Better candidates fly fewer training hours: Another time testing pays off

The relationship between Pilot Candidate Selection Method (PCSM) scores and the number of flying training hours required to complete United States Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) was investigated on a sample of 1,082 graduates. This was done to demonstrate that ability testing has real world correlates and that cost savings accrued as a result of ability testing. The criterion 'extra flying hours' was computed by subtracting each student's cumulative flying hours from the sample mean. The correlations (corrected for range restriction) between PCSM scores and primary and advanced flying training extra hours were -0.206 and -0.270, respectively. Demonstrating that UPT graduates with higher PCSM scores required fewer flying hours to complete training facilitates the estimation of the cost avoidance achieved by ability tests.