Reviewed by Tim Hittinger, ICAO examiner (A-126-LPE)Is an online test valid for your AESA licence?
Yes – Spanish regulations expressly provide for AESA to accept certificates like the one you receive with GAT. Article 17.2 of Orden FOM/1146/2019 reads (original in Spanish):
«La Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea aceptará, como acreditación del nivel de competencia lingüística del personal aeronáutico, los certificados expedidos por los centros evaluadores de competencia lingüística cuyo método de evaluación haya sido aprobado por la autoridad aeronáutica competente de otros Estados en aplicación del Reglamento (UE) n.º 1178/2011 […]».
Orden FOM/1146/2019, art. 17.2 · Full text in the BOE
In plain English: AESA accepts certificates from language assessment bodies whose assessment method has been approved by another state’s aviation authority under Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011.
Your test with GAT is conducted in cooperation with the language assessment body LTB 112. Its assessment method is approved and supervised by Austro Control, Austria’s civil aviation authority. LTB 112 carries out the second assessment and issues your certificate.
And the video-call format?
To be clear: neither Orden FOM/1146/2019 nor FCL.055 says anything explicit about online or in-person testing. What the rules do define is what the assessment has to cover – and our format meets that:
- AMC1 FCL.055 allows the assessment to use “a wide variety of means or technologies”, as long as it includes both face-to-face and voice-only situations.
- Face-to-face and voice-only: you and your examiner see each other on video. For part of the interview, the examiner switches their camera off and you only hear each other – just like on the radio.
- The parts listed in art. 9.1 of the Orden: listening comprehension, speaking, an interview on general and work-related topics, and a voice-only part without visual contact. Your test covers all of them.
- Austro Control’s guidelines for language assessments provide for tests in person or online, with supervision by technical means such as video.
- ICAO’s guidance for the European region (EUR Doc 046, December 2023 ) also covers proctored online assessment under certain conditions.
Check your RT privileges, too. To endorse an English language level, AESA also requires radiotelephony privileges in English in section XII of your licence. Our test does not grant them. Most pilots trained in English already have them – check section XII. AESA FAQ (in Spanish)
Read the AESA guide step by step
Equipment you need
- Device: a laptop or desktop computer is ideal. A smartphone or tablet also works – put it on a stable stand and keep it plugged in.
- Camera: needed for the ID check and during the test. Make sure the light comes from the front; a window behind you leaves you in the dark.
- Microphone and sound: a headset with a microphone is best. It avoids echo, cuts background noise and makes ATC instructions easier to follow.
- Internet: the more stable, the better. If you can, use an Ethernet cable or sit close to your Wi-Fi router.
- Zoom: app or browser. You don’t need a Zoom account – the link in your confirmation email is all it takes.
The room: quiet and free from interruptions
You can take the test from home, from your base or from a hotel room during a rotation – handy if you live far from Madrid, Jerez, Málaga/Torremolinos and Barcelona/Badalona, where the AESA-approved centres are based. What matters is that nobody interrupts you and there is no background noise.
- Block out about 45 minutes: that is the length of the slot, although the test itself takes around 30.
- Close the door and let anyone at home or at the base know.
- Mute your phone and close other video-call apps that might be using your camera or microphone.
- Keep a glass of water nearby. Relax – your examiner gives you a short briefing before you start.
Your ID and licence
At the start of the test, your examiner checks your identity on camera. Have these ready:
- your national identity card (for example your Spanish DNI) or your passport;
- your pilot licence, if you already hold one.
After booking you receive three emails: the confirmation with your Zoom link, a request for a copy of your ID and the privacy form, and a link to enter your details in the exam system. Enter your full name exactly as it appears on your ID – that is the name that will appear on your certificate.
How the test runs in Zoom
- Open the Zoom link from your confirmation email 5 minutes before the start.
- Your examiner admits you to the meeting and checks your ID and – if you have one – your licence.
- After a short briefing comes Part I: pictures, questions with an aviation context, two ATC read-backs and ATIS (Levels 4–6 test with a licence) or a short story (student pilots).
- In Part II you talk with your examiner for 10–15 minutes, including a voice-only phase.
- About 30 minutes later you are done. Your result and certificate arrive by email within 24 hours, usually the same day.
The test procedure in detail Try a free sample test
What if the connection drops?
It can happen, and it is nothing to worry about. Rejoin via the same Zoom link and your examiner will explain how to continue.
If you can’t get back into the meeting, call us on +49 7072 1352530 (we speak English and German on the phone) or message us on WhatsApp in English or Spanish.
Run the tech check a few days before. If you haven’t joined within 15 minutes of the start time, the slot is forfeited.
Something not working and you can’t fix it in time? Reschedule free of charge up to 24 hours before your slot.
Spanish mainland time and the Canary Islands
The booking calendar detects your device’s time zone and shows the slots in your local time: in mainland Spain you see “(GMT+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin …” (the same time as in Germany); in the Canary Islands you see “(GMT) … Lisbon, London”, which is Canary Islands time. The labels always show the winter offset; summer time is applied automatically. You can change the time zone in the selector above the calendar. If you are on a rotation in another time zone, check which one is selected before you book.
Slots are available 7 days a week, including evenings. Those from 8 pm Spanish mainland time (7 pm in the Canary Islands), at weekends and on public holidays carry a surcharge – you see the total price, VAT included, in the calendar before you book.
Privacy: the tech check stays on your device
The check on this page runs entirely in your browser. Your camera image and microphone signal are neither recorded nor transmitted to us or anyone else. As soon as you stop the check or leave the page, your camera and microphone are released.
How we handle the data from your booking and your test is explained in our privacy policy.
Quick questions
Can I take the test on my phone?
Yes. Smartphones and tablets work, although a laptop or computer is more comfortable. Put your phone on a stand, keep it plugged in and use headphones.
Do I need to install Zoom or create an account?
You don’t need a Zoom account. Join via the app or your browser using the link in your confirmation email. You don’t need an account with us to book either.
Can I take the test while I’m outside Spain?
Yes, from wherever you are, as long as you have a stable connection and a quiet room. Before you book, check which time zone is selected above the calendar.
Am I assessed by a person or by software?
By a person. You talk live to an examiner registered with Austro Control up to Level 6, who is also a pilot. Two assessors rate every test. Meet the examiners