Multi Modal Interview Assessment Day 2

[rey89iceman]

Hi all.

Just wondering if anyone has been through this stage and has an idea of the questions asked. I have an idea of the 5 most common that have been asked previously and if anyone can confirm these.


1. Describe a time where you've had to follow rules & procedures
2. Describe a time where you've been involved in an emergency situation
3. Describe a time you've been on a training course for over 2 weeks or your greatest achievement
4. Describe a time where you've had to work for long periods of time alone
5. Describe a time you've had to solve a difficult prob

Do these look familiar?

Cheers

 

[ultra4]

Hi all.

Just wondering if anyone has been through this stage and has an idea of the questions asked. I have an idea of the 5 most common that have been asked previously and if anyone can confirm these.


1. Describe a time where you've had to follow rules & procedures
2. Describe a time where you've been involved in an emergency situation
3. Describe a time you've been on a training course for over 2 weeks or your greatest achievement
4. Describe a time where you've had to work for long periods of time alone
5. Describe a time you've had to solve a difficult prob

Do these look familiar?

Cheers

Yep!
And...
6. Give an example of undertaken task similar to train driver's role.

 

[rey89iceman]

Cheers mate!

 

[Bert and Ernie]

Yep!
And...
6. Give an example of undertaken task similar to train driver's role.

Hmmm interesting thanks for that

 

[SOT1]

Hi, does anyone know if it's possible to get feedback on failed MMI?
I had my stage 2 assessment a few weeks ago and passed all the paper and computer tests, but got a rejection email yesterday. I am therefore assuming it must be the MMI, which I thought I had done ok in.
Do these interviews have an actual pass/fail mark?
Does this now mean I have to wait six months before applying again to any TOC? Does failing the MMI mean I have lost a life i.e only one chance left at the assessments? And would this mean I would have to do all of the tests again?
Many thanks for any help and advice, I'm absolutely gutted I haven't got through :cry::cry:

 

[Gash]

Ring the OPC and they will give you feedback on your MMI whether you passed or failed. Don't think you would have to do any tests again if you'd passed them all but I think it is one life gone. May be wrong though.
Sorry to hear your disappointing news, stay positive and give it another bash.

 

[SOT1]

Ring the OPC and they will give you feedback on your MMI whether you passed or failed. Don't think you would have to do any tests again if you'd passed them all but I think it is one life gone. May be wrong though.
Sorry to hear your disappointing news, stay positive and give it another bash.

Cheers mate, I will try and contact them. Do you have any contact details for them at all?

 

[Gash]

http://www.theopc.co.uk/index.jsp

 

[CyrusWuff]

When contacting the OPC, be aware that they can only give general feedback as to which areas you passed/failed. They won't say, "This is what you said for <blah> that we didn't like."

Assuming you passed everything else, you should just need to resit the Situational Judgement Exercise (SJE) and Multi-Modal Interview (MMI) if reapplying at a later date, and yes, an MMI failure does count as one of your two chances.

Having spectacularly failed the MMI when I took it, I'm in two minds whether to even bother trying again should the chance arise, as I'm just as likely to have the same trouble. This being despite encouragement from colleagues who think I'd make a good Driver...

 

[SOT1]

http://www.theopc.co.uk/index.jsp

Thanks again, I did manage to contact them and it turns out it was the TOC that took the tests on that particular day and not the OPC. I have requested feedback but am still waiting.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

When contacting the OPC, be aware that they can only give general feedback as to which areas you passed/failed. They won't say, "This is what you said for <blah> that we didn't like."

Assuming you passed everything else, you should just need to resit the Situational Judgement Exercise (SJE) and Multi-Modal Interview (MMI) if reapplying at a later date, and yes, an MMI failure does count as one of your two chances.

Having spectacularly failed the MMI when I took it, I'm in two minds whether to even bother trying again should the chance arise, as I'm just as likely to have the same trouble. This being despite encouragement from colleagues who think I'd make a good Driver...

After finishing the computer based tests, the invigilator told us we had all passed those tests and were through to the MMI, there were 7 of us in total.
I think I was so relieved that I probably relaxed a little thinking that the hardest part was over. Big mistake!
However, during the interview she didn't grill me too much and seemed reasonably happy with my answers, seldom asking me to elaborate any more.
She seemed to be writing loads on everything I said, and I was finished after approx 35 mins. I felt reasonably happy with my answers and how it had gone.
She said there were quite a few to mark so not to expect results that week but definitely the following week. I eventually got the rejection email on Weds, just over four weeks since taking the second assessment day.
That's why I'm so gutted, I had let myself believe that no news must be good news, and that if I hadn't got through I would have been informed much sooner. How wrong I was!
It just annoys me that after getting through all the testing successfully, I let my guard down too early!
Oh well, will just have to try harder next time.

 

[302PS]

Which toc if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Red18]

Thanks again, I did manage to contact them and it turns out it was the TOC that took the tests on that particular day and not the OPC. I have requested feedback but am still waiting.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


She seemed to be writing loads on everything I said, and I was finished after approx 35 mins.

35 minutes seems a bit quick. Most of those I have spoken with were in there for about 60 - 75mins. Mine lasted just over an hour.
I wonder if it was the SJE that was the problem?
Having said that, I was told that the SJE element was not a pass/fail test but merely an indicator to the assessor about what areas need to be challenged during the MMI.
Hopefully you will be able to get some helpful feedback.

Don't give up.

 

[ultra4]

35 minutes seems a bit quick. Most of those I have spoken with were in there for about 60 - 75mins. Mine lasted just over an hour.

Mine lasted about that long and passed it.

 

[Red18]

Mine lasted about that long and passed it.

I suppose if you've answered all the relevant questions to a good enough standard in that time then great, but Scot1 obviously hadn't. It does seem like he wasn't prompted to expand on 'failed' answers for very long.

Who knows what the actual criteria is though; it's all a bit of a mystery isn't it?

 

[siscor]

Mine was based on the examples given in the assessment centre. They gave us a piece of paper with 6 questions to complete in line to example of emergency, following rules & regulations, tasks similar to train driver, etc.
The assessor was following a form and ticked all the skills/abilities needed for the role, those that were not ticked he asked (mainly outcome, tasks and challenges).
It lasted about 30 minutes, was not difficult but I had loads of examples to give and probably gave far many examples that the assessor picked the most representative.
Hope this helps...(I have taken the assesment after September 2013)

 

[DunfordBridge]

I was under the impression that those taking the test now had to agree to the official secrets act or something very similar; but I am not complaining.

I implore anyone to correct me if I am wrong, but in selecting a response for the question about a difficult problem, I would not choose an example of such difficulty that it took an eon to solve or required a team effort. I think it has to be an example which was solved relatively quickly, say if you had a broken down train on the East Coast main line and trains were backing up behind you.

With regard to the tasks similar to those carried out by a train driver, I wonder how driving a heritage train or a professional train simulator count. Not everyone has that privilege so it might include examples of pre-flight checks, troubleshooting, multi-tasking, etc. Be interesting to see how people fail on this one.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Having spectacularly failed the MMI when I took it, I'm in two minds whether to even bother trying again should the chance arise, as I'm just as likely to have the same trouble. This being despite encouragement from colleagues who think I'd make a good Driver...

Never say never, just take your time about it and gain some more experience in essential areas. See if you can get to less form railway interviews in the meanwhile as certain questions will re-occur.

 

[SOT1]

Does anyone know what the 'Tolerance for low simulation' part of the MMI is?
Thanks for your help

 

[Red18]

Does anyone know what the 'Tolerance for low simulation' part of the MMI is?
Thanks for your help

Do you mean 'stimulation'?
If so then I assume this is to do with coping with boring tasks for an extended period.

 

[SOT1]

Do you mean 'stimulation'?
If so then I assume this is to do with coping with boring tasks for an extended period.

I don't know the feedback just said I failed the MMI on 'Tolerance for low simulation', I don't know what this is?

 

[zoomshane]

Do you mean 'stimulation'?
If so then I assume this is to do with coping with boring tasks for an extended period.

I don't know the feedback just said I failed the MMI on 'Tolerance for low simulation', I don't know what this is?

Going by some of the questions asked in my MMI. I would suggest the above reply to be accurate

 

[Casey Jones125]

Yep!
And...
6. Give an example of undertaken task similar to train driver's role.

Are these the questions for the old CBI interview or the MMI?

Regards

 

[DunfordBridge]

Are these the questions for the old CBI interview or the MMI?

Regards

Question 6 about train driving is unique to the new Multi-Modal Interview. I would say that the five former questions from the older CBI will materialise in the MMI, using variations on a theme although I hasten to add that I have not sat the MMI yet, only the CBI.

 

[Casey Jones125]

Question 6 about train driving is unique to the new Multi-Modal Interview. I would say that the five former questions from the older CBI will materialise in the MMI, using variations on a theme although I hasten to add that I have not sat the MMI yet, only the CBI.

Thanks DB, much appreciated.

 

[JCLeeds]

Sorry if this an obvious question, but is the MMI what has replaced the old CBI in trainee driver selection?

 

[mick2472]

Im officially confused.com I had an initial interview with northern and the dm said if you pass this its the phyc tests then medical then offer ??

Then again my mind was spinning at three times normal speed so I could have misheard

 

[siscor]

Sorry if this an obvious question, but is the MMI what has replaced the old CBI in trainee driver selection?

Short answer. Yes.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Im officially confused.com I had an initial interview with northern and the dm said if you pass this its the phyc tests then medical then offer ??

Then again my mind was spinning at three times normal speed so I could have misheard

I haven't done any physical, only assessment, manager interview, MMI and medical in that order.
More logical would be to leave the Manager's interview last, but this way saves money and resources.

 

[Driver068]

Hey guys, can anyone comment on if you pass the tests and get to the SJE and MMI but fail on your second attempt, is that effectively train driving career over before its started and can not resit ever?

 

[redbutton]

Hey guys, can anyone comment on if you pass the tests and get to the SJE and MMI but fail on your second attempt, is that effectively train driving career over before its started and can not resit ever?

My understanding is that if you don't pass all the tests first time, then your second attempt will only consist of the tests you didn't pass, and if you don't pass them all that second time then you're permanently excluded because you can't fail any test more than once. In other words, you get two attempts to pass the tests, and the attempts must be at least six months apart.

The SJE isn't graded, so there's no way to "fail" per sé. The MMI is officially part of the assessment, so the two-strikes rule would apply to it as well.

However, if they replace the tests, excluded candidates may be allowed to start over, as is the case with the new tests introduced last year.

 

[Driver068]

Thats great thankyou, have you undergone theses tests, as I am waiting to do the tests again so trying to do as mush research as possible and wanting to pass the MMI. Have you any advice, hints, tips and what they ask you other than whats already been posted.

 

[redbutton]

I've taken and passed the new-style assessments.

I think the best advice I can give is to relax. The interview is all about your past experiences, so all you can really do is tell the truth. When the assessor asks you a question, wait a moment and really think about it before you take a deep breath and respond.

If you take a moment to think before you speak, you'll be better able to construct the kind of logical responses they're looking for.

"About [n] years ago I was working as a [job title]. On this particular day [something relevant to the question] happened. As a [job title], I was in charge of [things], so I [did some awesome stuff], which ended up [turning out awesome]." (edit- obviously you would say this in your own words, but in the STAR structure: situation, task, action, result.)

Then, they'll ask you questions about your reasoning behind choosing to do whatever you said you did in the situation. Just answer honestly, and if you're a good fit for a driver role, you'll pass.