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Frequently Asked Questions

por fabricio.fagundes publicado 30/05/2018 18h39, última modificação 04/06/2018 11h04

1. I do not have a Brazilian pilot license, but I already have an ANAC code. Can I take SDEA?
No. Only pilots already holding a Brazilian pilot license can take SDEA.

2. I am a flight attendant / I am a flight engineer. Can I take the SDEA?
No. SDEA’s target audience is aeroplane, helicopter, powered-lift and airship’s pilots.

3. Where can I take SDEA?
A pilot can take Santos Dumont English Assessment at any institution (criar link para a página "List of accredited institutions.doc") certified by ANAC for administering SDEA. Candidates must schedule the test directly with the chosen certified institution.

For additional clarifications regarding Santos Dumont English Assessment send an email to processos.pel@anac.gov.br  (proficiencia.linguistica@anac.gov.br  is currently unavailable).

4. What are the possible levels of assessment in the current format of the SDEA and when is the result released?
The current format of the SDEA was designed to distinguish the following levels of language proficiency: Advanced (5), Operational (4), Preoperational (3), Elementary (2) and Pre-elementary (1). For each of the six categories, one level is assigned: the candidate's final grade is the lowest of them. The complete result, with the levels reached by the pilot in each category, is sent to the candidate by e-mail, exclusively by ANAC, up to 30 (thirty) working days after the test. The final level appears on the license under "Remarks", as follows:

Final result

License registration

Level 1: Pre-elementary; level 2: Elementar; level 3: Pre-operational

ENGLISH NOT COMPLIANT ANNEX 1

Level 4 - Operational

ENGLISH LEVEL 4 UNTIL MM/AAAA

Level 5 - Advanced

ENGLISH LEVEL 5 UNTIL MM/AAAA

5. I was awarded level 4 in five skills and level 3 in only one, and my final result was level 3. Why?
ICAO has established that “the final rating is not the average or aggregate of the ratings in each of the six ICAO language proficiency skills but the lowest of these six ratings” (DOC 9835, 4-7).  As a result, lower than Level 4 (Operational) in any skill indicates inadequate proficiency and therefore below the minimum level considered safe for radiotelephony communications. The holistic concept is applied to communication and, in this sense, a level 3, in any of the skills required for effective communication, reduces its effectiveness to this level, since a poorly conducted ability affects communication as a whole.

6. Why is it no longer possible to have an "English Level 6” as a final result?
Until September 2013 it was possible to be awarded a level 6 as the final result of Santos Dumont English Assessment. However, as some of the descriptors of level 6 in the ICAO rating scale include the assessment of skills that are not assessed by ANAC’s language proficiency test, ANAC concluded that it is not possible to safely award level 6 to pilots. Level 5 (advanced) is currently the maximum assigned level. The skills that go beyond what is assessed in the test are included in the vocabulary, comprehension and interactions skills. As to vocabulary, a level 6 test needs to demonstrate that the candidate’s vocabulary range and accuracy are sufficient to communicate effectively on a wide variety of unfamiliar topics. Nuanced and idiomatic vocabulary also need to be tested. Additionally, candidates must demonstrate that they are sensitive to register. Regarding comprehension, a level 6 candidate’s comprehension needs to be consistently accurate in nearly all contexts, including comprehension of linguistic and cultural subtleties. In relation to interactions, the ability of candidates to interact with ease in nearly all situations needs to be tested, including their ability to respond appropriately to non-verbal cues. Until May 2016, pilots who demonstrated a performance above level 5 descriptors in all six criteria were sent an e-mail together with their test result recommending them to take a test for level 6, when available. At the moment, ANAC's language proficiency team is committed to developing new projects to improve the current test, which evaluates pilots from levels 1 to 5. Thus, as there is no prevision to develop a test for level 6 pilots, this observation is no longer included in the email with the result.  Only the levels awarded for each criterion (maximum level 5) are reported.

7. How long is my language proficiency endorsement valid?

  • Final level 04 – Valid for 03 years;
  • Final level 05 – Valid for 06 years;
  • Final Level 06 – Indefinite Validity.

 

8. Can I request an extension to the validity of my language proficiency endorsement?
No. There is no extension to the language proficiency endorsement. Pilots should schedule their revalidation considering the periods of validity of each level, as well as the time required to comply with all stages of the process, so that they can continue to regularly work as crewmembers on international flights.

9. If I disagree with my results regarding SDEA, is it possible to appeal?
Yes. The candidate must send to ANAC the Score Review Request Form available for download on the ANAC’s SDEA webpage. The appeal must be sent within 30 (thirty) running days from the date the candidate receives the e-mail with the result. As stated in IS 61-003, item 5.4.8, "the grade obtained through the appeal filed against the results of Santos Dumont English Assessment may remain unchanged, be higher or lower in comparison with the original grade". The deadline for response is up to sixty business days after the date of receipt of the Score Review Request Form at ANAC. The form must be filled in, signed and sent by mail to the following address:

Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil
Gerência de Certificação de Pessoal
Grupo de Proficiência Linguística
Av Presidente Vargas, nº 850 – 10º andar – Centro
CEP: 20071-001 – Rio de Janeiro - RJ

10.  How long will the appeal process take?
Up to 60 (sixty) working days. A letter with the result is sent to the address given in the Appeal Form.

11. When can I take the exam again?
In any situation, pass or fail, the candidate is only eligible to take a new test when: a) the result obtained in the previous test has already been informed to the pilot by ANAC; and (b) after thirty running days of the previous test.

12. Where will Casa da Moeda do Brasil send my license with the language proficiency endorsement?
To the address of the airline for which the pilot works, in accordance with his/her personnel registration at the civil aviation authority system. If there is no company registered in the system, the license will be sent to the candidate’s residence. It is worth mentioning that it is the responsibility of the pilot to update the registration data and it should be done before the test, to avoid delays in receiving the license.

13. What are the acceptance parameters of Casa da Moeda do Brasil regarding the quality of photos and signatures for printing licenses?
PHOTO: white background, face and color palette in rgb format, type of file in jpeg and the approximate dimensions of 300 x 400 pixels.

SIGNATURE: white background (it cannot be recycled paper) free of contour lines, black color pen (0.7mm) and color palette in rgb format, file type in jpeg to the approximate dimensions of 600 x 150 pixels.

14. How can my foreign pilot’s license English proficiency level be validated for my Brazilian license?
The conversion of the English language proficiency endorsement is only possible when it is associated with the process of convalidation (conversion) of the foreign license. See chapter 6 of IS 61-003A for details.

15. Does ANAC recognize certificates of other English proficiency tests (such as TEA, ELPAC and others) for endorsement on Brazilian pilot licenses?
No. ANAC, in the exercise of its sovereignty, performs only the validation of language proficiency level endorsements when associated with the process of validation of foreign licenses. ANAC does not endorse results of tests, as explained in chapter 6 of IS 61-003A. The licence conversion process takes place between civil aviation authorities. There is no conversion of a certificate or license between a private entity and the Brazilian civil aviation authority.

16. Why is there a difference in the SDEA fee at the accredited institutions?
ANAC does not regulate the fees that are charged by the certified institutions.