DunfordBridge
Member
I failed the predecessor of the MMI, called the CBI in spectacular fashion but I know enough about to inform you that you can expect constant interruptions so try to keep your cool at all times.
When is your MMI by the way?
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A career as a train driver
- Thread starter Thornaby
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I failed the predecessor of the MMI, called the CBI in spectacular fashion but I know enough about to inform you that you can expect constant interruptions so try to keep your cool at all times.
When is your MMI by the way?
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Fred Dinenage
Member
- Joined
- 23 Jul 2013
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- 347
Dunford, did you have your CBI through the OPC? I failed it with them, the interviewer was a nightmare. Then i re-sat the new tests / MMI and Northern sent me to the DB Schenker testing facility at Doncaster - the staff there were totally different ( a lot more professional i thought, rather than Gestapo-woman ), as helpful as they could be. I wasn't interrupted or asked " how did you feel? " four times in a row.
Just a difference i noticed between testing companies. No need for them to turn a difficult enough day into an interrogation.
DunfordBridge
Member
Thanks Fred. That is the funniest thing I have heard all month, if not all year.
Basically in response to your question, yes, but when I got my feedback, the interviewer was quite helpful. Even so, I did have my reservations and I even went so far as finding an Excel spread sheet from the internet which detailed all the people qualified to carry out the assessments and the companies for which they worked. I think First Great Western had someone from South Wales who was qualified to do the structured interview.
I gather that the assessments with DB Schenker are all carried out in one day but I would not be sure. Sounds a bit intense in one day but so was my CBI, and yours too by the sound of it. I have never been able to apply with Northern because they seem to have this ruling that you have to live within 30 minutes drive of the depot and my nearest depot would be York. I am hoping that is going to change with the start of the new franchise this year.
This has still given me food for thought. Once I am sure that my responses are up to standard, I may actually be motivated to pay for my own assessment with DB Schenker. Until then, I just need to devise a strategy to conquer the First Group telephone interview so I can progress with Transpennine Express.
Basically in response to your question, yes, but when I got my feedback, the interviewer was quite helpful. Even so, I did have my reservations and I even went so far as finding an Excel spread sheet from the internet which detailed all the people qualified to carry out the assessments and the companies for which they worked. I think First Great Western had someone from South Wales who was qualified to do the structured interview.
I gather that the assessments with DB Schenker are all carried out in one day but I would not be sure. Sounds a bit intense in one day but so was my CBI, and yours too by the sound of it. I have never been able to apply with Northern because they seem to have this ruling that you have to live within 30 minutes drive of the depot and my nearest depot would be York. I am hoping that is going to change with the start of the new franchise this year.
This has still given me food for thought. Once I am sure that my responses are up to standard, I may actually be motivated to pay for my own assessment with DB Schenker. Until then, I just need to devise a strategy to conquer the First Group telephone interview so I can progress with Transpennine Express.
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Headleylemar
Member
- Joined
- 12 Feb 2016
- Messages
- 6
Thank you all very much for the information it is much appreciated . I have the mmi interview in a couple of weeks .
DunfordBridge
Member
You are welcome Hedley but we have just scratched the surface. What you have to bear in mind is that some questions may develop so as to probe other areas of train driver competency, for example, maintaining concentration.
Is your profile name a reference to one of the characters from the classic film, Blazing Saddles btw?
Is your profile name a reference to one of the characters from the classic film, Blazing Saddles btw?
Fred Dinenage
Member
- Joined
- 23 Jul 2013
- Messages
- 347
Northern do all of the assessments in one day. I think splitting them up would be worse and certainly make you feel on edge for ages. You're told on the day if you fail any and invited to leave after you fail without completing the other tests / MMI, obviously depending at which stage you come unstuck.
DunfordBridge
Member
I guess there are merits to each approach. I see what you mean though, it is a bit of a roller coaster experience, especially if you have never done a particular test before and have no idea of the scoring.
Has anyone paid to do the tests themselves and then got a trainee drivers job ?
£450 if it got you a job isn't too bad but obviously you're taking a chance on if a job even gets advertised before your results expire.
Is the test also applicable to Conductor roles as well ?
£450 if it got you a job isn't too bad but obviously you're taking a chance on if a job even gets advertised before your results expire.
Is the test also applicable to Conductor roles as well ?
Waste of money as TOC's do the tests for free
Don't pay for anything. You can either do it, or you can't.
The only thing worth practising is the group bourdon, which can (could, when I did it) be found online. Even that felt different, practising on the laptop was harder than doing it for real on the assessment - on paper. Don't know why, I just thought it was.
The only thing worth practising is the group bourdon, which can (could, when I did it) be found online. Even that felt different, practising on the laptop was harder than doing it for real on the assessment - on paper. Don't know why, I just thought it was.
SkinnyDave
Established Member
- Joined
- 11 Mar 2012
- Messages
- 1,242
I did it privately and have been driving for almost 2 years now
Gemz91
Member
I didn't do it privately and have been driving almost 2 years now.
I paid in 2007, passed, never got past the initial screening after that. It ran out after 5 years. Did a better form last year, used correct words (customer focussed, motivated, driven etc) cringed while doing it - so obvious that I was just plonking certain words in. Got past that. Studied up on interview questions for the interview. Passed the new assessment and got the job. The important thing for me was that initial application form because it was first. Of course, the next stage always becomes the most important.
You are certainly in the minority as you are the first driver I have known of to accomplish this, I think it was luck and being at the right place at the right time to be fair Dave!
SkinnyDave
Established Member
- Joined
- 11 Mar 2012
- Messages
- 1,242
I applied, the form asked if I had done it before and I said yes.
Got shortlisted and they tried to send me to assessments, I phoned HR and reminded them that I had done them and they double checked my results and it was onto Interview which still gives me cold sweats to this day.
I know of one other on course or two behind me that done same.
However I still had to put a good enough application in and have relevant skills to document otherwise it does not matter if yoy have test results or not. Don't think that part is luck.
DunfordBridge
Member
I have not really looked into this option in any great detail yet as £450 is a big hit. Having said that, when I have made previous applications, I have found myself travelling to other parts of the country incurring expenditure of hotels and also train tickets - at a cost of over £100. Sort of puts things into some kind of perspective but I am not quite sure if it is total justification for choosing the private test option.
With regard to your question about the conductor role, there is only one test that would be of any use and that is the Group Bourdon test. However, I seem to recollect that the DB Schenker test made reference to tests of attention and did not mention the GB test per se although I am assuming that is what they mean??
Not all TOCs use the same methods of assessment as there is not as much standardisation as there is for driver recruitment. First Transpennine use the GB test AFAIK but East Midlands use the SCAAT test instead for concentration.
There is also the conductor CBI used by some TOCs but maybe not all. I am not sure how helpful the MMI (Structured Interview) in the driver tests would prepare you for the conductor CBI but I do not think that the two are interchangeable.
In a nutshell, the driver tests would not be very helpful for passing the conductor assessments.
Headleylemar
Member
- Joined
- 12 Feb 2016
- Messages
- 6
Morning everyone , I have my mmi interview with thameslink in the morning does anyone have any good advice for me as getting a little nervous now ?
http://www.sporcle.com/games/citkeane/stargazing
Some may be interested in this little bit. Is a little "quiz" to pick out 5 point stars only from a page of stars. Its very similar to the GBT test. Also, each play rebuilds the grid differently each time.
Some may be interested in this little bit. Is a little "quiz" to pick out 5 point stars only from a page of stars. Its very similar to the GBT test. Also, each play rebuilds the grid differently each time.
Headleylemar
Member
- Joined
- 12 Feb 2016
- Messages
- 6
Morning Drazky , I got through ok so now just waiting to do the medical 
Headleylemar
Member
- Joined
- 12 Feb 2016
- Messages
- 6
Hello maps87 , I hadn't heard anything for a couple of weeks after my line managers interview so I called them , the lady I spoke to said that they had tried to contact me . I didn't have any missed calls or e mails so I am glad I called them , it might be worth trying them . Good luck
Welcome all,
Im from Poland but i love how Scotland looks here, so i decided that I want to be a Train Driver, I read a lot, but still, don't understand all of it. What exacly is needed to become a train driver, do I need any driving licence? I know there will be health checks, so do my short sight(not big, just -2 in both eyes) will be a big deal ? What examples of jobs would be best to put in CV ? I worked alot in stres generating environment(gastronomical mostly as bar supervisors, working alone at bars during busy nights). I was in technical university back in Poland, but i dropt it after 2 years(family reasons). Should I put it in CV as well ? Will it matter ? Thanks for any help.
Archi
Im from Poland but i love how Scotland looks here, so i decided that I want to be a Train Driver, I read a lot, but still, don't understand all of it. What exacly is needed to become a train driver, do I need any driving licence? I know there will be health checks, so do my short sight(not big, just -2 in both eyes) will be a big deal ? What examples of jobs would be best to put in CV ? I worked alot in stres generating environment(gastronomical mostly as bar supervisors, working alone at bars during busy nights). I was in technical university back in Poland, but i dropt it after 2 years(family reasons). Should I put it in CV as well ? Will it matter ? Thanks for any help.
Archi
RBSN
Member
- Joined
- 14 Jul 2014
- Messages
- 383
You don't need to have a driving licence to become a train driver. However, you will need to be living within a certain time-frame from your local station, or the station that you're applying to - for example; Northern request you to live no more than an hour away, I believe.
If you're successful at both interview and at the assessment centre you will go for a full check up to determine your health. This will include an eye test.
Personally I believe honesty is the best policy. Never lie on your CV, you will be found out. Write down what experience you have, not what you think they want to hear. Make sure to include all times and dates, including school or any training you have had.
Well, I was not going to lie, but personally I think that if some jobs that I was working in, that are not really related and didn't give me any skills that could help me in this job, may be not worth to even mention them, but In way you say it, now I think it's better to put all jobs I had in that CV.
RBSN
Member
- Joined
- 14 Jul 2014
- Messages
- 383
As a trainee train driver all training is given so they don't expect you to have experience or skills in that way. You've worked in a bar, which means you've got a level of communication experience which is important as a driver - you have to have the ability to communicate effectively.
Hello to you all.
Long term reader first time poster here. I'm currently in full time employment in a career that has job security for life. A very rare thing these days.
Despite my situation I am looking into a change of career and think that train driver is the one for me. I have read a great deal of these forums but can not find an answer to one specific question I have about job security.
I understand that a TOC bids on a franchise to run trains along certain routes. My question is what happens to all the staff when or if a franchise runs out and another company has a successful bid? Do the staff simply transfer across and does the change in franchise operator usually result in redundancies?
Thanks in advance for any info you care to share.
Long term reader first time poster here. I'm currently in full time employment in a career that has job security for life. A very rare thing these days.
Despite my situation I am looking into a change of career and think that train driver is the one for me. I have read a great deal of these forums but can not find an answer to one specific question I have about job security.
I understand that a TOC bids on a franchise to run trains along certain routes. My question is what happens to all the staff when or if a franchise runs out and another company has a successful bid? Do the staff simply transfer across and does the change in franchise operator usually result in redundancies?
Thanks in advance for any info you care to share.
mresh91
Member
- Joined
- 30 Aug 2013
- Messages
- 161
Hi Emmery,
Don't mean to be rude here, but a long time reader will generally know about the TUPE process.
Don't mean to be rude here, but a long time reader will generally know about the TUPE process.
I must have missed it then as I have been sticking to the recruitment pages rather than the general forum posts. I guess it was a simple question in the end but the industry I'm in has no such thing as TUPE so I wasn't aware of it. Thanks for pointing it out.