Q. Do you organize regular exam days?
A. We do not organize exam days unless by request. You can make an appointment that is convenient for you. Just send an e-mail or call and we will plan date and time, usually at short notice, the same week or the week after that.
Principal Locations: Rotterdam, Hilversum, Blaricum, Lelystad, Assen, Teuge, or if there are more candidates, at your club, school or company wherever you are!
Q. Why do we need to take this exam? Don’t we all speak English?
A. This test was introduced by ICAO, worldwide, to improve aviation safety. E.g. a Mexican air traffic controller should know what a pilot needs if he asks for an “emergency descent”, or if a “Low Pass” has to be made to check if the landing gear is “down and locked”. From a formal point of view, the exam is normally speaking linked to your RT license. This means that your RT license is only valid in combination with LPE leve 4 or higher. Your pilot’s license, however, does remain valid.
Q. Can I obtain level 5 or 6 at Air-Comms?
A. Yes, you can. You need to have a thorough knowledge of RT phraseology and aviation-related terminology, and you must be able to express yourself clearly and fluently in English; communication should not give rise to misunderstanding.
Q. What does the exam include?
A. The exam consists of an (RT) listening part, and a face-to-face interview. The entire exam is aviation-related. (see: LPE exam for a more extensive explanation).
Q. Are general English and grammar assessed?
A. This is not the primary purpose of the exam, however, sentence structure, pronunciation and grammar are assessed as part of a clear and effective communication. E.g. if pronunciation is influenced by the mother tongue, this is alright as long as it does not interfere with ease of understanding; and incorrect verb tenses might lead to misunderstanding, which should be avoided.
Q. Are writing skills assessed in the Listening Test?
A. No, spelling and sentence structure are not assessed. The answer must be correct, that is the only thing that matters.
Q. When will I get the result and my certificate?
A. You will get the result and the certificate within two weeks at the latest. Sometimes sooner, often immediately after the examination.
Q. What happens if I do not agree with the result?
A. Every exam is recorded on audio. That is standard procedure. If you do not agree with the result of the exam, we will send the audio file of your exam to another language expert for a ‘second-opinion’. Their decision is binding.
Q. If I pass the LPE exam, will this be registered on my license?
A. Certainly; however, you need to arrange this yourself by means of a (KIWA) registration with your authorities. You need to renew your pilot’s license and have the LPE , together with your RT license, if applicable, registered on your license.
Q. I have lost my certificate; can I get a duplicate?
A. In principle this is possible. We are legally obliged to store all documentation related to the exams for at least 5 years. After this period there is no storage obligation but we do keep them for at least 6 years. You will need to provide us first with your ID and personal data before we can issue a duplicate certificate.
Q. Who does the rating to determine the Level of English?
A. The rating is done by one or more of Air-Comm’s English language experts who is present during the exam.
