English proficiency

The need for an international certification for aviation English was the result of an extensive research by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation), which concluded that a large percentage of accidents or incidents were caused or at least intensified by the inability of pilots and air traffic controllers (ATC) to communicate, due to lack of adequate knowledge of plain English. As a result, ICAO established the framework for a test of English for aviation, which every pilot and ATC would be required to pass. ICAO introduced the Level 1 to Level 6 grading scale, with Level 4 being the minimum pass grade. ICAO decided to give national civil aviation authorities around the world the right to certify tests developed by organisations with the required linguistic know-how (universities and colleges with extensive experience in English language testing)