make decisions, and cooperate with others to reach the best conclusion.
Wizz Air Interview
This interview takes place with the Wizz Air pilot recruitment team and a representative of the flight school. The questions in this interview will be related to your competencies and your fit as part of the Wizz Air team, and is a good opportunity to find out more about the training that you are going to take part in.
Wizz Air Psychological Screening
If you are successful in the previous stages, the final part of the recruitment process is a psychological screening evaluation.
This is an individual meeting with a professional aviation psychologist, where you will be assessed in terms of your mental capabilities. There will be a short computer test and a discussion with the psychologist, and this can take up to two hours.
If you pass all the stages in the assessment, you can expect to receive an invitation to the Wizz Air Pilot Academy within a couple of weeks, where you will undertake training that will take 17-21 months and transform you from a cadet to a qualified pilot.
