Mechanical Aptitude Test 4.1

[Jaybird90]

Hi everyone, newbie here looking for a bit of info...

Currently applying for trainee driver jobs as and when they come up in the near future, but rather than sitting twiddling my thumbs until then I want to put a bit of practice in to some of the tests that TOCs do at assessment centres.

I believe a few TOCs make you do Mechanical Aptitude 4.1, but I can't seem to find any relevant study material that would allow me to practice for this harder test.

I have the Baron's book, but from what I've read on here that doesn't even come close to the questions 4.1 is likely to ask.

Does anyone know of a decent book or online source where I could find and practice some of the harder questions to be found in the 4.1 test?

Many thanks

 

[SkinnyDave]

Hi There,

I failed this part in April narrowly due to panic and having a mental block.
I only have this one to sit again so I am in same position.
In short the answer is no but there is a post about what it contains under a Northern Thread.
Barons will help with around 4 of the questions there is one about cutting a tree with a chain saw!
It is random and I have found entrance tests via google for American Armed Forces which contains Mechanical comprehension that were random and similar.

Hope this helps and let us know if you find any helpful marerial

 

[Jaybird90]

Hi There,

I failed this part in April narrowly due to panic and having a mental block.
I only have this one to sit again so I am in same position.
In short the answer is no but there is a post about what it contains under a Northern Thread.
Barons will help with around 4 of the questions there is one about cutting a tree with a chain saw!
It is random and I have found entrance tests via google for American Armed Forces which contains Mechanical comprehension that were random and similar.

Hope this helps and let us know if you find any helpful marerial

Hi Dave, thanks for the reply. Can I ask how you found the test itself? Sorry to hear you failed, from what I've read it appears this test is one of the main reasons people fail on the day itself. Annoying thing is I bet a lot of people who would be perfect for a driving job fall at this hurdle, which seems a shame considering there's not many train operators who ask if you can cut a tree down with a chain saw when you send in your application!

Would you recommend any books other than the Baron's one? Perhaps physics revision for A level or anything else you've come across?

 

[SkinnyDave]

Hi Dave, thanks for the reply. Can I ask how you found the test itself? Sorry to hear you failed, from what I've read it appears this test is one of the main reasons people fail on the day itself. Annoying thing is I bet a lot of people who would be perfect for a driving job fall at this hurdle, which seems a shame considering there's not many train operators who ask if you can cut a tree down with a chain saw when you send in your application!

Would you recommend any books other than the Baron's one? Perhaps physics revision for A level or anything else you've come across?

Hi Jay,

Its called the ASVAB test
I have books and didnt find them helpful it is logic and I panicked and she told me that I should have guessed at blank ones.
Beveridges has listed topics that come up and im learning how they work.
Ta

 

[ambo]

Hi guys, new member here. My name is Lee

i sat my Trainee Train Drivers assessment with First Scotrail on tuesady and when i came out i didnt feel confident about the Mechanical Aptitude test, i was rather annoyed as i spent 2 weeks doing various examples and done really well only to find the actual test no like anything i had practised.....

The tree question, a tree with the right side cut out and one example with a straight thin cut on the left and the other with angled cut on left, i think the question was "Which cut will cause the tree to fall to the left" or something, i also remember the question about the flagpole, which flagpole will withstand the wind or something like that....

Anyway, we where told that we would be notified by email within 3 days and told whether we passed or failed and if we failed we would be told on what area's we need to improve...well im still waiting on said email, good news perhaps???

Not likely, i just so happened to check my application on the site last night and yup, as i guessed it, Unsuccesfull - Assessment, raging that iv not recieved an email, you get no info from the site, i just want to know where i went wrong...

Thanks, Lee

**EDIT** received my notes this morning through the door, turns out i failed the TRP test, doesnt say if it was part one or part two, im really annoyed with myself as i thought i done ok with the GLOP questions and great on the cables and dials.....wonder if they would tell me what part i failed...

 

[Beveridges]

The Barrons book is the best of a bad bunch. Barrons will help with a few questions (about 3 out of 36!) and its not really worth buying any of the others as they are almost no use at all!
Whats worse is this test has got nothing to do with the job whatsoever. They say its to test if you can handle the traction training. I've done traction training on 7 different types of unit and there is absolutely nothing about it that resembles MT4.1 or MT4.2. Completely pointless test only there to keep the numbers down. No wonder some TOCs have dropped it.

 

[TDK]

Hi There,

I failed this part in April narrowly due to panic and having a mental block.

If you are prone to panic and a mental block you aint suitable for the role fella
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Hi guys, new member here. My name is Lee

i sat my Trainee Train Drivers assessment with First Scotrail on tuesady and when i came out i didnt feel confident about the Mechanical Aptitude test, i was rather annoyed as i spent 2 weeks doing various examples and done really well only to find the actual test no like anything i had practised.....

The tree question, a tree with the right side cut out and one example with a straight thin cut on the left and the other with angled cut on left, i think the question was "Which cut will cause the tree to fall to the left" or something, i also remember the question about the flagpole, which flagpole will withstand the wind or something like that....

Anyway, we where told that we would be notified by email within 3 days and told whether we passed or failed and if we failed we would be told on what area's we need to improve...well im still waiting on said email, good news perhaps???

Not likely, i just so happened to check my application on the site last night and yup, as i guessed it, Unsuccesfull - Assessment, raging that iv not recieved an email, you get no info from the site, i just want to know where i went wrong...

Thanks, Lee

**EDIT** received my notes this morning through the door, turns out i failed the TRP test, doesnt say if it was part one or part two, im really annoyed with myself as i thought i done ok with the GLOP questions and great on the cables and dials.....wonder if they would tell me what part i failed...

You went wrong probably from getting false information from people who do not know what they are on about unfortunately, sometimes it is best to research things for yourself as you will learn that there are many people who think they know exactly what to do but hey they aint got a trainee drivers job - sorry to be blunt but the amount of false info I have seen posted on this forum alone as quite frequent I am afraid. I had a PM the other day from a poor fella who was absolutely gutted that he hadn't passed and when he told me what he had done to practice and also the info he had been given from this forum (mentioning no names) I was not at all surprised he was not competent.

 

[SkinnyDave]

If you are prone to panic and a mental block you aint suitable for the role fella
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


You went wrong probably from getting false information from people who do not know what they are on about unfortunately, sometimes it is best to research things for yourself as you will learn that there are many people who think they know exactly what to do but hey they aint got a trainee drivers job - sorry to be blunt but the amount of false info I have seen posted on this forum alone as quite frequent I am afraid. I had a PM the other day from a poor fella who was absolutely gutted that he hadn't passed and when he told me what he had done to practice and also the info he had been given from this forum (mentioning no names) I was not at all surprised he was not competent.

If that was the case it would have came up in structured interview answers ( where I have had to deal with many an emergency) I would have thought but your entitled to your opinion.
Quite simply wasnt prepared for 4.1 like a lot of others will be next time if and when I sit it again.

 

[millemille]

If that was the case it would have came up in structured interview answers ( where I have had to deal with many an emergency) I would have thought but your entitled to your opinion.
Quite simply wasnt prepared for 4.1 like a lot of others will be next time if and when I sit it again.

When you've got a failure or incident to deal with as a driver you are under an incredible amount of pressure, particularly if DOO, and need to be able operate in a calm and structured manner, going from normal day-to-day driving to operating under extreme stress in a matter of seconds.

I've just investigated what was reported as a wrong side door failure and it turns out that the the driver, with 20 years experience, fluffed his faults and failures under pressure (and it was an ECS move so he didn't even have a train full of baying punters all eager to egress doors and start milling around on the running lines to deal with); it wasn't a wrong side failure until the driver did the wrong thing and turned what should have been 10 minute incident into one that caused over 1,000 minutes delay, 6 CAPES and prompted a full wrong side door failure investigation where on-call FTO and FRE got called out.

The driver is really cut up and suffering from the stress of knowing he got it wrong and it looks like he's going to be disciplined.