Yeah- definitely a guard
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Crosscountry - Apprentice Train Drivers (08/12/22)
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Demx93
Member
You get 34 statements with key information, then 3 questions to answer per statement. All answers are found within the paragraphs so there’s nothing to catch you out. Have 22 minutes but don’t feel pressured to answer all 34. Keep your cool and read carefully and slowly
dereksingh291
Repeatedly returning banned member
Guys what is meant the term link dependant in relation to train driving? Sorry if the question is slightly off topic.
Demx93
Member
Why are people so defensive?? I’m giving you advice?
I think your answer is what I would say. You are applying for a job where you work long hours doing the same thing over and over again. You need to be consistent and accurate and that's what they are looking for. I'm pretty sure they would prefer a candidate to get 25/25 instead of 25/34 as an example
Demx93
Member
Absolutely x
Yep spot on. Pretty much all the tests from start to finish coalesce around the theme of numbers of tasks completed v time v accuracy. It's all a balancing act.
Better to get 25:34 completed and all correct than 34:34 completed and only 20 correct....... you can guess who will progress in that scenario
Better to get 25:34 completed and all correct than 34:34 completed and only 20 correct....... you can guess who will progress in that scenario
Diedinium
Member
Well, just did the online assessment as well...
If I get past this I'm interested to find out if I have to do all the psychometric testing again, only just passed it a few months ago... I'm no glutton for punishment and I don't think I can take the stress of doing it all again lol
If I get past this I'm interested to find out if I have to do all the psychometric testing again, only just passed it a few months ago... I'm no glutton for punishment and I don't think I can take the stress of doing it all again lol
Scrambled Eggs
Member
I feel exactly the same when I passed mine at enhanced level. Let fate decide hey.
If you have passed all the psychometric test to their standards only few months ago then you won’t have to repeat them
But if they require it to enhance level and you passed at standard level - then you will have to resit to get to enhance level
Diedinium
Member
I passed only to standard, since TfW don't do the additional tests required for the enhanced test pass - are test results TOC dependant as well? As in, I can't use the psychometric test pass from TfW for CrossCountry, they'll want me to do it again regardless? (Another interesting note is that TfW run the tests themselves, instead of sending candidates to the OPC testing centres - does that make a difference as well?)
If it is the case that the tests are relevant across TOCs and not just for one; I have my fingers crossed that CrossCountry still accept national/standard results. As one of the others in this thread pointed out they did as of 2020.
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Yeah quite a few do in house
Mine was In house with my l toc and have been valid for other tocs as it’s still opc
Yeah read that about XC been a standard level. So fingers crossed for you
Diedinium
Member
Ah nice, the only thing that should matter is what scores XC accept then I guess...
We probably won't hear anything until after the 29th Dec when the deadline for the RAAT is - will be interesting to see what comes next if we get through.
dereksingh291
Repeatedly returning banned member
OPC is shut for the festive period from 23rd December to 3rd January
mattymat
Member
I was thinking the weekend they probably won’t say anything but was hoping from next week. Is this RAAT the last stage or do you think there is a final interview stage?
Diedinium
Member
The RAAT is far from the final stage; the process would normally be that the OPC will then select a number of successful candidates from those who pass the RAAT, since all it's being used for is as a filtering tool.
These candidates then do the psychometric testing (paper tests, computer tests and MMI), which is what me (and some of the others here it seems) are hoping we may not need to do again, since we've already passed it with other TOCs
Then they would do the DMI (Driver Manager Interview) with the ones who pass the psychometrics, or potentially the highest scoring if they get more pass the tests than expected.
From there if selected after the DMI it would either be a wait in a "talent pool" until a trainee slot comes up or in some cases they'd assign a date straight away - either way it would go to medical and finally the contract signing etc.
However, XC seem to flip this process on it's head - last time I did this in the January round they did the RAAT test, then directly to interviews (presumably they shortlisted candidates based on RAAT scores and CV at this point) - only putting through candidates they'd chosen from the interviews to do the psychometric testing.
Not sure how it'll work this time around, as it seems XC are directly using the OPC this time.
Frothy_B
Member
The 29th is only the cut off for those who received emails yesterday. I got mine today and have untill the 30th so I guess its 7 days from receiving the email.
Great info thanks. Ok, so last time around you applied, there was no RAAT followed by SCAAT, just the RAAT test alone?
I've been reading the other XC posts who say the same thing
By sounds of it, nothing more happening until early Jan then. Next step (for those chosen) maybe psychometrics then DMI, especially if OPC closed until 3 Jan (as per above post)
Could be a stressful wait if those with passed psychometrics don't receive an invite to test centre, cause they're POSSIBLY through to DMI lol
Oh well, Have a great Xmas / Nw Yr all
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Cal_NG4
Member
I have not received an email today. I applied for Leicester but I live in Nottingham so told them I am quite flexible to also help at Nottingham and Derby.
dereksingh291
Repeatedly returning banned member
I wonder when the interviews, train driver assessments, medicals then finally courses will be taking place?
Cal_NG4
Member
I wouldn't of thought till at least May time. I have also been waiting 5 months just to hear back from a Tram operator regarding an assessment day.
ajp777
Member
Just finished the RAAT. I think I got to around question 30 ish when the test timed out so I'm hoping it saves the answers you got to on that page. Spent too much time on a few of the questions but hopefully getting them right is more valuable than finishing the test. Anyone know how it is scored? In the joining instructions it said that you don't lose marks for entering an incorrect answer so try and get as many answers down as possible. I would have thought that, as people have already said that it should be quality over quantity. So if I answered 30 questions and got say 28 right then that would be better than answering all 34 and still getting 28 as it shows attention to detail? Hard one to judge. Fingers crossed anyway and good luck to anyone else who has taken it
I finished it with about 4 seconds to go so had to take a 50/50 punt on the very last question!
It could be as simple as your total correct answers or there could be a time element involved also. I highly doubt there is a percentage of 'correct' vs 'total answered' as that creates a result that contains incorrect answers as a variable and, by extension, penalises you for them.
These tests always seem to be very well designed regarding achievability to pass versus the pressure of being very difficult to finish in the time given. This is the first time I've made it to the end of one...
Good luck to you and everybody else!
mattymat
Member
You guys think we’ll hear back in Jan?? Or maybe before for apprentice train driver. Are they closed over the festive break?
dereksingh291
Repeatedly returning banned member
yes I think well hear back in January and they are closed over the festive break.
onme
New Member
Sorry, I've just saw this.
Just finished the online assessment. I found the practice pdf helpful as it highlighted where I could go wrong on the actual test and made me approach the test differently.
Shame it doesn't give a result at the end. Fingers crossed
kajojek3232
Member
I know people normally think they didn’t do well but I really do think I didn’t do well, I acts like. I found the last passage of text really confusing. I’ve answered 32/34 and I know one was wrong as it was a guess so I’ll assume it’s wrong so 31/34. Let’s say the pass mark is 80% so that’s 27 questions - that’s right, I really am not getting my hopes up.
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