Aviation English: The Exam, Mastered · Lesson 7

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Section 4 — two summaries, about 7 minutes

The last section of the test is the one closest to real airport work: something happens, and you tell someone else, clearly and in order, what happened. It has two parts. Both are recorded, and both are marked by the two raters on all six skills — pronunciation, structure, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and interaction.

Part	What happens	The clock
Part 1 · Report + key words	A short written report appears on the screen. Read it and take notes. Then the report disappears and five key words appear. Summarise the report aloud, using all five words.	90 seconds to read and take notes · 90 seconds to speak.
Part 2 · Radio summary	Listen to a radio exchange between pilots and controllers. It starts as a routine situation, then something unexpected happens. Take notes, then summarise what happened in your own words.	About 2 minutes of audio · 45 seconds to speak. You may ask for one replay.

The rules that cost marks:

All five key words, exactly as written. If the word is showed, you cannot say shows or showing. Build your sentence around the word.
Any order. The words do not have to appear in the order they are shown — use them where they fit the story.
Fill the time. 90 seconds is longer than it feels. Stopping after 40 seconds loses fluency marks.
Part 2 is about the turn. A summary that describes only the routine part misses the point. The raters want the unexpected event, what was done about it, and how it ended.

Five moves for any summary

The scene — who, where, when.
The problem — what went wrong, or what changed.
The action — what people did about it.
The result — how it ended.
What next — a decision, a recommendation, a check.

Five moves, one or two sentences each, and you have a clear, complete summary — with no need to remember every detail.

Warm up — the five moves on your own day (45 seconds)

Think of a recent shift when something did not go as planned — the weather changed, a system failed, an observation was late. Summarise it in five moves: the scene, the problem, the action, the result, what next.

00:45

The language of a summary

A summary retells what other people said and did, so it runs on reporting verbs in the past, a few linking words to show the turn, and one hard rule about the key words.

1 · Reporting verbs

Verb	Pattern	Example
reported	reported + that + clause	The crew reported that the left brake was overheating.
requested	requested + noun · requested + to + verb	The pilot requested a longer runway. · The pilot requested to hold over the sea.
instructed / told	instructed + someone + to + verb	Ground told the vehicle to leave the taxiway.
advised	advised + someone + of + noun · advised + someone + that + clause	The tower advised the crew that the ILS was out of service.
confirmed	confirmed + noun · confirmed + that + clause	The engineer confirmed that the tyre was undamaged.
recommended	recommended + -ing · recommended + that + clause	The team recommended replacing the lights. · The team recommended that the lights should be replaced.

Tense: the summary is in the past, so what people said moves back one step. The pilot says “We have a hydraulic problem” → The pilot reported that they had a hydraulic problem. Be careful not to change the meaning: are losing (it is still happening) is not the same as have lost (it is finished).

Choose the correct sentence

1. The pilot wanted permission for a priority landing.

2. The controller gave an instruction: climb to flight level 120.

3. The report said: “The runway should be inspected more often.”

4. The pilot said: “We are losing fuel pressure.”

5. The tower told the pilot about strong gusts on final.

2 · Linking words for the turn

Contrast (the turn): however, but, although, despite this · Result: as a result, so, therefore · Time: meanwhile, shortly afterwards, eventually, in the end.
Example: The inspection found nothing unusual. However, twenty minutes later a second pilot reported debris near the same spot. As a result, the runway was closed again.

6. The approach was normal. ___, at 500 feet the pilot reported a bird strike.

7. The fog did not lift. ___, the aircraft diverted to its alternate.

8. ___ the engine readings were normal, the crew decided to return.

9. The fire crew attended the aircraft on the runway. ___, the other arrivals were told to hold.

3 · The key-word rule

The five words cannot change their form. Which sentence uses the key word correctly?

10. Key word: injured

11. Key word: slightly

12. Key word: recommended

Make the words yours (90 seconds)

Say one sentence about your own work for each of these words, exactly as written: checked · delayed · although · reported · safely.

01:30

Notes that work — write less, remember more

You cannot copy a report in 90 seconds, and you should not try. Notes are there to hold the things memory drops: numbers, names and the order of events. Everything else you can say in your own words.

Write	Means	Write	Means
rwy	runway	→	then / leads to
acft	aircraft	↑ / ↓	up, increase / down, decrease
arr / dep	arrival / departure	x	no / not
vis	visibility	b/c	because
wx	weather	~	about
pax	passengers	!	the problem / the turn

A frame for your notes. Write these five letters down the side of your paper before the report appears, and fill them in as you read:
S scene · P problem · A action · R result · N next.

Which summary matches the notes?

S: 06:40 · rwy 34
P: large flock birds ! → 2 arr go around
A: bird control team ~30 min
R: rwy open 07:15 · x damage
N: recommend extra patrols at dawn

1. Choose the summary that matches the notes exactly.

Try it — a short report, notes only

60 seconds to make notes in the S-P-A-R-N frame, then hide the report and say it (60 seconds)

01:00

At 22:10 a cleaning vehicle was driving along taxiway Alpha when its driver saw that the edge lights on one section of the taxiway were not working. He reported it to Ground, and the section was closed for the night. Two aircraft that were due to use taxiway Alpha were sent via taxiway Charlie instead, which added about five minutes to their taxi time. An electrician found a damaged cable the next morning and repaired it before 09:00.

Part 1 — the report and the five key words

Three reports, on the real clocks. For each: start the 90-second clock, read and make notes in the S-P-A-R-N frame, then hide the report. The five key words appear — start the second clock and summarise aloud, using every word exactly as written. Then compare with the model.

A good habit: when the key words appear, tick each one on your notes as you use it. Five ticks before the clock ends = no lost marks for missing words.

Report 1 — the storm warning

Step 1 — read and take notes (90 seconds)

01:30

At 14:20 the meteorological office at the airport issued a warning for thunderstorms, with strong gusts and heavy rain expected within the hour. Arriving aircraft were advised of the risk, and two pilots chose to hold rather than land. At 14:55 a gust of 45 knots was measured on runway 22, and a departing aircraft abandoned its take-off at low speed. Nobody was injured, and the aircraft returned to the stand to be checked. The storm passed by 15:40 and normal operations resumed. The report recommended that ground staff should receive gust warnings at the same time as pilots.

Report 2 — the pushback

Step 1 — read and take notes (90 seconds)

01:30

During pushback from stand 12, the tug driver felt the tow bar jerk and stopped immediately. An engineer checked the connection to the nose gear and found that a safety pin had sheared, although the aircraft itself showed no damage. The aircraft was towed back onto the stand, and the passengers waited on board for forty minutes while a replacement tow bar was brought. The flight finally departed seventy minutes late. The ground handling company has since checked all tow bars of the same type, and two more have been withdrawn from service.

Report 3 — the fog

Step 1 — read and take notes (90 seconds)

01:30

Shortly after sunrise, fog formed quickly over the eastern end of the airport, while the western end remained clear. The runway visual range at the touchdown zone fell from 1,500 metres to 350 metres in less than ten minutes. One aircraft on final approach carried out a missed approach and diverted to a nearby airport, but a second aircraft, equipped for low-visibility landings, landed safely. Low-visibility procedures were in force for two hours. The duty manager noted that the forecast had predicted mist, not fog, and asked for the case to be reviewed.

Part 2 — the radio summary

In the test you hear one radio exchange of about two minutes. It begins as routine work, then something unexpected happens. You may take notes, and you may ask for one replay. Then you have 45 seconds to say what happened. The two exchanges here are shorter than the real one, but they work the same way. Press Listen, make notes without looking at the script, then summarise.

45 seconds = four sentences.

The routine: An aircraft was on a normal approach to runway…
The turn: Suddenly, the pilot reported that…
The response: The controller asked… / told… / arranged…
The ending: In the end, the aircraft…

Call signs and frequencies are not needed in the summary — say the aircraft, the pilot, the controller. Keep the numbers that matter to the story: a height, a distance, a runway.

Exchange 1 — on final approach

APP: Serra 7 1 2, descend to 3,000 feet, QNH 1 0 1 4, cleared ILS approach runway 3 4.
P: Descending 3,000 feet, QNH 1 0 1 4, cleared ILS runway 3 4, Serra 7 1 2.
APP: Serra 7 1 2, contact Tower 1 1 8 decimal 7, good day.
P: Tower 1 1 8 decimal 7, Serra 7 1 2.
P: Tower, Serra 7 1 2, established ILS runway 3 4, 8 miles.
TWR: Serra 7 1 2, Tower, continue approach, wind 330 degrees 9 knots, you are number one.
P: Continue approach, Serra 7 1 2.
P: Tower, Serra 7 1 2, we just saw a drone, very close, on our left side, at about 1,500 feet, 5 miles from touchdown.
TWR: Serra 7 1 2, roger, can you describe it?
P: Small and dark, it passed about 100 metres from our left wing, moving east.
TWR: Serra 7 1 2, thank you, runway 3 4, cleared to land, wind 330 degrees 8 knots. All stations, a drone has been reported 5 miles south of the airport at 1,500 feet, the police have been informed.
P: Cleared to land runway 3 4, Serra 7 1 2.

Summarise it aloud — 45 seconds

00:45

a normal approach to the runway
the drone: very close, on the left, about 1,500 feet, 5 miles out
the controller asked for a description
the aircraft was cleared to land
all other aircraft were warned and the police were informed

An aircraft was making a normal ILS approach to runway 34. About five miles from touchdown, the pilot suddenly reported a drone that passed very close to the left wing, at around 1,500 feet. The controller asked for a description and then cleared the aircraft to land. The controller also warned all other aircraft about the drone and said that the police had been informed.

Exchange 2 — just after take-off

TWR: Lumo 4 3 8, runway 1 6, cleared for take-off, wind 150 degrees 12 knots.
P: Cleared for take-off runway 1 6, Lumo 4 3 8.
TWR: Lumo 4 3 8, contact Radar 1 2 6 decimal 2, good day.
P: 1 2 6 decimal 2, Lumo 4 3 8.
P: Radar, Lumo 4 3 8, passing 2,500 feet, climbing to flight level 90.
RAD: Lumo 4 3 8, Radar, identified, continue climb to flight level 90.
P: Radar, Lumo 4 3 8, we have a warning light for the rear cargo door. We would like to stop our climb at 6,000 feet and return to the airport.
RAD: Lumo 4 3 8, roger, stop climb at 6,000 feet, turn right heading 340. Do you require any assistance?
P: Stopping climb at 6,000 feet, right heading 340. Negative assistance at this time, but we would like the fire services to check the door after landing, Lumo 4 3 8.
RAD: Lumo 4 3 8, understood, expect ILS approach runway 1 6. The fire services will meet you at the end of the runway.
P: Expect ILS runway 1 6, thank you, Lumo 4 3 8.

Summarise it aloud — 45 seconds

00:45

a normal take-off, climbing to flight level 90
the warning light for the rear cargo door
the pilot asked to stop the climb and return
the controller stopped the climb at 6,000 feet and turned the aircraft back
no emergency, but the fire services will check the door after landing

An aircraft took off normally from runway 16 and was climbing to flight level 90. Shortly afterwards, the pilot reported a warning light for the rear cargo door and asked to stop the climb and return to the airport. The controller stopped the aircraft at 6,000 feet, turned it back and offered help. The pilot did not declare an emergency, but asked for the fire services to check the door after landing, and the controller arranged it.

Test run — Section 4, start to finish

One report and one radio exchange, back to back, on the real clocks. No model until you have finished both.

Part 1 — the report

Step 1 — read and take notes (90 seconds)

01:30

A routine inspection of runway 07 found a patch of damaged surface about 300 metres from the threshold. The damage was small, but loose pieces of asphalt could be sucked into an engine. The runway was closed for forty minutes while a repair team filled the patch. During the closure, four departures were held on the ground and three arrivals entered the hold. The first pilot to land after the runway reopened reported that the repaired section felt smooth. The airport has decided to inspect that section of runway every day for the next month.

Part 2 — the radio exchange

GND: Pavo 2 6 1, taxi to holding point runway 2 5 via taxiway Bravo, hold short of taxiway Delta.
P: Taxi to holding point runway 2 5 via Bravo, hold short of Delta, Pavo 2 6 1.
GND: Pavo 2 6 1, stop immediately, you have passed Delta.
P: Stopping, Pavo 2 6 1. Sorry, we missed the sign in the rain.
GND: Pavo 2 6 1, roger. An aircraft is pushing back onto Delta behind you. Hold position.
P: Holding position, Pavo 2 6 1.
GND: Pavo 2 6 1, the pushback is complete. Continue on Bravo to holding point runway 2 5. For your information, a report will be filed, and the airport safety office may contact your company.
P: Continue Bravo to holding point runway 2 5, copied the report, Pavo 2 6 1.

Summarise it aloud — 45 seconds

00:45

taxiing to runway 25, told to stop before taxiway Delta
the aircraft passed Delta — the pilot missed the sign in the rain
Ground told it to stop because another aircraft was pushing back behind it
after the pushback, it continued to the runway
a report will be filed

An aircraft was taxiing to runway 25 and had been told to stop before taxiway Delta. However, the pilot missed the sign in the rain and went past Delta, so the ground controller told them to stop immediately, because another aircraft was pushing back behind them. When the pushback was finished, the aircraft continued to the runway, and the controller said that a report would be filed.

Remember from earlier lessons

1. In Section 2, how many mistakes can you make and still pass?

2. In the photo task, a sentence says “smoke is coming from the left engine”. “Left” means…

3. Your final ICAO level is…

Self-check

I used all five key words, exactly as written, and ticked them off as I went.
I spoke for the full 90 seconds in Part 1.
In Part 2, I clearly said what the unexpected event was, what was done, and how it ended.
I used reporting verbs correctly: requested a…, instructed the aircraft to…, recommended -ing.
My notes used the S-P-A-R-N frame, and I kept the numbers that mattered.

Summarising is what a good controller does at every handover: the scene, the problem, the action, the result, what next. Practise it on your own shifts — every unusual event is a Section 4 question.