Aviation English Language Proficiency (AELP/ELP) for Pilots in India: Levels, Test and How to Get It

What ELP is and why it matters

English is the language of radiotelephony between pilots and air traffic control. ICAO requires that pilots and controllers can speak and understand it well enough to handle not just standard phraseology but also the unexpected: an emergency, a misunderstanding, a situation no phraseology book covers.

In India this is governed by DGCA's Civil Aviation Requirement on Aviation English Language Proficiency (Section 7, Series G, Part III, Issue II dated 18 November 2025), issued under Rule 133A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937. DGCA calls it AELP; most students simply say ELP. The rule is short and strict: nobody may use the privileges of a licence without at least Operational Level 4 endorsed on it.

ELP tests speaking and listening only. It does not test reading or writing, and it does not expect native-like grammar or accent. What it checks is whether you can communicate clearly and safely in an aviation context.

Who needs it

For a CPL student, this means ELP is one of the items you need in hand when you apply for the licence, alongside your DGCA papers, RTR(A), medical and flying hours. You can apply for the licence with any valid ELP, whatever the date of the assessment.

• Pilots: applicants for and holders of PPL, CPL and ATPL (aeroplanes and helicopters), and pilot licences for microlight, light sport aircraft and gyroplanes.
• Flight engineers and flight navigators.
• Student air traffic controllers, air traffic controllers and aeronautical station operators.

The six skills DGCA assesses

The test is rated on the ICAO Language Proficiency Rating Scale, which looks at six skills separately:

• Pronunciation: accent and intonation are fine as long as they don't get in the way of understanding.
• Structure: basic grammar and sentence patterns, well enough controlled for the meaning to stay clear.
• Vocabulary: enough range and accuracy to talk about common, concrete and work-related topics, and to paraphrase when a word is missing.
• Fluency: speaking at an appropriate pace, without long hesitations.
• Comprehension: understanding accurately, including when the situation turns unexpected.
• Interaction: responding promptly, checking, confirming and clarifying to resolve misunderstandings.

The lowest score is your level

This is the rule that catches people out. Your final rating is not the average of the six skills; it is the lowest of the six. A candidate with Level 5 in five skills and Level 3 in fluency is rated Level 3, which is not acceptable for a licence.

So preparation should target your weakest skill, not the ones you are already good at. For most Indian students that is fluency or interaction under pressure, not grammar.

ICAO levels and how long they last

Language skills can fade if you don't use them. If you renew Level 4 or Level 5 and score lower than before, the lower level is what gets endorsed. Note too that if you convert a foreign licence that already carries ELP Level 4 or above from an ICAO state, DGCA may accept it after verification, but only Level 4 is endorsed on the Indian licence.

• Level 6, Expert: acceptable; no re-evaluation needed.
• Level 5, Extended: acceptable; re-evaluation every 6 years.
• Level 4, Operational: acceptable (the minimum); re-evaluation every 3 years.
• Level 3 Pre-operational, Level 2 Elementary and Level 1 Pre-elementary: not acceptable; further training needed.

Eligibility

• Age: at least 16 on the date of application.
• Education: Class 10 or equivalent from a recognised board.
• Training: aviation English training (offline or online) at a DGCA-approved AELP organisation before the test.

How much training you need

The CAR notes that reaching Level 4 can take 200 to 400 hours of training for someone starting out, and sets two routes:

• Standard route: at least 200 hours of aviation English training.
• Shorter route: at least 30 hours, if you passed English in your Class 10 or 10+2 exams. The CAR attaches a condition to this route: the applicant should have passed all the written examinations for the licence.
• Exemption: defence personnel with 1,500 hours or more of flying experience may be exempted from the training.

What happens in the test

The test is face to face, at the approved address of the testing organisation, and it is recorded on audio and video. It has a clear radiotelephony and work-related focus: expect to describe situations, deal with a complication or an unexpected turn of events, and explain or clarify in plain English where phraseology runs out.

The testing team has at least three people. The interlocutor runs the test and talks with you. Two raters score you: an operational expert and a language specialist. If their scores differ widely, a third rater is consulted. A trainer who taught you cannot test you.

Results, retests and appeals

• Result: the testing team should give you your result within two working days, with written comments on each of the six skills.
• Below Level 4: you need at least 30 hours of fresh aviation English training before a retest, or more if the language specialist rater recommends it. The recommendation lists the areas and hours you need.
• Appeal: if you believe your score is wrong, you can appeal in writing to DGCA within 30 days of the result. You must explain the specific circumstances that affected your performance. Being nervous or having a bad day is not accepted as a reason, because pilots have to communicate under exactly those conditions.
• Privacy: results are confidential and go only to you, your sponsor or employer, and DGCA, unless you give written permission.

Endorsement and renewal through eGCA

You don't submit the result yourself for flight crew. The AELP organisation forwards your assessment through the eGCA portal: to DGCA headquarters for the first endorsement, and to the regional office for renewals.

For renewal, the new assessment can be taken no earlier than six months before your current ELP expires. With Level 4 valid for 3 years, put the renewal window in your calendar the day you get it.

Step by step: how to get your ELP

• 1. Check you are 16 or older and have your Class 10 certificate (and your Class 10 or 10+2 English marks if you want the 30-hour route).
• 2. Choose a DGCA-approved AELP organisation (list below) and confirm whether it offers training, testing or both at the location you want.
• 3. Complete the required aviation English training: 200 hours, or 30 hours on the shorter route.
• 4. Book and sit the face-to-face test at the approved premises. Carry the ID and documents the organisation asks for.
• 5. Get your result within two working days. If you are below Level 4, complete at least 30 more hours of training and retest.
• 6. The organisation sends your result to DGCA through eGCA for endorsement on your licence. Track it in your eGCA account.
• 7. Note your expiry date and plan the renewal test within the six months before it.

DGCA-approved AELP training and testing organisations

As listed by DGCA on 28 October 2026. Approvals change, so always confirm on DGCA's website before you pay any organisation.

• InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo): Gurugram (training and testing); Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru (testing only).
• Trans Aviacons: Hyderabad.
• Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA): Fursatganj, Amethi.
• Madhya Pradesh Flying Club: Bhopal and Indore.
• Chimes Aviation Academy: Dhana (Sagar) and Gurugram.
• Flytech Aviation Academy: Ranga Reddy district, Telangana.
• Academy of Carver Aviation: Baramati, Pune (training and testing); Mumbai (testing).
• SpiceJet: Gurugram.
• Charlie Foxtrot Aviation Services: New Delhi.
• Air India: Air India Training Academy, Gurugram.
• FSTC Flying School: Gurugram.
• Skynex Aero ELP Training & Testing Centre: Dwarka, New Delhi.
• Redbird Flight Training Academy: Dwarka, New Delhi.
• Jet Serve Aviation: Dwarka, New Delhi.

How to prepare

• Practise speaking out loud every day, ideally with another person, about aviation situations: a diversion, a medical emergency on board, a bird strike, a runway incursion.
• Train for the unexpected: have someone interrupt you with a complication and practise explaining it in plain English.
• Work on your weakest skill. Record yourself, listen back and note hesitations and filler words.
• Listen to real ATC (LiveATC and similar) and repeat what you hear; it builds comprehension and pace together.
• Keep your RTR(A) phraseology sharp, but remember ELP is about plain English when phraseology isn't enough.

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Source

This guide is based on DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements, Section 7 (Flight Crew Standards, Training and Licensing), Series G, Part III, Issue II dated 18 November 2025, "Aviation English Language Proficiency – Training, Test and Certification", and DGCA's list of approved AELP training and testing organisations as on 28 October 2026. Rules and approvals change; the current DGCA documents always take precedence. CPLGrid is not affiliated with DGCA or any organisation listed here.