Spatial orientation tests for pilots: how to improve

What spatial orientation tests check

Spatial orientation is the ability to picture objects and directions in your head and keep track of them as they move. Pilots use it all the time: picturing where the aircraft is in relation to a runway, a waypoint or other traffic, and turning a chart in their mind to match what they see outside.

Spatial tasks are commonly reported in cadet pilot aptitude tests. Formats vary between test providers and are rarely published, so it is best to practise the general skills rather than one exact question style. Most people find these questions strange at first and improve quickly once they have a method.

Common question types

Candidates and training providers commonly report questions like these:

• Rotation: a shape is shown, and you pick the option that is the same shape turned, or say how far it has turned.
• Mirroring: you decide whether two shapes are the same shape turned, or mirror images of each other.
• Direction after turns: you start facing one way, make a series of turns, and say which way you face at the end.
• Heading changes: the same idea in degrees, such as a heading of 300° followed by a right turn of 80°.
• Orientation from a picture: some candidates report matching a view or an instrument display to an aircraft's position or attitude.
• Memory load: in some formats the picture disappears before the options appear, so you must hold it in mind.

Rotation or mirror image?

This is the most common trap. A rotation turns a shape around without lifting it off the page. A mirror image flips it over. No amount of turning can change a shape into its mirror image, just as your left hand can never be turned into your right hand.

The method is to pick one feature that is not symmetrical, such as a short arm, a dot or a notch, and follow it. Then check a second feature against it. In a rotation, the order of the features going clockwise stays the same. In a mirror image, that order is reversed.

Example 1: picture the capital letter L. Its long stroke points up from the corner and its foot points right. Turn it 90° clockwise. The long stroke now points right from the corner and the foot points down, so the corner sits at the top left, like the Greek letter Γ. Now picture L in a mirror held beside it: the foot points left, giving a backwards L. You can turn a backwards L any way you like, but it will never sit exactly on top of an L. That is how you know it is a mirror image.

Direction after turns

For direction questions, give each compass point a number of degrees: north 0° (or 360°), north-east 45°, east 90°, south-east 135°, south 180°, south-west 225°, west 270° and north-west 315°. A right turn adds degrees and a left turn subtracts them.

Example 2: you face north, turn right 135°, then turn left 90°. Which way do you face? Start at 0°. Right 135° takes you to 135°, which is south-east. Left 90° takes you to 45°, which is north-east. If you mix up left and right, you get north-west instead, which is exactly the kind of wrong option to expect.

If you prefer pictures, imagine standing on a compass and turning your body. Many people use both: picture it first, then check with the numbers. A 180° turn is an easy check, because it always points you the opposite way.

Heading changes in degrees

Aviation headings use three digits from 001° to 360°, with north written as 360°. Add for a right turn and subtract for a left turn. If the answer goes over 360°, subtract 360°; if it goes below 001°, add 360°.

Example 3: you are on heading 300° and turn right 80°. 300 + 80 = 380, and 380 − 360 = 020°. Then you turn left 70°: 20 − 70 = −50, and −50 + 360 = 310°. Your final heading is 310°.

Reciprocal headings come up too. The reciprocal is the opposite direction: add 180° to a heading below 180°, and subtract 180° from a heading of 180° or more. The reciprocal of 125° is 305°, and the reciprocal of 240° is 060°.

Systematic methods that work

A fixed method stops you guessing when a question looks confusing. Use the same steps every time:

• Anchor one feature: choose the most unusual part of the shape and find where it has gone in each option.
• Check a second feature: two features fix the position, while one is often not enough.
• Eliminate fast: rule out options with the wrong number of parts or the wrong outline first, then compare the rest.
• Name the turn in words, such as 'quarter turn clockwise' or 'half turn'. Naming it helps you hold it.
• Change compass points into degrees for direction questions, and sketch a tiny compass on rough paper if it is allowed.
• Before a picture disappears, put the key detail into words, such as 'dot top left, arm pointing right'.
• Tilting your head can help at first, but aim to stop as you get faster. It slows you down and does not help with mirror questions.

A practice routine

Spatial skills respond well to short, frequent practice. Fifteen minutes a day for three to four weeks is a sensible target.

FlyAptitude's spatial orientation section has turning shapes, mirror images and direction questions. Foundation has 15 questions: each is shown for 5 seconds, then disappears, and you have 15 seconds to choose. Advanced has 18 questions, shown for 4 seconds with 10 seconds to choose. These are our own practice timings, not an official format. Heading sums are also part of the numerical reasoning section.

• Week 1: go slowly. Work through rotation, mirror and direction questions, using the anchor method on every one.
• Week 2: add the clock. Aim for accuracy first, then cut your time per question.
• Week 3: mix the types, so you have to switch between rotations, mirrors and headings.
• Week 4: add load. Do spatial work after another test, or alongside a multitasking drill, when you are a little tired.
• Every day: read maps without turning them, notice which way you face when you leave a building, and work out headings on turns when you are a passenger.
• Review every mistake: was it a mirror trap, a wrong-way turn or a slip in the arithmetic?