Trainee Depot Driver East Midlands Trains

[JDMFTW]

Does anybody know if the pad on my MacBook Pro will suffice as a mouse? As it says a mouse is required to do the tests.. Does it basically mean do not attempt to do this on your phone? Or do I need to go out and buy an actual mouse (not an actual mouse) ? Thanks

 

[heedfan]

Does anybody know if the pad on my MacBook Pro will suffice as a mouse? As it says a mouse is required to do the tests.. Does it basically mean do not attempt to do this on your phone? Or do I need to go out and buy an actual mouse (not an actual mouse) ? Thanks

It will work. But if it’s a timed test and you think you’d be faster/easier doing it with a mouse, then go and buy a mouse.

 

[Amanda]

I took no chances and borrowed a mouse from my work's IT department. I don't know if it was essential but they are timed exercises and a couple of them I was very close to running out of time on, I think a mouse likely helped with that!

Look at it this way - you can always unplug the mouse and use the mousepad, but you can't do it the other way round if you change your mind about using the mousepad and don't have a mouse.

It's not expensive to buy one, less than a fiver I think for one with a wire. A wireless one is about £10-£12.

 

[Lopez]

Good luck all with the online assessment, I ordered a cheap wired mouse on eBay that was only £2.39 delivered, I'll do mine later this week when I have the mouse and time to sit down properly and concentrate on it.

 

[JDMFTW]

Good luck all with the online assessment, I ordered a cheap wired mouse on eBay that was only £2.39 delivered, I'll do mine later this week when I have the mouse and time to sit down properly and concentrate on it.

Yeah just ordered a mouse lol, should be here by Wednesday apparently but as long as it’s here before the weekend I’m not too worried

 

[Wizzy_896]

I think it just means not using your phone. I have the touch pad mouse for my iMac and that was fine. Good luck guys

 

[RedKnight]

I've not heard anything yet, and I imagine it'll be a while before I get my start date with the next couple of courses being scheduled for later in the year.
It's all about patience this Talent Pool business!!!

hi,

are you still working in your current job whilst being in the pool?

 

[Amanda]

Hey DMIers... Anyone heard back yet? I found out yesterday that I'm through to the next lot of assessments in two weeks. Over the moon doesn't begin to cover it, particularly since I didn't make it past the interview last time.

 

[Clarabella31]

Hey DMIers... Anyone heard back yet? I found out yesterday that I'm through to the next lot of assessments in two weeks. Over the moon doesn't begin to cover it, particularly since I didn't make it past the interview last time.

Congratulations Amanda, you must be over the moon!

 

[Optimist]

Hey DMIers... Anyone heard back yet? I found out yesterday that I'm through to the next lot of assessments in two weeks. Over the moon doesn't begin to cover it, particularly since I didn't make it past the interview last time.

Well done. Do you know what to practise for the next part?

 

[Amanda]

Well done. Do you know what to practise for the next part?

The e-mail doesn't say but as I recall the practice materials will be in the second half of that 80-page document we were sent ahead of stage 1, so I'm going to start there... Once I've sneakily printed it off at work! The assessments are two weeks tomorrow so I have time to make that my starting point and look on here and on YouTube thereafter.

 

[Optimist]

The e-mail doesn't say but as I recall the practice materials will be in the second half of that 80-page document we were sent ahead of stage 1, so I'm going to start there... Once I've sneakily printed it off at work! The assessments are two weeks tomorrow so I have time to make that my starting point and look on here and on YouTube thereafter.

That’s great Thankyou. If you find any practice items on YouTube would you mind sharing please. Don’t know if anyone else has any links that can be shared please?

 

[Dynamonic]

hi,

are you still working in your current job whilst being in the pool?

Hi there RedKnight,

I’m long out of the pool now and enjoying the role. I was in the pool from December 2017 until May 2018.

You would need to stay in your current role whilst in the pool though. You could be in the talent pool for up to two years, and it’s important to remember that being in the talent pool is not a job offer in itself.
You should never leave your current role until you have received your formal job offer and signed a contract as circumstances can change.

Hope this helps.

 

[Daveb1664]

Evening, just had a go at the practice test online in prep for the Maths test. I'll be totally honest it was horrendous. There is an example set of questions which were ok ( about the level 2 standard) but the full practice test paper was really long winded. Anyone else had a go at the practice test?

 

[Hazza]

Evening, just had a go at the practice test online in prep for the Maths test. I'll be totally honest it was horrendous. There is an example set of questions which were ok ( about the level 2 standard) but the full practice test paper was really long winded. Anyone else had a go at the practice test?

I did - was tough going huh! Hopefully the real test isn’t like that. I’m wondering how many questions we have to complete in 30mins as I didn’t even finish the practice one!

 

[Amanda]

It's been a month since I did the online tests but a LOT has happened since then so I could be wrong about this but...

I don't think it's actually 30 minutes you have. I think that includes practice time. I can't remember exactly but I think it was something like 18 minutes?

Like I said, I could be wrong! Maybe someone else who has done them can chip in.

 

[Daveb1664]

I did - was tough going huh! Hopefully the real test isn’t like that. I’m wondering how many questions we have to complete in 30mins as I didn’t even finish the practice one!

I didn't finish it either. Best keep practicing, glad I didn't go straight into the assesment.

 

[Clarabella31]

Evening, just had a go at the practice test online in prep for the Maths test. I'll be totally honest it was horrendous. There is an example set of questions which were ok ( about the level 2 standard) but the full practice test paper was really long winded. Anyone else had a go at the practice test?

I have done the practice tests and also found them horrendous and impossible to complete in the allocated time - the maths questions were also very ambiguous. I'm also hoping the real thing is a tad simpler

 

[RedKnight]

Evening, just had a go at the practice test online in prep for the Maths test. I'll be totally honest it was horrendous. There is an example set of questions which were ok ( about the level 2 standard) but the full practice test paper was really long winded. Anyone else had a go at the practice test?

hi @Daveb1664 , have you got link for this online test? I got through the initial sift, then got told stage 1 tests will be in 2019? still waiting further instructions from HR. Ive emailed them today....

 

[Daveb1664]

Deleted

 

[Daveb1664]

Anyone at the morning slot for the group stages on the 30th?

 

[Lopez]

Hey DMIers... Anyone heard back yet? I found out yesterday that I'm through to the next lot of assessments in two weeks. Over the moon doesn't begin to cover it, particularly since I didn't make it past the interview last time.

Well done Amanda

 

[Clarabella31]

I did - was tough going huh! Hopefully the real test isn’t like that. I’m wondering how many questions we have to complete in 30mins as I didn’t even finish the practice one!

I did the Maths and Personality one today. For the Maths it's 18 questions in 17 minutes. Some are obvious answers some take quite a bit of worKing out. Needless to say I took an educated guess on some of the last few as time was running out.

 

[Amanda]

Well done Amanda

Cheers, López! My next assessment is the same day as everyone else's (30th January) but at a totally different location. TWO WEEKS TODAY, GUYS!!

 

[Hazza]

I did the Maths and Personality one today. For the Maths it's 18 questions in 17 minutes. Some are obvious answers some take quite a bit of worKing out. Needless to say I took an educated guess on some of the last few as time was running out.

Thanks for the heads up Clara, appreciate it! Hope it went well for you.

 

[LaursP]

The e-mail doesn't say but as I recall the practice materials will be in the second half of that 80-page document we were sent ahead of stage 1, so I'm going to start there... Once I've sneakily printed it off at work! The assessments are two weeks tomorrow so I have time to make that my starting point and look on here and on YouTube thereafter.

Congratulations Amanda,
This next round will be all the fun tests (I think, esp if you’ve had your DMI- I could be wrong tho!), the ones where you have to do things on a computer- the one where you use two joysticks to guide a ball around a course on a screen (in the paper practice pages it’s done with pencil and paper) and the two attention tests.
It’s all great fun, I really enjoyed them- mine was held at a local hotel and we also had our MMI at this stage too.

At the end of that day we found out if we’d got through into the talent pool, so if this is your next stage it hopefully won’t be too long to wait til you know where your future is heading.....

 

[Amanda]

Congratulations Amanda,
This next round will be all the fun tests (I think, esp if you’ve had your DMI- I could be wrong tho!), the ones where you have to do things on a computer- the one where you use two joysticks to guide a ball around a course on a screen (in the paper practice pages it’s done with pencil and paper) and the two attention tests.
It’s all great fun, I really enjoyed them- mine was held at a local hotel and we also had our MMI at this stage too.

At the end of that day we found out if we’d got through into the talent pool, so if this is your next stage it hopefully won’t be too long to wait til you know where your future is heading.....

Thanks, @LaursP ! No, you're quite right and it's at the same hotel as yours was! This is really the unknown now so I'm bricking it a bit. The tests sound insane but I guess I just have to prepare as best possible and take the plunge.

 

[Smigg92]

I’m at the stage 2 assessments on the 30th too! Not as easy to practice as the written tests so it could be interesting!

 

[Amanda]

I’m at the stage 2 assessments on the 30th too! Not as easy to practice as the written tests so it could be interesting!

Oooh, the same one as me (after DMI) or the group assessments? Assuming the former, I'll see you there!

 

[Smigg92]

Yeah I did my DMI last week and Group Assessment what seems like an age ago! It seems like a lifetime ago that the application form was filled in Hopefully it will all be worth it in the end!