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Transport for Wales - Trainee Train Drivers

RyanC87

Member
Joined
26 Jul 2022
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185
Location
Holyhead
If you get accepted what does the talent pool entail? Can I pick any depot that comes available?
Has to be within an hour of home. You would have also applied for a particular depot.

Talent pool is just sitting and waiting for a start date but if you only applied for one depot you then can't pick and choose another
 
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ThePeakNed

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6 Dec 2021
Messages
182
Location
Somewhere
If you get accepted what does the talent pool entail? Can I pick any depot that comes available?
The logic is you apply to whichever depot is nearest to your home address. If it transpires that there are a couple of depots that are within distance to your home address, then you will be asked which your preferred choice would be.

You'll sit in the talent pool for an undetermined amount of time until it is your time to be on a course.
 

johnnymarr

Member
Joined
19 Oct 2023
Messages
15
Location
Cardiff
The logic is you apply to whichever depot is nearest to your home address. If it transpires that there are a couple of depots that are within distance to your home address, then you will be asked which your preferred choice would be.

You'll sit in the talent pool for an undetermined amount of time until it is your time to be on a course.
Ok thank you. I live within an hour or so of 2-3 depots
 

Chris1305

Member
Joined
22 May 2019
Messages
21
Hi everyone had my 2nd attempt at the paper tests on monday in cardiff. Had feedback from the first one only failed on the dots. Had did everyone else get on ? Anyone know how many lines to pass the dots ? Thanks
Not sure how many you need but i was getting 10-11 lines consistently and passed.
 

Chris1305

Member
Joined
22 May 2019
Messages
21
Yes 10-11 lines per section

By all accounts they want a balance of Speed and accuracy whilst being fairly consistent throughout the test. So no good doing 7 lines on the first section then 13 on the next and then back to 7. Try and stay consistent whilst going as fast as you can without making to many mistakes or omissions.
 

Samzino

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5 Dec 2020
Messages
1,178
Location
London
Yes 10-11 lines per section

By all accounts they want a balance of Speed and accuracy whilst being fairly consistent throughout the test. So no good doing 7 lines on the first section then 13 on the next and then back to 7. Try and stay consistent whilst going as fast as you can without making to many mistakes or omissions.
This from what I've heard from my mates that have passed. I'll confirm soon for myself. Currently in practice I'm a very consistent 11 on 3 pages and 12 on two.

I've on my last few daily tests tried to do them with some light sound distractions with the phone playing as I'm sure that it won't be fully quiet at the test place from the external world outside.
 

BOMPO83

Member
Joined
8 Apr 2022
Messages
42
Location
CF32, Bridgend
Yes 10-11 lines per section

By all accounts they want a balance of Speed and accuracy whilst being fairly consistent throughout the test. So no good doing 7 lines on the first section then 13 on the next and then back to 7. Try and stay consistent whilst going as fast as you can without making to many mistakes or omissions.
Ah think i only done 6 to 7 per section on the day. Gutted. How are you llokong at 250 patterns in 2 minutes ? Fair play
 

Chris1305

Member
Joined
22 May 2019
Messages
21
Ah think i only done 6 to 7 per section on the day. Gutted. How are you llokong at 250 patterns in 2 minutes ? Fair play
It was Just practice. When i first started practicing I was getting 7-8 lines, but after a lot of practice you start to recognise the shapes of the patterns which helps. I think you end up learning to scan them rather than study each one because you lose to much time.

You may be ok if you were accurate. I dont think anyone knows the actual pass mark
 

johnnymarr

Member
Joined
19 Oct 2023
Messages
15
Location
Cardiff
Failed the DMI - the email said the paper and computer/mmi count for 2 years. It also said this was the case the other driving companies, is this the case?
 

BOMPO83

Member
Joined
8 Apr 2022
Messages
42
Location
CF32, Bridgend
It was Just practice. When i first started practicing I was getting 7-8 lines, but after a lot of practice you start to recognise the shapes of the patterns which helps. I think you end up learning to scan them rather than study each one because you lose to much time.

You may be ok if you were accurate. I dont think anyone knows the actual pass mark
Just had an email passed the paper tests !

Failed the DMI - the email said the paper and computer/mmi count for 2 years. It also said this was the case the other driving companies, is this the case?
Sorry to hear. They give you feedback?
 

harleyluna

Member
Joined
10 Feb 2023
Messages
28
Location
Wales
Failed the DMI - the email said the paper and computer/mmi count for 2 years. It also said this was the case the other driving companies, is this the case ?
I also failed and my 6 months were up on the 26th Nov. Just waiting for openings in my local depot .
 

Samzino

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5 Dec 2020
Messages
1,178
Location
London
Good evening, on the cables and dials aka trp2 did anyone answer below 20 questions out of the 43 and pass?
 

7819Hinton

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5 Jan 2022
Messages
49
Location
UK
Good evening, on the cables and dials aka trp2 did anyone answer below 20 questions out of the 43 and pass?
I’d be gob smacked if less than 50% equated to a pass, not that I or anyone knows the pass marks outside of the OPC.
 

Samzino

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5 Dec 2020
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I’d be gob smacked if less than 50% equated to a pass, not that I or anyone knows the pass marks outside of the OPC.
I used to think that before reading up on several GB passes of 6-7 which is less than 50%. I did do some digging and noticed several people mention completing 20-23 and passing for an enhance toc with a high % so indeed whi knows haha.
 

Samzino

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5 Dec 2020
Messages
1,178
Location
London
You're joking, right?
No joke, I've heard of 14 questions answered making the cut for opc but that could be down to a number of factors. More so just wondering if there's more people who've passed under the half m questions mark.
 

baz962

Established Member
Joined
8 Jun 2017
Messages
3,331
I used to think that before reading up on several GB passes of 6-7 which is less than 50%. I did do some digging and noticed several people mention completing 20-23 and passing for an enhance toc with a high % so indeed whi knows haha.
I done around 8-9 lines on the group bourdon test and 22 or 23 out of 40 odd on the dials. My passes were in the top 2% and high enough for every toc.
 

Samzino

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5 Dec 2020
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London
I done around 8-9 lines on the group bourdon test and 22 or 23 out of 40 odd on the dials. My passes were in the top 2% and high enough for every toc.
Dang that is very good. GB I really enjoyed was about 11 or 12 average with no errors or omissions that I can remember. Practiced for that once a day for a week. Tea OCC and trp 1 was great, finished trp 1 and had quite a bit of time to check answers.
 

7819Hinton

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5 Jan 2022
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Location
UK
I done around 8-9 lines on the group bourdon test and 22 or 23 out of 40 odd on the dials. My passes were in the top 2% and high enough for every toc.
Wow!! I didn’t realise the standard was that low. No offence intended.

I used to think that before reading up on several GB passes of 6-7 which is less than 50%. I did do some digging and noticed several people mention completing 20-23 and passing for an enhance toc with a high % so indeed whi knows haha.
GB is more to do with accuracy and consistency.. so I can believe 7 lines maybe would be good enough if close to perfect, but again none of us know what the pass marks are.
 

NorthernTech

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12 Apr 2021
Messages
643
Location
Uk
I done around 8-9 lines on the group bourdon test and 22 or 23 out of 40 odd on the dials. My passes were in the top 2% and high enough for every toc.
Yeah, I wouldn’t have practiced these quite so much if I’d known the pass mark had been so low. Again, no offence, but I was getting way more on GB and a few more on Dials, working on accuracy rather than speed. I’ve no idea how you know your results and how you score nationally, im just glad I passed.
 

baz962

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8 Jun 2017
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3,331
Yeah, I wouldn’t have practiced these quite so much if I’d known the pass mark had been so low. Again, no offence, but I was getting way more on GB and a few more on Dials, working on accuracy rather than speed. I’ve no idea how you know your results and how you score nationally, im just glad I passed.
After I started training with London Overground , we had a day where the OPC sent someone to teach us how to learn quickly. On that day they told our whole group that we were in the top 2%.
We weren't told our actual scores , but we were given paperwork that showed how we compared to each other.
 

Samzino

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5 Dec 2020
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I know they take into account several different factors ontop of the questions answered. They did mention there is a different weightings and factors that make it all up.
 

7819Hinton

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5 Jan 2022
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Location
UK
I know they take into account several different factors ontop of the questions answered. They did mention there is a different weightings and factors that make it all up.
What other factors???
The cut of your jib, the way you enter a room, your posture when seated.. :lol:
surely TRP2 is all about how many you complete and how many you get right.. not really sure what other factors come in to play for that test..
GB, there is a little more to it and indeed I see how the weightings come into play.
Definitely consistency of speed is key. Accuracy obviously and to a lesser extent though still very important, lines completed. I guess corrections will also play a part.
 

Samzino

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What other factors???
The cut of your jib, the way you enter a room, your posture when seated.. :lol:
surely TRP2 is all about how many you complete and how many you get right.. not really sure what other factors come in to play for that test..
GB, there is a little more to it and indeed I see how the weightings come into play.
Definitely consistency of speed is key. Accuracy obviously and to a lesser extent though still very important, lines completed. I guess corrections will also play a part.
There is going to be other weighting factors that come into it. The score clearly fluctuates between tocs for one. People have passed in this fourm from what I've seen with 14 out of 43. The standard isn't defined as insinuated at more than half = a pass.

Plus also one forgets there is the enhanced weighting that has its own cut off point ontop of the national. Plenty have got enhanced with low 20s.

At the end of the day however its just speculation how they assess but... From what I've seen on the fourm it does show people are able to pass below 20(Mainly high 10s).
 

NorthernTech

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12 Apr 2021
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643
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After I started training with London Overground , we had a day where the OPC sent someone to teach us how to learn quickly. On that day they told our whole group that we were in the top 2%.
We weren't told our actual scores , but we were given paperwork that showed how we compared to each other.
That’s quite good, and set you up quite well for the test. Quite an insight. Did you compare as a group? Was there quite a big variety of answers across the group?
 

7819Hinton

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5 Jan 2022
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49
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UK
There is going to be other weighting factors that come into it. The score clearly fluctuates between tocs for one. People have passed in this fourm from what I've seen with 14 out of 43. The standard isn't defined as insinuated at more than half = a pass.

Plus also one forgets there is the enhanced weighting that has its own cut off point ontop of the national. Plenty have got enhanced with low 20s.

At the end of the day however its just speculation how they assess but... From what I've seen on the fourm it does show people are able to pass below 20(Mainly high 10s).

I would take ‘a lot’ of what you read on this forum with a dollop of salt.
So much incorrect information passed off as ‘fact’, when it’s little more than someone’s opinion.
It’s an eye opener.
 

7819Hinton

Member
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5 Jan 2022
Messages
49
Location
UK
There is going to be other weighting factors that come into it. The score clearly fluctuates between tocs for one. People have passed in this fourm from what I've seen with 14 out of 43. The standard isn't defined as insinuated at more than half = a pass.

Plus also one forgets there is the enhanced weighting that has its own cut off point ontop of the national. Plenty have got enhanced with low 20s.

At the end of the day however its just speculation how they assess but... From what I've seen on the fourm it does show people are able to pass below 20(Mainly high 10s).
Surely the national standard is the national standard.
I appreciate no one really knows what enhanced means. It could mean an additional test, high pass rates on some tests, or a mixture of both.
So enhanced with low 20’s is probably more likely standard and very poor standard at that.
I’ll agree with you in that it’s all speculation.
 

Samzino

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Surely the national standard is the national standard.
I appreciate no one really knows what enhanced means. It could mean an additional test, high pass rates on some tests, or a mixture of both.
So enhanced with low 20’s is probably more likely standard and very poor standard at that.
I’ll agree with you in that it’s all speculation.
I mean our fellow forum member Baz, did say they got enhanced with Arriva Overground on 22-23 dials, as you say we don't know what defines national standard or what defines enhanced. But having a rough idea is possible based on what said persons that took the test may be able to recall, progress wise. I've never read about anyone pass under 14 questions answered as of current, agreed that means nothing as not everyone that sits these tests are on the forum and yes it could be utter nonsense that someone claims to have passed with 14 to national standard on this forum but then again outside of them and more importantly the OPC, who'd know for certain?

But its some numeric data and for trying to see how the results and pass rates may differ.
 
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