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First Great Western Trainee drivers, Anyone heard back?

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lordturns

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13 Mar 2013
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Thanks for your input everyone - I now have my day! it is this week on the 2nd of May....so I will know soon enough. I will be going to the Thistle Hotel in Kensington Gardens for the first stage.

It says on the email I will only be sitting the concentration test and the TRP part 1 & 2, total time at the assessment will be 3 hours.

No mechanical comprehension then? or structured interview?
 
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455driver

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Hi Reapz, as stated earlier it was tongue in cheek. Not really worried at all. It seems my attempt at humour was fairly poor!!!!

Stick a smillie or 3 on the end of the post, that helps us mere mortals that cant read minds! ;) :lol:

If that didnt have the smillies on the end of it then it would probably read rather nastily, but the smillies show I am (trying to) be humorous.
 

lordturns

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First do not do the mech test and if you pass the gbt and trp 1&2 you will sit stage 2 at a later date consisting of the cbi and DTG.

Thanks daddy_badger - in the assessment materials they sent me it did say I'd have to do a mech test....they must have phased it out then.

Not long now....watch this space
 

SkinnyDave

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Northern do require Mech test, most of their guys go to Doncaster to sit tests and its the harder out of the two mech tests that they carry out.
FGW or TPE and FCC dont require it along with ATW I think..
 

PeteH

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It was said sort of tongue in cheek. Not worried at all. In fact very happy with how things are at the moment.
PETE H, I followed your progress on here as you were going through the process, you must be quite a way into it now. I will no doubt meet you one day in the mess room.

The 3 months so far have flown by. A weeks leave just finished; I was slightly concerned that I'd be a little rusty when I got back but it turns out most of what I'd learned to date is still rattling around up there somewhere. Last but one week of rules at the moment, it's pretty much an assessment every day from now until the 10th May. Still enjoying it immensely and looking forward to traction, possibly including an extra week tacked on the end to incorporate the 180 Class in addition to the 'core' 165/166. Handling should start mid-June.

Hope to see you around the bazaars, be it Oxford or Reading. Is your classroom trg at Pad? I read your comment about looking for the bear, we're doing our classroom sessions at Reading so finding PB was a bit tricky in the allocated time, as was discovering the number of cash machines at Pad!
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First do not do the mech test and if you pass the gbt and trp 1&2 you will sit stage 2 at a later date consisting of the cbi and DTG.

True, but as and when the course starts students will take the mech test; it acts, I quote, "to give the instructor an indication of your basic mechanical knowledge".
 
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SkinnyDave

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The 3 months so far have flown by. A weeks leave just finished; I was slightly concerned that I'd be a little rusty when I got back but it turns out most of what I'd learned to date is still rattling around up there somewhere. Last but one week of rules at the moment, it's pretty much an assessment every day from now until the 10th May. Still enjoying it immensely and looking forward to traction, possibly including an extra week tacked on the end to incorporate the 180 Class in addition to the 'core' 165/166. Handling should start mid-June.

Hope to see you around the bazaars, be it Oxford or Reading. Is your classroom trg at Pad? I read your comment about looking for the bear, we're doing our classroom sessions at Reading so finding PB was a bit tricky in the allocated time, as was discovering the number of cash machines at Pad!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


True, but as and when the course starts students will take the mech test; it acts, I quote, "to give the instructor an indication of your basic mechanical knowledge".

Which Mechanical test do they use though? Is it the cogs and pulleys or the cutting a tree down one?
 

ghost

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Since my friend applied back in august he has just seen that he has got invite to attend assessment in London on the 02/05/13. It’s going to be his first attempt and he is going to do the concentration and trainability for rules and procedures part 1 and part 2.

Wow they sure do take their time to get back! :shock:

Anyone still waiting to hear back keep an eye on your emails as they will get back to everyone.
FGW do not do the mechanical test anymore, but they do the DFFT.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE :grin:
 

goldsky

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18 Jan 2013
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I applied for Westbury last August, it was sat at awaiting shortlisting until a couple of weeks ago, when I got an email saying I passed shortlisting, and pending driver verification would be invited for an assessment, they sent the test info etc via email. On Tuesday this week I received an email saying I had been invited for the drivers assessment part one on the 2nd May in London, It also says to let them know If I have taken any previous tests. Well I have taken and passed all the driver assessments for SWT in the last six months, I have emailed them and phoned and left a message but no response, So I will see some of you there:p:p
 

PeteH

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6 Nov 2012
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Which Mechanical test do they use though? Is it the cogs and pulleys or the cutting a tree down one?

I was only aware of one mech test. I did the same one at the start of the course with FGW as I did with DBSchenker at a driver assessment day back in April '12.
 

PeteH

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Got a feeling there was a tree question as well as lots of cog questions; around 30 qs in total.
 

Nuttytoffee

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Hi Pete.
We did our first week at Padd, thats when we looked for the bear (and cash machines!!). Yes I am at Reading for the training. Just finished first lot of front end turns. Don't really want to go back in the class now. The experience was good and the depot is vey friendly.
 

lordturns

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13 Mar 2013
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Peterborough
Hi all,

I was at the Thistle hotel in Kensington Gardens yesterday at 3pm, anybody else? We all sat the group bourdon, glop and then dials all in quick succession - think I did well on the group bourdon, not that great on the glop and managed to answer 31 out of 43 on the dials with a few errors.

Haven't a clue if I'll get through or not - next week we will all know - you will either get a phonecall and if so, you are through to the CBI and reaction test at Newport. If not, you merely have a status update online....hmmm.....unsure.
 

barrykas

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Haven't a clue if I'll get through or not - next week we will all know - you will either get a phonecall and if so, you are through to the CBI and reaction test at Newport. If not, you merely have a status update online....hmmm.....unsure.

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for the result...I did the first stage (Group Bordon and Trainability for Rules and Procedures) in Reading back in September and I'm still waiting, despite chasing up numerous times. :(
 

jc1

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Yeah well I applied in August last year and my online status is still awaiting shortlisting so at least you lot are making progress and good luck to you.
 

lordturns

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barrykas - have you passed and are awaiting a date for the structured interview? or do you not even know if you have passed? Were you told the same thing as me 'we will be in touch with you next week'.....

The assessor said FGW need loads of drivers and they will be looking to run courses that start every month for groups of 12 people. She mentioned that they do not start a course until they have filled it.

jc1 - I too applied in August last year and was sent the assessment material 8 weeks ago....apparently FGW are supposed to be picking up the pace with the recruitment process...they will get to you soon enough I am sure.:smile:
 

daddy_badger

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I do believe there are several people awaiting and now even more after applicants from the job advertised last week. very frustrating for all guess time will tell, eventually.
 

SkinnyDave

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Not that I am complaining, why do they need so many new drivers?
 
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barrykas

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barrykas - have you passed and are awaiting a date for the structured interview? or do you not even know if you have passed? Were you told the same thing as me 'we will be in touch with you next week'.....

The latter...E-mailed 'em again today to chase it up...
 

Plonk

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Fat Sam's Grand Slam
Hi all,

I was at the Thistle hotel in Kensington Gardens yesterday at 3pm, anybody else? We all sat the group bourdon, glop and then dials all in quick succession - think I did well on the group bourdon, not that great on the glop and managed to answer 31 out of 43 on the dials with a few errors.

Haven't a clue if I'll get through or not - next week we will all know - you will either get a phonecall and if so, you are through to the CBI and reaction test at Newport. If not, you merely have a status update online....hmmm.....unsure.

I was there too, think I did OK. Not heard anything yet though.
 

lordturns

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Plonk - the guy who sat next to me heard yesterday that he will be doing stage 2 next Wednesday in Watford. He said it sounds like they have one person doing all the calling and of course there will be a huge list to go through.
 

Iceman1979

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16 Jan 2013
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27
]Evening all,

I have passed the medical for trainee driver for Paddington and have been allocated a place on a course starting June 3rd.
Contract should be on its way as we speak!
Anyone else starting on this date?

Hi Da40,
Is your course on June 3rd still going ahead?
Does anyone know if this is the only course planned this year?

Dave.

Hi Badu

I was hoping you could help mate since you went through the whole process. You see I have my structured interview next week and was hoping if you can remember the questions they ask. Everyone says look this forum but so far I've not come across any, specially since they are standard questions and not unique questions to each candidate.

Will greatly appreciate help mate

Regards

Iceman
 
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