• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

TEA-Occ

Status
Not open for further replies.

Cheggers

Member
Joined
23 Oct 2014
Messages
151
Sorry if this is covered elsewhere.

I failed for Chiltern at Stage 1 early 2017. When I rang OPC they said I had enhanced for all tests but failed the TEA-Occ test and didn’t even get national standard.

Next Friday I have stage 1 tests again with my TOC I currently work for as a conductor. They’ve said I’ll only have to take tests I failed which makes me believe it’s the TEA-Occ I’ll be taking.

My view on his test:

Stage 1: yellow directory find double symbols they give you that are next to electricians. (Managed to complete this one).

Stage 2: Count certain beeps (think I was fine on this too)

Stage 3: pink directory and beeps. The way she explained this is that double symbols next to restaurants plus count the beeps. Marked down for errors.

Question is do you need 100% on beeps to get a national pass.

Secondly how far down pink directory do you need to get national standard? Did everyone just circle ALL double symbols or did you actually make sure you checked they were next to restaurants and the correct double symbol given?

This test confuses me a little and makes me nervous as this is my second and final attempt at the driver tests.

All helped appreciated and thank you in advance.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

red2005

Member
Joined
9 May 2009
Messages
844
Location
north ish
I think you’re thinking far too deeply about it mate and that may count against you if you’re not careful!

You’ll be hard pushed to find anyone who truly knows the answer to that as those companies keep what’s acceptable close to their chest.

Your best bet is to just get there and listen to the instructions given as what if someone on here gives you information that’s contrary to what they want from you? The assessors on the day are the only ones you should listen to and if you’re unsure of anything ASK them! Contrary to popular belief they’re not there to fail you!

Like I say mate...... don’t waste time thinking about what pass marks are etc as it’s really not important...... I know I need a million quid to be a millionaire but getting that million quid is something completely different, just go there and do your absolute best!

Very best of luck.
 

EastMidsMatt

Member
Joined
24 Oct 2017
Messages
144
It's just double symbols, all double symbols are the correct ones, and beeps, nothing else matters. Speed and accuracy are your friends.
The above reply is correct, you're overthinking it.
 

Cheggers

Member
Joined
23 Oct 2014
Messages
151
I think you’re thinking far too deeply about it mate and that may count against you if you’re not careful!

You’ll be hard pushed to find anyone who truly knows the answer to that as those companies keep what’s acceptable close to their chest.

Your best bet is to just get there and listen to the instructions given as what if someone on here gives you information that’s contrary to what they want from you? The assessors on the day are the only ones you should listen to and if you’re unsure of anything ASK them! Contrary to popular belief they’re not there to fail you!

Like I say mate...... don’t waste time thinking about what pass marks are etc as it’s really not important...... I know I need a million quid to be a millionaire but getting that million quid is something completely different, just go there and do your absolute best!

Very best of luck.

Cheers mate and I think you’re right I’m over thinking it.
 

monty9120

Member
Joined
10 Jan 2012
Messages
125
I did this test the other day still waiting for results

We asked the examiner if all were a certain job role in the phone book he said yes this helps as you don’t need to look.

Why not ask your allowed to there not there to catch you out

You seem to be getting very stressed about it but I found it quite good. The second one with the beeps was one constant tone which made me at ease as I thought we have to do the high lows as well

I’m not 100% in the first beep test one but the rest I felt ok with

Good luck
 

Cheggers

Member
Joined
23 Oct 2014
Messages
151
I did this test the other day still waiting for results

We asked the examiner if all were a certain job role in the phone book he said yes this helps as you don’t need to look.

Why not ask your allowed to there not there to catch you out

You seem to be getting very stressed about it but I found it quite good. The second one with the beeps was one constant tone which made me at ease as I thought we have to do the high lows as well

I’m not 100% in the first beep test one but the rest I felt ok with

Good luck
Cheers buddy, just a little nervous as it’s my second and final shot at this.

Good luck hope you get a pass.
 

monty9120

Member
Joined
10 Jan 2012
Messages
125
You know what to expect won’t be any different :)

How far down the pages did you get did you get all the beeps in time
 

Cheggers

Member
Joined
23 Oct 2014
Messages
151
You know what to expect won’t be any different :)

How far down the pages did you get did you get all the beeps in time
I got to start of second to last line but I think I messed up on first lot of beeps and last lot of beeps.
 

Louby

Member
Joined
16 Feb 2012
Messages
669
the directory doesn't change , it's the symbols you need not the restaurant etc, the instruction is to find the double symbol, as i recall
 

red2005

Member
Joined
9 May 2009
Messages
844
Location
north ish
Cheers mate and I think you’re right I’m over thinking it.

Nerves can happen when you’ve used one of your lives so don’t worry about that too much it’s only normal mate.

If you go into it thinking that you’ve gotta get as many right as possible like any test in life you can’t go wrong.... thinking of exact figures is just another pressure you can do without.

Like I said mate just relax and anything you’re unsure of just ask. They’re generally not the evil ogres people make them out to be, more people struggle from not understanding what they have to do more than anything else so ask when you get there.

The most important thing is to get a good nights sleep the night before and a good breakfast the morning of the tests.
 

RD81

Member
Joined
10 Mar 2018
Messages
18
I passed Tea-occ test with a Toc which I thought was an enhanced standard but have been told I need to retake for West Midlands as it's not high enough. If I am unsuccessful will that count as one of my 2 fails as I passed at both the TOC and the national standard?
 
Last edited:

Cheggers

Member
Joined
23 Oct 2014
Messages
151
I passed Tea-occ test with Chiltern which I thought was an enhanced standard but have been told I need to retake for West Midlands as it's not high enough. If I am unsuccessful will that count as one of my 2 fails as I passed at both Chiltern and the national standard?
PM’d you....but, the way I’ve been explained it is that the most “recent” test supersedes anything else you’ve done. So if you fail TEA-Occ with West Mids but have passed with Chiltern they’ll take the West Mids result. But I could be wrong!!! It confuses the hell out of me
 

1812_s

Member
Joined
22 Feb 2018
Messages
70
with these telephone directory tests, for example if you was meant to search for restaurants are all listed in there restaurants or is it jumbled with other things such as tailors,barbers, plummers etc. So you have to both read carefully what you are circling aswell as checking double symbols?
 

monty9120

Member
Joined
10 Jan 2012
Messages
125
I asked the examiner and he said all were plumbers so didn’t check just ask to.l confirm will save loads of time
 

PB89

New Member
Joined
29 Mar 2018
Messages
3
Hi

Anybody got any techniques on the passing the third part of the TEA-OCC, I tried too many at once and that was my down fall. Lost count of the tones and had to basically guess the answer.

Cheers
 

Cheggers

Member
Joined
23 Oct 2014
Messages
151
Hi

Anybody got any techniques on the passing the third part of the TEA-OCC, I tried too many at once and that was my down fall. Lost count of the tones and had to basically guess the answer.

Cheers
That was my problem. The hint I got was to stop what you’re doing when the tones start then go back to the directory in between.
 

CyrusWuff

Established Member
Joined
20 May 2013
Messages
3,944
Location
London
PM’d you....but, the way I’ve been explained it is that the most “recent” test supersedes anything else you’ve done. So if you fail TEA-Occ with West Mids but have passed with Chiltern they’ll take the West Mids result. But I could be wrong!!! It confuses the hell out of me
A pass is still a pass even if the TOC you've applied to requires an enhanced pass.

All that counts from a "lives" point of view is an outright failure on one of the OPC tests (even if they're administered by TOC staff). That's basically everything up to the Driver Manager interview.
 

baz962

Established Member
Joined
8 Jun 2017
Messages
3,280
Not quite, if you have a national pass and then try to get enhanced later on and fail to get national standard, then it wipes out your first national.
 

Cheggers

Member
Joined
23 Oct 2014
Messages
151
Sorry if this is covered elsewhere.

I failed for Chiltern at Stage 1 early 2017. When I rang OPC they said I had enhanced for all tests but failed the TEA-Occ test and didn’t even get national standard.

Next Friday I have stage 1 tests again with my TOC I currently work for as a conductor. They’ve said I’ll only have to take tests I failed which makes me believe it’s the TEA-Occ I’ll be taking.

My view on his test:

Stage 1: yellow directory find double symbols they give you that are next to electricians. (Managed to complete this one).

Stage 2: Count certain beeps (think I was fine on this too)

Stage 3: pink directory and beeps. The way she explained this is that double symbols next to restaurants plus count the beeps. Marked down for errors.

Question is do you need 100% on beeps to get a national pass.

Secondly how far down pink directory do you need to get national standard? Did everyone just circle ALL double symbols or did you actually make sure you checked they were next to restaurants and the correct double symbol given?

This test confuses me a little and makes me nervous as this is my second and final attempt at the driver tests.

All helped appreciated and thank you in advance.

Bit of an update. Just took stage 1 Assessments again for WMR. Found TEA-Occ a lot better this time around and managed to finish both directories and hopefully got the number of tones correct.

First time sitting DFFT. This was more challenging I thought and managed to get to around Q13 on this test before we were stopped.

Unlike London Midland, West Mids Trains now require an enhanced pass so hopefully I’ve done enough. Find out next week hopefully.

Thanks again to all for advice given.
 

AshDee

Member
Joined
27 Feb 2019
Messages
27
Sorry if this is covered elsewhere.

I failed for Chiltern at Stage 1 early 2017. When I rang OPC they said I had enhanced for all tests but failed the TEA-Occ test and didn’t even get national standard.

Next Friday I have stage 1 tests again with my TOC I currently work for as a conductor. They’ve said I’ll only have to take tests I failed which makes me believe it’s the TEA-Occ I’ll be taking.

My view on his test:

Stage 1: yellow directory find double symbols they give you that are next to electricians. (Managed to complete this one).

Stage 2: Count certain beeps (think I was fine on this too)

Stage 3: pink directory and beeps. The way she explained this is that double symbols next to restaurants plus count the beeps. Marked down for errors.

Question is do you need 100% on beeps to get a national pass.

Secondly how far down pink directory do you need to get national standard? Did everyone just circle ALL double symbols or did you actually make sure you checked they were next to restaurants and the correct double symbol given?

This test confuses me a little and makes me nervous as this is my second and final attempt at the driver tests.

All helped appreciated and thank you in advance.
Hi did you pass 2nd time?
I failed this test on Friday as I checked the yellow pages for double symbols and plumbers and only circled those with plumber in the listing when in actual fact they were all plumbers everyone else on my test day just circled the double symbols didn’t take note of the businesses and they passed
 

Jon H

Member
Joined
15 Dec 2017
Messages
46
Hi did you pass 2nd time?
I failed this test on Friday as I checked the yellow pages for double symbols and plumbers and only circled those with plumber in the listing when in actual fact they were all plumbers everyone else on my test day just circled the double symbols didn’t take note of the businesses and they passed


Hi AshDee, just reading through the comments and thought I’d reply toy yours as that’s exactly what I did for a northern position in October, was so frustrated literally you just have to circle the bloody symbols inwasted time reading and making sure all were plumbers before I realised all were and maybe wasted a valuable 10 seconds.

Ohh well past quite a few of the rest hopefully get another chance after the 6 months is up in April. I had my medical beforehand also and that was fine this was the last hurdle.

I’m assuming all the sections I passed I won’t have to do again next time?

Thank
Jon
 

Stigy

Established Member
Joined
6 Nov 2009
Messages
4,879
Hi AshDee, just reading through the comments and thought I’d reply toy yours as that’s exactly what I did for a northern position in October, was so frustrated literally you just have to circle the bloody symbols inwasted time reading and making sure all were plumbers before I realised all were and maybe wasted a valuable 10 seconds.

Ohh well past quite a few of the rest hopefully get another chance after the 6 months is up in April. I had my medical beforehand also and that was fine this was the last hurdle.

I’m assuming all the sections I passed I won’t have to do again next time?

Thank
Jon

Any assessments you passed will be valid for 1-5 years depending on the TOC, so no, you won't have to do these sections again next time as long as the passes are still current.

This go will unfortunately count as one life lost though :(

Good luck with future applications!
 

Jon H

Member
Joined
15 Dec 2017
Messages
46
Any assessments you passed will be valid for 1-5 years depending on the TOC, so no, you won't have to do these sections again next time as long as the passes are still current.

This go will unfortunately count as one life lost though :(

Good luck with future applications!


Thanks for your reply, that’s great cheers I can focus on the others

Thanks
Jon
 

Stigy

Established Member
Joined
6 Nov 2009
Messages
4,879
Thanks for your reply, that’s great cheers I can focus on the others

Thanks
Jon

Apologies, I have just remembered, I've heard of one FOC (DB Cargo I believe) making an applicant(s) resit all tests irrespective, however this isn't the case as a rule, and they never had me do this (I had DMI with them in December). There may have been different circumstances, but worth noting nonetheless that TOCs/FOCs can pretty much do as they please as nothing is set in stone.
 

Jon H

Member
Joined
15 Dec 2017
Messages
46
Apologies, I have just remembered, I've heard of one FOC (DB Cargo I believe) making an applicant(s) resit all tests irrespective, however this isn't the case as a rule, and they never had me do this (I had DMI with them in December). There may have been different circumstances, but worth noting nonetheless that TOCs/FOCs can pretty much do as they please as nothing is set in stone.

Thanks il be in touch with them to try get confirmation if/ when I get a 2nd chance
 

Stigy

Established Member
Joined
6 Nov 2009
Messages
4,879
Some TOCs/FOCs also assess to an enhanced standard (not sure what your chosen TOC uses). The Group Bourden (and maybe one another stage one test) is one of the tests that some companies higher pass marks for. These companies also use an additional Driver Fault Finding Test (DFFT). My circumstances were complicated, but I had to redo the GB test (because presumably my first assessment pass 3-years earlier weren't high enough?) and take the DFFT. I didn't even know there was an enhanced standard until I applied to Freightliner. Likewise I wasn't aware some TOCs/FOCs will accept passes over 3-years until I attended my stage one and was pleasantly surprised when I only had two assessments to take! If you fail to a TOCs/FOCs enhanced standard but meet the national standard, you can use those results as passes for a company who assess to the national standard. It's only the paper tests which standards differ with, the Vienna tests (usually referred to as stage 2, or computer tests) are all one standard. I hope al this makes sense.
 

AshDee

Member
Joined
27 Feb 2019
Messages
27
Hi AshDee, just reading through the comments and thought I’d reply toy yours as that’s exactly what I did for a northern position in October, was so frustrated literally you just have to circle the bloody symbols inwasted time reading and making sure all were plumbers before I realised all were and maybe wasted a valuable 10 seconds.

Ohh well past quite a few of the rest hopefully get another chance after the 6 months is up in April. I had my medical beforehand also and that was fine this was the last hurdle.

I’m assuming all the sections I passed I won’t have to do again next time?

Thank
Jon
Hi Jon I’ve spoken to a few people and they’ve done exactly the same thing!! Totally soul destroying at the time when the task is so simple!! I feel slightly better that I’m not the only one!
Yes I was told the ones we passed will stay on our record so now we need to wait for more driver jobs to be advertised and hope we get through the paper sift and interview stage. We won’t make that mistake again.
Do you work on the rail now?

Did you get any feedback from OPC?
Good luck for next time
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top