Hi ollie_hobbs,
Firstly, well done for getting through the first stages.
I’m not sure if all TOC’s require the same tests for driving vacancies, however I could be wrong. That being said, I completed my psychometrics in September and faced the following:
- Concentration test: 35 mins approx. Flashing square on a white background. Press a button to acknowledge when the square flashes black instead of grey. Best method of practice is to make three PowerPoint slides, one white, one white with a small grey square in the middle and another with a black square in the middle. Set the presentation to infinite and random slide order. 1 second each slide. Practice concentrating for 30 minutes unbroken no more than once a day.
- ATAVT test: 12 or so images are presented to you one by one for about half a second each. After each image you’ll be presented with five options (multiple choice) to select what you saw in the image. Do NOT select something you are unsure of. You will not be marked down for missing something (though you won’t be marked up, either), but you WILL be marked down if you select something that wasn’t there. Best practice is to get someone to select random images off google images (ideally streets with cars and bikes etc) and get them to show them to you for a second, then challenge what you saw.
- Joysticks: this is purely hand-eye coordination. Forewarning that the joysticks are VERY sensitive. Two joysticks, one for each hand. One will only go up and down, the other left and right. They will also have a small dead zone in the middle, approx 3-4mm of travel across the middle, however you’ll get a feel for this (just something to be aware of, though you may not have this). The objective is to move a dot around the screen by staying within a path. Mine was similar to half a fish. Straight up, diagonally down left, then a 3/4 circle around (counter clockwise). You will have to do this about 10 times on repeat. You will also get a few attempts to practice first before the real thing, to get a feel for the joysticks. You are marked on speed and accuracy. Forewarning, don’t worry too much if you go out the lines a lot (I did), just make sure you can recover quickly. Don’t be slow, but DO NOT RUSH. No advice for practice on this I’m afraid. I went through it in my head a lot before the real thing, but couldn’t think of any way to practice. In hindsight, it’s a difficult one to think of anything you can do as it’s very unique.
In regards to the MMI, this will mostly test composure and your ability to react to pressure, unlike the interview you’ve already sat which is more research, personal character and knowledge based. You will be asked questions such as a time you’ve handled an emergency, made a difficult decision, etc. and you will be assessed in detail in your response. Do not lie, they will know. Give as much detail as you can. Stick to STAR (Situatuon, Task, Action, Response) in your responses. They will be looking to see if you answer clearly and concisely and your ability to effectively demonstrate what the question is asking. It’s ok to think for a minute before you start to answer. Do not waffle, keep relevant. At random points they may butt in and ask you another question mid-answer if they pick up on something you said. This will be them digging and applying pressure. Again, remain calm, stay relevant to the question and be clear.
That’s everything I know. Best of luck to you for the tests. If I can help any further, please ask!
