DLR Exam TrainerWhat Are Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the DLR Test?
"Stage 1" refers to Lufthansa Group/EFA's one-day Berufsgrunduntersuchung (BU) in Hamburg. "Stage 2" is the following two-day Firmenqualifikation (FQ), with group exercises, an interview, and simulator work. The self-paid DLR Pilot Certificate doesn't have this two-stage structure at all.
"Stage 1" and "Stage 2" are terms mostly used around Lufthansa Group's selection process through the European Flight Academy (EFA), describing two sequential steps: first the Berufsgrunduntersuchung (BU), then, if you pass, the Firmenqualifikation (FQ). If you instead book the self-paid DLR Pilot Certificate, you go through a single, self-contained assessment — this two-stage split simply doesn't apply.
Stage 1: Berufsgrunduntersuchung (BU)
The BU is the first central test in the selection process. It takes place over a single day in Hamburg — anecdotal reports suggest roughly 7:45am to 6pm as a rough window, though timing can shift depending on group and schedule. Content-wise, the BU combines computer-based performance tests (concentration, memory, reaction time, and similar) with knowledge tests, for example in English, technical subjects, and sometimes physics or maths.
Stage 2: Firmenqualifikation (FQ)
Candidates who pass the BU are invited to the FQ — a considerably more extensive, two-day procedure. It centers on group exercises, a personal interview, and simulator and psychomotor tasks. Rather than testing raw performance, the FQ looks at teamwork, communication, and behaviour under pressure.
How many make it through both stages?
Various figures circulate about pass rates, and they're worth reading with some caution. According to Wikipedia, roughly 20–25% of applicants pass the BU, and of those, again roughly 20–25% go on to pass the FQ — working out to somewhere around 4.5–5.5% of all original applicants overall. These are rough figures pieced together from various sources, not an officially confirmed Lufthansa Group statistic. More detail is in the question on pass rates.
What about the DLR Pilot Certificate?
If you book a certificate directly with DLR rather than going through Lufthansa Group, you won't encounter a two-stage process in this sense. Everything happens in a single appointment, assessed against EASA criteria in four areas — with no traditional pass/fail and no second, multi-day follow-up exam. See the question on the DLR certificate for how that route actually works.
TipIf you're preparing for a BU, it's worth training the computer-based modules specifically — the DLR test guide gives an overview of every test type involved.
Procedures and terminology can change, and individual airlines or flight schools organise their selection processes differently. Only the current information from DLR and from the relevant airline or European Flight Academy is binding.