A career as a train driver

[Twotwo]

Does anyone have any tips for part 3 of the visual search exercise? I know we are meant to prioritise the dots on the left but any tips on trying to do both? Or downloading any apps to help me practice?? Or anything that could be useful? Much appreciated! I have researched already so I know what to expect but would be great if anyone can share tips...

 

[Stigy]

Does anyone have any tips for part 3 of the visual search exercise? I know we are meant to prioritise the dots on the left but any tips on trying to do both? Or downloading any apps to help me practice?? Or anything that could be useful? Much appreciated! I have researched already so I know what to expect but would be great if anyone can share tips...

It’s not really something you can practice for as such. The only advice I can give is don’t panick if you miss a few here and there. I had about 10-seconds where I know I messed up, but it’s as much about working accurately as it is about redeeming yourself if you mess up a bit. I accurately had my screen disappear halfway through mine too, but still passed. My phone was synced to the computer as it’s all Apple and it rang on both my phone and the computer screen, exiting my screen, luckily the session was still ongoing but I haven’t hit a clue if I missed anything important for the 6 or 7 seconds it took to get the screen back up.

 

[Twotwo]

It’s not really something you can practice for as such. The only advice I can give is don’t panick if you miss a few here and there. I had about 10-seconds where I know I messed up, but it’s as much about working accurately as it is about redeeming yourself if you mess up a bit. I accurately had my screen disappear halfway through mine too, but still passed. My phone was synced to the computer as it’s all Apple and it rang on both my phone and the computer screen, exiting my screen, luckily the session was still ongoing but I haven’t hit a clue if I missed anything important for the 6 or 7 seconds it took to get the screen back up.

Thanks for your reply. I think the trick is probably not to panic! It's just wild because I know a lot of people who failed this test and only a handful of people who managed to pass which is why I am getting slightly nervous!

 

[Donnadwb]

Can anyone help with any information on the TEA parts 1,2 and 3?
Reading through some of the previous threads, I'm not sure if you have to ring the matching symbols or both the symbols and the name
I have a practice selective attention test where I count the tones correctly but not sure of the names and symbols as it doesn't explain it properly. I was wondering if any one who has actually sat the test could help?

 

[martin2345uk]

Can anyone help with any information on the TEA parts 1,2 and 3?
Reading through some of the previous threads, I'm not sure if you have to ring the matching symbols or both the symbols and the name
I have a practice selective attention test where I count the tones correctly but not sure of the names and symbols as it doesn't explain it properly. I was wondering if any one who has actually sat the test could help?

Pretty sure it was just circle all pairs of symbols when I did it.

 

[Lendog2012]

Can anyone help with any information on the TEA parts 1,2 and 3?
Reading through some of the previous threads, I'm not sure if you have to ring the matching symbols or both the symbols and the name
I have a practice selective attention test where I count the tones correctly but not sure of the names and symbols as it doesn't explain it properly. I was wondering if any one who has actually sat the test could help?

If I remember correctly you had the tones 1st of which you need to count the low tones, pretty straight forward but they can be quick so be ready. I was instructed to put my hands on my legs so not to be visibility counting them so figure out a system that works for you, that said don't over complicate it!
2nd - I had a large sheet (A3 size I think) where I had to pick out a certain type of symbol among lots of others, just marked the symbol if I remember correctly.
3rd - Finally both of them together and I actually found it allot easier than I thought ........surprisingly!

Just remember that they explain everything in great detail and you do a few examples first, if you don't understand then ask! I did both of my assessments with The OPC and both times they were very approachable on the day.

 

[Cyclist]

Can anyone help with any information on the TEA parts 1,2 and 3?
Reading through some of the previous threads, I'm not sure if you have to ring the matching symbols or both the symbols and the name
I have a practice selective attention test where I count the tones correctly but not sure of the names and symbols as it doesn't explain it properly. I was wondering if any one who has actually sat the test could help?

As above, I found it easier than I expected. Part 2 is indeed just circling the symbols, the rest of the data doesn't even have to be looked at.

 

[Donnadwb]

If I remember correctly you had the tones 1st of which you need to count the low tones, pretty straight forward but they can be quick so be ready. I was instructed to put my hands on my legs so not to be visibility counting them so figure out a system that works for you, that said don't over complicate it!
2nd - I had a large sheet (A3 size I think) where I had to pick out a certain type of symbol among lots of others, just marked the symbol if I remember correctly.
3rd - Finally both of them together and I actually found it allot easier than I thought ........surprisingly!

Just remember that they explain everything in great detail and you do a few examples first, if you don't understand then ask! I did both of my assessments with The OPC and both times they were very approachable on the day.

Thanks, the tones are fine I was struggling more with moving the mouse quick enough, I've photo copied sheets and find it a lot easier to use a pencil

 

[Donnadwb]

Pretty sure it was just circle all pairs of symbols when I did it.

Thank you

 

[Donnadwb]

As above, I found it easier than I expected. Part 2 is indeed just circling the symbols, the rest of the data doesn't even have to be looked at.

Thank you

 

[NorvernRob]

Got the email from Northern today to say I’ve passed the DMI!

I’m chuffed that I’ve gotten this far with my first application for any job since 1997, thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread as the advice and info for the competency questions was excellent.

I believe Northern do the assessments and MMI in one day, that will be an intense day but I’m really looking forward to it.

 

[Driver2B]

Hey all

What tests do prospective train drivers have to pass before being accepted as trainees? Colour blindness? Eyesight?

Advice appreciated.

I recently attended an assessment day with a TOC which accepts national standards.


I understand that many TOCs have around 20-25 people taking the tests on that day. The TOC which assessed me, however, assesses fewer people at once (8 were due to attend but only 5 did). Of the 5 who attended, two worked for the TOC in guard or ticket office roles, and at least one of the absentees, too.


The TOC should have e-mailed you an information pack telling you what tests would be conducted, the procedures for them and giving your ideas for practice before the day.


The tests are designed to be psychometric, hence they assess your capabilities. I saw that when doing the tests. There are some people I know who I think could practice full time and still never pass. It assesses inate abilities, although, of course, some practice in advance can help you a little.


Initially, we were asked to wait in a waiting room. We were asked 1-by-1 to go into an interview room where our identity, including NI number, was checked. We were also given a colour-blind test. In this test, you have to read the numbers which you can see in circles made of different colours. Warning: There are some trick ones! There are no numbers on some of them - don't try finding one, just say you can't see one!


When that was conducted, we were taken to a room where we each had a desk with stationery provided. I brought my own pens which I usually use which I find comfortable.


The first test was the Group Bourdon Test. There's a downloadable online tool you can find as a sticky on this forum. I initially started doing it online and then moved on to printing and doing them on paper. You do get used to the patterns of dots on the tool, and they are different on the actual test, although the skills are transferrable. There are various people on this forum who quote how many lines you need to complete and how many errors you can make to pass. I was doing about 9 or 10 lines on the printouts from the tool with only 1 or 2 mistakes per page and I passed. Be very sceptical of people who say you need to complete 14 or 15 lines with no more than one mistake! (Of course, some TOCs require enhanced testing, which may require slightly more.) There was also a practice section at the start. The practice grids in the information booklet were less helpful than the tool (using letters rather than dots).


We then had a break while the test was marked. One person was asked into the interview room to be told that he failed so he was sent home.


The next test was the Test of Everyday Attention (TEA-Occ). This measures attention to multiple things and how well you can multi-task.

Part 1 required us to listen to beeps (some with low tones, others with 'high' but I'd call them moderate-to-low). You will need to count just certain tones (can't remember if it was low or high). An example is available here, but there weren't so many tones for each question: https://traineetraindriverinfo.com/low-tones-test-track-1/

Part 2 required us to do some simple telephone directory work. I think it was finding companies in a particular trade with a rating of three stars and with a phone number with a particular area code. It wasn't rocket science and probably doesn't need much practising, but it is designed to make you work quickly. You might not finish and don't need to.

Part 3 was the hardest, combining both part 1 and part 2. You hear number 1 read out and a number of beeps (only one tone this time). You need to write the number down when told. This continues. At the same time, you have a telephone directory task similar to part 2. You are told that both parts are of equal importance. You must use different pens for both tasks. When doing it, I got a good sense that I was truly multi-tasking. It's a good test, actually!

The booklet gives you some activities to help you. Recognising symbols probably isn't too difficult for most people. If you have somebody who could play patterns of two tones on a keyboard or piano (written down first so the answers can be assessed), that might help you, and also if they can play similar tones while they asked you to do a reading task / telephone directory task / wordsearch. However, I didn't practise much for this test and I know some others didn't either, and we passed.


The next test was the Trainability for Rules and Procedures Test (TRP), Part 1 which assesses how well you can learn new things. The railway rulebook is huge for a start, and you will also need to learn about fault finding and repairing, not to mention route knowledge. We were given a two-page information sheet explaining how "GLOP" is applied to the rails using a locomotive and application vehicle operated by a driver and a guard, including what controls there are, the colours and locations of them, when they should be used, the signalling system between the driver and guard, etc. We also heard a recording of this. We then had to hand back the information sheet and answer questions on the procedure. I found this quite easy, but some people don't pick up new information well, especially when there is lots of details. They give a very clear example in the booklet sent before the day.

Part 2 is sometimes known as the dials test. You get sets of 3 dials with pointers pointing to the number on each dial, and you have to order them in order (I believe starting with the largest). However, each dial has a different number range (one might go from 0-150 and another might go 0-500) so in that example, halfway on the dial going up to 500 would read '250' but the whole way on the dial going up to 150 would be only '150'. You have 43 questions to complete in 8 minutes and I don't think that anybody ever completes them all. Apparently, you are scored for correct answers but not downgraded for any wrong answers.


The final written test was the Written Communication Test (WCT), although I understand that this is no longer compulsory and some TOCs no longer do this. We were given a cartoon strip showing a taxi booking, a taxi picking a person up on time, delays on the route, and arrival at destination late. We had to write what happened. The only thing that matters is clarity so your writing needs to be legible but not neat. You do not need to write in sentences - bullet points are acceptable. Grammar and spelling is not important if it does not obscure meaning. You can continue to look at the cartoon strip during the test - you do not need to turn it over or have it collected. I have been told that almost 100% pass this test - if your handwriting is legible and you can convey a simple story, even just in bullet points, you're fine!


Again, we were sent to the waiting room while the tests were marked - this took a long time (almost an hour, I think)!


The final tests were the computerised tests. There might not be one computer per person so some people might have to take the test while other people are waiting.


I think the first computerised test was the ATAVT Perception Test. You will view a picture of a street scene for approximately 0.5-1 second. You will then have to choose from the list what was in the picture from: pedestrians; motor vehicles (excluding motorcycles); bikes, motorcycles or scooters; road signs; traffic lights. There might be as few as one or as many as five in any one picture. Many pictures are busy scenes and you will notice the presence or absence of some things, but for most of the time, you will not be certain that you have got them all right - there will be some guesswork or subconcious decision-making involved. This will suit people who are observant and can process quickly.

This video will give you a good idea of the test, but I think the pictures disappear more quickly in the assessments than shown on this video:

Asking a friend or family member to download some pictures from the internet and test you on them (giving you only a brief peek) might help.


I think the second test was the 2Hand Co-Ordination Test. You will have two joysticks, one will only go up and down, and the other will only go left and right. You have to control a ball around a track trying not to let it go off of the grey track, which includes curved sections. You will hear a screech when it does. This is repeated many times. It is aimed to be difficult and most people will not keep it on the track all the way around. We all thought we did really badly on this!


The final test was the WAFV (Vigilance) Test. You will see a grey square flashing on the screen. When it changes colour to a different shade of grey, you press the large green button as quickly as possible. This continues for 30 minutes, sometimes for long periods between changing. Also, your eyes imagine it changing when it doesn't. It's a good assessment because if you can't concentrate on being vigilant for 30 minutes, being in charged of a train might not be a good idea! When your eyes lose focus, move closer to or further away from the screen. Also, surprisingly, the colour changes aren't random but pre-programmed. Therefore if one person starts their test, another starts two seconds later and another starts to seconds later, you will hear the first person press their button, then about two seconds later the next person, and another two seconds later the next person.


We were then asked to wait in the waiting room again while the results were generated.


Finally, we were congratulated for passing the tests and advised about the next procedures in the application process. We were also given some basic pieces of advice for the DMI.


Hope that this is helpful. Feel free to ask any further questions!

 

[387star]

Hi Stigy.
It was just the one course of 8 trainees., Yes , 3200 is a high amount, though It would be prudent to consider many will fail the initial application through not meeting the prerequisites,- too young, beyond travel time etc.
Traincrew positions are at a premium and will naturally attract many.

I'd advise anyone not be put off by the number of applicants. To set the odds in my favour, I recognised the assessments are all based on natural aptitude; i.e. You can either circle clusters of 4 dots or you can't. So I concentrated on the interview competencies/company info.

Well said

Getting through the sifts isn't hard as long as you apply early and keep things clear relevant and concise

I passed the sift for almost every toc going when I was applying even though the job was often half way across the country.

The assessment process for me was also a breeze and I enjoyed it! I guess you either have it or you haven't

The hardest part remains getting the job after all that as very often you can be waiting in a talent pool. I ended up in two talent pools and it was a case of who might take me on first

 

[Seejwalker]

Thanks for your reply. I think the trick is probably not to panic! It's just wild because I know a lot of people who failed this test and only a handful of people who managed to pass which is why I am getting slightly nervous!

I think in honesty, you can either do it or you can't.

 

[Sh*n]

Hi,
I always wanted to be a train driver and there is a vacancy with arriva at the moment and I really want it. I work in a completely different field though. What are the chances of being selected?

 

[2018railjob]

Need help with my application, have yes or no question but confused about how they will assess my response, the question is -
Do you prefer making quick decisions based on your knowledge without looking at all the facts? - how would you answer it?

 

[Seejwalker]

Need help with my application, have yes or no question but confused about how they will assess my response, the question is -
Do you prefer making quick decisions based on your knowledge without looking at all the facts? - how would you answer it?

You really have to do this alone, the whole idea is for it to be YOUR answer, you will do another one of these tests later down the line. These threads are also monitored, so be careful of being caught cheating.

 

[Seejwalker]

Hi,
I always wanted to be a train driver and there is a vacancy with arriva at the moment and I really want it. I work in a completely different field though. What are the chances of being selected?

All you can do is try mate, there are lots of train drivers who haven't gone from a similar field.

 

[NorvernRob]

Well, I’ve done it! First attempt, passed all my assessments yesterday and got the call from HR today offering me the job. And I start in 3 weeks! 6 weeks from initial interview to start date, that has to be some sort of railway record

 

[Seejwalker]

Well, I’ve done it! First attempt, passed all my assessments yesterday and got the call from HR today offering me the job. And I start in 3 weeks! 6 weeks from initial interview to start date, that has to be some sort of railway record

Congratulations mate, what company is that for.

 

[NorvernRob]

Congratulations mate, what company is that for.

Cheers! It’s for Northern.

 

[Lendog2012]

Well, I’ve done it! First attempt, passed all my assessments yesterday and got the call from HR today offering me the job. And I start in 3 weeks! 6 weeks from initial interview to start date, that has to be some sort of railway record

Well done, great news!

 

[Jaytrains]

Sorry quick question everyone, do you receive a qualified train license if you’re a train shunter??

 

[C.T.P.]

Well, I’ve done it! First attempt, passed all my assessments yesterday and got the call from HR today offering me the job. And I start in 3 weeks! 6 weeks from initial interview to start date, that has to be some sort of railway record

If it''s true....

 

[NorvernRob]

If it''s true....

If which part is true?

 

[C.T.P.]

If which part is true?

The 6 weeks part. When did you make the application?

 

[dazzayid]

6 weeks, only took me just over four years, start in January for southern.

 

[NorvernRob]

The 6 weeks part. When did you make the application?

6 weeks from my first interview, not the application! Now I realise why you thought I was telling porkies I applied in June, had my first interview at the end of October and start my course on the 17th December. That’s assuming I pass my medical next week!

 

[C.T.P.]

Mea culpa. I misunderstood your post. Best of luck in your future career!

 

[Maxheadroom]

I'm in my early 50's and about to apply. I've read on here that my age isn't necessarily a barrier. Are the older guys who succeeded all of a certain profile (ex police, military, paramedics, etc) or are you of the same diversity as the younger guys?