Aon Pilot Test Explained: What cut-e Screening Covers

The practice set. Each task is original, timed, and scored. None of them is an item from a live Aon test.

Why the email says Aon, AON or cut-e

Aon bought the test company cut-e in 2017. cut-e had built a large library of short online tests, and employers pick from it rather than buying one fixed exam. After the acquisition the tests kept their old scale names, and airlines did not all update their careers pages at the same time.

So your invitation may say "Aon", "AON", "cut-e", or only show a scale code. Unless it names a different provider, all of these point to the same family of tasks.

How long it takes, and why it varies

Because each airline builds its own sitting, there is no fixed length. Two examples from the same group show how far apart they can be:

• Ryanair: candidates often describe an online filter of about 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Buzz (Ryanair Group): for B737 captains, phase 1 is a single online Aon task, followed by a simulator check and an interview.

Same provider, very different days. The mix of scales in your invitation decides how long yours will be.

What the tasks look like

One rule runs through all of them: speed is part of the score. A correct answer that arrives late counts for less, and a fast wrong answer does not help. The format changes from task to task and the instructions are deliberately short, so read each one before you start.

The examples below match the practice tasks on this site, which are built around the skill areas candidates report. The timings are our practice timings, not a published Aon schedule.

• Monitoring Ability: count the moving balls inside a circle and press the matching number. Each correct answer makes the next round harder. You have two minutes.
• Inductive Reasoning: two grids follow a hidden rule. Pick the two other grids that follow the same rule.
• Situational Judgement: you read a workplace scenario and pick the most effective and the least effective response.

Aon sittings include many more scales than this, covering attention, planning, memory, spatial work, listening, and judgement. The full set with descriptions is on the Aon preparation page.

Which airlines use the Aon pilot test

The airlines below are reported to use Aon for at least one pilot pathway. Most of this comes from candidate reports, and a new hiring campaign can change the battery, so treat the list as a guide and let your invitation have the final word.

Not on the list: Emirates, Etihad and Transavia name COMPASS on their cadet and pilot pages. Wizz Air is reported to use FAST, Symbiotics ADAPT or TestAir360, depending on the pathway.

How to prepare

Memorising answers will not carry you: the airline chooses the scales, and the items vary between sittings. What transfers is practising each skill under a clock until your mistakes show a pattern. Running out of time on symbol comparison is a different problem from missing the rule in a grid, and practice is how you tell the two apart.

Our free Aon practice includes five tasks: Symbol Match, Monitoring Ability, Motion Challenge, Ability to Concentrate and Inductive Reasoning. The full preparation adds Spatial Recall, Grid Deduction, Spatial Orientation, Listening Comprehension and Situational Judgement. Every task is timed and scored, and the training hub compares your results with other candidates and suggests what to practise next.

Start the free Aon practice →

If your invitation names ADAPT or COMPASS instead, use the practice for that battery. All three are included in the same Pilot Preparation subscription. Practice for PILAPT, FAST and TestAir360 is not available yet.

The short version

Aon and cut-e are the same tests under two names. Each airline picks its own mix, so check which scales your invitation lists, then train those skills under time pressure rather than chasing answers. Start with the free practice to see the pace, and you will know within one session where your weak spots are.

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