DLR Exam TrainerHow long does the DLR test take?
The Lufthansa Group / EFA Berufsgrunduntersuchung (BU) reportedly runs one day, roughly 7:45am to 6pm. The self-pay DLR Pilot Certificate is also a single day, around 8am to 5pm in Hamburg. Neither timing is officially guaranteed.
How long the DLR test takes depends on which procedure you mean. The Berufsgrunduntersuchung (BU), the first-stage test used by the Lufthansa Group / European Flight Academy, is reportedly held on a single day, running roughly from 7:45am to around 6pm in Hamburg. The self-pay DLR Pilot Certificate (DLR-Zertifikat Cockpit) is also a one-day appointment, with official DLR information putting the Hamburg session at approximately 8am to 5pm. Anyone who then moves into the two-stage Lufthansa process also needs to budget time for the Firmenqualifikation (FQ), which runs over two further days.
BU vs. FQ: one day vs. two days
The BU ("stage 1") is a single test day of computer-based aptitude tests and knowledge tests. Candidates who pass are typically invited to the Firmenqualifikation ("stage 2"), which according to the procedure description takes two days and covers group exercises, an interview, and simulator or psychomotor tasks. Depending on scheduling, the whole selection process can therefore span three test days spread across several weeks or months, with a gap of weeks or even months sometimes separating the BU from the FQ.
DLR Pilot Certificate: a single on-site day
The certificate exam for self-payers also takes place on one day only, and only in person, at the DLR locations in Cologne and Hamburg, with Vienna added from October 2026. In Hamburg, the DLR states a test day of roughly 8am to 5pm. Exactly how long the individual test blocks - aptitude tests, knowledge tests, personality questionnaire - each take is not published in detail and can change.
SWISS / EFA Switzerland: a multi-stage process
On the SWISS / European Flight Academy (EFA) Switzerland pathway, the DLR or SPHAIR certificate test is only the first of several steps. According to EFA, it's followed by a separate application with an assessment center (interviews, group exercises, psychomotor tasks) in Hamburg or Zurich, a pre-airline-fit conversation, the medical, and later an airline fit. The full selection process therefore stretches well beyond a single day - exactly how long depends on scheduling and individual progress.
TipBlock out plenty of time for the actual test day and arrive well rested - the concentration tests run across several hours. Getting familiar beforehand with typical task types like the triangle test or mental arithmetic gives you a rough sense of what to expect on the day.
Timings and format reportedly change from one intake to the next and vary by location. Only the current information from the DLR or from the relevant airline or flight school, given with the test invitation, is binding.