Invited to assessment day! Any tips?

[PhoenixBC]

Hi everyone.
After applying to GTR Great Northern on the 6th March for trainee train driver, I received an invite to the assessment centre the other day which I have booked in for the middle of next month.

I'm going through all the practice info/material that they've sent which all seems a bit daunting as I've never done the tests before.

Has anyone attended an assessment day for this role with GTR, specifically GN, and are all the tests completed in one day?

Also looking for any tips/advice that may not be covered in the info they sent that may be of benefit to doing well.

Is it worth buying that game Bop it or Simon? Thanks.

 

[vintagegt]

Hi everyone.
After applying to GTR Great Northern on the 6th March for trainee train driver, I received an invite to the assessment centre the other day which I have booked in for the middle of next month.

I'm going through all the practice info/material that they've sent which all seems a bit daunting as I've never done the tests before.

Has anyone attended an assessment day for this role with GTR, specifically GN, and are all the tests completed in one day?

Also looking for any tips/advice that may not be covered in the info they sent that may be of benefit to doing well.

Is it worth buying that game Bop it or Simon? Thanks.

Is it a psychometrics day you are attending? Is an MMi involved also?

 

[PhoenixBC]

Hi vintagegt,

Yes, there are about 8 different tests and 'possibly' the MMI also.

 

[vintagegt]

Hi vintagegt,

Yes, there are about 8 different tests and 'possibly' the MMI also.

Mate, all I can say is prepare as much as you physically and possibly can. There is a sticky thread on here with a group bourdon test tool on for free. Use it and practice until you see dots in your sleep.
Don't just use the practice tools provided, look deeper at the skills they are trying to enhance in you and search for other means of practicing those skills.
You memory being on point will help. Use any tools you can to improve your memory. There are many on the interweb that will help. Take it very easy on the alcohol for a good week before and you will see improvements in memory.

Prepare for the MMi as if it is definitely happening. Rehearse your answers until you can rhyme them off on demand. As other people have said, don't make stuff up as they will likely catch you out. Use the STAR technique, it works. Google it or search it on here if you don't know about it.

I also bought a full pack of 'How 2 Become' Train Driver tests DVD's you can get on line or on EBay etc. To me, they were invaluable and really helped my practice. I used them then sold them back on EBay for more than I paid for them so definitely worth a look in my opinion.

I passed and I did a minimum of 3 hours a day for over 2 months. People will likely read this and may disagree and have their own ways but all I can say is this way worked for me and the actual day really was as hard as I thought it was going to be so the prep is required, you cannot just turn up and wing it.
If you prepare properly you will go in on the day relatively relaxed and confident, both of which are important.
The old adage in this case is true...If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

Keep us informed how you're doing. Chatting on here can help and feel supportive knowing there are others doing the same and there are many that have tried and passed so it is 100% achievable!

Good luck!

 

[PhoenixBC]

Thanks for the detailed info. I'll certainly take it all on board and do what I can. The picture memory test when you only get 2 seconds seems quite demanding. Again, lots of practice will help, cheers.

 

[VWCampervanman]

one thing that I will add , is to allow plenty of time to get to the assessment centre. Make sure that you know exactly where it is, where you are going to park ( if driving ) and to arrive relaxed and ready to give it your best shot.

I was amazed when I did my assessment day, that a few people literally arrived with moments to spare, and 1 was late so was not allowed to participate. What a wasted opportunity.
The ones that arrived with only a few minutes to spare, where visibly stressed and flustered.

I practiced the group Bourdon test a lot before hand, find a way that works for you. Accuracy and speed are both important, but no point racing along if you don't have accuracy.

Whether you can practice observation skills or not , I'm not sure , I think that you either have that skill set or don't.

Its a long tiring day, so make sure that you are well rested . And remember that from the moment that you walk through the door, you are being assessed .
Dont be too worried about the way that others do things, concentrate on your own performance , I sat next to a guy who was racing ahead of me on most of the tasks, including the group bourdon, out of my group I was the only candidate to make it past lunchtime.
Good luck , and try and enjoy it.

 

[vintagegt]

one thing that I will add , is to allow plenty of time to get to the assessment centre. Make sure that you know exactly where it is, where you are going to park ( if driving ) and to arrive relaxed and ready to give it your best shot.

I was amazed when I did my assessment day, that a few people literally arrived with moments to spare, and 1 was late so was not allowed to participate. What a wasted opportunity.
The ones that arrived with only a few minutes to spare, where visibly stressed and flustered.

I practiced the group Bourdon test a lot before hand, find a way that works for you. Accuracy and speed are both important, but no point racing along if you don't have accuracy.

Whether you can practice observation skills or not , I'm not sure , I think that you either have that skill set or don't.

Its a long tiring day, so make sure that you are well rested . And remember that from the moment that you walk through the door, you are being assessed .
Dont be too worried about the way that others do things, concentrate on your own performance , I sat next to a guy who was racing ahead of me on most of the tasks, including the group bourdon, out of my group I was the only candidate to make it past lunchtime.
Good luck , and try and enjoy it.

I'll second all of this. Great advice.

I actually booked a hotel and stayed the night before round the corner from the assessment centre and it really helped as I had a totally stress free morning as a result.

 

[PhoenixBC]

Great advice guys.
I looked at the DFFT last night and tbh, it was really easy to do the practice stuff, i hope it's like that on the day. The dials and arrows was also easy. Will also say the same for GB, just 'don't race but find a pace' seems to be key.

I was also thinking of staying in a hotel, probably a good idea actually as you never know, there could be delays, cancelled trains, the weather could be very hot, all sorts of problems, especially if you are some distance like me in North London.

 

[vintagegt]

Great advice guys.
I looked at the DFFT last night and tbh, it was really easy to do the practice stuff, i hope it's like that on the day. The dials and arrows was also easy. Will also say the same for GB, just 'don't race but find a pace' seems to be key.

I was also thinking of staying in a hotel, probably a good idea actually as you never know, there could be delays, cancelled trains, the weather could be very hot, all sorts of problems, especially if you are some distance like me in North London.

This is true and we were told there re no excuses, you need to make sure you're there on time or it's over for you. Delayed trains etc will be out of your control but could see you fail before you start. That's the way I looked at it anyway. I get there on foot from my hotel so very little could have stopped me.

 

[PhoenixBC]

How was it moving the ball around the shape with the two joysticks? and are the pictures definitely traffic scenes for the perception test? that one sounds tricky, just 2 seconds and it's gone.

What kind of examples do they ask for before doing the MMI?

Cheers.

 

[vintagegt]

How was it moving the ball around the shape with the two joysticks? and are the pictures definitely traffic scenes for the perception test? that one sounds tricky, just 2 seconds and it's gone.

What kind of examples do they ask for before doing the MMI?

Cheers.

The MMi typical questions can very easily be found on here if dig a little. They aren't set in stone so you can never be certain but the type of thing you can expect is mentioned numerous times on this forum, just do a few searches and you'll come good.

The perception test is as you'd expect. Traffic scenes and I can't lie when I say that I thought that aspect was pretty difficult, as is the joystick part. The joysticks are very sensitive and very light to move so your control needs to be on point for that aspect. That was probably the one aspect of the day when I came away thinking 'that could go either way, I may have failed'. With that, as per the GBT, speed and accuracy is the name of the game so don't go hell for leather while going outside the lines all the time. Go at a good pace but keep inside the lines as much as you can and get back in quick if you come out.

Bop It may well be worth a try as it tests memory and hand dexterity. My kids have 3 different ones so I was in luck with that and practiced until I could beat all 3. Those DVD's I mentioned earlier have a practice test on for both the joysticks and the ATAVT so again, in my opinion, worth the money.

Also, Google something called Human Benchmark. Its free and has tests for memory recall (good for ATAVT) and tests reaction speeds(good for WAFV test).

 

[PhoenixBC]

That's great info, thanks for sharing that. Has anyone found that when you aim to slow down a bit on the GB test, you end up completing more lines with more accuracy? it's weird.

 

[TeaTrain]

Hey there Pheonix,

Congrats on getting to the next stage. For the GB my advice would be to download the software which is available through this forum which will create the test randomly so you can continue to practice it until you feel confident.

I think people get the wrong idea with the ATAVT and think the idea is to take it ALL in. There is never enough time. That's the whole point of the exercise. They want to see what you can pick up. What you distinguish as important. The image literally flashes on the screen. BUT there is no time limit as I remember for you to choose your answers so RELAX. Only click what you KNOW you have seen. I am 100% confident I made loads of mistakes in that and I still passed. I did not scan the picture, there is not enough time. I simple stared at the middle of the picture and got an overview when it flashed on. There are videos which give you examples of the test. I am not sure what else to write here for that one but if you have questions fire away.

The twin stick version is not too bad so long as you take your time. Remember one stick can only be moved left and right. The other up and down. It is about hand eye coordination and tests if you and your brain can do more than one thing at once. Also it tests to see how you compose yourself when things start going wrong. How quickly you correct yourself. For me I am a gamer so I felt it was quite similar to twin stick shooters.

The MMI involves 4 or 5 questions where you will be asked to write about them and later on in the day will be questioned on them. If they feel the story is made up or that there is not enough information they will dig deeper and deeper to see if your giving them BS. When I had mine I was asked to describe a time when I dealt with an emergency. When I told him about me evacuating a 67 and DVT because of a fire he went very very indepth. From where the train was going, what time, how many carriages, where the dvt was and engine. the list went on and on. They also asked me about how I felt throughout the evacuation. When they ask how you feel or felt, what was going through your mind etc. My advice don't give them some interview stuff that you think they want to hear. Be honest. I said I didn't feel anything until after. He kept on asking me and in the end I told him he can keep asking and he will keep getting the same answer! STAR as mentioned above is defo the way to structure your answers. Be detailed and you should be fine.

I'm not sure what other tests you need some information on but feel free to ask. Good Luck!

 

[PhoenixBC]

Hi Teatree,

Many thanks for the detailed response, it really helps to get a better idea of how the tests work.
It is difficult to practice for some of the tests, I guess you can do it or you can't in some respect.
I'm looking forward to the day in just under three weeks now, but I know that I'll be a bit anxious about how I will get on with it all. I'm quite confident in myself to do all the tests but on the day you never know.

How many lines would be sufficient on each page of the GB in your opinion, 9-11?

 

[danyurl]

The GB is tricky and you won't complete it all but make sure you do plenty of tests and you should be fine. I seem to remember the rest of the written tests being quite straightforward but don't take them for granted, only takes failing one to fail the whole thing.

The computer tests surprised me. The 30 minute vigilance test was okay to be fair, just remember why you're there and persevere with it. However the other two, the joystick test I found really sensitive and you really need to keep your composure when you slide off track, and the memory test you'll be the surprised just how quickly those pictures jump off the screen aha.

The MMI requires the most preparation but I managed to do well in mine and interviews normally mess with my nerves so there's no reason why you can't do well. The best advice I can give you is, prepare very well, get there with plenty of time and then relax on the day. The more you worry on the day the less favours you'll do yourself.

Good luck, I hope it goes well for you.

 

[vintagegt]

The GB is tricky and you won't complete it all but make sure you do plenty of tests and you should be fine. I seem to remember the rest of the written tests being quite straightforward but don't take them for granted, only takes failing one to fail the whole thing.

The computer tests surprised me. The 30 minute vigilance test was okay to be fair, just remember why you're there and persevere with it. However the other two, the joystick test I found really sensitive and you really need to keep your composure when you slide off track, and the memory test you'll be the surprised just how quickly those pictures jump off the screen aha.

The MMI requires the most preparation but I managed to do well in mine and interviews normally mess with my nerves so there's no reason why you can't do well. The best advice I can give you is, prepare very well, get there with plenty of time and then relax on the day. The more you worry on the day the less favours you'll do yourself.

Good luck, I hope it goes well for you.

Again, I'd second all of this. Great advice.

 

[TeaTrain]

Agreed there is no point expecting to reach a certain point in the GB because it is about speed and accuracy. I specifically remember getting just over half done on each page. I applied with Virgin Trains who set their own standard above the national level and still passed. I am very confident many others did better than me on this so you should be fine. This was actually one of my hardest tests. Even when I did my conductor ones with shapes it was a stress XD Try not to neglect the other paper tests as well.

In my assessment days (it was over 2) We also had to do the hearing tests with the beeps. Counting the high beep as +1 and the lower tone as -1. Then after all you calculate what floor you would be on if you were on an elevator. Its fine until you then have to do the same thing while also looking at a page from a directory and circle all the matched symbols together as well.

I can't remember what other tests their were now. Some dials, an audio file which you then answer the questions, listening tests and then onto the computer tests.

Have they not sent you some practice materials and a specific breakdown of what tests will be carried out on the day?

 

[PhoenixBC]

All great words of advice, thanks again. They have sent me all the practice info and I've gone through it all.
I'm practising the GB on print offs and doing fine with that. I've looked at the DFFT and dials and that's all easy stuff tbh, but the other tests are more difficult to practice, like perception and the computer one with joysticks.

Any app with traffic scenes exit?

 

[PhoenixBC]

Was the subject for the text/memory test about the fictitious substance called GLOP, basically SANDITE? and how long do you have to re-read the text and your notes before they take them away? thanks.

Also, are the beeps in the TEA occ test slow or fast?

I've also been reading a lot about the dials and cables test. Am I correct in saying that each question has 4 dials, split into 4 zones of varying shades and priority is given to the lightest shade 1st or the darkest shade 1st?? and if the arrow is in the same shade on 2 or even 3 of the dials then the lowest number is the priority?

Would appreciate confirmation of this, thanks.

 

[Frostt baker]

Hi all,

Just wanted to confirm the tea occ test

The first part is counting the low tones.

Second part is searching the directory

Third part is what I'm not fully sure on are you counting the amount of tones with a group ?

Help needed

Thanks in advance.

 

[vintagegt]

Hi all,

Just wanted to confirm the tea occ test

The first part is counting the low tones.

Second part is searching the directory

Third part is what I'm not fully sure on are you counting the amount of tones with a group ?

Help needed

Thanks in advance.

Basically, in the third part you are doing both at once. Counting tones whilst searching the directory at the same time.

Multitasking.

 

[Frostt baker]

Thanks for reply,

Is there anywhere to practice the tones test.

 

[Sotac464]

Thanks for reply,

Is there anywhere to practice the tones test.

You don't need too, it's straight forward enough. You need to have some natural ability if you are to pass these tests.