Cogscreen results will likely deny my medical - what can I do?

  • Thread starter Thread starter A man at his whits end
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A man at his whits end

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People, I am attempting to get a 1st class medical in the (perhaps vain) hope that I can eventually have a career as a pilot or even atcs. However, I have some problems in getting medically cleared from my mental health history. Stemming from me taking ssris to manage my symptoms I was told that as part of the si application I must take the cogscreen in order to be considered. I then got in the process of getting on an approved medication for the si. Well lo and behold come testing day the neuropsychologist tells me there were some results that would be deemed "aeromedically significant" and for me to do additional testing. I did the additional tests and the results were more or less the same; my scores in several areas like working memory were at a threshold where I would likely be denied according to the tester. It was the backwards digit span (bds), the trailmaker (which I had trouble finding the next point) and the tests involving the numbers (like the previous number test) that I did poorly on. I did above average on the tovas for reaction times and vigilance, don't know if that helps my case. I asked about some mitigating factors like getting better on the cogscreen or some exercises to help with the areas I did poorly on and the neuropsychologist said that it could help. There's this group called Optimal Aviation that he suggested I could try and it looks promising though I have my doubts of its efficacy. I'm considering trying that and luminosity in hopes of getting a better shot at the cogscreen again. Is this even a viable option for me? If I could actually study for the cogscreen I wouldn't even have this mess in the first place. I don't get it.

When I heard this news from him I decided I might as well try for an si authorization anyway. I still have to take the physical with my hims ame so perhaps some other insights for my defense could be made. Who knows, maybe amcd will grant mercy? But I am not deluded enough to think that will happen. Is it a good idea to try it anyway or just wait until I get better at the testing to where it wouldn't likely be an issue? I am worried about a denial which is a career ending decision from the faa before my career ever takes off.

It is just infuriating that subpar performance on tests that aren't even like a checkride or knowledge test will determine my fate. If I really did have "aeromedically significant cognitive defecits" wouldn't that manifest in failed checkrides or concerns from cfis/dpes? I don't even have a drug problem yet I still must report to HIMS! There has to be another way for things to work? I know I am ranting here its just that this process has been lengthy and very expensive. The cogscreen makes me feel like a sack of garbage, that I am not smart enough to fly a plane let alone even have the privilege of taking flight classes. And I don't even have a career in flying! The torment must be even higher for actual pilots. What a sick twist of fate this is.
 
I’d say practice the tests. It’s junk, your taxpayer dollars funded it… it’s what they use. People who say you can’t study for it are wrong.

There’s no proof that failing that thing means anything about your ability to fly.

A denial is tougher than practicing and “passing”.

Others may disagree…
 
See if you can only take the tests that you did poorly on. I believe the scores account for the 2nd time around and this time you’ll know what to expect.

Good luck, sorry to hear this.
 
If they gave all pilots these tests, I wonder how many would pass?

If I can’t recite the alphabet backwards, I’m not sure that has an impact on piloting ability.
 
Well based on all of your responses I will enroll Optimal Aviation to boost my test scores for the next time. I think I have a good shot of making it. People with worse scores and worse conditions than I have seemingly been able to get approved through methods like this, at least to the neuropsychologist. Hopefully as a 23 year old man my neuroplasticity or whatever will allow for enough improvement on the cogscreen/tests to be approved and assauge concerns over my first time test taking. I admit I don't do well on these sorts of tests, I suppose testing anxiety and not knowing what exactly to expect contributed to my performance. I also didn't get enough sleep the night before because I was nervous.

I do wonder what would happen if I apply for the regular descion path by getting off my Lexapro. Is it likely I could avoid having the cogscreen since there'd be no medications? Probably not since I already have a lengthy history but its fun to think about.

I'll see what my hims ame says during my physical so I can get more info on what to do and what went wrong. My faith in being able to get my si approved is a little higher now. Maybe OA will help me do better on the air traffic skills assessment too? All this effort has got to give me something.
 
The good news in your situation is that you already have a clear picture of which subtests are the problem areas, and that's actually the most useful starting point for targeted prep.
To address your question directly: yes, you can meaningfully improve on the CogScreen with practice. The tests that tripped you up, working memory, backwards digit span, and Trail Making, are skills with documented plasticity. They respond to consistent, structured cognitive training. The caveat is that generic brain game apps like Lumosity train you on tasks that don't transfer well to the specific demands of the CogScreen. The training needs to be matched to what the CogScreen actually measures.
On the sleep and testing anxiety point you mentioned: those are real factors. Working memory in particular is acutely sensitive to sleep deprivation and anxiety. Your first test result likely does not reflect your actual baseline capacity.
On the Lexapro question: getting off the medication doesn't remove your history from the FAA's view. You still have the documented SSRI use and the existing neuropsych results on file. Coming off medication introduces its own adjudication questions. Not a clean path.
The practical next step is exactly what you're planning: structured prep before retesting, with training specifically built around the CogScreen subtests rather than general cognitive games. faacogscreen.com has prep resources built around the actual test structure and the specific subtest domains the FAA focuses on, which is more targeted than what OA or Lumosity offer for this particular use case. Worth looking at before you commit your time and money to a program.
At 23 with good TOVA scores and strong reaction time and vigilance results, you have a real case to make. Don't submit again until your prep is solid.
 
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