What to expect at your examination
The length of the medical examination varies, depending on personal or family medical history. This page provides detailed information about the areas the examination will cover.
Medical history
These are a series of questions about medical history and any previous illness. You will be asked about them by your AME, and if there is any major illness in your past, it is important to bring reports about it from your family doctor or treating specialist. Appendicitis or a broken arm are not regarded as major illnesses.
Further details of the regulatory requirements can be found on our Medical Examination Standards page.
You may find it helpful to print off the requirements and discuss them with your GP or Specialist.
Guidance on the information your AME will require in medical reports, together with flow charts on the assessment process for a number of medical conditions can be found on our Documents for Download page.
Colour vision
You will need to pass an Ishihara test for the initial issue of a medical certificate. More information can be found in our Guidance on Colour Vision page.
Eyesight
- Eye examination form (MED 162)
Eyesight requirements are listed in the Class 1 Visual Standards guidance material. If you wear glasses or contact lenses it is important to take your last optician's report along to the examination. An applicant may be assessed as fit with hypermetropia not exceeding +5.0 dioptres, myopia not exceeding -6.0 dioptres, astigmatism not exceeding 2.0 dioptres, and anisometropia not exceeding 2.0 dioptres, provided that optimal correction has been considered and no significant pathology is demonstrated. Monocular visual acuities should be 6/6 or better.
Physical Examination
A general check that all is functioning correctly. It will cover lungs, heart, blood pressure, stomach, limbs and nervous system.
Hearing
A pure tone audiometry test will evaluate your hearing. Applicants may not have a hearing loss of more than 35dB at any of the frequencies 500Hz, 1000Hz or 2000Hz, or more than 50dB at 3000Hz, in either ear separately.
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
This measures the electrical impulses passing through your heart. It can show disorders of the heart rhythm or of the conduction of the impulses, and sometimes it can show a lack of blood supplying the heart muscle. Changes on an ECG require further investigation. A report from a cardiologist and further tests (for example an exercise ECG) may need to be done.
Lung function test (spirometry)
This tests your ability to expel air rapidly from your lungs. Abnormal lung function or respiratory problems, e.g. asthma will require reports by a specialist in respiratory disease (UK CAA Asthma guidance and Guidance for Respiratory Reports).
Haemoglobin blood test
This is a finger prick blood test which measures the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. A low haemoglobin is called anaemia and will need further investigation.
Lipids/Cholesterol
A finger prick blood test which is used in part to determine your risk of future heart and blood vessel disease.
Urine test
You will be asked to provide a sample of urine, so remember to attend for examination with a full bladder. This tests for sugar (diabetes), protein or blood in the urine.
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