Why Examiners Ask for the “Last Week” Version
At Level 4 and above, the ICAO ELP isn’t just testing whether you can describe what you see. It’s testing whether you can narrate naturally — the way a real pilot would recount an actual experience.
Present-tense description is relatively mechanical:
“The aircraft is approaching the runway. There is a dog on the runway. The crew executes a go-around.”
But narrating as a past experience requires natural storytelling:
“Last week, we were on approach to the airport when ATC suddenly told us there was an animal on the runway. We had to go around…”
That shift in naturalness is exactly what the examiner wants to see.
The Grammar Patterns to Use
In “last week story” mode, mix these three patterns:
Past continuous (background/setting):
“We were cruising at FL350 when…”
“I was the Pilot Flying on that sector.”
“The weather was deteriorating rapidly.”
Simple past (events and actions):
“ATC instructed us to enter a holding pattern.”
“The captain declared an emergency.”
“I took control of the aircraft.”
Past perfect (what had already happened before):
“By the time we reached the IAF, we had already burned more fuel than planned.”
“The captain had been temporarily blinded by the lightning flash.”
Blending all three signals fluency and grammatical range — two of the six assessment criteria.
Opening Templates — Memorize These
Pattern A (in-flight event):
“Last week, I was operating a flight from [departure] to [destination]. I was the [PF/PM] on that leg. We were [situation] when [event occurred].”
Pattern B (ground event):
“Last week, we were pushing back from the gate at [airport] when I noticed [situation].”
Pattern C (on approach):
“Last week, we were on final approach to [airport] when ATC advised us of [situation].”
For FC-23 (animal on runway), for example:
“Last week, I was flying to Sapporo. We were on final approach, gear down, flaps 25, when ATC suddenly instructed us to go around due to a wildlife hazard on the runway. A dog had somehow entered the airport perimeter. We executed the go-around and entered a holding pattern. We held for about 20 minutes…”
The Three Most Common Mistakes
1. Present tense slips in:
“Last week, we were on approach and… then ATC tells us to go around.” ✗
→ “ATC told us to go around.” ✓
2. Getting stuck on names:
Prepare a few fictional but plausible details in advance: flight numbers, fix names, airport names. “JL309 to Fukuoka,” “holding at SUNNY fix,” “divert to Komatsu.” Having these ready prevents mid-sentence freezes.
3. A slow start:
Hesitating through the first sentence creates a weak first impression. Memorize your opening line so it comes out immediately and confidently.
Which Scenarios Trigger This Instruction
Based on exam report data, this instruction appears most frequently with:
- FC-22 (lightning strike / captain incapacitation) — very common
- FC-23 (animal on runway) — common
- Weather avoidance and diversion scenarios — frequent
- Some single-picture scenarios — occasional
Four and six-panel sequences are particularly likely to trigger this instruction. When practicing, always prepare both the present-tense and past-tense versions of your description.
Practice Method: Present-to-Past Conversion Drill
- Describe a picture in present tense, out loud
- Convert every verb to past or past continuous
- Repeat it out loud until it flows naturally
Simple — but the difference in exam-day reaction speed between pilots who’ve done this and those who haven’t is significant.
The Bottom Line
The “last week” instruction is partly a test of whether you knew the exam format in advance. Pilots who know it’s coming respond confidently. Pilots who don’t often panic.
The ICAO ELP rewards preparation — specifically, the kind of preparation that comes from knowing what actually happens in the exam room. Real reports from real pilots are the most direct route to that knowledge.
