Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any other carrier in the world and recruits pilots at scale through two doors: cadet and ab-initio pathways for candidates starting from zero, and direct-entry recruitment for rated and experienced pilots. Whichever door you enter, the assessment core is the same — since August 2025 the airline has screened cockpit candidates with PACE, an aptitude platform built in-house by its technology subsidiary.
The shape of the process
The PACE assessment: a computer-based aptitude test measuring sustained attention, spatial rotation and orientation, memory, psychomotor skills, multitasking, and mathematics and physics knowledge.
English-language and technical assessment: proficiency and knowledge checks pitched to your entry route.
Simulator evaluation: a handling and trainability check.
Panel interviews: motivation, competencies and fit with the airline's crew culture.
The PACE assessment is well documented by the airline's own group; the later stages are described only in general terms, and their exact order and content vary by pathway and over time. The next lessons prepare the assessment first — it is the most trainable stage — and then the human stages. Selection procedures evolve, so always verify the current process on Turkish Airlines' own careers site before you apply.