Transpennine express - Standard & Enhanced?

[RMD]

Lucky enough to pass my MMI today and having already sat the DMI that means I've ticked all the boxes for this TOC so happy days.

Just to add on - I have another assessment date coming up with an entirely different TOC that I would imagine may have a similar or higher enhanced level pass than TPE (think you could probably guess). Would this mean that I won't be able to sit their tests as I have a lower enhanced pass in the 2 hand coordination?

Either way I'm chuffed to get through with this TOC but it's always nice to have more than one option.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

That makes me wonder how TOC’s feel about all this practice material available. When you can practice the tests over and over again you can probably train the muscle memory to pass them but it won’t necessarily mean you have the skills they are testing for.

There's no issue with practise material as long as it's not exactly the same as the test material.

I'm amazed they haven't changed the material or have different sets they could use, crazy really

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Mar 2022 ==

Lucky enough to pass my MMI today and having already sat the DMI that means I've ticked all the boxes for this TOC so happy days.

Just to add on - I have another assessment date coming up with an entirely different TOC that I would imagine may have a similar or higher enhanced level pass than TPE (think you could probably guess). Would this mean that I won't be able to sit their tests as I have a lower enhanced pass in the 2 hand coordination?

Either way I'm chuffed to get through with this TOC but it's always nice to have more than one option.

You won't be able to sit any tests for another 6 months, but as you've now passed all testing you can just say that to the other TOC and if it doesn't match their pass level then ask to be held on file for the next batch.

Though I would imagine you'll be offered a job now anyway so the 2nd application in not really any use

 

[Kalin99]

Sorry to jump on the band wagon for this one but I recently took the assessments in Leeds for TPE. Seems like I've passed everything but MMI . Does anyone know if the MMI is also at an enhanced or standard scale?

 

[TreacleMiller]

MMI is pass fail. Was told this directly by two TOCs.

 

[NorthernTech]

Sorry to hear that bud, had exactly the same today! Passed all to enhanced apart from the joysticks which I passed to "enhanced level but not TPE enhanced." Unless I misheard the testing person, I didn't think that was a thing? Thought it was just enhanced or national... as I say it could be me mishearing as I did have my head in my lap after hearing I hadn't met the standard haha!

One thing I would say is I was kept waiting a few hours whilst others completed paper tests which I felt disadvantaged me to an extent as I was just sat twiddling my thumbs in the waiting room. Also got told that there is some lag on the joysticks, is this normal? I have the tests again with another TOC soon so hoping to glean any info in advance that might help me square away these pesky joysticks.

There isn’t an ‘enhanced level’ that isn’t TPE enhanced level. There is a national standard level and then some operators want a higher ‘enhanced’ level that they alone set for some of their tests. If you failed TPE enhanced, and they said you passed at another level then it would have been the national standard. So disappointing perhaps that it ended your TPE recruitment this time but as it’s possibly not a fail to national standard then you haven’t lost one of your two lives and therefore able to apply elsewhere at any time.

I would say though that if I was sat waiting to do the tests, as I had to do when I had to wait for my MMI last time I had an assessment day, I would be reading notes if available or be thinking about the tests to come. As for the joysticks, they are rather jerky in their nature, everyone seems to find them a bit weird as the ball naturally tries to return to centre, they are calibrated and checked so I’d say that they were likely to be operating as designed. Just use the practice goes beforehand wisely to get used to the feel.

 

[RMD]

There isn’t an ‘enhanced level’ that isn’t TPE enhanced level. There is a national standard level and then some operators want a higher ‘enhanced’ level that they alone set for some of their tests. If you failed TPE enhanced, and they said you passed at another level then it would have been the national standard. So disappointing perhaps that it ended your TPE recruitment this time but as it’s possibly not a fail to national standard then you haven’t lost one of your two lives and therefore able to apply elsewhere at any time.

I would say though that if I was sat waiting to do the tests, as I had to do when I had to wait for my MMI last time I had an assessment day, I would be reading notes if available or be thinking about the tests to come. As for the joysticks, they are rather jerky in their nature, everyone seems to find them a bit weird as the ball naturally tries to return to centre, they are calibrated and checked so I’d say that they were likely to be operating as designed. Just use the practice goes beforehand wisely to get used to the feel.

Hi,

If TOCs set their own levels for 'enhanced' then it would be possible to pass to an enhanced standard for one TOC but not an enhanced for another, which I believe is what happened to me. However I wish there was more transparency across the board - at times even the OPC assessors don't seem to fully understand the system and tend to contradict each other, at least in my experience.

Not to worry though as I have a start date with another TOC so it all worked out in the end.

All the best

 

[NorthernTech]

Hi,

If TOCs set their own levels for 'enhanced' then it would be possible to pass to an enhanced standard for one TOC but not an enhanced for another, which I believe is what happened to me. However I wish there was more transparency across the board - at times even the OPC assessors don't seem to fully understand the system and tend to contradict each other, at least in my experience.

Not to worry though as I have a start date with another TOC so it all worked out in the end.

All the best

Yes it is all a weird closed book kinda thing! Congratulations on the offer and start date though!

 

[Kalin99]

Here's something strange. I received an email from TPE saying I've been unsuccessful. I've contacted OPC for feedback and according to them I have passed all the assessments including the MMI?!?!?

 

[TreacleMiller]

You can pass but not to their standard, hence being unsuccessful.

So, you're options are resit if you want to work for them or find a company that will accept lower pass scores.

 

[Kalin99]

You can pass but not to their standard, hence being unsuccessful.

So, you're options are resit if you want to work for them or find a company that will accept lower pass scores.

No I've been told it was to the correct standard

 

[TreacleMiller]

The OPC told you your pass/fail. They dont know what the TOC wants and therefore cannot tell you that its the "correct" standard.

 

[Kalin99]

The OPC told you your pass/fail. They dont know what the TOC wants and therefore cannot tell you that its the "correct" standard.

The OPC only allow you to carry on with the assessments if you have scored high enough for the ToC. So the only one that you don't receive same day feedback on is the MMI, and based on your previous comment that's either pass or fail?

 

[TreacleMiller]

I got feedback there and then on the MMI and knew I'd passed.

The OPC hold the records of who has done what tests, but some companies do them themselves. DB and Northern for example.

If you fail to the TOCs standards on a TOC administrated test you'll be going home. If you do them directly with the OPC then I don't know if they would send you home or not, anecdotally I'd suggest they don't as there are plenty of posts around from applicants who failed the TOCs grade but still passed all tests.

If you're saying you've been told you passed to the TOCs standards then the only people who can tell you why you've not progressed is the TOC.

I was told in no uncertain terms there was more to the test days than just passing the tests...

 

[Kalin99]

So.... I called OPC again just to double check that I heard correctly the first time about passing all assessments. Turns out I was speaking to the same person as before and she said that she had made enquiries to tpe about me and they claim I failed the managers interview. Is it possible to have done the managers interview without talking to a manager?

 

[NorthernTech]

Do they not mean the MMI? Multi Modal Interview, that is the interview part at the end of the suite of OPC tests?

 

[Kalin99]

Do they not mean the MMI? Multi Modal Interview, that is the interview part at the end of the suite of OPC tests?

No, I double checked she didn't mean that one. During the assessments there was only OPC staff present, so I'm hoping someone will reply to my email and put me out of my misery lol

 

[TreacleMiller]

Managers interview is the DMI not the MMi. Have you sat down with a driver manager and had that interview?

TPE have done some odd stuff lately on recruitment. They chucked me off an application after booking me in for interviews twice, turns out it was down to my notice period....

 

[Kalin99]

Not had an interview with a manager 'yet'. They've replied to my email enquiry and are going to look into it for me. I expect its an administrative error somewhere. Worse case scenario I've not lost a 'life' on the assessments.