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Trainee Train Driver - Virgin Trains East Coast

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Brian88

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21 Oct 2016
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79
In a way I kind of agree, amount of people I know who are clueless but can bluff how much they know
 
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2 Nov 2016
Messages
94
In a way I kind of agree, amount of people I know who are clueless but can bluff how much they know

You clearly know nothing of the role you have applied for then.

The rule book and the procedures set out in train driving cannot be "bluffed"
 

SkinnyDave

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Joined
11 Mar 2012
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1,242
Was there not a lad that missed out on a Trainee Driver role with Crossrail for posting guff on here?
 

Maybe

Member
Joined
21 Oct 2013
Messages
137
Qualified or not I believe everyone should go through the same process.

Just because your qualified or experienced at anything doesn't mean your actually any good at something

Are you trolling? I hope so because if not you need your ghead testing.

By using your their of logic to compare it with scenarios that people from everyday life cab rest too, should you get a new car you should retake your driving test.....

There should be no reason fur a qualified driver to retake the tests. The word 'QUALIFIED' for me us the big one here.
The tests people sit are to establish wether applicants display the necessary attributes to become a driver. They don't show wether you are able to drive a train or take in the vast amounts of information needed to actually do the role.

Fur those who are already drivers fair play to them for applying. I myself would gave qualm with a qualified driver being out straight through to a final interview. Let's not forget they still have to pass thus,and I'm sure at times perhaps those that are qualified will face more hurdles to jump cond the final interview.
 

xtradj

Member
Joined
24 Jul 2006
Messages
542
Your missing the point. There are plenty of people qualified in their profession but it doesn't mean they are any good at it. Lawyers.. Teachers to name but two.

Personally a fair process would be for everyone to go through the same. If your qualified and have done the tests before then there is nothing for you to worry about. You may find being qualified that taking the test your scores are lower than someone who isn't qualified.

Just because someone is qualified doesn't mean they can't out perform you just because you've had the opportunity to take a test previously and they have not.
 

Trap Point

New Member
Joined
24 Oct 2016
Messages
2
Your missing the point. There are plenty of people qualified in their profession but it doesn't mean they are any good at it. Lawyers.. Teachers to name but two.

Personally a fair process would be for everyone to go through the same. If your qualified and have done the tests before then there is nothing for you to worry about. You may find being qualified that taking the test your scores are lower than someone who isn't qualified.

Just because someone is qualified doesn't mean they can't out perform you just because you've had the opportunity to take a test previously and they have not.

Or perhaps at the start of each rostered turn it should be mandatory to complete an assessment test to ensure performance and ability hasn't degraded since booking off?

As a previous poster said: "This is comedy gold!"
 

Brian88

Member
Joined
21 Oct 2016
Messages
79
There should be no reason fur a qualified driver to retake the tests. The word 'QUALIFIED' for me us the big one here.
The tests people sit are to establish wether applicants display the necessary attributes to become a driver. They don't show wether you are able to drive a train or take in the vast amounts of information needed to actually do the role.

If you have the right attributes then you will easily pass the test in this case. :lol:
 

SkinnyDave

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11 Mar 2012
Messages
1,242
Your missing the point. There are plenty of people qualified in their profession but it doesn't mean they are any good at it. Lawyers.. Teachers to name but two.

Personally a fair process would be for everyone to go through the same. If your qualified and have done the tests before then there is nothing for you to worry about. You may find being qualified that taking the test your scores are lower than someone who isn't qualified.

Just because someone is qualified doesn't mean they can't out perform you just because you've had the opportunity to take a test previously and they have not.

It gets better, LOLz
Not a clue
 

TRain87

Member
Joined
1 Sep 2016
Messages
311
Location
England
Would you say to a doctor....if you change surgery you will need to resit your medical exams, or any time a supply teacher went to a new school they had to re-do their university assignments???? Use your head
 

Brian88

Member
Joined
21 Oct 2016
Messages
79
No because an aptitude test is something completely different to an exam. What you pass one time, you could fail the next day
 

SkinnyDave

Established Member
Joined
11 Mar 2012
Messages
1,242
I am beginning to love this thread, it is becoming entertainment in our mess room just for the pure idiocy of some of the comments!
 

JohnFM

Member
Joined
24 Jul 2015
Messages
214
Your missing the point. . . . .

Just because someone is qualified doesn't mean they can't out perform you just because you've had the opportunity to take a test previously and they have not.

You are clearly completely unqualified to summarily wave a statement like that around.

You don't ask a Bus driver to re-take their test prior to changing companies in exactly the same way you don't re-take your driving test every time you buy a new car.

You obviously have no idea what it takes to be a Driver and therefore absolutely no idea what you're talking about and throw the word "qualified" around without any understanding what that word actually means.

Asking a driver to take "the test" just shows how little you understand.

Totally agree; Comedy Gold.
 
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Swampster

Member
Joined
26 Oct 2016
Messages
54
Location
South Yorkshire
I can understand qualified drivers not having to take some of the tests that they've already done before..

Just as an aside however.. A good friend of mine is a Captain with a major airline, and he has to undertake reassessments on a 6 monthly basis (and that's just to remain in his current post).. now I'm not exactly espousing that but you get the idea, or do TOC's already employ this kind of regular reassessment?

However from what I can gather having read some posts on this thread.. in this particular case aren't these current online 'checking' tests generally different to what most qualified's have taken before? (probably purely to whittle down the numbers is my guess?).

If that is the case then surely everyone should be measured by the same yardstick at this point? The real 'aptitude' tests that most qualified's will have already taken (and probably should be able to skip) come in the next stage don't they?

I imagine there's a good deal of people who even with this online test will 'pass' but won't make the cut simply because of the sheer number of people taking it and in all likelihood the bar will be set high because of those numbers.

Right or wrong, I'm imagining they're only going to take through the top x% no matter what the actual pass mark is.. I could of course be wide of the mark, but if not I feel as it appears to be more of a numbers game than anything else at this point, then everyone should be on the same playing field.
 
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xtradj

Member
Joined
24 Jul 2006
Messages
542
I can understand qualified drivers not having to take some of the tests that they've already done before..

Just as an aside however.. A good friend of mine is an Captain with a major airline, and he has to undertake reassessments on a 6 monthly basis (and that's just to remain in his current post).. now I'm not exactly espousing that but you get the idea, or do TOC's already employ this kind of regular reassessment?

However from what I can gather having read some posts on this thread.. in this particular case aren't these current online 'checking' tests generally different to what most qualified's have taken before? (probably purely to whittle down the numbers is my guess?).

If that is the case then surely everyone should be measured by the same yardstick at this point? The real 'aptitude' tests that most qualified's will have already taken (and probably should be able to skip) come in the next stage don't they?

I imagine there's a good deal of people who even with this online test will 'pass' but won't make the cut simply because of the sheer number of people taking it and in all likelihood the bar will be set high because of those numbers.

Right or wrong, I'm imagining they're only going to take through the top x% no matter what the actual pass mark is.. I could of course be wide of the mark, but if not I feel as it appears to be more of a numbers game than anything else at this point, then everyone should be on the same playing field.

Completely agree with this to be fair. Everyone applying should be on a level playing field in my opinion. I suspect people who have passed the test before argue they shouldn't take it because there's more applicant so the chances of being in highest percentage of passes are slimmer
 

Swampster

Member
Joined
26 Oct 2016
Messages
54
Location
South Yorkshire
Just a clarifying thought however, if they have predetermined numbers of new drivers vs qualifieds in mind for these posts (which I suspect they have) then my previous comment is a moot point anyway! :)

On an entirely different note... as they said everyone should have heard by the 21st, could today be the day people start to hear? :o
 
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hannabal3000

Member
Joined
7 Mar 2015
Messages
16
I can understand qualified drivers not having to take some of the tests that they've already done before..

Just as an aside however.. A good friend of mine is a Captain with a major airline, and he has to undertake reassessments on a 6 monthly basis (and that's just to remain in his current post).. now I'm not exactly espousing that but you get the idea, or do TOC's already employ this kind of regular reassessment?

Yeah just to confirm I have to undertake an "A4" full day exam every 2 years to be passed competent and have retained everything that my TOC has taught me. I just went through this and whilst its hard to fail it, unless you really balls up you just get taken off track and told to revise before a retest.
 

SkinnyDave

Established Member
Joined
11 Mar 2012
Messages
1,242
I can understand qualified drivers not having to take some of the tests that they've already done before..

Just as an aside however.. A good friend of mine is a Captain with a major airline, and he has to undertake reassessments on a 6 monthly basis (and that's just to remain in his current post).. now I'm not exactly espousing that but you get the idea, or do TOC's already employ this kind of regular reassessment?

However from what I can gather having read some posts on this thread.. in this particular case aren't these current online 'checking' tests generally different to what most qualified's have taken before? (probably purely to whittle down the numbers is my guess?).

If that is the case then surely everyone should be measured by the same yardstick at this point? The real 'aptitude' tests that most qualified's will have already taken (and probably should be able to skip) come in the next stage don't they?

I imagine there's a good deal of people who even with this online test will 'pass' but won't make the cut simply because of the sheer number of people taking it and in all likelihood the bar will be set high because of those numbers.

Right or wrong, I'm imagining they're only going to take through the top x% no matter what the actual pass mark is.. I could of course be wide of the mark, but if not I feel as it appears to be more of a numbers game than anything else at this point, then everyone should be on the same playing field.

Everyone is second guessing their recruitment policy..
But as someone who has more knowledge on this process than me has indicated that the majority of these positions will be filled by Trainees.
If that is the case and I have no qualms with that, it will make the process for remaining qualified positions more competitive and I have no doubt that Qualifieds will have to do assesments of some kind (not psychometrics) whether that is the same as potential trainees remains to be seen.
I do however find it strange that some qualifieds have had to do Online assesments yet others have not as indicated by their emails received.
 

Swampster

Member
Joined
26 Oct 2016
Messages
54
Location
South Yorkshire
Everyone is second guessing their recruitment policy..

I suppose that's inevitable given the numbers involved, the (the twiddling of thumbs) despite the immanency of it all and the discrepancies people have 'reported' on here..

But as someone who has more knowledge on this process than me has indicated that the majority of these positions will be filled by Trainees.

Like I said, probably all a moot point then.. as both groups are going to have different paths/criteria to fill the slots they've got in mind for each..

I do however find it strange that some qualifieds have had to do Online assesments yet others have not as indicated by their emails received.

Aye, all seems a bit bonkers to me.. but I guess they've got some method to their 'madness'... well at least one would hope :roll:
 

DaiGog

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Joined
23 Oct 2013
Messages
397
Location
Sometimes Mirfield, sometimes Hull, often Niebüll
Qualified drivers absolutely do not need to take the psychometric tests. The psychometrics are designed to show whether you are capable of being trained as a driver. Qualified drivers are subject to ongoing competence and rules assessments, and it is these, along with the number of incidents against them, that show how capable they are of driving a train safely.
 

156484

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2010
Messages
81
Completely agree with this to be fair. Everyone applying should be on a level playing field in my opinion. I suspect people who have passed the test before argue they shouldn't take it because there's more applicant so the chances of being in highest percentage of passes are slimmer

This thread is becoming laughable now. As someone said earlier, this drivel has messrooms in stitches
 

Belgarion

Member
Joined
16 Oct 2016
Messages
28
I am a qualified driver. I have not applied for this job, but I have been following this thread and other trainee driver threads for quite a while now. Some of the comments I have read on here have made me chuckle and some have made me cringe. The current thread trend from some people who are suggesting qualified drivers should retake the assessments is laughable. As someone mentioned their ability to drive a train is assessed through on going rules exams, downloads and ride outs. A qualified driver who has applied for this job should absolutely pass straight to interview it is here that they then can either demonstrate or not how suitable they might be for the role as a driver with virgin.
People should remember that company employees read these threads and although you may not be using your complete name it would not be to hard to find out who is who. It would be a shame if people jeopardise the chance of a lifetime by making themselves look ridiculous on a very public forum
 

choochoochoo

Established Member
Joined
6 Aug 2013
Messages
1,217
I am a qualified driver. I have not applied for this job, but I have been following this thread and other trainee driver threads for quite a while now. Some of the comments I have read on here have made me chuckle and some have made me cringe. The current thread trend from some people who are suggesting qualified drivers should retake the assessments is laughable. As someone mentioned their ability to drive a train is assessed through on going rules exams, downloads and ride outs. A qualified driver who has applied for this job should absolutely pass straight to interview it is here that they then can either demonstrate or not how suitable they might be for the role as a driver with virgin.
People should remember that company employees read these threads and although you may not be using your complete name it would not be to hard to find out who is who. It would be a shame if people jeopardise the chance of a lifetime by making themselves look ridiculous on a very public forum

I do hope VTEC HR are reading this thread. They are a shambles and need to be told so.

Obviously I'm not going to tell them that directly as I'm sure that would hinder my application. And quite frankly, unless you make it utterly obvious to who you are, I doubt any of VTEC HR staff have the intelligence to do the detective work to identify you through your posts on this forum.
 

Belgarion

Member
Joined
16 Oct 2016
Messages
28
I do hope VTEC HR are reading this thread. They are a shambles and need to be told so.

Obviously I'm not going to tell them that directly as I'm sure that would hinder my application. And quite frankly, unless you make it utterly obvious to who you are, I doubt any of VTEC HR staff have the intelligence to do the detective work to identify you through your posts on this forum.


Your member name is pretty much anonymous, however, there are some on here who haven't been quite so inventive :idea:
 

Ewie13

Member
Joined
28 May 2016
Messages
58
I have received an assessment day invite this afternoon.

It seems the assessment days will run from the end of this month through to the start of Feb.

Good luck everybody else
 

martin2345uk

Established Member
Joined
21 Sep 2011
Messages
2,056
Location
Essex
So after getting through to the online test, and then getting a rejection email having completed the test, I've now been told I scored highly on the test and have been invited to an assessment centre! What on earth is going on :)
 
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