Frequently Asked Questions

1. I do not have a Brazilian pilot license, but I already have an ANAC code. Can I take SDEA?
No. Only pilots already holding a Brazilian pilot license can take SDEA.

2. I am a flight attendant / I am a flight engineer. Can I take the SDEA?
No. SDEA’s target audience is aeroplane, helicopter, powered-lift and airship’s pilots.

3. Where can I take SDEA?
A pilot can take Santos Dumont English Assessment at any institution (criar link para a página "List of accredited institutions.doc") certified by ANAC for administering SDEA. Candidates must schedule the test directly with the chosen certified institution.

For additional clarifications regarding Santos Dumont English Assessment send inquiry to Fale com ANAC (Contact Us) - available only in Portuguese.

4. What are the possible levels of assessment in the current format of the SDEA and when is the result released?
The current format of the SDEA was designed to distinguish the following levels of language proficiency: Expert (6), Advanced (5), Operational (4), Preoperational (3), Elementary (2) and Pre-elementary (1). For each of the six categories, one level is assigned: the candidate's final grade is the lowest of them. The complete result, with the levels reached by the pilot in each category, is sent to the candidate by e-mail, exclusively by ANAC, up to 20 (twenty) days after the test. The final level appears on the license under "Remarks", as follows:

5. I was awarded level 4 in five skills and level 3 in only one, and my final result was level 3. Why?
ICAO has established that “the final rating is not the average or aggregate of the ratings in each of the six ICAO language proficiency skills but the lowest of these six ratings” (DOC 9835, 4-7).  As a result, lower than Level 4 (Operational) in any skill indicates inadequate proficiency and therefore below the minimum level considered safe for radiotelephony communications. The holistic concept is applied to communication and, in this sense, a level 3, in any of the skills required for effective communication, reduces its effectiveness to this level, since a poorly conducted ability affects communication as a whole. 

6. How long is my language proficiency endorsement valid?

• Final level 04 – Valid for 03 years;

• Final level 05 – Valid for 06 years;

• Final Level 06 – Indefinite Validity.

7. Can I request an extension to the validity of my language proficiency endorsement?
No. There is no extension to the language proficiency endorsement. Pilots should schedule their revalidation considering the periods of validity of each level, as well as the time required to comply with all stages of the process, so that they can continue to regularly work as crewmembers on international flights.

8. If I disagree with my results regarding SDEA, is it possible to appeal?
To appeal the result obtained, the candidate must complete the Language Proficiency Appeal Form, available electronically in SEI, and file it on ANAC’s website via electronic petitioning at the following address: Electronic Protocol — Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC) (https://www.gov.br/anac/pt-br/sistemas/protocolo-eletronico-sei), using the following process subject: Proficiência Linguística - Recurso de Certificação em Proficiência Linguística.

The appeal must be filed within 10 (ten) calendar days from the date ANAC publishes the test result. The response deadline is up to 20 (twenty) days after the date ANAC receives the Appeal Form. Taking a new SDEA test before the analysis of the submitted appeal will result in the appeal not being recognized, thereby canceling its review.

9.  How long will the appeal process take?
Up to 20 (twenty) running days. A letter with the result is sent to the address given in the Appeal Form.

10. When can I take the exam again?
In any situation, pass or fail, the candidate is only eligible to take a new test when: a) the result obtained in the previous test has already been informed to the pilot by ANAC; and (b) after sixty running days of the previous test.

11. How can my foreign pilot’s license English proficiency level be validated for my Brazilian license?
The conversion of the English language proficiency endorsement is only possible when it is associated with the process of convalidation (conversion) of the foreign license. See chapter 5.2 of IS 61-003 (available only in Portuguese) for details.

12. Does ANAC recognize certificates of other English proficiency tests (such as TEA, ELPAC and others) for endorsement on Brazilian pilot licenses?
No. ANAC, in the exercise of its sovereignty, performs only the validation of language proficiency level endorsements when associated with the process of validation of foreign licenses. ANAC does not endorse results of tests, as explained in chapter 6 of IS 61-003. The license conversion process takes place between civil aviation authorities. There is no conversion of a certificate or license between a private entity and the Brazilian civil aviation authority.

13. Why is there a difference in the SDEA fee at the accredited institutions?
ANAC does not regulate the fees that are charged by the accredited institutions.