My Beginners Guide to completing the Trainee Train Driver Application process.
The following is my account of how I recently completed the Trainee Train Driver application for West Midlands Trains. I suspect that it bares similar resemblance to that of other TOC’s and FOC’s, though I cannot confirm this having not completed any other applications.
Any opinions expressed are my own and not those of any other party, and any mention of supporting agencies/material is done so for reference. I am in no way receiving any endorsements for sponsorship or advertising.
I hope to offer this as a concise guide as I have seen questions and queries repeatedly asked across forums regarding the application process.
I hope you find this of use.
Step 1: Finding an advert.
Adverts for Trainee Train Drivers can be sparse, and when they are posted it may only be for a short time. Once a satisfactory number of applicants have been received, the issuing TOC/FOC may pull the advert before the closing date. At the time of my application (June 2020) I later found out that the post received over 6000 applicants! Clearly the job is highly sought after and competition will be fierce; getting an application in before the post disappears is the first objective!
To help find advertised posts, utilise as much support as possible.
LinkedIn, Indeed, CVLibrary, Glassdoor are all suitable for providing notifications of new positions becoming available. Sign up and use them. Forums can be a great resource so long as the posts are updated on time. Personally I joined ‘
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TrainDriverRecruitment/?ref=share and
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/wmt-driver-pool-2021.205821/. Furthermore, amongst its many resources, the Career Search section within the
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/train-driver-academy/id1544659966 can provide links to the many TOC and FOC careers pages.
Step 2: Submit a good CV.
Assuming you applied in time, your CV may be the first look the TOC/FOC have of you. Make sure that you have invested sufficient time and effort in preparing your CV. Reading the advert and knowing the roles/responsibilities of the job will help you create a well structured CV that matches your abilities to their requirements. I’ll not labour on this topic as there is an endless supply of CV writing guides out there.
Step 3: Online Assessment.
A short series of SJT questions for you to complete, not to dissimilar to those completed later on in the OPC Psychometric tests. A means for the TOC/FOC to assess your suitability for the role depending on your thought process in a given situation. Not much I can offer here as your thought process is part of what makes you you! As with much of the later stages, your natural ability and characteristics are what will determine your success. Though you may be able to practise at some of the exercises and improve performance, your natural ability will be limited. All we can do is try our best.
Step 4: Shortlister Video Interview.
Notification that you’ve passed the initial sift and are now required to complete a shortlister interview. This consisted of a few questions covering topics such as the role you’ve applied for, your current employment and detail about yourself. As everyone has different circumstances, only you will know how to answer the latter two. As for the first, I would expect that you have researched the role you’ve applied for prior to applying, and therefore should be able to answer any such questions with ease. Good luck.
Step 5: OPC Assessment Stage.
Can be done in a single sitting or split over a couple of days, for me it was the latter.
Stage 1 was the pencil and paper tests completed during a half day session at a location arranged by WMT. Practice material is sent to you ahead of time with strict instructions. Straight forward enough, and a good reference to help find other suitable practice material elsewhere. During my search I reviewed
https://www.theopc.co.uk/ and signed up to complete practice material for them to assess, whilst also locating a number of example tests.
The Group Bourden test is feared by many. Practice tests can be completed on the previously mentioned Train Driver Academy app, but I found a better representation at
https://metodorf.com/tests/bourdon/group_bourdon.php which has been mentioned previously on the rail forums site.
TRP 1 & 2, DFFT and Tee-Occ were also completed. My personal choice was to purchase the How2Become: Train Driver Tests publication which contained a variety of example tests. Though not accurate representations of the OPC, they certainly focus on the skills required. All tests are done under exam conditions, and examples are completed under guidance from the OPC representative. The opportunity to ask questions and clarify understanding is given before each test begins, so use it!
Some of the attendees were required to resit or improve previous tests, and so departed early. Results of the test were communicated within a week of completion.
Stage 2 was the computer based tests and the Multi Modal Interview (MMI) conducted at OPC in Watford over the course of a day. Again, practice material will have been sent prior, though I also purchased the How2Become: Train Driver SJT’s. This contains a variety of SJT’s as there is more than one format in which these can be delivered.
WAFV (Grey square test), ATAVT (pictures test) and 2 Hand Coordination Test were completed in the morning, again with practice sessions being completed before the main test. All we’re done under exam conditions. Scores were then checked and verified, and anyone failing to meet the requirements was released from further testing.
The precursor to the MMI is the completion of the SJT then 6 scenario examples on paper. The responses you provide on the SJT and paper determine the questions you get in the MMI, though some applicants have been informed that they failed at the SJT!?! These are not timed exercises, so consider your responses carefully. Examples of the scenario type questions were available amongst the rail forums threads, so build a bank of examples and recount them accurately. Detail is key.
Step 6: DMI.
Essentially an extension of the MMI, this is a structured interview so each interviewee gets the same bank of questions asked by the panel of interviewers. Held face to face, so no opportunity to have notes/prompts laid out of sight during a teams/zoom call, this was at the TOC office with two Driver Managers. Dress smart and arrive on time.
I was soon put at ease by the panel, and a relaxed interview followed. My detail of the MMI scenarios, and knowledge of the TOC was tested, along with conversations about similar and relevant topics. General knowledge and understanding of the rail industry was sought through the internet and Modern Railways magazines.
To have gotten this far is an achievement in itself, and some individuals speculate that this is merely a formality and a assessment of you personality. I beg to differ. Others have made it known that they have failed at the DMI stage. Interestingly, I believe that some TOC’s/FOC’s conduct the DMI earlier, and therefore a pass is required to move on to the testing stages. Nevertheless, this may be the finish line, but you still need to cross it! Don’t relax just yet!
Step 7: The Talent Pool.
Having navigated the previous steps, confirmation that you have been successful will reach you shortly after the DMI. Any remaining admin will be raised and completed nearer to the start of a given course date. This includes completion of DBS paperwork, references and a medical examination. It is at this point that I now find myself, so can offer little in the way of information, however, much of it will be personal and differ between individuals so there would be little to gain in sharing such details.
Needless to say, I consider myself fortunate to have made it to this point. All in all, it has taken me 20 months to reach this point from the moment of submitting my initial application. Clearly COVID has had an impact on the processes involved, as did the number of applicants at the time. Some applicants have been processed far quicker, and others may now only just be starting the sifting. The rail industry is a constantly evolving entity, people retire and new recruits are sought. If you pass the tests, they are valid for 5 years, and for good reason. If you are patient and determined, you may be rewarded with a much sought after role within the rail industry. I sure hope I am!
Let me know if this is of benefit to some of you.
Best of luck.
Final update:
Medical - eyesight, colour perception, hearing, weight, height, breathalyser, ECG and urine sample. All in all it takes about an hour. Urine sample gets sent away for drug testing. Once the results get back, a report is compiled and sent to the TOC recruitment team. You won’t hear anything unless there is an issue.
Onboarding - online process following an email with personal login details. Contains a number of policy and information documents that need to be read and followed. Similarly, the DBS process is initiated and a certificate arrives in the mail once complete.
References - I provided contact details for a character reference as well as previous and current employer. The first two were chased up fairly quickly, with my current employer only being approached nearer to my notice period. Once this had been received and reviewed, a further email was sent advising that the terms and conditions of employment had been sent and needed accepting within the Onboarding portal. Once accepted I was informed that I could now hand in my notice to my current employer. A nice touch is the countdown timer letting you know how many weeks/days/hours/minutes left until your start date. All that remains is the Joining Instructions ahead of day 1 of training!
