I recently attended the assessment day so thought it might be helpful to provide some feedback.
First of all, it is very well organised by Northern and they do their best to put you at ease with a very relaxed atmosphere. After initial introductions everyone is split into smaller groups for a group task. I wont give too much detail about it except its a puzzle with lots of clues to decipher. Its a 20mins task and pretty tricky. Our team would have finished it with another minute but I dont necessarily think they were looking at the task being completed but more how you worked as a team.
The second task was watching a short clip from the cab of a train. One of the assessment staff were giving instructions on a lego block you had to build whilst observing what was going on on the screen and answering questions. Very difficult.
The final task was watching a 30 minute clip from the cab of a train where you had to count how many green signals, yellow signals, red signals, speed changes there were. A real test of your concentration.
I thought I had done poor on all three tasks. They are the kind of tests where you have no clue how you have done but I didnt feel confident.
I was therefore surprised when I was one of the handful of candidates invited to stay back from the interviews in the afternoon. Before the interview we were given two scenarios, each having three actions which we had to prioritise.
For the interview, sgain, I was made to feel at ease at the beginning. I was asked to give some information about me and my background. We then ran through the two scenarios and I had to explain how I had prioritised the actions. The Train Manager explained what he would have done. I dont necessarily think they were expecting you to get the right order, but looking at how you were thinking and came up with your order.
I was then asked a couple of further questions - 'tell me a time when...'. I thought I babbled a load of rubbish but tried to highlight the safety and procedure experience I have.
Overall, I was delighted/surprised to get through to the afternoon and didnt really have any clue on how, overall, I had done. But cant say I was overly confident. So I was delighted when later that evening I was told I had passed the interview and it is now onto the pyschometric assessment. I believe after that, if passed, its a medical and then a job offer. No further interview I dont believe.
All in all, I am absolutely chuffed. Ive been trying for maybe 15 years and this was my final attempt at becoming a driver. Still a long way to go - apparently only around 63% pass the pyschometric assessment so Ive some studying to do to make sure I am prepared.
Good luck with the psychometrics. Once you've passed that you'll go in to a talent pool usually but I know Northern have advertised course start dates on some of their recent adverts. Which depot are you going for?
