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| People in the aviation industry are constantly looking for ways to improve safety in order to reduce the incidence of accidents. During the last few decades, experts have noticed a disturbing increase in the number of near-misses and collisions between aircraft. In the majority of these incidents, a breakdown in effective human communication was found to be the major contributing factor. With mechanical failures becoming less prominent in aircraft accidents, more attention has been focused in recent years on human factors which contribute to accidents. Communication is one human element which is receiving renewed attention. |
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| A study by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO™) found that: "A clear relationship has been established between aviation language proficiency and safety performance as well as the potential for catastrophic consequences from poor communication." |
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| In line with this finding, the ICAO has issued a mandate requiring all member states to ensure that all aviation personnel involved in radiotelephony communication must be able to demonstrate at least an operational level of English language proficiency. This mandate has been in effect since 2003 but member states have been given until 2008 to fully comply with the guidelines. |
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| Realizing the need for a test that would enable aviation personnel to comply with the ICAO guidelines, ITSC, in collaboration with experts in aviation and language testing, has established a new type of test, called the English Proficiency Test for Aviation (EPTA™). |
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