Important Tips for Pilot Aptitude Battery Test [Tips to Clear PABT]

JAI HIND to all defense lovers, if your dream is to become a pilot in Indian Armed Forces, you need to face PABT after clearing SSB Interview. In this article, we see what is PABT and few tips to clear PABT. PABT (Pilot Aptitude Battery Test) is an aptitude test designed and conducted for candidates who aspire for a flying career in the Indian Air Force. 

Primary Aim to Conduct the Test is to Assess:

• Aptitude to be trained as a pilot
• Test the mental alertness 
• Judgment power
• Presence of mind
• Self-confidence of the candidate
• Checks the reflex action of a candidate

Note: A candidate can give this test once in life; you will not get a chance to give PABT more than once.

Need to Conduct PABT

During the Second World War, it was discovered that the selected pilots of the Air Force always did not possess the aptitude for the flying branch. As a result, it often aircrafts crashed.

Ways of Conducting PABT

The test is conducted in two phases

• Written Test or Instrument Battery Test 
• Plane Position Test

Written Test or Instrument Battery Test 

This test is to determine whether the candidate can monitor several instruments at one time and quickly interpret and extract the required information.

It consists of two parts 

• Apparatus Reading Test
• Plane Position Test 

In the Apparatus Reading test, 60 questions are given to attempted in only 20 minutes to check a candidate’s ability to read different instruments in a short period, such as a magnetic compass, altimeter, Airspeed indicator, etc. are there to conduct the test.

In-plane position Test, the candidates are explained about various positions in which the plane travels and the regions of the plane that are visible from the front when it is traveling in these positions.

Note: When you cleared the written test, you are only eligible to give the machine test.

Machine test 

The test aims at judging the reflexive capabilities of a candidate in response to external stimuli. This test is conducted to note down the eye ear-hand to feet coordination of the candidate. In this, a candidate is given three chances to come up with good scores.

It comprised of two tests-

1. Light Control Test
2. Control Velocity Test or Drum Test 

In the Light control test candidate is made to sit in front of a CRT monitor. The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing one or more electron guns, and a fluorescent screen is used to view images.

In the Control Velocity Test control/motor skills of the candidate are tested. Tests are conducted to know the aptitude of the candidates in controlling the flight at different weather conditions. 

How to Clear PABT Test [Important Tips]

• Attentively listen to a session.
• Focus on attempting correct questions.
• Keep the wrong answers as low as possible.
• If you have a keen interest in aircraft, that will help you a lot.
• Be confident while answering.
• Enjoy the session and listen to instructions given to you.
• Do not panic while during the test.
• Ask for doubts if you have any.
• Keep your josh high because if you fail in PABT, that does not mean that you get disqualified from SSB. You will get another branch other than flying. 

So, we hope you get an idea about PABT and tips to follow while giving PABT. Be prepared and always be patient with your goal. JAI HIND!