Train driver assessment standards.

[Philcycles84]

Hi

I've asked a few questions on this site and the current pass mark I hold on my train driver assessment with OPC has become...murky. So I'm wondering if it's possible to clear up my current position.

I recently applied for east mids trains. They break up the assessment into 2 days. 1 before and 1 after Manager interviews. The first one involves the group bourdon, TEA OCC and a short term memory test involving the operation of something called Glop (I cannot remember the name of this test)

Now, I never got to sit stage 2 as i failed the Manager interviews. Does this mean I have a pass at national standard? Having never sat stage 2, I don't know what it involves and, being that EMR runs faster, more powerful units it would lead me to believe that I would need a more advanced pass (perhaps stage 2) to work for thrm but stage 1 woild be viable to work fir say chilterns, Northrrn or thameslink.

Thank you for any advice you may be able to provide

 

[baz962]

The type of unit/ train has no bearing on what pass is needed. You still need to sit stage two , for any toc . Passing stage one only , does not mean that you only have national standard. The difference between national and standard , is how high you scored. The opc should be able to tell you. You can apply to other companies , or indeed East Midlands again and they would check. If your passes are high enough, or the company only require national , then you would be ok. If they require enhanced and you only had national , you would be unsuccessful , or invited to re sit. If you re sit , then the new passes would wipe out the previous scores . So if you had national and tried for enhanced and failed to pass even national , then you would have no passes at all. Hope this makes sense and good luck.

 

[Philcycles84]

The type of unit/ train has no bearing on what pass is needed. You still need to sit stage two , for any toc . Passing stage one only , does not mean that you only have national standard. The difference between national and standard , is how high you scored. The opc should be able to tell you. You can apply to other companies , or indeed East Midlands again and they would check. If your passes are high enough, or the company only require national , then you would be ok. If they require enhanced and you only had national , you would be unsuccessful , or invited to re sit. If you re sit , then the new passes would wipe out the previous scores . So if you had national and tried for enhanced and failed to pass even national , then you would have no passes at all. Hope this makes sense and good luck.

That does. Thank you. Strange thing is though, I've discussed with drivers in person and they are all confused when I mention a second day. They all sat theirs in one day, in and done hence the confusion.

Seems to me EMR are the only ones who split it into 2 days which, is a bit rubbish as it leaves me with only half a pass. Useless for any applications going forward

 

[baz962]

That does. Thank you. Strange thing is though, I've discussed with drivers in person and they are all confused when I mention a second day. They all sat theirs in one day, in and done hence the confusion.

Seems to me EMR are the only ones who split it into 2 days which, is a bit rubbish as it leaves me with only half a pass. Useless for any applications going forward

Most companies do two day's now. I believe the one day one's were quite a few year's back. My company do two day's , so do East Midlands and Thameslink and great Northern. A colleague of mine did his over two day's with virgin , around three or four year's ago.

 

[Philcycles84]

Most companies do two day's now. I believe the one day one's were quite a few year's back. My company do two day's , so do East Midlands and Thameslink and great Northern. A colleague of mine did his over two day's with virgin , around three or four year's ago.

Ah i see. Yes, most drivers I speak to are quite long in the tooth.
Which company do you wirk for?

 

[richfoz84]

The sections you’ve passed on though, when you next get to the stage, you won’t have to re do as you’ve already passed then!

 

[PickleTree]

Just to add I applied for Freightliner and their assessments with the OPC were done over 2 days also. Paper based tests on day 1 and then the computer based tests and the MMI on day 2.

 

[PaulBusDriver]

Just as an example, I sat the first day tests with Freightliner in August 2018 and passed GB, Tea-occ and DFFT to enhanced. I passsed the GLOP to National standard, which left me ineligible to cary on with freightliner as they wanted enhanced.
I applied for GWR in Sept 2019 and went straight through to the 2nd part assesments and MMI. I didnt need enhanced passes for GWR and was lucky to pass MMI and DMI.
Im now in a telnt pool, depending on who you apply to and what standard they require, you probably will not need to re-sit any of the tests you have passed although my friend who also applied for the same freightliner vacancy as me and passed everything to enhanced except for the MMI went for a job with GWR but they insisted he re-sit all the tests.
Im unsure of the reason why, perhaps it was due to individual circumstances but it seems you cant say for certain what TOC's will want to do in the event you've existing test passes and apply for other jobs.

 

[Stigy]

That does. Thank you. Strange thing is though, I've discussed with drivers in person and they are all confused when I mention a second day. They all sat theirs in one day, in and done hence the confusion.

Seems to me EMR are the only ones who split it into 2 days which, is a bit rubbish as it leaves me with only half a pass. Useless for any applications going forward

As has been said, most are over two days now. When I first did mine with SWT as they were then, it was all in one day (very intense), apart from the MMI, which you were invited back for. I sat what would be stage one, in the morning, and provided I passed those, I was allowed to do the afternoon session.

Any TOC of FOC that the OPC deals with seems to do it over two days.....which is most these days.

 

[DB0161]

When I did my Assessments for Northern in August 2019 I did all of the tests and the MMI on the same day. Brutal but we found out we had passed before we even left the building. Nice drive home from Doncaster that

 

[richfoz84]

When I did my Assessments for Northern in August 2019 I did all of the tests and the MMI on the same day. Brutal but we found out we had passed before we even left the building. Nice drive home from Doncaster that

Did this in Feb, same for me, all done in 1 day and found out I’d passed before I left

 

[railwaymania27]

Anyone got any practice material they could send. Thanks in advance.

 

[Tony43]

I sat mine for GWR in june 2018 and it was all in one day , apparently its now spread over two which I would say is better as its quite intense sitting all in one day

 

[Stigy]

I sat mine for GWR in june 2018 and it was all in one day , apparently its now spread over two which I would say is better as its quite intense sitting all in one day

I think it’s probably due to the OPC doing them? I ‘think’ GWR used to do them themselves, same as SWR?

 

[Tony43]

Yes was definitely someone from GWR taking test think her name was Jodie