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EMT Trainee Service Driver Assessment Stage 1

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thw

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21 Aug 2016
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4
Hello guys,

This is my first post on here although I have been a regular visitor over the last few months and found all the content extremely helpful! I just have a couple of questions I though were worth a new post...

I have my Stage 1 Assessment tomorrow for the Trainee Service Driver role at EMT Neville Hill Depot and just wondered if there were any last minute tips that anyone thought would be useful.

I have been using all the RSSB material they sent plus a few online sources and the GBT program, but I can't help but be extremely nervous! I am usually quite alright under pressure, I think it may be because I've never wanted to land a job so badly in my life!

I also got an invitation to the numerical and verbal online tests for the same role but for Arriva Northern. I completed them both, but haven't heard anything back since and wondered if anybody else had?

Anyway, good luck to anyone who will be joining me tomorrow!
 
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Kev.

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23 Nov 2015
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107
Hello guys,

This is my first post on here although I have been a regular visitor over the last few months and found all the content extremely helpful! I just have a couple of questions I though were worth a new post...

I have my Stage 1 Assessment tomorrow for the Trainee Service Driver role at EMT Neville Hill Depot and just wondered if there were any last minute tips that anyone thought would be useful.

I have been using all the RSSB material they sent plus a few online sources and the GBT program, but I can't help but be extremely nervous! I am usually quite alright under pressure, I think it may be because I've never wanted to land a job so badly in my life!

I also got an invitation to the numerical and verbal online tests for the same role but for Arriva Northern. I completed them both, but haven't heard anything back since and wondered if anybody else had?

Anyway, good luck to anyone who will be joining me tomorrow!

Hi thw, 2 tips I can give you are:-

1. Don't rush the bourbon test. I only got down to line 10 on all sheets and the resulted in a enhanced pass.

2. On the cable and dials test you DO NOT get marked down for incorrect answers, so what I did on this test with only 30 seconds left was to mark all remaining answers. Now I'm not sure if this helped me but I only got down to question 19 with 30 seconds left, but I had completed all 40 questions by ticking A,B.C or D randomlyon the remaining 21 questions.

Hope this helps mate and good luck.
 

thw

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Joined
21 Aug 2016
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4
Thank you Kev.
Found the bourdon test and the trp stuff easier than I thought, but I think I messed up on the Tea-Occ and by the sound of it a lot of people in my group did. It was a hell of a lot harder than I initially thought and harder than the revision material made out.

But I suppose the tests are hard for a reason!
We'll see but I'm not getting my hopes up lol!
 
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Kev.

Member
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23 Nov 2015
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Thank you Kev.
Found the bourdon test and the trp stuff easier than I thought, but I think I messed up on the Tea-Occ and by the sound of it a lot of people in my group did. It was a hell of a lot harder than I initially thought and harder than the revision material made out.

But I suppose the tests are hard for a reason!
We'll see but I'm not getting my hopes up lol!

Good Luck mate and fingers crossed for you.
 

meursault

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25 Sep 2016
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Hi THW!

Could you (or anyone else) please let me know if the assessment day with East Midlands consists of stage 1 only, or do you sit all three stages the same day?

Also, how many tests did you sit altogether at stage 1? Is it just the three: Group Bourdon (paper test), Tea-Occ (paper test) (three parts), TRP (trainability test) (two parts)?

Was this more than four-five hours altogether?

Thank you!
 
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thw

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21 Aug 2016
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Hi meursault,

For the depot service driver job at EMT that I recently went for, it was just stage 1 and took us from 9am to around 12pm.we sat all of the tests you have mentioned however different jobs/position may require slightly different testing stages as one guy I spoke to had previously sat all test stages in 1 day.

The best way to find out is via the email you were sent, it should confirm which stage(s) you will be sitting on the day.

Hope this helps!

Feel free to ask anything else about the day and I'll answers as best I can.
 

meursault

Member
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25 Sep 2016
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Thank you! Have you found out how you did? I went in yesterday, we were fifteen (fourteen males, one lady).

My expectations:
- Bourdon: enhanced pass / pass
- TRP 1: fail (answered correctly 9-10 for sure); I'd expect the cut off to be around 12-14 maybe? 13-15?
- TRP 2: fail (only got to answer 18 :cry:; the other guys said they got to 27-30+:roll:)
- Tea-Occ 1: fail ... Awful performance overall, couldn't diferentiate between the tones, my position within the room slightly affected my performance too. Nevertheless, my own fault, no excuses.
- Tea-Occ 2: enhanced pass / pass
- Tea-Occ 3: enhanced pass / pass

Left the assessment very disappointed with myself.
Oh, the assessor also mentioned that EMT have slightly higher standards than (most?) other train operating companies or vs the national rail standard?

I would hope to find out by Friday at the latest how I fared.
 

Andypandy10

Member
Joined
14 Sep 2016
Messages
5
Hi,
Yes I sat the same tests yesterday and I thought I did okay apart from the test with the lift tones , I just couldn't get the hang of that and sort of guessed em , apart from that I think I did okay but unsure if I got an enhanced pass like they want .Id like to think they'll let us know by the end of the week .
Regards Mike
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hi,
Yes I sat the same tests yesterday and I thought I did okay apart from the test with the lift tones , I just couldn't get the hang of that and sort of guessed em , apart from that I think I did okay but unsure if I got an enhanced pass like they want .Id like to think they'll let us know by the end of the week .
Regards Mike
 

thw

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21 Aug 2016
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I passed everything with EMT Enhanced passed except TEA-Occ which I only passed to national base standard. Annoying to have missed out by such a small amount!
Good luck to you guys by the way!
 

meursault

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Joined
25 Sep 2016
Messages
7
Well done , you're a rock star! :D
How many do you reckon you got right for TRP 1? Also how many did you get time to answer at TRP 2?

I agree that TRP 2 was a walk in the park, but I was awful on speed :cry:, so that may prove decisive as I didn't get nowhere near what most people did. Although I am certain on those answered.
I'd say TRP 1 wasn't that easy :oops::idea:, as some of the answers seemed rather too close and the wording certainly made on purpose to throw you off.

They certainly are quick. When did you have your assessment, 23rd? 24th? How long ago did you find out? Was it by e-mail? I am surprised that they were so specific with their answer to you in regards to EMT standards and national base standard. I thought we'd only hear passed or not. When you say you missed by so little on Tea-Occ for enhanced pass, did they mention how much, or a number? Have you heard anything yet in regards to stage 2?
 

Raul_Duke

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29 Mar 2014
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So will you guys be skipping the EMT talent pool then, or will you be joining us?
 

meursault

Member
Joined
25 Sep 2016
Messages
7
Hi Raul!

I'm sure we'd all love joining you guys!! THW got off a terrific start. Those of us who attended Stage One two days ago on Monday, we're still waiting. Will let you know either way! Hope today or tomorrow to receive some good news!!
 
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Firestarter

Member
Joined
15 Sep 2009
Messages
542
Hi thw, 2 tips I can give you are:-

1. Don't rush the bourbon test. I only got down to line 10 on all sheets and the resulted in a enhanced pass.

2. On the cable and dials test you DO NOT get marked down for incorrect answers, so what I did on this test with only 30 seconds left was to mark all remaining answers. Now I'm not sure if this helped me but I only got down to question 19 with 30 seconds left, but I had completed all 40 questions by ticking A,B.C or D randomlyon the remaining 21 questions.

Hope this helps mate and good luck.

How do you find out if you got a Enhanced pass?
 

meursault

Member
Joined
25 Sep 2016
Messages
7
Just got the expected e-mail: "Thanks for taking the time to come and take the Stage 1 testing. Unfortunately you did not pass the Stage 1 testing. If you would like information about which sections you passed and failed please email back directly." :cry::cry::cry::cry::cry: Wish the other candidates better luck! Very disappointed with myself...:(
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
They replied to me within 19 minutes!

I'm gutted tho....

"Hi XX

Here is the breakdown of your test results for you:

Base National Standard EMT Enhanced Standard
Group Bourdon Pass Pass
TEA-Occ Pass Fail
TRP-1 Pass Pass
TRP-2 Pass Pass

Kind Regards
XX"

This is hard to swallow, it hurts so badly... :(
 

Kev.

Member
Joined
23 Nov 2015
Messages
107
How do you find out if you got a Enhanced pass?

Hi simbo, was told at the assessment centre that EMT required Enhanced Passes on all tests. I passed, so must of hit their targets and I'm now in the talent pool awaiting a start date, along with many others. Hope this helps?
 

meursault

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25 Sep 2016
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I tried finding out where exactly I failed on the Tea-Occ, but this was the answer I got: "Unfortunately we do not hold any further level of detail."
Would contacting OPC help, since they administrated the tests?

Could someone please confirm if I lost "one life" since I failed the company standards but passed the national base standard? Does the six month period apply to East Midlands Trains only, or to all train operating companies?
 

Dynamonic

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10 Jan 2013
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Location
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I tried finding out where exactly I failed on the Tea-Occ, but this was the answer I got: "Unfortunately we do not hold any further level of detail."
Would contacting OPC help, since they administrated the tests?

Could someone please confirm if I lost "one life" since I failed the company standards but passed the national base standard? Does the six month period apply to East Midlands Trains only, or to all train operating companies?

I found the OPC gave me general, but helpful feedback when I failed my MMI a few years back, but I'm not sure how specific they'd be in your case, as you didn't technically fail, and it was a paper test too, so the feedback they'd give might be even more general. No harm in asking though.

I'm pleased to say that as you met the national standard, your two lives would be intact, and I don't believe you'd be barred from applying to other companies either, just EMT.
 

meursault

Member
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25 Sep 2016
Messages
7
@THW:
I wasn't trying to be sarcastic nor a smart arse. At the time you wrote your post, I hadn't received my own results, so I interpreted your post as you had passed. I apologize, and keep your head up!

@Dynamonic:
Thank you so much for your input. It means a lot, and it gives me hope for the future. So at any given time you can only fail twice, whether be any test of stage one, any test of stage two, structured interview or multi-modal interview?

I was asking purely for own knowledge, as I won't be applying to any other TOC this year. More than anything, I want to learn from this and give myself the best chance when I decide is time to reapply.

How would you suggest contacting OPC, telephone or via e-mail? Just like you said, I'm not holding my breath but nevertheless I'd like to find out.

My understanding was that Tea-Occ was assessed holistically (so all three sub-parts graded equally), but since I didn't quite make the cut and my parts two and three of the tests were strong (and I'm certain of this; or at least as certain as one can be when undertaking those types of tests), I can only think that's because I scored poorly on part one (thus failed specifically part one)?

OR: my part one was that bad that it significantly dropped my overall score on Tea-Occ? So then the three parts graded equally would still make sense?
 

Dynamonic

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10 Jan 2013
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648
Location
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Yeah, the two lives count for both Stages 1 & 2 of the OPC assessment, up to and including the MMI, so for example, failing a test in Stage 1 will leave you with one life for Stage 2. The two lives rule doesn't count on the application form or in the DMI stage though.

Back when I failed my MMI, EMT provided me with a number for me to contact the OPC for feedback, so it might be worth dropping them an email. :)

Also, your Stage 1 results are valid a few years (either 3 or 5 I believe) so they may remain good enough for another TOC for that period.

I'm not sure how the TEA-Occ is marked, but I would reckon it is an average of the three. I could be wrong though.


All the best for your next attempt Meursault! :)
 
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SpitfireAle

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5 Oct 2016
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Hi All,

I sat stage one assessments on the 26th of September in Derby also. Got an email yesterday saying I passed and that I have an interview in Derby this Monday coming on the 10th. I must admit I really did put the work in for a whole week before stage 1 and everything that came up on the tests was what I had been practicing and expecting. I really can't stress enough the advantage of good preparation. I went into stage 1 very nervous but after the tests I knew I'd done well (didn't know if I'd pass, just knew I'd done well). The prep deffinitely paid off.
I started work on preparing for the interview before I even found out I'd got through so fingers crossed for Monday!
Good luck to anyone else going into stage 2 and good luck to anyone who didn't make it through stage 1, I'm sure you will have success next time!
 

stjimmy87

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16 Sep 2016
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Does anyone know what tests EMT use in the latter stages of the process for their depot driver roles? I passed the first lot in stage 1 but failed the interview so never got to the last lot of tests
 

area 39

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29 Sep 2014
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Any chance you know what the questions are for the interview ?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hi All,

I sat stage one assessments on the 26th of September in Derby also. Got an email yesterday saying I passed and that I have an interview in Derby this Monday coming on the 10th. I must admit I really did put the work in for a whole week before stage 1 and everything that came up on the tests was what I had been practicing and expecting. I really can't stress enough the advantage of good preparation. I went into stage 1 very nervous but after the tests I knew I'd done well (didn't know if I'd pass, just knew I'd done well). The prep deffinitely paid off.
I started work on preparing for the interview before I even found out I'd got through so fingers crossed for Monday!
Good luck to anyone else going into stage 2 and good luck to anyone who didn't make it through stage 1, I'm sure you will have success next time!

Any chance you know what the questions are for the interview ?
 

Raul_Duke

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Any chance you know what the questions are for the interview ?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Any chance you know what the questions are for the interview ?


Tell me about a time you failed to complete a task.

Tell me about a time you disobeyed an order?

Tell me about a time you've studied for long periods?

What do you understand by the term "Safety culture"?

Why do you think safety is important?

How would you ensure you were on top form for a night shift?

Why do you want to be a depot/service driver FOR EMT?

What do you know about East Midlands Trains?

What are the core values of East Midlands Trains?

What's the name of our Chief Executive?

What do you know about the role of depot/service driver?

What awards have we won?

What would you do if you saw someone breaking rules?

Describe a time when you coached a colleague, dealt with a difficult colleague etc?

Describe a time when you communicated a complex message.



Some of them are very similar to the MMI questions.

*
 
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SpitfireAle

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Yeh that's pretty much spot on although a few of those I wasn't asked or they just phrased them differently. I think they chop and change a few now and then.
 

SpitfireAle

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Just got the email today. Passed the stage 2 competency based panel interview. Stage 3 tests are a week on Friday. Email says this is the final stage before entering the talent pool if successful. Time to start preparing!
 
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