Selection & long-haul
Competency-based interviews: the 9 ICAO pilot competencies and the STAR method
“Tell me about a time you disagreed with the captain.” It sounds open-ended, but there is an answer key: the interviewer is looking for behaviours linked to the ICAO pilot competencies.
In short
- ICAO describes nine pilot competencies, used in evidence-based training and increasingly in airline selection.
- For behavioural questions, answer with a real case using STAR: situation, task, action and result, focusing on what you did.
- Prepare 8 to 10 stories, each linked to two or three competencies, and practise telling them in under two minutes.
The competency-based interview catches many experienced pilots off guard. You can fly, you know the aircraft, but when asked to “describe a situation” the answer comes out generic: “I always follow the procedure”, “we talk it through”. To an assessor, that is not evidence of anything.
The good news is that the yardstick is public. ICAO describes the pilot competencies in Doc 9868 (PANS-TRG) and in the Manual of Evidence-based Training (Doc 9995), and many selections use the same foundation.
The 9 pilot competencies
In evidence-based training (EBT) material they are often numbered PC 0 to PC 8, each with an English abbreviation. The descriptions below are our own summaries:
- PC 0 · KNO
- Application of knowledge. Knowing and understanding the aircraft, the operating environment and the rules, and using that knowledge in practice.
- PC 1 · PRO
- Application of procedures and compliance with regulations. Knowing which procedure applies and following it, including when nobody is watching.
- PC 2 · COM
- Communication. Clear, timely and confirmed, inside and outside the flight deck.
- PC 3 · FPA
- Flight path management, automation. Using and monitoring automation and choosing the right level.
- PC 4 · FPM
- Flight path management, manual control. Flying the aircraft accurately without automation.
- PC 5 · LTW
- Leadership and teamwork. Influencing, supporting, delegating and accepting being led.
- PC 6 · PSD
- Problem solving and decision making. Identifying the problem, generating options, deciding and reviewing.
- PC 7 · SAW
- Situation awareness and management of information. Perceiving, understanding and anticipating.
- PC 8 · WLM
- Workload management. Prioritising, planning, distributing tasks and asking for help early.
Each competency comes with behavioural indicators: observable actions showing that the competency is present. That is what the assessor listens for in your story.
The STAR method
- S · Situation: the context in two or three sentences.
- T · Task: your role and what had to be solved.
- A · Action: what you did, step by step. This is the longest part and the one that scores.
- R · Result: how it ended and what you learned or changed afterwards.
Many assessors value a fifth element, reflection: what would you do differently? It shows maturity and the ability to learn from experience.
Example 1: disagreeing with the captain
- S: “Descending into an airport with thunderstorms in the area, the captain wanted to keep the planned approach, which passed close to a strong cell on the radar.”
- T: “As pilot monitoring, I had to make my concern clear without locking up the flight deck in a high-workload phase.”
- A: “I pointed at the cell on the radar and said what I saw and what I proposed: request a heading to the other side and reassess. He preferred to continue. I repeated it more directly, citing our company’s criterion for avoiding cells. He agreed, we requested the deviation and re-briefed.”
- R: “We deviated with a comfortable margin and landed normally. In the debrief we agreed I would raise this kind of concern earlier, at top of descent.”
Competencies on display: communication, situation awareness, leadership and teamwork, decision making.
Example 2: a mistake of your own
- S: “Preparing a flight with a last-minute runway change, I reprogrammed the departure in the FMS in a hurry.”
- T: “I was responsible for the programming on that sector.”
- A: “During the cross-check, the captain noticed the transition did not match the clearance. We stopped, checked against the chart and the clearance, corrected it and re-briefed.”
- R: “We left on time with no deviation. Since then, on every runway change I read the clearance and the route page aloud before confirming.”
Owning the mistake calmly, showing the barrier that worked and what you changed is worth more than pretending you never err.
Building your story bank
- List 8 to 10 real situations: a technical failure, a weather deviation, a flight deck conflict, a difficult passenger, your own error, a colleague’s error you caught, a decision under time pressure, something you taught.
- Tag each with two or three competencies.
- Write each one in STAR bullet points, not paragraphs.
- Practise aloud with a timer. Two minutes is a good target.
- Check that all nine competencies appear in at least one story.
Mistakes that ruin good stories
- “We” all the time. The assessor wants to know what you did.
- No result. The story stops at the action.
- Blaming others. Even when someone else erred, focus on what you did about it.
- Hypothetical answers. “I would…” is not evidence.
- Too long. Five minutes of context and thirty seconds of action is the opposite of what scores.
- Invented stories. Assessors probe with follow-up questions, and invented stories don’t survive the second one.
FAQ
Are the competencies the same at every airline?
The ICAO foundation is common, but each airline may have its own list or naming, sometimes with extra competencies. The logic of looking for observable behaviour is the same.
Can I use stories from general aviation or instructing?
Yes, as long as they are real and show the behaviour. Airline stories carry more weight when you have them, but a good instructing story beats a generic answer.
Do I need to memorise the competency codes?
There is no need to recite codes. Knowing the nine competencies helps you choose stories that show what the assessor is looking for.
References
- ICAO. Doc 9868, PANS-TRG (Procedures for Air Navigation Services: Training), pilot competencies and behavioural indicators.
- ICAO. Doc 9995, Manual of Evidence-based Training.
- EASA. Easy Access Rules for Air Operations, ORO.FC.231 (Evidence-based training) and related AMC/GM.