Etihad screens cadets in two steps: an AON cut-e test online, then COMPASS at the Abu Dhabi assessment centre. Experienced pilots applying for Direct Entry sit Advanced COMPASS instead. You can practise both test families here right now, free and without an account, and check which Etihad path applies to you below.
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If you are applying for the cadet route, prepare for two separate test moments. The online screening comes first and currently points to AON cut-e. After that, the Abu Dhabi assessment centre adds COMPASS together with panel and group evaluation. The safest approach is to prepare in that order instead of treating the whole process like one generic aptitude test.
The cadet route starts with basic eligibility and computer-based screening. Maths and physics are still practical elimination points because they test whether you can stay clean under time pressure before you even reach the centre stage.
The current verified picture is that Etihad cadet screening points to AON cut-e for the online stage. If you are preparing before the invite lands, start with the E with dots task, the reaction test, working memory, spatial orientation and numeracy, then widen to the related task families.
This is the part Etihad names directly. Once you reach the centre, you are no longer guessing what family of test will appear. You are preparing for COMPASS-style workload: tracking, spatial orientation, memory, control, and multitasking under panel-day pressure.
"I went in completely blind for my first assessment last year and bombed it. This time I actually knew what I was walking into. The simulations are uncomfortably close to the real thing — and I mean that as a compliment. Cockpit told me to stop ignoring the spatial reasoning section. Wish I'd listened sooner."
"Honestly didn't expect it to be this close to the real thing. The joystick feel especially — when I sat down for the actual Emirates assessment it just felt familiar. The AI feedback is brutal in the best way, really shows you where you're dropping points."
"The graphs showing your skill progress are honestly a bit addictive. I kept coming back just to see the numbers move. Simulations are hard but in a way that actually prepares you, not just hard for the sake of it. Would've been lost without this in the weeks before my assessment."
If you already hold a licence, Direct Entry is a different path from the cadet route. The current picture is application review, interview steps, simulator-related evaluation, and an Advanced COMPASS layer in Abu Dhabi or roadshow locations. Advanced COMPASS is the experienced-pilot variant, and CadetPrep trains the same skill families you are expected to carry under load: complex control, memory, multitasking, and spatial orientation.
If you are not a UAE national and you are not applying through Direct Entry, focus on programmes that are actually open worldwide and use a similar assessment family. This table updates as programmes change, so it is the fastest way to see which routes are currently worth your time.
| Airline | Assessment | Eligibility | Prepare |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Emirates (EFTA)
AE
|
COMPASS | Open internationally (visa); sponsored National programme for UAE nationals | Prepare -> |
|
flydubai
AE
|
AON cut-e | International, self-funded, 17-30 | Prepare -> |
Yes. The current cadet route is written for UAE nationals, which is why the alternatives section exists on this page at all.
AON cut-e sits in the online cadet screen, COMPASS appears in the in-person Abu Dhabi centre, and Direct Entry uses Advanced COMPASS for experienced pilots.
You need a different narrative and expectation set, but the core skill families remain COMPASS-aligned: control, memory, multitasking, and orientation.
