Preparation Guide:

Your ICAO Language

Proficiency Test
with say-again.aero
Learn more about our simple and EASA-certified online test:
say-again.aero/icao-language-test
Table of contents

Welcome to say-again.aero! 3

Level 1 to Level 6, what is the difference? 4

The Exam at say-again.aero 5

How do we grade your exam? 5

What do we offer? 6

Booking Process 6

BASIC Preparation: Reviewing the Fundamentals 7

ICAO Phraseology 8

Practice Picture Descriptions 10

PRO Preparation: Achieve Your Highest Possible ICAO Level 11

Basic and Complex Structures 11

What to avoid 12

Grammar revision 13

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Welcome to say-again.aero!
Our goal is to help you prepare thoroughly and achieve the highest possible level in
your ICAO language proficiency test with say-again.aero.

In this preparation booklet, you’ll find plenty of helpful information and tips:
Q Section 1 provides an overview of the ICAO Language Proficiency Test.
Q Section 2 offers a BASIC preparation guide, covering and explaining
essential fundamentals.
Q Section 3 focuses on PRO preparation, aimed at helping you achieve the
highest possible level. It includes a deeper dive into grammar and advanced
concepts.

On our website, you'll find additional

helpful resources:
Q Test your skills! Visit our exam
examples.
Q Let’s train together: Book a
coaching session.
Q See it in action: Watch our
interactive preparation video.

At say-again.aero, we offer you convenient ICAO language proficiency tests online,

with short-notice appointments and fast email delivery of certificates. Conducted by
professional commercial pilots in a relaxed setting, we help you achieve your best
proficiency level, all under EASA regulations.

Feel free to contact us, if you have any questions: [email protected]

One last thing we’d like to share for your preparation: Do your best, and we’ll support
you in achieving the highest level, but remember—making mistakes is human, and
your examiner will assess them with understanding. Nobody is perfect! 😉

We hope this booklet supports you on your journey to success!

Your say-again.aero team

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ICAO Language Proficiency: A Comprehensive
Overview
In aviation, strong ICAO language proficiency is essential for pilots and air traffic
controllers to ensure clear, accurate communication and prevent misunderstandings
that could lead to accidents. ICAO mandates minimum English proficiency standards
specifically to support safety in international flights involving various personnel.

Level 1 to Level 6, what is the difference?

Pilots flying internationally must hold at least ICAO Level 4 English proficiency,
anything lower is insufficient.
For commercial aviation roles, many airlines require a minimum of Level 5.
Level 6, the highest standard, is a lifetime qualification exempting holders from
further testing.

Each level also has a different time period in which you should revalidate it. The
revalidation can be done 3 months before expiration.

ICAO Level 1 pre-elementary

ICAO Level 2 elementary
ICAO Level 3 pre-operational
ICAO Level 4 Operational
valid for 4 years mistakes and misunderstandings
happen, but operationally proficient
ICAO Level 5 Extended
valid for 6 years mistakes are rare, more effective
communication is achieved
ICAO Level 6 Expert
lifelong validity mistakes are the exception, effective
communication in all situations

Note: Even Level 6 candidates aren’t expected to be error-free. ICAO language

proficiency exams prioritize effective use of English and successful communication
over perfection.

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The Exam at say-again.aero

Part I – Semi-direct part

Q You'll hear recorded questions in different accents and should respond
accurately with spoken answers.
Q You will have to read back numbers and letters in the correct phraseology.
Q Two picture descriptions will be part of this section of the exam.
Q Also, radio calls and ATIS readbacks are an element of the semi-direct part.

Note: If you book a BASIC exam, you will not get an ATIS readback question.

Part II – Open conversation

The test concludes with an open conversation where you are asked a couple of
questions by your examiner. Try to use some basic and complex grammatical
structures.
If you want to choose the topics, you can!
Discuss anything: from your breakfast to your aviation career. Since our examiners
are pilots themselves, expect a relaxed conversation between colleagues. We share
your passion for flying, so enjoy the conversation!

How do we grade your exam?

In the ICAO language proficiency exam, an LPE (Language Proficiency Examiner)

initially evaluates candidates, submitting a provisional rating to an LPLE (Language
Proficiency Linguistic Expert). Together, they finalize the rating, using the ICAO scale
to evaluate six key language areas:
• pronunciation,
• structure,
• vocabulary,
• fluency,
• comprehension,
• and interaction.

Each area is rated from Level 1 (pre-elementary) to Level 6 (expert), with specific
criteria provided in ICAO Doc 9835, Appendix A, A-7.

Note: we do not grade your theoretical knowledge! Only the correct use of the
English language is graded.

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What do we offer?

We offer language proficiency exams of all levels. Initial exams, renewals or

upgrades to your ICAO level can be done during our two exam options:

PRO Exam
Q Automatically receive the highest possible ICAO level corresponding to your
language skills.
Q 18 questions
Q 10-15 min open conversation
Q Total: 40-45 min

BASIC Exam
Q Receive a ICAO level 4 only upon passing your exam
Q 12 questions
Q 10-15min open conversation
Q Total: 35-40 min

Note: an upgrade can be done any time. A revalidation can be done 3 months
before expiry of your previous language proficiency certificate.

Booking Process
Q Select an appointment on our website: https://say-again.aero/icao-language-
test/
Q Take your test online via zoom.
Q Sit back, relax and receive your certificate within 24 hours via email.
Q Submit your certificate to the local Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

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BASIC Preparation: Reviewing the
Fundamentals
Q Integrate speaking and understanding English as much as possible in your
daily life
o Read books or articles in English
o Watch English videos (YouTube, Netflix…)
o Listen to English (e.g. Aviation Podcasts: Pilot To Pilot, Avtalk, Airline
Pilot Guy)

o Listen to ATIS and ATC transmissions on YouTube or liveatc.net

Q Be mentally prepared to answer questions such as:

o “Many people are afraid of flying. How do you explain to your
passengers that flying is one of the safest ways to travel?”
o “Please describe what you normally do during the preflight check?”
o “What is your favorite airplane / airport / airline / route and why?”

Q Look up vocabulary that you may want to use during the exam:
o e.g.: glider aircraft; cross country flight; selection process; ground
course

Q Practice describing pictures and using appropriate vocabulary and

prepositions:
o e.g.: foreground; left corner; birds eye view; draws attention to…

Q Refresh your knowledge about how to correctly use the most common tenses.

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ICAO Phraseology

ICAO Phraseology is a standardized way of speaking in aviation. In the ICAO

language proficiency exam, we examine specifically the readback of letters and
numbers:
Q 9 is spoken: “niner”
Q 3 is spoken: “tri”

Altitudes
Altitude Pronunciation
10.500 ft Whole thousands + whole hundreds

10.500ft One zero thousand five hundred feet

SQUAWK codes
Pronounce each digit separately:
Squawk 0645 “Squawk zero six four five”

Radio Frequencies
Pronounce each digit separately. – don’t forget the decimal!
121,500 Mhz “one two one decimal five zero”

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ICAO Phonetic Alphabet
Whenever you spell a sequence of letters that is not intended to be spoken as a
universally understood word, you need to use the so-called ICAO phonetic alphabet.

A “Alpha” N “November”

B “Bravo” O “Oscar”

C “Charlie” P “Papa”

D “Delta” Q “Quebec”

E “Echo” R “Romeo”

F “Foxtrot” S “Sierra”

G “Golf” T “Tango”

H “Hotel” U “Uniform”

I “India” V “Victor”

J “Juliett” W “Whiskey”

K “Kilo” X “X-ray”

L “Lima” Y “Yankee”

M “Mike” Z “Zulu”

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Practice Picture Descriptions

In your exam, you will be asked to describe pictures. Typically, these pictures feature
aircraft in various (and sometimes unusual) situations. When describing the picture,
make sure to do so systematically, addressing the different elements and details. You
should also explain what is happening in the picture, using the Present Continuous
tense, for example: "The aircraft is flying through the clouds."

Vocabulary Example
General Overview:
Q Foreground, background,
middle ground
Q Scene, setting, location
Q Perspective, angle, view
Q visible, noticeable, prominent
Q Composition, layout
Q Weather and Lighting: Clear
sky, cloudy, sunny, rainy
Foreground:
Describing Objects: Q I can see the airplane wing and
Q Position: next to, behind, in the engine of another aircraft on
front of, to the left/right of the right.
Q Shape, size, proportion Q Wet tarmac reflecting light,
Q Features, details, design indicating recent rain.
Q Red and white ground markings
Phrases to Use: stand out clearly.
Q "In the foreground/
background..." Background:
Q "You can see..." Q A double rainbow is visible in the
Q "It appears that..." sky.
Q "The main focus of the image Q I notice a mix of dark clouds and
is..." patches of blue sky, adding
Q "It looks like the weather is..." contrast.
Q "The object is positioned..." Q Green trees and grass in the
Q "This image shows a scene distance.
of..."
Q "On the left/ right side of the Additional Details:
image..."
Q A small ground vehicle or
Q "The atmosphere feels calm/
baggage cart is visible on the left
dynamic/ busy."
side.
Q The composition
Q The airport environment looks
emphasizes…."
clear and active.

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PRO Preparation: Achieve Your Highest
Possible ICAO Level

Basic and Complex Structures

In your grading, we also evaluate your use of basic and complex structures. The
more complex your language, the higher the likelihood of achieving a high
proficiency level.

Complex structures can influence various parts of the rating scale and incorporating
them into your speech can make a significant difference. It demonstrates not only
your ability to construct sentences but also your skill in expressing yourself creatively
and effectively.

Examples: Complex Structures

“One of the most…” → one of + plural
“He said that I was flying” → reported speech

Using adverbs
Adverbs help provide clarity, emphasis, or context to a statement.
Q Expressing viewpoints: apparently, frankly, rightly
Q Adding emphasis: clearly, obviously, undoubtedly

Discourse markers
Discourse markers structure sentences and connect ideas for better flow.
Q “Certainly…”
Q “On the other hand,…”
Q “However,…”
Q “Despite…”
Q “Summing up…”

Gradables
Gradables indicate degrees of intensity or quality.
Q “Relatively good weather…”
Q “Quite challenging conditions…”
Q “Extremely turbulent approach…”

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What to avoid

Fillers
Fillers generally impact the fluency of your speech production. It can make it harder
for a listener to understand what you are saying.

“Ähm…“ “Oh…“ „Sooo…“

What you could use instead:

Q “Well, let me think about it… “
Q “First of all, I think… “
Q “As far as I'm concerned… “
Q “From my point of view… “

Using Plural Nouns wrong

Some Nouns have a plural form which is just the same word + s
Q one car, many cars

… and some don’t!

Q information (informations)
Q aircraft (aircrafts)
Q person plural: people

Using uncountable Nouns wrong

Some Nouns are also unable to be counted.
Q air (airs)
Q water

You can still express the plural. For example, by using “some” or “any”.
Q Here is some water, have a drink!
Q You must always bring some water when flying.
Q Do you have any information for me?

Using “Information” wrong

You could also use the noun “information” like this:
one piece of information → many pieces of information.

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Grammar revision

If Clauses

If clauses are sentence structures that indicate a certain condition exists that can
either be possible to fulfil, in theory possible to fulfil or unable to be fulfilled. For
example:

Present Simple Will-future or can/

may + verb
possible If you speak louder, I will understand you.

Past Simple would / could / might

+ verb
in theory possible If you spoke louder, I would understand
you.

Past Perfect Would have / could

have / might have +
past participle
not possible If you had spoken I would have
louder, understood your
words.

You can also reverse the order in any given if clause! For example:
Will-future or can/ Present Simple
may + verb
possible I will understand you if you speak louder.

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Prepositions

Watch out for prepositions that are similar but have different use cases!

Preposition Use case Example

Before Used with a time reference. The take-off happened
before 8:00am.
In front of Used with a reference to a There is an A320 taxiing
location. in front of us.

Preposition Use case Example

in Inside a certain place or I stayed in my house.
object.
into Moving in direction of the I went into my house
inside of a place or object. when it started to rain.

Preposition Use case Example

since Starting from a specific I’ve owned my aircraft
point in time until now. since 2010.
for (time) Indicating an ongoing time I’ve owned my aircraft for
period. 14 years.

Preposition Use case Example

while Indicates that another The thunderstorm started
activity was happening at while I was flying home.
the same time. Used with a
full sentence!
during Indicates that another The thunderstorm started
activity was happening at during the flight.
the same time.
Used with a noun!

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Adjectives

Adjectives can be compared to each other. The comparative expresses that

something is more than the other. The superlative expresses that something it the
most.

Type of adjective Comparative Superlative Example

One syllable word add -er add -est small, smaller,

smallest

Ending in -e add -r add -st simple, simpler,

simplest

Two-syllable word change the -y change the -y happy, happier,

ending in -y to -i and add - to -i and add - happiest
er est
easy, easier,
easiest

Two-syllable word
not ending in -y beautiful, more
more + most +
beautiful, the
adjective adjective
Three or more most beautiful
syllables

Some words also have irregular comparatives + superlatives:

Adjective Comparative Superlative
good better best
far further furthest
little less least

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Adverbs

Adverbs describe how something is done.

Q I can hear you perfectly.

Sometimes you can also use them to describe a verb directly.

Q The climb is usually steep.

Adverbs normally have the suffix -ly and are usually formed by adding -ly to an
existing verb.
Q usual → usually

However, watch out for irregular adverbs. They serve the same function (to describe
how something is done) but are not simply a verb + ly.
Q good (adjective) → well (adverb)
Q fast (adjective) → fast (adverb)
Q late (adjective) → late (adverb)
Q hard (adjective) → hard (adverb)

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Tenses

Present Simple

Example Use case Formula Signal words

I often fly to Something He/She/It +s normally,
Munich. done either often,
regularly or sometimes,
never always, never

Present Continuous

Example Use case Formula Signal words

I am flying to Something “to be” (pres. right now, at
Munich right happening in simple) the moment,
now. this moment + now
verb + ing

Simple Past

Example Use case Formula Signal words

I flew to Something verb + ed Yesterday,
Munich. that last week /
happened in or month,
the past and ___ ago
is finished.
irregular verb
in simple past

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Past Progressive

Example Use case Formula Signal words

I was Something of “to be” (past when, while
flying to long duration simple)
Munich. that happened +
in the past verb + ing
during another
activity.

Present Perfect

Example Use case Formula Signal words

I have Something have / has ever, never,
flown to that happened + just, already
Munich in the past that verb (3. form)
four still has an
times influence on
this the present.
year.

Present Perfect Progressive

Example Use case Formula Signal words

I have Something of have/ has all day, since,
been long duration + for
flying to that happened been
Munich. in the past and
lasts until now. +
verb + ing

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Past Perfect Simple

Example Use case Formula Signal words

I had Something that had already, never,
flown to happened in the + once
Munich. past before verb
another action. (3.form)

Past Perfect Progressive

Example Use case Formula Signal words

I had A longer action had all day, since, for
been in the past that +
flying to happened been
Munich. before another
action. +
verb + ing

Will Future

Example Use case Formula Signal words

I will fly Something that will tomorrow, next
to will happen that + week
Munich. you have no verb
influence on.
Also used to
make
suggestions.

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Going to Future

Example Use case Formula Signal words

I am Something that is (to) be tomorrow, next
going to going to happen + week
fly to for sure. going to
Munich.
+
verb

The Passive

The passive is used whenever it is unimportant who is doing something. It simply

makes a statement that something is done. You can use any tense you like with the
passive:

Tense Subject Tense Past Object

of be participle

Simple The is flown by you.

present airplane

Simple The was flown by you.

past airplane

Present The has flown by you.

perfect airplane been

Past The had flown by you.

perfect airplane been

Will The will be flown by you.

future airplane

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