Can You Predict Which Students Will Quit?

Most student washouts are predictable before training ever starts. In this episode, Tim Jedrek talks with Caroline Creane, an aviation psychologist certified with the European Association of Aviation Psychology and an 11-year veteran at Symbiotics, about how flight schools use psychometric testing to lower washout rates, meet accreditation standards, and protect both students and the school. Caroline breaks down what the ADAPT platform actually measures, why it is not a pass-or-fail tool, and how real schools are using the results. You will hear the hard data, including clients who have pushed washout rates below 5% and a school in India that climbed from 19th to 2nd in its DGCA ranking after putting prescreening in place. If you have ever lost a student halfway through their training, or you are chasing accreditation and Sallie Mae loan access, this conversation lays out a practical path forward. What you will learn in this episode: • What psychometric testing measures, in plain language, and why it is not an aviation knowledge exam • The three areas ADAPT assesses: knowledge, aptitude, and personality • Why prescreening is not a pass-or-fail gate, and two real ways US schools use the reports • The data behind the testing, including sub-5% washout rates and the India DGCA ranking jump • How the FSANA and IAAC accreditation partnership connects to prescreening and Sallie Mae loans • How Symbiotics handles cheating and AI, including remote invigilation and eye tracking • The step-by-step process to implement ADAPT at your school • The personality profile that predicts pilot success, based on the Big Five model • Inside the FAST test and the joystick games that measure psychomotor skills • What it costs, with tests starting from about $20 and no setup fees Symbiotics is a UK-based human performance company with around 30 years in aviation, used in more than 80 countries across 130 or more locations. Learn more at symbioticsltd.com. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The washout problem and parents suing schools 03:33 Meet Caroline Creane and Symbiotics 05:14 How psychometric testing fits into aviation 08:00 What ADAPT is and how it works 09:00 What the tests actually measure 12:49 Hazardous attitudes, CRM, and ADM 15:43 Will testing wash out good candidates? 23:30 The data: washout rates and the India ranking jump 27:15 From the military to airlines to flight schools 29:03 The FSANA and IAAC accreditation partnership 31:09 Accreditation, Sallie Mae, and prescreening 32:38 The vision: data partnerships with schools 34:28 Cheating, AI, and eye tracking 41:00 How to implement ADAPT step by step 44:36 The report and the traits that predict success 49:33 Inside the FAST test and the joystick games 52:23 What it costs 56:32 How to get started with Symbiotics CONNECT WITH SYMBIOTICS Website: https://www.symbioticsltd.com/ Follow Symbiotics on LinkedIn for their global event schedule. ABOUT RIGHT RUDDER MARKETING Right Rudder Marketing helps flight schools across the country grow and scale through the Flight School Marketing System. If you run a flight school and want help on the sales and marketing side, visit rightruddermarketing.com or call 314-804-1200. Have a product or story that brings value to the aviation industry? Reach out about being a guest: [email protected] Listen to The Aviation Business Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts. #FlightSchool #PilotTraining #AviationBusiness #Psychometrics #PilotSelection