Wizz Air interview preparation
132 candidate-reported items · stages covered: Group exercise, Panel interview, Technical interview, ATPL / technical written test, Simulator assessment
Wizz Air runs what candidates describe as an elimination machine: a roughly two-day assessment at the Budapest Training Centre with 50–55 candidates per sitting and a reported pass rate around 20%. Day one is a document check, a company presentation, then a 60-question computer test mixing ATPL theory, Wizz company knowledge and mental arithmetic — candidates say it halved the group.
Preparation below is built from what those candidates report.
Practice a Wizz Air interview — free
The Wizz Air selection process
- ~2-day assessment at the Budapest Training Centre, ~50–55 candidates per sitting, ~20% reported pass rate.
- Day 1: document check, company presentation, then a 60-question computer test covering ATPL theory, Wizz company knowledge and mental arithmetic.
- Company knowledge is quizzed live — fleet size, the CEO's name, westernmost and easternmost destinations (reported: KEF and MLE).
- Signature questions: “Why Wizz Air and not easyJet or Ryanair?”, “Would you still join without your preferred base?”, and the type-rating payment question — up front or in instalments from line pay.
- Signature scenarios: smelling alcohol on the captain (role-played — the captain denies it), a fuel leak with a nearer airfield below minima versus a farther one in good weather, and a group exercise picking three new European bases.
What the panel screens for. Trainability over flying polish, hard base flexibility, ULCC cost literacy (CASK, cost index) and active PM behaviour in the sim.
Reported Wizz Air interview questions
Every item below is something a candidate reported being asked — no invented questions. Where the report carried a role or year, it is shown.
Group exercise
- Group exercise reported format: your team must decide which 3 European cities Wizz Air should open as new bases, in 20 minutes (as reported in coaching material)
- Group exercise (6-12 mixed cadets / FOs / Captains, observed): your team must decide which three European cities Wizz Air should open as new bases — 20 minutes to reach consensus
- Group exercise general framing reported by candidates: 'you are not given enough times and not enough information - they just see your communication'
- Group exercise reported format: 'find who likes what', a dynamic task with 5 elements
- Group exercise reported formats: 5 aircraft with different destinations, cargo, departure times, tail colours and registrations - work out which plane carries coffee to Hamburg (10 minutes, groups of 5, three strips of paper each; afterwards asked whether you believe the problem is solvable with more time)
- Group exercise variants reported at Budapest events: a logic puzzle (who drives the Mercedes, who drinks the Coke) and a five-element 'find out who likes what' task, with deliberately insufficient time and information
Panel interview
- What do you expect from Wizz Air?
- Why Wizz Air and not easyJet or Ryanair?
- How do you handle fatigue management during long duty periods?
- What would you do if a captain wasn't following SOPs?
- Why do you want to be a pilot? (the interviewer deliberately tries to convince you it is a bad career choice)
- Do you have any questions for us? (reported that a forum candidate was asked base preference, why Wizz Air, what do you know about the A320, ATPL questions, then 'Do you have any questions for us?')
- You smell alcohol on your captain during the briefing - what do you do? (reported as role-played: the captain denies it and plays it down, and you must stand your ground - you asked for a breathalyzer, he refused, so you gave him the choice to call in sick or you call the chief pilot and report him; never report behind his back)
- In-flight fire, and the airport right in front of you is below minimums - do you go there, or fly on to an airport that is VFR?
- How would you try to calm an upset or anxious passenger?
- Since you work for another airline, why aren't you pursuing a flying position with your present employer?
- Multiple-choice paper items reported for cadets: 'what bases', 'describe yourself in 4 words', 'why Wizz Air'
- How have you worked in a team before? / How would you resolve team conflict?
- Explain the authority gradient concept. What is the ideal gradient between captain and first officer?
- What are your career goals in the next 5 and 10 years?
- What did you do to prepare for this interview?
- Why do you want to work for Wizz Air?
- Describe a time you went above and beyond for safety
- Explain the authority gradient concept, and what the ideal gradient between Captain and First Officer is
- Would you prefer to pay for your type rating up front, or repay it from salary once you are on the line?
- What can you do to help Wizz Air, as a low-cost airline, achieve their goals?
- You are on a positioning flight to a new Wizz Air base — what operational considerations apply?
- What do you know about the Wizz Air company? (fleet size, fleet types, CEO name, number of bases, route network, ULCC model)
- You smell alcohol on your captain during the briefing — what do you do?
- Tell me about yourself.
- You have a suspected fuel leak; your destination is 40 minutes away in great weather, another suitable airfield is 20 minutes away but below minimums — what do you do and why?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Why do SOPs matter?
- What is your base preference, and why?
- Are you currently employed? What is your notice period?
- How would you calm an upset or anxious passenger if flight deck assistance was requested?
- Tell me about a time when someone didn't agree with you?
- You have a burning smell in the cockpit - at least you think so - and the captain says no. What do you do?
- A deliberately provocative question 'where they try and rattle you - seeing if you can work for a Communist era authoritarian union-busting outfit'
- Have you applied to other airlines? Why weren't you pursuing a flying position with your current employer?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- WAPA Stage 4 framing: introduce yourself, prove your motivation to join the programme and later become a pilot at Wizz Air, and show that your personality traits match company culture and the pilot profile
- Candidates already flying elsewhere are repeatedly pressed on long-term career plans and on clear professional reasons their current airline does not align with those goals
- What is your base preference? (candidates are asked for a primary, a secondary, plus a comment - e.g. 'good commuting to Budapest')
- What would you do if you witnessed a safety concern?
- You have a suspected fuel leak. Your destination is 40 minutes away with great weather; another suitable airfield is 20 minutes away but the weather is below minimums. What do you do and why?
- What makes a good first officer?
- What base would you prefer, and would you still join if you didn't receive your preferred base?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
- Why do you want to join Wizz Air?
- Do you have any questions for us?
- You are on a positioning flight to a new Wizz Air base - what operational considerations do you need to think about?
- Would you still join if you do not receive your preferred base?
- What is a good co-pilot / captain?
- Would you want to pay for your type rating up front, or would you prefer to pay it back in installments once you are on the line?
- Tell me about yourself / introduce yourself and your aviation career
- Tell me about a time when someone didn't agree with you / how do you handle a disagreement with a captain?
- Have you applied to other airlines?
Technical interview
- Runway (takeoff) lights - what do they do, and any associated failure questions
- A320 flight control laws - Normal, Alternate and Direct Law, and what protections you lose in each
- A320 hydraulic system: green / blue / yellow circuits and their sources
- Balanced field V1 - given a graph, select the point representing a balanced V1
- Aerodrome degraded equipment procedures
- Some questions on your current aircraft type and basic aerodynamics
- FMGC functionality
- AutoFlight on the A320, RVSM, spoilers, alternate law, direct law, aircraft at an isolated airport / alternates
- ECAM logic and prioritisation
- Identify these elements on a runway diagram: TORA, TODA, ASDA, LDA
- What are V1, VR and V2 - definitions and operational significance?
- Minimums, fuel policy, runway and taxiway markings, aircraft lighting systems
- MSA - what is it, how is it calculated, and what about terrain clearance?
- Here is an approach plate - identify the threats
- A320 hydraulic system (green / blue / yellow, electric pump, PTU)
- Given a picture of a jet engine, identify and explain its parts
- What fuel is required for an alternate and how is it calculated?
- Draw and explain the Airbus fuel system on a flip chart, together with the fuel limitations
- What do you know about the A320?
- They can ask you to draw any of the aircraft systems schematics - fuel, electrics, bleed
- Looking at a jet engine picture, explain its parts / explain how a turbofan (or turbocharger) works
- A320 memory items and limitations
- When does the sideslip indicator change to a blue Beta target?
- Airfield category question, e.g. how many firefighting vehicles are required for a given aerodrome category
- Pressure altitude / density altitude calculation given QNH and elevation
- Alternate law and direct law — and what protections are lost in each
- LIDO (company navigation) charts, meteorology and operational procedures
- Company knowledge: seat capacity of the A321ceo (231) vs A321neo (239), the Wizz Air AOCs, and which engine type fits the CEOs (IAE) vs the neos (P&W)
- A320 bleed air architecture
- Explain aerodrome degraded equipment requirements
- Radio failure procedures
- Bleed air architecture
- Company knowledge: fleet size, aircraft types, number of bases, CEO's name, and the most western (KEF) / most eastern (MLE) destination
- What is Green Dot Speed?
- Runway diagram question: point out TORA, TODA and ASDA on a runway picture
- Speedbrakes / spoilers
- How a turbocharger works
- A320 autothrust (autothrust logic / autothrust system)
- CAT II and CAT III minima, and the weather requirements for alternates
- VOR and NDB - what frequencies do they use, how do they operate, what range do they provide?
- Isolated airport / operations from an isolated aerodrome
- Principles of flight questions
- Describe the stabilised approach criteria and the go-around gate
- With regard to an air cycle type ECS pack, where is the water separator fitted?
- RVSM
- Alternates (alternate aerodrome selection)
- Low visibility: how many runway lights do you need to see on a CAT II approach versus a CAT III approach?
ATPL / technical written test
- METAR and TAF decoding (given a METAR to decode)
- Decode this METAR / TAF - read it aloud and interpret it operationally
- A 60-question timed computer test mixing ATPL theory with Wizz company knowledge, mental arithmetic and chart/graph interpretation (reported as ~1 minute per question, skippable and revisitable, no calculator, pen and paper only)
- Why those bases? (candidates report interviewers refer back to answers given on the earlier written/multiple-choice paper)
- Cadets are examined on the aircraft they trained on 'inside and out', e.g. 'tell us about the systems on the last type you flew - the electrical system on the DA42', or the electrical system of the MEP aircraft you flew
- Written maths under time pressure: long division, ratios, percentages, speed/distance/time, volumes, large multiplications (e.g. 35,067 x 3,242) and word problems such as 'if five workers complete a job in X hours, how long would nine need?'
- How have you worked in a team before? (asked in STAR form; multi-crew, multi-cultural examples preferred)
Simulator assessment
- Simulator (type-rated): an emergency such as engine failure after V1, hydraulic malfunction, or a sick-passenger diversion decision
- Simulator: manual holding — 'what would your entry be, and does your PM agree with it?'
- Simulator: steep 45-degree bank turns for 360 degrees, with a simultaneous 1,000 fpm descent added during the turn; climb and descent to 5,000 ft
- Simulator (highly experienced type-rated): engine fire on take-off, then windshear requiring TOGA, heavy turbulence all the way to landing, with autopilot and autothrust failing after the engine-out procedure and the fire not going out
- ILS minimums - what are they, when do you need a takeoff alternate, when a landing alternate, and when two landing alternates?
- Simulator (day 2, multi-tasking): you are in a 45-degree bank holding altitude and the examiner starts firing mental-arithmetic questions (e.g. 'what is 340 minus 176?'; fuel remaining from departure quantity minus burned) — prioritisation and verbalised task-shifting test
- Simulator brief: perform a runway heading climb without autothrust and without flight directors
- Simulator: they ask what your holding entry would be and ask the PM whether he agrees with it; some candidates also had to fly a manual holding pattern
- Simulator (cadets and NTR): raw-data ILS with autothrust off and flight directors off, stabilise by 1000 ft, judged to minimums only; if unstabilised you go around and are repositioned for a second attempt
- Simulator: runway heading climb without autothrust and without flight directors (reported)
- Simulator multitasking/distraction: during the steep turn or during the localiser intercept the examiner throws mental arithmetic at you ('what is 6 x 7', 'what is 23 x 3', '340 minus 176', or a fuel remaining calculation) - candidates report the intended test is prioritisation: fly first, calculate second, and verbalise the priority shift
- Simulator: VOR identification - which radial are you on, inbound or outbound - and then a radial intercept with the heading you would select
- Simulator (all tracks): a 05:00-06:00 briefing, then roughly 20-30 minutes PF and 20-30 minutes PM, paired cadet-with-cadet / type-rated-with-type-rated, A320 Level D, flown from the right seat on the runway with checklists complete
- Simulator distractor questions: your mother's name, or a personal question, asked while you are manoeuvring
- Simulator tolerances as briefed: speed and heading +/- 10, altitude +/- 200 ft, ILS 1 dot deflection maximum; landing and centreline tracking not assessed below 50 ft
- Simulator (captain/DEC track): multiple scenarios, assessing CRM, crew work, procedure following and some hand-flying; a technical emergency such as engine failure on departure, hydraulic abnormality or pressurisation failure is standard, and the assessors look for aviate - navigate - communicate then checklist
- Simulator: raw data ILS approach with flight directors and autothrust off, judged to minimums, with a go-around and second attempt if unstabilised
- Simulator talk-through: engine failure after V1 - continue the takeoff, yaw with rudder, wings level, positive rate so gear up, fly first then communicate, then ECAM actions when workload allows; as PM, call out deviations and assist
- Simulator (type-rated with limited hours): engine vibration after take-off and before intercepting the ILS, autothrust off, flight directors without autopilot
- Simulator (experienced NTR): an emergency may be injected where your decision-making is evaluated, e.g. a sick passenger and a diversion decision
FAQ
- What questions does Wizz Air ask at interview?
- Our research catalog holds 132 candidate-reported items for Wizz Air. Examples candidates reported: “What do you expect from Wizz Air?”; “Why Wizz Air and not easyJet or Ryanair?”; “How do you handle fatigue management during long duty periods?”.
- What does the Wizz Air selection process look like?
- ~2-day assessment at the Budapest Training Centre, ~50–55 candidates per sitting, ~20% reported pass rate. Reports also describe: Group exercise, Panel interview, Technical interview, ATPL / technical written test, Simulator assessment.
- Does Wizz Air ask technical questions?
- Yes — 54 of the 132 reported items are technical or ATPL-level. The rest split between personal/motivation questions and scenario-based CRM probes.
- How do I practice for the Wizz Air interview?
- AirlineBridge runs a free voice-first practice interview tuned on the questions Wizz Air candidates report — 10, 25 or 45 minutes, with a scored debrief across eight behavioural dimensions.
- Is this Wizz Air's official hiring process?
- No. Everything on this page is candidate-reported or published prep evidence, collected for interview practice. Always verify current requirements and stages with Wizz Air recruiting.
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