Order Order?!

[Neil73]

When attending the assessment day, in what order do the tests take place?

I realise that there are some tests in the morning and should I be successful I'll be invited to stay for a slap up luncheon before further tests and interview (structured) in the afternoon.

But in what order do the tests take place?

 

[Lanc688]

When attending the assessment day, in what order do the tests take place?

I realise that there are some tests in the morning and should I be successful I'll be invited to stay for a slap up luncheon before further tests and interview (structured) in the afternoon.

But in what order do the tests take place?

Hi mate....DBS was GBT, TRP then Mech from memory. After lunch it was reactions and then Interview (Structured).

Good luck....when is it?

Lanc
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Just seen that you are doing these with Northern though and so they most likely have their own order.

Someone else can no doubt advise you mate....Good Luck !

Lanc

 

[Neil73]

Hi mate....DBS was GBT, TRP then Mech from memory. After lunch it was reactions and then Interview (Structured).

Good luck....when is it?

Lanc
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Just seen that you are doing these with Northern though and so they most likely have their own order.

Someone else can no doubt advise you mate....Good Luck !

Lanc

Hi lanc, yes its for Northern next week.

Has anyone been through the Northern assessments recently and can shed any light on this?

 

[Beveridges]

Last went through the northern assessment back in Oct 2008 they utilised CCL Crewe.

Order was:

1) Mech test
2) Trainability part 1 - Glop
3) Trainability part 2 - Dials
All pen & paper

-20 minute break-
Unsuccessfuls sent home who failed any of the tests so far
The rest were put onto computers
4) Reactions
5) Group Boredom test

Unsuccessfuls sent home,
6) Successfuls told to get ready for a Structured Interview
- long, short or even a non-existant break depending on where you are in the que - if there is anyone else left by this stage!! Sometimes there isnt I would think!-
Paperwork for Structured Interview handed to you half an hour before the Interview with the Assessor. You get 30 minutes to write down your answers to the five "core questions". Once the 30 minutes are over you get sent in and get an hours grilling by the Assessor asking countless probing questions about what you've just written.
Everyone sent home after their Interview not knowing if they have passed or failed.

Phone call within the next 7 working days letting you know if you passed or failed the Structured Interview. If you fail then that is one of your two chances gone and you have to wait 6 months before being allowed to do the tests again.

 

[Neil73]

Last went through the northern assessment back in Oct 2008 they utilised CCL Crewe.

Order was:

1) Mech test
2) Trainability part 1 - Glop
3) Trainability part 2 - Dials
All pen & paper

-20 minute break-
Unsuccessfuls sent home who failed any of the tests so far
The rest were put onto computers
4) Reactions
5) Group Boredom test

Unsuccessfuls sent home,
6) Successfuls told to get ready for a Structured Interview
- long, short or even a non-existant break depending on where you are in the que - if there is anyone else left by this stage!! Sometimes there isnt I would think!-
Paperwork for Structured Interview handed to you half an hour before the Interview with the Assessor. You get 30 minutes to write down your answers to the five "core questions". Once the 30 minutes are over you get sent in and get an hours grilling by the Assessor asking countless probing questions about what you've just written.
Everyone sent home after their Interview not knowing if they have passed or failed.

Phone call within the next 7 working days letting you know if you passed or failed the Structured Interview. If you fail then that is one of your two chances gone and you have to wait 6 months before being allowed to do the tests again.

Thanks alot for the detailed post, thats great.

The mechanical test, would I be right in thinking its the MT4.1? (the more difficult one of the two possibles). Is it always this one?

Also, the Glop test? Thats the passage that is read out and you need to answer 36 questions in 18 mins or something. I think I should fair pretty well with this and certainly ok with the dials its just the mechanical test that if anything I might not do so well in!! The reaction and Boredom tests Ive practised so should be ok there.

Any advice for the mechanical test? I bought the Barrons Mech Aptitude test and apart from gears and pulleys there aint much else that comes close to what I believe will be in the test.

Oh and one last point, in the 'How 2' book by McMunn some of the examples regarding the Mech test were switches and in what sequence they operated. Are you familiar with that and do you know if they are a part of the mech test?

Thanks again for excellent info
Neil

 

[Beveridges]

Mech test is usually MT4.1 these days which is the harder one. 36 questions in 18 minutes. One question about circuits in here similar to the Barrons examples. Reading the Barrons book will give you the skills to answer about 5 questions on the mech test. The rest you can either guess or work out yourself. One question is about which way a tree will fall when chainsawed. Another shows 3 car tyres and asks which one is over inflated. One questions has 3 flag poles and asks which one is strongest. Other questions include pipes, chains, wheels, pivots, rivets, sliders, rack and gears, bell cranks, cams, levers, liquids, pulleys, joints and more. sometimes combinations of these. Difficult to prepare for as the Barrons book is not very comprehensive it has nothing on pipes and stuff just gears and cogs which is only a few questions worth in the Mech test MT4.1. There are other mech practice books and websites but none are of the standard for MT4.1 the Barrons book is the best of a bad bunch. But it's still nowhere near ideal - its a bit like using a GCSE revision book to prepare for an A Level exam.
Glop test is 18 questions in 7 minutes. Reading up on Sandite before sitting this test is the best way to prepare.
The Boredom test should be easy if you have practiced it. Reactions will be a bit harder but the downloadable practice tool helps a good deal

 

[Neil73]

Mech test is usually MT4.1 these days which is the harder one. 36 questions in 18 minutes. One question about circuits in here similar to the Barrons examples. Reading the Barrons book will give you the skills to answer about 5 questions on the mech test. The rest you can either guess or work out yourself. One question is about which way a tree will fall when chainsawed. Another shows 3 car tyres and asks which one is over inflated. One questions has 3 flag poles and asks which one is strongest. Other questions include pipes, chains, wheels, pivots, rivets, sliders, rack and gears, bell cranks, cams, levers, liquids, pulleys, joints and more. sometimes combinations of these. Difficult to prepare for as the Barrons book is not very comprehensive it has nothing on pipes and stuff just gears and cogs which is only a few questions worth in the Mech test MT4.1. There are other mech practice books and websites but none are of the standard for MT4.1 the Barrons book is the best of a bad bunch. But it's still nowhere near ideal - its a bit like using a GCSE revision book to prepare for an A Level exam.
Glop test is 18 questions in 7 minutes. Reading up on Sandite before sitting this test is the best way to prepare.
The Boredom test should be easy if you have practiced it. Reactions will be a bit harder but the downloadable practice tool helps a good deal

Another great post Beveridges, thanks alot.

I guess I'll just have to swot up on the things you listed above but I should be generally ok.

Thanks again.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
So from your experience Beveridges, or anyone else who has recently sat the Northern assessments, is the Glop test based on sandite? Or am I thinking that would be too good to be true?

 

[Beveridges]

Glop test is 4 paragraphs about Sandite but why is this too good to be true? It's about a Glop train but Glop is just another name for Sandite.
You can read up on Sandite but do not try to memorise the exact rules pertaining to real sandite trains as these are different in the actual test so that people who work on the railway have to actually read the text to pass this test. But read up on sandite trains just to find out what they are, what their purpose is, and the fact that sandite countdown marker boards exist that tell the Driver when to start applying sandite and when to stop applying. The Driver of the Glop train does not actually apply the Sandite but signals to the Guard with horn blasts when to start and stop the application of Glop. Be aware that the Glop train is operated by a Guard who operates a Tumbler switch at the rear of the train, and the train must run at a certain speed when applying Glop. Make sure you remember this speed when you read the test passage as it is different to the speed real sandite trains run at. Also the Glop train has a flashing light on the rear of the train - but it isn't red like it would be in real life.

 

[evoluzione]

Thanks Beveridges, you've been a great help again.

I too have my assessment next week and your posts have helped me no end.