Using the table reading test as an indicator for success in pilot training

The Table Reading Test (TRT) assesses an individual's perceptual speed, or how rapidly one absorbs and processes visual search information. The focus of this study was to determine the validity of the TRT scores as a predictor of pilot training success. A total of 116 subjects enrolled in an aviation program at a major university in the southwest were tested between the Fall 2005 and Fall 2008 semesters, inclusive. Their TRT scores were tested for correlations to one of several flight/academic performance criterion. The results of the analyses found the TRT best predicts: Time to Solo (r = -0.228, p < 0.024), Time to Private (r= -0.754, p< 0.001), and GPA (r = 0.283, p < 0.002).