WMT - Trainee Driver (Talent Pool) - Crewe / Shrewsbury / Leamington Spa (27/12/23)

[benji98]

I can’t see it being the end.

They have paid for your state 1. When this block of stage 2 assessments are done over the next few weeks they will see how many pass and fail.

They might put more on strait away. Then again it could be weeks or months. But they tend not bin people who have passed.

I might be wrong but i think it might just delay things for you.

It’s happened to me with my FOC. I applied people seemed to be getting dates and I wasn’t. Finally got a date after waiting months and hearing nothing. After finally passing was told all the 2022 course had been allocated. But I would be on one in 2023.

It was rubbish having to wait another 10 months to start but it was worth it.

Hopefully that it is the case! Thanks for your reply.

 

[railwayman1973]

Finally had a response back regarding my video interview for the Shrewsbury depot, unfortunately unsuccessful, oh it hurts, but just have to accept it and move on, good luck to everyone else.

 

[gazgareth]

Finally had a response back regarding my video interview for the Shrewsbury depot, unfortunately unsuccessful, oh it hurts, but just have to accept it and move on, good luck to everyone else.

Unlucky, but all a learning curve. Did you chase them up or did they just email you anyway? I still haven't heard back yet.

 

[railwayman1973]

Unlucky, but all a learning curve. Did you chase them up or did they just email you anyway? I still haven't heard back yet.

They emailed me, hopefully you'll get a response soon, and best of luck, applied for a couple of conductor jobs with Chiltern and CrossCountry, see if I have any luck with them.

 

[LMJ]

Hi all has anyone who did video interview for Shrewsbury heard anything

Yes I have stage 2 next Wednesday in Watford

 

[Danfilm007]

I hope everyone's Stage 2 starts to go well from this week!

I received some feedback from the OPC late on Friday, and it turns out I passed 4 of the 5 to the WM Enhanced Standard (the Group Bourdon, TRP 1, TRP 2 and DFFT) and passed the TEA-OCC to National Standard but not the WM Enhanced Standard. Glad I passed everything but a bit gutted I only just missed out, but such is life!

 

[Termak]

If anyone has done and passed stage 2 already, it might be worth finding out if you really need to attend. I got confirmation that I don’t need to attend. Saved me a trip down south, and luckily I had not booked accomodation yet as I had planned to.

 

[nwbirch83@gmai]

If anyone has done and passed stage 2 already, it might be worth finding out if you really need to attend. I got confirmation that I don’t need to attend. Saved me a trip down south, and luckily I had not booked accomodation yet as I had planned to.

There was a chap on the assessment today and went straight home because he had already passed. He had stayed in a hotel overnight as well. Not great really.

 

[gazgareth]

I can't seem to find any emails/contact for recruitment. Does anyone have one? I seem to be so far behind in the process now I am wondering what's happening!

 

[Termak]

There was a chap on the assessment today and went straight home because he had already passed. He had stayed in a hotel overnight as well. Not great really.

Especially when sending people 200 miles for assessments, they should have checked first and double checked.

 

[TacoTraveller]

I can't seem to find any emails/contact for recruitment. Does anyone have one? I seem to be so far behind in the process now I am wondering what's happening!

Just email the person who emailed you.

I've not progressed since the video interview, I'm guessing they've filled their quota and any others will be progressed when they need them

Especially when sending people 200 miles for assessments, they should have checked first and double checked.

They usually get a response from OPC once they send the confirmation of who will be tested, it could be slow on behalf of OPC or not informing candidates who have already passed

 

[Termak]

They usually get a response from OPC once they send the confirmation of who will be tested, it could be slow on behalf of OPC or not informing candidates who have already passed

Maybe slow response, I thought I should send recruitment an email as I had a feeling I would travel for nothing. Took them over a week to get confirmation from OPC. I was booked for next week, so that’s been cancelled. Just glad I contacted them.

 

[nwbirch83@gmai]

Maybe slow response, I thought I should send recruitment an email as I had a feeling I would travel for nothing. Took them over a week to get confirmation from OPC. I was booked for next week, so that’s been cancelled. Just glad I contacted them.

You did the right thing, not very impressive. I wouldn't have been best pleased if it was me. He had travelled from the North West as well.

 

[chalkijr]

You did the right thing, not very impressive. I wouldn't have been best pleased if it was me. He had travelled from the North West as well.

Sounds like there was a few of us that got the call then, as I received contact today too confirming I don't need to attend due to an error.

Glad I didn't make the 200 mile trip for nothing also!

 

[benji98]

What questions did everyone get on your MMI?

 

[LMJ]

I attended my stage 2 yesterday and passed the first 2 tests but failed the 2 hand coordination test. What I am wondering is if I have grounds to appeal and how to. I had difficulties with the left hand joystick throughout the test wobbling up and down and then during one of the maps it came off altogether, causing that "map" to reset. I checked at the end of the test and the right hand joystick was quite firmly in place. When asked how we felt about the test directly after completing it I did raise the issue and was told they were designed to come off in transportation. However it was quite different to the right hand joystick and no one else seemed to have an issue. When given personal feedback that I had failed just that part of the test I did again state that I felt there was an issue with the joystick but was told the same thing again. Of course I may of still failed the test on another keyboard but I will never know that, I didn't go off track massively and felt I was fairly consistent throughout the test other than issues with the joystick

 

[Spincity]

I attended my stage 2 yesterday and passed the first 2 tests but failed the 2 hand coordination test. What I am wondering is if I have grounds to appeal and how to. I had difficulties with the left hand joystick throughout the test wobbling up and down and then during one of the maps it came off altogether, causing that "map" to reset. I checked at the end of the test and the right hand joystick was quite firmly in place. When asked how we felt about the test directly after completing it I did raise the issue and was told they were designed to come off in transportation. However it was quite different to the right hand joystick and no one else seemed to have an issue. When given personal feedback that I had failed just that part of the test I did again state that I felt there was an issue with the joystick but was told the same thing again. Of course I may of still failed the test on another keyboard but I will never know that, I didn't go off track massively and felt I was fairly consistent throughout the test other than issues with the joystick

The joystick didn’t come off…you pulled it off the spigot, accidentally. It doesn’t wobble up and down, you’ve caused that. If you realised that throughout the test why did you not adjust what you did. I’m guessing these joysticks are used daily by hundreds of candidates, if there was an issue with the joysticks this would have been repeated multiple times, and guessing if it was not operating correctly would have been noticed and dealt with.

 

[LMJ]

The joystick didn’t come off…you pulled it off the spigot, accidentally. It doesn’t wobble up and down, you’ve caused that. If you realised that throughout the test why did you not adjust what you did. I’m guessing these joysticks are used daily by hundreds of candidates, if there was an issue with the joysticks this would have been repeated multiple times, and guessing if it was not operating correctly would have been noticed and dealt with.

Im aware that it was the handle not the actual joystick mechanism. It is not a test where you are making more that the very smallest of movements so I don't know how I caused that and as I say the other joystick was not remotely like it. I can assure you I did not pull it off, it slipped up and down every time I moved it and I had done my best to compensate throughout the 10 maps for this. All issues start somewhere and if this is one I wouldn't want any other candidate to have it repeated multiple times whilst they are taking the test.

 

[newtownmgr]

I attended my stage 2 yesterday and passed the first 2 tests but failed the 2 hand coordination test. What I am wondering is if I have grounds to appeal and how to. I had difficulties with the left hand joystick throughout the test wobbling up and down and then during one of the maps it came off altogether, causing that "map" to reset. I checked at the end of the test and the right hand joystick was quite firmly in place. When asked how we felt about the test directly after completing it I did raise the issue and was told they were designed to come off in transportation. However it was quite different to the right hand joystick and no one else seemed to have an issue. When given personal feedback that I had failed just that part of the test I did again state that I felt there was an issue with the joystick but was told the same thing again. Of course I may of still failed the test on another keyboard but I will never know that, I didn't go off track massively and felt I was fairly consistent throughout the test other than issues with the joystick

Sorry, but why didn’t you stop & raise the issue there & then. If there was an issue they could have sorted it straight away. Waiting until the end after you’ve failed seems strange to me.

 

[TacoTraveller]

This scenario comes up every so often with people who fail and say the controls were broken or the unit was broken.

Do you have any experience with how it should feel? Or that it just didn't feel right to you?

When I did mine left and right moved more freely than up and down, I didn't see it as a problem. I just adapted.

The fact you waited until the end doesn't show well to the examiners either, it seems to say you feel you did poorly but it wasn't your fault.

If it was a genuine concern you should have raised it during the test.

 

[Aviator88]

This scenario comes up every so often with people who fail and say the controls were broken or the unit was broken.

Do you have any experience with how it should feel? Or that it just didn't feel right to you?

When I did mine left and right moved more freely than up and down, I didn't see it as a problem. I just adapted.

The fact you waited until the end doesn't show well to the examiners either, it seems to say you feel you did poorly but it wasn't your fault.

If it was a genuine concern you should have raised it during the test.

Just to play devil's advocate - I'd probably wait until the end of the test as a courtesy to the other candidates, so as not to distract anybody.

 

[TacoTraveller]

Just to play devil's advocate - I'd probably wait until the end of the test as a courtesy to the other candidates, so as not to distract anybody.

Understandable, but to me it shows he went through 10 "maps" with a genuine concern but only mentioned it at the end after everyone had finished, which if acknowledged could leave others who feel they did poorly to also raise a similar concern.

 

[Aviator88]

Understandable, but to me it shows he went through 10 "maps" with a genuine concern but only mentioned it at the end after everyone had finished, which if acknowledged could leave others who feel they did poorly to also raise a similar concern.

I get what you're saying. I'd definitely do so discreetly.

You're right - this (almost) identical issue rears its head from time to time. On the one hand, it would be unfair to assume that the complainants are being disingenuous, but we never really know the motives or identities of people on here, so it's difficult to say.

I don't think anyone would deny, however, that if somebody was under real threat of losing the chance of achieving their dream job because of faulty equipment, it would be a very sorry state of affairs indeed.

 

[TacoTraveller]

I get what you're saying. I'd definitely do so discreetly.

You're right - this (almost) identical issue rears its head from time to time. On the one hand, it would be unfair to assume that the complainants are being disingenuous, but we never really know the motives or identities of people on here, so it's difficult to say.

I don't think anyone would deny, however, that if somebody was under real threat of losing the chance of achieving their dream job because of faulty equipment, it would be a very sorry state of affairs indeed.

Exactly my point, I'm just seeing it through the point of an examiner who this must happen more frequently for them than we hear it happens on here.

That's my problem, this is a dream job for most who apply so to feel a real problem with faulty equipment and not being it up as soon as possible seems a little odd to me but I've not been in that situation before.

Sadly they've lost a life this time, so hopefully next time this problem doesn't occur for them again and they can pass.

 

[Spincity]

Just to play devil's advocate - I'd probably wait until the end of the test as a courtesy to the other candidates, so as not to distract anybody.

I like devil’s advocates…but throughout the whole assessment process, it was clear, any questions or concerns it’s the individual’s responsibility to ask/raise before starting a test or during the practice. Isn’t the process designed to identify people who have the skills to be a train driver, by default, if a candidate ignores the advice, worries about distracting others, doesn’t react to a potential issue and waits til after the event, then maybe they aren’t ready yet, plus very hard for the assessor when a candidate says something is faulty but others have passed the same test on the same equipment before and/or after and nothing is raised at the time.

 

[Aviator88]

I like devil’s advocates…but throughout the whole assessment process, it was clear, any questions or concerns it’s the individual’s responsibility to ask/raise before starting a test or during the practice. Isn’t the process designed to identify people who have the skills to be a train driver, by default, if a candidate ignores the advice, worries about distracting others, doesn’t react to a potential issue and waits til after the event, then maybe they aren’t ready yet, plus very hard for the assessor when a candidate says something is faulty but others have passed the same test on the same equipment before and/or after and nothing is raised at the time.

It also requires you to identify and categorise risk. Not immediately reporting the wobbly joystick doesn't carry the same weight as not reporting the track defect - entirely different circumstances.

Perhaps the joystick was un-wobbly throughout the practice run, and the instructions were to focus only on the task during the actual test. I can't remember the exact dialogue when I sat mine, but there are a lot of reasons why one could innocently end up in this situation. Likewise, the converse is also true.

I fear my devil's advocacy has derailed this somewhat. The question was regarding appeals. Sadly, I suspect this is a non-starter, for better or for worse.

Next time, go in with the knowledge you gained during this one, and statistically I'm sure you'll end up with non-defective equipment, assuming that's what indeed happened this time.

 

[Spincity]

It also requires you to identify and categorise risk. Not immediately reporting the wobbly joystick doesn't carry the same weight as not reporting the track defect - entirely different circumstances.

Perhaps the joystick was un-wobbly throughout the practice run, and the instructions were to focus only on the task during the actual test. I can't remember the exact dialogue when I sat mine, but there are a lot of reasons why one could innocently end up in this situation. Likewise, the converse is also true.

I fear my devil's advocacy has derailed this somewhat. The question was regarding appeals. Sadly, I suspect this is a non-starter, for better or for worse.

Next time, go in with the knowledge you gained during this one, and statistically I'm sure you'll end up with non-defective equipment, assuming that's what indeed happened this time.

In agreement, I cannot see how an appeal will progress. Also worth noting, devils advocate, what evidence was there that the equipment was defective. If that machine has been set up and not moved for weeks, used daily, with no other complaints, been used by other subsequently, yet others have passed and not raised issues…if the equipment is defective how are others passing or is it performing correctly and ‘operator error’ this time.

 

[LMJ]

Thank you for everyone's reply. The problem did get worse as the test progressed, and with 5 other people sat in the room concentrating on getting through to their dream job I certainly didn't want to disturb them. Whilst they do say during the practise time you can raise your hand you realise by the third test that your practise time isn't necessary anyone else's as they may of taken more or less time on the previous tests/practice sessions and we did all finish at different times overall, and I would of disturbed people taking their tests. I did bring it up as soon as the test was finished thinking that they could check the equipment but I was just told it happens. Obviously I realise that this could just look like a poor loser and if Id felt the same with the right joystick it wouldn't occur to me to say anything. I have decided that when I contact them for feedback I will give my own and suggest that in future it could be something they could tell candidates about before the test so that they can be aware they may need to concentrate not just on guiding the ball but keeping the equipment in one piece lol!

 

[Samzino]

It can be harsh but on this forum there are many where the joystick handle has come out in their hand(top part of it) etc, and they've put it back in and got back on with the task. The truth is, you're not just assessed on the actual task itself but also everything you do once you enter that room. Train driving isn't always routine and how you deal with a difficult situation to get a good result is very important, in this case the same.

Ideally if in the first practice attempts you didn't feel the left being such an issue till the real test then this would assume somewhere along the main circuits you unintentionally loosened it. As said it depends how you reacted when the handle came off, I'd have looked into troubleshooting it before it came off as that was the initial warning of something imminent.

As Spincity has said, you ideally want to report an issues as soon as you can to the invigilators, even if they say get on with it, at least they've actually witnessed it before the end of the test and results.

 

[Brum_AVFC]

I attended my stage 2 yesterday and passed the first 2 tests but failed the 2 hand coordination test. What I am wondering is if I have grounds to appeal and how to. I had difficulties with the left hand joystick throughout the test wobbling up and down and then during one of the maps it came off altogether, causing that "map" to reset. I checked at the end of the test and the right hand joystick was quite firmly in place. When asked how we felt about the test directly after completing it I did raise the issue and was told they were designed to come off in transportation. However it was quite different to the right hand joystick and no one else seemed to have an issue. When given personal feedback that I had failed just that part of the test I did again state that I felt there was an issue with the joystick but was told the same thing again. Of course I may of still failed the test on another keyboard but I will never know that, I didn't go off track massively and felt I was fairly consistent throughout the test other than issues with the joystick

I failed that test before and raised a concern for the exact issues you’ve mentioned.

I know a lad who failed his recently and complained about the joysticks, he tried again and passed it with flying colours stating that he had a different computer with no issues at all.

wether or not this is on purpose to make it trickier I don’t know. But no smoke without fire.