Stage 1 is not a test. You open an account on CAE's portal and upload your school grades, your diploma and a CV, plus proof of English, and CAE checks the file against the programme's entry requirements. When the route is open the check takes between a day and a week, and a pass lets you book stage 2 straight away. Selection costs nothing; the only outlay at this stage is the English certificate.
Who can apply
Age: at least 18 at course start, with no upper age limit. You can go through selection before you turn 18.
School grades: GCSE grades 4-9 in English, Maths and Science plus two other subjects. On the French baccalauréat the screen is at least 10/20 in maths, English and one science. A later degree does not make up for a lower grade, nor does a strong English certificate make up for a low English mark; this grade check is the most common reason a file is refused. For other school systems, ask CAE which grades count before you apply.
Flying experience: the MPL is for beginners. You cannot apply with more than 200 flying hours, with a CPL/IR or ATPL, or once you have passed any one of the 14 ATPL theory exams. A PPL earns no credit.
Right to live and work: unrestricted, in the UK for the UK route, or in the EU or Switzerland for the EASA route. They are separate applications.
Height: CAE sets a minimum of 157 cm.
English: easyJet asks for fluent English (ICAO Level 4), and the file needs an English certificate. A TOEIC Listening & Reading score of at least 600 is the usual proof; IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge and Linguaskill are accepted too. An expired certificate still counts, and schooling or a degree taught in English exempts you.
The certificate only opens the door. Stage 3 is a long interview and a group discussion in English, so train your spoken English well beyond the entry minimum.
The Class 1 medical: when it matters
You do not need a Class 1 medical to apply or to sit any stage. You need it to reserve a course: the seat is yours only once CAE has your signed training agreement and a valid EASA or CAA Class 1, and the certificate must be valid on the first day of training. Book the examination early, because waiting times at some national centres run to many months and a problem found late costs you a course date. EASA cadets later transfer their medical records to Austria's Austro Control, which issues their licence.