If you want to tackle the threat, you have to know the threat. Too many of you are talking around this without really knowing what the hell you are facing.

The threat is the cogscreen test. It was developed by Gary Kay, PhD. The test FedEx bought has been used for years by Delta and they have had similar attrition over its history.

I majored in aviation management, not medicine, and I have no PhD at the end of my name. That said, I have 10 years of F15 instructor experience that told me predicting pilot success in a challenging curriculum is very very tough. Kudos to the egg heads who tried to quantify those magic traits, but I tend to scoff a lot of the predictors. Motivation, effort, character, and courage are all required in some syllabi and I"m not sure any test can ever encapsulate those traits. There may be some solid data out there that indicates such a screen is an accurate predictor of success in the training and line environment, but I am doubtful. The Air Force has used the TBATs and some other measurements over the years trying to nail it down too, yet there is still attrition in OTS, flight screening, and SUPT.

So--back to the candidates--what should they do? First--go to these links:

cogres.com (to get the info about who made the threat and what they are trying to do)

cogscreen.com (to see sample tests and get an idea on what you will face)

I discussed purchasing the test for Delta candidates last year and was rebuffed, but was told by Dr Kay that prep would not matter as repeated attempts do not change the test scores . So I pointed out that there would be zero impact in letting me administer the test thus eliminating some "test anxiety" the clients typically face in the interview. He didn't buy the argument, and didn't sell me the test. He did tell me, however, FedEx was about to start using it and in that regard he was 100% correct.

Here's my take. Back in the mid 90s, some ********er brought a copy of DOOM to the squadron for us to use on our pentium 1 computers. I bought my own copy, got addicted, and wasted hours of time better spent chasing my wife staying up late trying to blast aliens and advance to the next level. I slowly built up the hand/eye/computer interface skills and got familiar with the program, and advanced over and over through the various challenges. What required thought at first later became instinctive muscle memory on the keyboard and mouse. I also took the ACT/SAT practice tests, and I'm not sure if they ADDED to my score when the real thing came but they sure made me more comfortable with the actual tests.

So--wanna win at the new game? Analyze the threat, and practice practice practice. But at least know what you are facing and prepare properly.

That said--it can be done. At least 60 pilots have been hired this year, meaning its not impossible. Would I like the test to go? Sure--as I think its probably not the best yardstick. However, I cannot fault any organization for trying to find a way to eliminate problem employees before they show up, and I'm glad I don't have their job. I just think this little tool is probably not nearly as valuable as the academia experts claim that it is... And I am pretty confident that I have enough data points to show my team knows a little about pilot hiring...