The 9 EASA Pilot Competencies : What Airlines Really Assess

Key takeaways:

The aviation industry has moved away from task-based training (repeating manoeuvres) to CBTA (competency-based training)
Airlines train their pilots through EBT, based on real accident and incident data
EASA has defined 9 behavioural competencies assessed throughout a pilot’s career
Each competency is graded on a 1-5 scale — the expected standard is 3
These competencies are assessed from airline selection onwards — not just after you’re hired
Training on these standards during your APS-MCC means you arrive at selection with the right mindset

CBTA EBT ?

You think airlines hire pilots who “know how to fly”? It’s more complicated than that.

For several years now, the aviation industry has changed how it trains pilots. It no longer assesses your ability to execute manoeuvres. Instead, it develops and assesses 9 behavioural competencies defined by EASA.

This is called CBTA (Competency-Based Training and Assessment) — a competency-based training method. Airlines use it to train their crews through EBT (Evidence-Based Training). And since they train their pilots on these competencies, they also recruit on these competencies.

The result: you’ll encounter these 9 competencies in selection, in type rating, and throughout your entire career. Time to understand what they’re about.

The old method: repeating manoeuvres

For decades, training was based on a simple principle: repeat exercises until you master them. Rejected takeoff, engine failure, ILS approach, go-around. You execute, the instructor validates, you move on.

The problem: this method dates from the 60s-70s. It was designed for aircraft that were prone to failures.

Modern cockpits are different — more automated, more reliable, more complex. Accidents have changed too. They’re no longer caused by mechanical failures, but by human errors: poor communication, loss of situational awareness, poor workload management. Repeating the same manoeuvres doesn’t prepare you for the unexpected.

The new method: assessing what you actually do

CBTA (Competency-Based Training and Assessment) changes the approach and starts from a simple observation: a good pilot isn’t someone who can execute a list of exercises — it’s someone who masters a set of competencies they can apply in any situation.

Instead of repeating manoeuvres, the instructor observes your behaviours in real situations. These behaviours are called Observable Behaviours (OBs). They’re concrete, measurable actions linked to 9 EASA-defined competencies: communication, situational awareness, decision-making, workload management, leadership, etc.

Example: during a flight with degraded weather and high ATC workload, the instructor doesn’t assess whether you “completed the approach”. They observe whether you briefed your copilot clearly, anticipated threats, distributed the workload, adapted your communication to the context.

Assessment is based on three dimensions:

How many expected behaviours you demonstrate
How often you demonstrate them
The combination of both = your competency level (1-5 scale)

Approach	What's assessed	How	Limitation
Task-based (old)	Ability to execute manoeuvres	Checklist of passed/failed tasks	Doesn't prepare for the unexpected
CBTA (new)	9 behavioural competencies	Observation of OBs in real situations	Applicable to any situation

In CBTA, we no longer ask “did they complete the manoeuvre?” but “did they demonstrate the right competencies to handle this situation?”

EBT: the airline method

EBT (Evidence-Based Training) is the application of CBTA to recurrent training in airlines. It’s the method used by Air France, easyJet, Emirates, British Airways, Wizz Air and many others.

The principle: analyse data from accidents, incidents and flights to identify real threats. Then build training scenarios that develop the competencies needed to handle them.

Element	Old method	EBT
Base	Fixed regulations	Real operational data
Scenarios	Repetitive exercises known in advance	Realistic, non-briefed LOFT
Assessment	Pass / Fail	Analysis of demonstrated competencies
Objective	Validate manoeuvres	Develop resilience

EBT doesn’t try to make you pass an exam. It aims to make you capable of handling situations you’ve never seen before.

The 9 EASA competencies

Here are the 9 competencies defined by EASA. These are what’s assessed in training, selection, type rating and recurrent training.

Code	Competency	What it means
PRO	Application of Procedures	You apply procedures correctly, at the right time, even under pressure
COM	Communication	You communicate clearly with your crew and ATC, you listen, you confirm
FPA	Flight Path Management - Automation	You use automation effectively, you understand what the aircraft is doing
FPM	Flight Path Management - Manual	You fly manually with precision when necessary
LTW	Leadership and Teamwork	You work as a team, you take the lead or follow depending on the situation
PSD	Problem Solving and Decision Making	You identify problems, analyse options, make decisions
SAW	Situational Awareness	You maintain awareness of your current state and anticipate what's coming
WLM	Workload Management	You manage your workload, prioritise, delegate when needed
KNO	Application of Knowledge	You apply your technical knowledge when required

These competencies aren’t independent. Poor situational awareness (SAW) often leads to poor decisions (PSD). Workload overload (WLM) degrades communication (COM). Everything is connected.

The grading scale

In CBTA, each competency is assessed on a 1-5 scale.

Level	Grade	Instructor role (teaching method)	Observable Behaviours (OBs)			Outcome
Level	Grade	Instructor role (teaching method)	How many	How often	Quality	Outcome
Exceed	5	Exchange experience	All	Always	Exemplary	Ideal (safe, effective, efficient)
Proficient	4	Encourage further progress	Most	Regularly	Effective	Safe and effective
Consolidate	3	Facilitate self-learning	Many	Regularly	Adequate	Safe (skill test tolerances)
Practice	2	Teach and guide	Some	Occasionally	Marginal	Improvement required
Describe and apply	1	Explain and demonstrate	Few	Rarely	Ineffective	Improvement required
Not Observed	0	N/A

The goal isn’t to score 5 everywhere. The goal is to be at least 3 on all competencies — that’s the expected level for an operational pilot.

A grade of 2 triggers follow-up. A grade of 1 triggers mandatory remediation.

Why this matters from your APS-MCC

You might think: “CBTA/EBT is for airline pilots, not for me.”

Except airlines recruit on these competencies. They won’t wait until you’re with them to start assessing you. In selection, in assessment, in evaluation sims — it’s already CBTA.

If you arrive at selection having never worked on these competencies, you start with a handicap. You can be technically proficient and still get eliminated because your communication is unclear, your workload management is inconsistent, or your decision-making is hesitant.

The APS-MCC is the right time to start because it’s the beginning of your multi-crew experience: if it’s built on the same model as what you’ll experience in an airline, you arrive prepared.

What we offer at Iroise Aéro Formation

Our APS-MCC programme is deliberately aligned with these standards and the French Civil Aviation Authority has approved our training as “CBTA/EBT-compatible”. Iroise is one of the first and few schools in France to offer this training methodology.

In practice, this means: