Prepare for ADAPT and COMPASS, and know what’s worth paying for
Airlines screen cadet and direct-entry pilots on computer-based aptitude tests like ADAPT and COMPASS, and an offer can turn on a single sitting. The attempts are paid, retakes are capped, and a fail can cost you months. That is a harsh gate to walk into cold, and the psychomotor modules are the part that responds most to practice.
Below: which test your airline actually uses, what each module measures, and an honest comparison of the two things worth buying, including when the answer is to buy nothing at all.
SkyTest pilot screening titles
Your €10 discount is applied automatically at checkout, with no coupon to enter. Approximate: SkyTest bills in euros and the exact figure varies with your region and tax. One-time purchase, no subscription and no expiry.
To be clear: SkyTest is third-party practice software, not the real assessment, and not affiliated with Symbiotics, ADAPT, COMPASS, cut-e or PILAPT. Our link is an affiliate link, so we may earn a commission, at no cost to you and with no effect on our advice. We compare it with the official practice below, including when to buy neither.
BeAPilot is an independent guide to the Indian pilot pathway. We do not sell aptitude software and we are not the test vendor, so nothing here is written to push you into a purchase. Where a paid tool earns its price we say so; where it does not, we say keep your money; and we flag it every time we earn a commission. When you want this applied to your own case, our free mentorship is with Pranit Badhwar, a working A320 pilot who cleared the current system. See also how we make money.
Which test will you actually sit?
Buying the wrong title is the most common way people waste money on preparation. Match the screening first, then the software.
| If you are applying to | You will most likely sit | SkyTest title that practises it |
|---|---|---|
| IndiGo cadet pilot programme (through CAE or Skyborne) | ADAPT, by Symbiotics | Pan-Asian Pilot Screenings |
| Air India, Thai, Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, Garuda, Scoot | ADAPT or cut-e, by Aon | Pan-Asian Pilot Screenings |
| Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Air Arabia | COMPASS | Middle East Pilot Screenings |
| British Airways, easyJet, L3Harris | PILAPT | UK Pilot Aptitude Screenings |
Confirm with the airline before you buy anything. Carriers change assessment vendors, and in Indian recruitment “CASS” gets used loosely to mean almost any computerised screening. Ask which system you will sit rather than assuming from a forum post. This table is a starting point, not a guarantee.
The SkyTest titles above are affiliate links: if you buy through one, we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. We compare SkyTest with the official Symbiotics practice, and with buying nothing at all, further down.
What each screening tests you on
Both are computer-based batteries of short, timed tests. Here is what each screening actually puts in front of you, area by area, so nothing on the day is a surprise.
Pan-Asian screenings (ADAPT and cut-e)
IndiGo cadet, Air India, Cathay, Thai and other Asian carriers. IndiGo's cadet screen is Symbiotics ADAPT.
- Psychomotor and multitasking
- ADAPT's Control and Co-Ordination (ball game) and FAST tracking, plus layered tasks like Runway Multitasking and Tube Flight. This is the core of the screen.
- Attention
- Reaction rate, monitoring-ability and 'E with dots' vigilance tasks, all against the clock.
- Memory
- Dot-and-grid recall and locations-on-a-map, held while something else competes for attention.
- Orientation
- Gyro and RBI reading, sense of heading, and jumbled-pipes spatial tasks.
- Reasoning and maths
- Deductive and inductive logic, diagrammatic series and spot-the-difference, plus mental word problems and number series with no calculator.
- Knowledge and personality
- ADAPT adds a knowledge paper, an English test at some airlines, and a one-off Personality Questionnaire that stays valid for two years.
For the IndiGo cadet programme this is one ₹29,500 sitting, a single retake after six months, and no third attempt. That is the whole case for walking in prepared. SkyTest's Pan-Asian title practises these.
Middle East screenings (COMPASS)
Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Air Arabia and other Gulf carriers.
- Psychomotor and multitasking
- Basic and extended coordination, tracking accuracy, multi-monitoring, and the Test for Operative Multitasking (TOM).
- Attention
- Vigilance, dials perception, circles-and-bell, and autopilot / signals-processing tasks.
- Memory
- Visual and auditory memory, and flight-data read-back.
- Orientation
- Bearing determination, cube comparison and folding, and orientation on a radar screen.
- Reasoning
- Matrices, visual analogies, diagramming, computer checking and symbol addition.
- Maths, physics and technical
- Mental arithmetic, number series and numerical estimation; physics from mechanics to thermodynamics; and technical comprehension.
Names and running order vary by carrier. Treat this as the ability areas to prepare, not a fixed schedule for the day. SkyTest's Middle East title covers these.
The modules, and which ones practice actually fixes
Here is what each module measures, how to train for it, and where practice actually moves your score (and where it barely does).
Psychomotor coordination
Practice pays offTracking a moving target with a joystick or mouse, often while something else demands attention. ADAPT calls its version the Control and Co-Ordination, or ball game, test.
How to train it. Short daily sessions beat one long cram: keep a moving target centred, then add a distraction. Joystick games and hand-eye hobbies help, and this is exactly what SkyTest's ball-game-style drills rehearse.
Multitasking
Practice pays offHolding the tracking task steady while answering maths, monitoring instruments or responding to audio. This is the core skill being screened, and cold, it is genuinely disorienting.
How to train it. Practise the tracking task while doing mental maths or watching a gauge, so two things at once stops feeling alien. Add the second task gradually rather than all at once.
Short-term memory
Some payoffRecalling sequences, callsigns and flight-data readbacks under time pressure and interference.
How to train it. Drill digit and letter spans, callsign read-backs and short sequences, both seen and heard. A few minutes a day, always against a clock.
Spatial orientation
Some payoffHeadings, relative bearings, instrument interpretation and mentally rotating yourself in space.
How to train it. Rehearse headings and relative bearings, mentally rotate shapes for the cube tasks, and practise reading an instrument or radar picture at a glance.
Mental maths
Paid software rarely helpsQuick arithmetic, ratios, speed and distance and fuel sums, with no calculator and a clock running.
How to train it. Timed arithmetic with no calculator: ratios, percentages, speed-distance-time and fuel. Symbiotics' own tip is to add up your shopping as you go. Free drills do this for nothing.
Physics and technical reasoning
Paid software rarely helpsSchool-level mechanics, electricity and thermodynamics, plus diagram and matrix reasoning.
How to train it. Refresh school-level mechanics, electricity and thermodynamics from a textbook, and practise matrix and diagram puzzles. No software required.
Personality questionnaire and English
Paid software rarely helpsADAPT includes a personality questionnaire and an English assessment. Both are checks on fit and comprehension.
How to train it. There is no right answer: respond honestly and consistently, and read the format once so it holds no surprises. For English, read technical material against a clock.
Read the two “practice pays off” rows again. These are the modules where paid software earns its price, because they are motor skills and you cannot improve them by reading about them. If your weak spot is anywhere else on this list, the honest answer is usually to spend nothing, so skip to whether you need to buy anything.
Do you even need to buy anything?
Paid practice only earns its price for one or two of the modules. Here are the common cases where the honest answer is to spend nothing.
- Your weak spot is mental maths
- Free daily drills fix this completely. Ten minutes a day of timed arithmetic, done against a clock rather than at your own pace, beats any paid title. Speed is the thing being measured, so practising untimed is practising the wrong skill.
- Your weak spot is physics or technical reasoning
- That is a knowledge gap, not an aptitude gap. A Class 11 and 12 physics textbook is the right purchase, and you probably already own it.
- You have not confirmed which assessment you will sit
- Buy nothing yet. Ask the airline or the training partner first, because the wrong title is money spent practising the wrong task styles.
- You are tempted to buy two or three titles
- Do not. The task styles overlap heavily, and a second title adds far less than a second week of practice on the first one.
Nobody can sell you the actual test.Anyone offering “real ADAPT questions”, a leaked COMPASS bank or a guaranteed pass is selling something worthless, and often a scam. That is the agent problem in a new costume. Practise the skills, do not buy the answers.
Which preparation is right for you?
They are not competitors so much as different tools. One lets you drill a motor skill until it is automatic. The other shows you the exact screen you will face.
| SkyTestThird-party simulation | Symbiotics ADAPT practiceOfficial, from the test vendor | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Third-party practice software that imitates the task styles | Practice versions of the real tests, from the company that built ADAPT |
| Cost | Approx €89.95 through our link, was €99.95 | Four bundles, priced in your local currency |
| Access | One-time purchase, perpetual, no expiry | Three months of platform access |
| Repetitions | Unlimited | Knowledge tests up to 5 times, dexterity tests 14 attempts |
| Interface you practise on | SkyTest's own, similar in style but not identical | The actual ADAPT platform you will sit the test on |
| Runs on | Windows, Mac and iPad | Browser |
| Best timing | Weeks out, or before your date is even booked | Close to a confirmed assessment date |
| Our view | Best for building the skill through repetition | Best for final familiarisation with the real screen |
| Affiliate link? | Yes. We may earn a commission if you buy | No. We earn nothing either way |
Buy SkyTest if you need repetitions
- Psychomotor skill is built by hundreds of reps over days, and the licence never expires
- Pan-Asian title practises ADAPT and cut-e styles; Middle East title covers COMPASS
- Useful if your test date is months away or not yet booked
- Not the real interface, and not affiliated with Symbiotics or COMPASS
Affiliate link. The €10 discount is applied automatically at their checkout, no code needed.
Sitting COMPASS instead? the Middle East title covers it.
Buy the Symbiotics bundle if you want the real screen
Four bundles, from the single-skill Dexterity and Knowledge sets up to the all-in Insight bundle, each with three months of access. Priced in your local currency at checkout.
- Practice versions of the actual tests, on the actual ADAPT platform
- Removes interface surprise on the day, which is worth a lot at ₹29,500 an attempt
- Best bought close to a confirmed assessment date, since access is three months
- Capped attempts, so it is familiarisation rather than drilling
Not an affiliate link. We earn nothing if you buy this.
What we'd do
If a paid tool is worth it for your weak module, here is which one and when. If it is not, the buy-nothing cases above still stand.
- Your test is weeks away and your weak spot is tracking or multitasking
- Build the skill with repetition. This is the one case where paid software clearly earns its price: these are motor skills, and SkyTest’s unlimited reps on a perpetual licence suit them, and buying through our link saves you €10.
- Your assessment date is confirmed and close
- Add the official Symbiotics practice so the real interface holds no surprises on the day. That familiarity is worth the bundle price.
If you end up using both, a sensible order is SkyTest first to build the skill, then the official practice in the final week.
Does SkyTest prepare you for the IndiGo ADAPT test?+
Partly, and you should know exactly how. SkyTest is third-party software, not the ADAPT platform. Its Pan-Asian title practises the task styles used in ADAPT and cut-e screenings, which is genuinely useful for the psychomotor and multitasking modules. It will not show you the real ADAPT interface. For that, the official practice from Symbiotics is the only option, and we compare the two above.
How is the IndiGo cadet ADAPT test structured?+
ADAPT, built by Symbiotics, runs on a computer as three classes of test: knowledge papers (maths, physics and cognitive reasoning, with English at some airlines), the dexterity tests that are its psychomotor core (the FAST and Control and Co-Ordination “ball game” tasks), and a personality questionnaire. We break down what each part tests above. The exact mix varies by airline, so confirm yours.
What is on the COMPASS test?+
COMPASS, used by Middle East carriers such as Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia, is a battery of short timed tests across four areas: psychomotor tracking and multitasking, attention and memory, spatial orientation and reasoning, and knowledge (maths, physics, technical comprehension and English). The structure section sets out each area.
What is the difference between ADAPT and COMPASS?+
They are different screening systems from different companies. ADAPT (Symbiotics) is what the IndiGo cadet programme uses; COMPASS is used by several Middle East airlines. Both are computer-based aptitude batteries and both reward practice on the psychomotor modules, but the exact tasks, scoring and interface differ, so prepare for the one your airline actually runs.
How much does the IndiGo ADAPT assessment cost?+
₹29,500 per attempt, payable before the assessment, per CAE’s IndiGo cadet programme page as of 2026-08-08. That is the assessment fee alone and is separate from training costs. Confirm the current figure before you book.
What happens if I fail the ADAPT assessment?+
For the IndiGo cadet programme, a failed ADAPT means a minimum six-month wait before you may attempt it again, and a second unsuccessful attempt makes you permanently ineligible for the programme. Two chances, six months apart, at ₹29,500 each. That is the whole argument for preparing properly rather than treating the first attempt as a practice run.
Is there a SkyTest discount, and how do I get it?+
Yes. Use any SkyTest link on this page and €10 comes off automatically at their checkout, roughly €89.95 instead of about €99.95, with no coupon code to enter. The exact figure varies with your region and tax. Reach SkyTest some other way and the discount will not apply. It is an affiliate link, so we may also earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Is prep software actually worth buying?+
It depends entirely on which module is your weak one. For psychomotor tracking and multitasking, yes: those are motor skills, they improve with repetition, and you cannot build them by reading. For mental maths, physics or reasoning, no. Free daily drills and a school textbook do the same job for nothing. We set out the cases where you should buy nothing above.
How long should I prepare before an aptitude test?+
Two to three weeks of short, focused daily sessions is the pattern that works. Psychomotor skill is built by repetition across days, not by one long session the night before. Practise against a clock, because time pressure is the point of these tests.
Is BeAPilot affiliated with ADAPT, COMPASS or SkyTest?+
We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Symbiotics, ADAPT, COMPASS, Aon cut-e or PILAPT. Those names are used here only to describe which assessment the preparation is for. We do have an affiliate arrangement with SkyTest, which means we may earn a commission if you buy through our link. That is disclosed on this page wherever the link appears, and in full on how we make money.
If SkyTest is the right tool for your weak module
If you have worked through the above and landed on SkyTest, go to the title that matches your screening and the €10 comes off automatically. If you have not, keep your money: the aptitude tests lesson and free daily drills will serve you better.
The SkyTest titles are affiliate links, so we may earn a commission if you buy through one, and each applies your €10 discount. The official Symbiotics practice named above earns us nothing. How we make money
Prices and policies on this page were checked on 2026-08-08against CAE’s IndiGo cadet pilot programme page, skytest.com and symbioticsltd.com. Fees change. Confirm before you pay.