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TransPennine Trains - Trainee Driver Recruitment Discussion
- Thread starter iwasyoungonce
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RailUK Forums
Paper. Unless you've already sat the paper of course
That doesn't mean you wouldn't be invited to sit them again. There are stage 1 testing planned for the next 3 days this week.
Was it the stage 2 computerised testing?
will1989
Member
It was just the paper tests today. Good luck to all that sat them, was good to meet some of you. It was a challenging couple of hours but I guess it's meant to be!
will1989
Member
I think it went quite well, although I didn't get to the end of the phone directory on the second to last test, so might not have done enough on that one. Reasonably confident on the others but I think it's hard to know for sure! What about you?
The plumbers page or the restaurant page? Hopefully your accuracy will get you through, that one is more of a skim down the symbols so not sure if not finishing counts against you.
Having sat them twice before, and passed, I'm very confident this time. Managed to do more on the group bourdon and finished the dials for the first time (obviously I know I don't need to having passed before, but I was happy to do so).
All depends on what score TPE have set as a pass for them.
will1989
Member
The plumbers I think, managed to go quicker on the one with the tones weirdly!
What stage did you get to previously?
I've previously got to the very end, just not had a job offer. Twice! Third time's the charm as they say
will1989
Member
Ah best of luck to you then! Hoping I've done enough to give the computer tests a crack but we'll see.
Fingers crossed for you too! If not, go again next year as you'll know what to expect which makes it so much easier
Same here. Having sat and passed to enhanced twice before I'm stunned. I've asked OPC for feedback, specifically which test. Email doesn't say that I've failed, so maybe not met their standards but I know I did well. Oh well, next application it is
It’s the first time I’ve sat them, I too wasn’t told I’d failed, it just said I’d been unsuccessful this time but they’d love to hear from me again?
I’ve also emailed the OPC - I’m in for a couple of northern jobs and I know they use enhanced as well so don’t really know where that leaves me?
I don’t know which depot you applied to, but cross country advertised trainee driver jobs yesterday- they close on the 3rd nov
Yeah that’s fair enough, hopefully northerns enhanced mark is lower than TPE’s
will1989
Member
Commiserations to you both, SCDR_WMR especially you as it sounds like you've jumped through the hoops twice before and been very, very unlucky so far.
Still not heard anything as yet but fingers crossed I find out either way soon, the not knowing is torturous!
Still not heard anything as yet but fingers crossed I find out either way soon, the not knowing is torturous!
Thanks, it's just something that you have to be prepared to do. Getting a driver job is very cut-throat as it is, as frustrating as it is having to resit multiple times due to companies not taking test results for the standard 5 years, I don't mind doing them. Just wasn't expecting that email.
If you sat the tests for Transpennine and didn't meet the TPE standard but did meet the Northern standard, you would be free to apply immediately with Northern as you haven't failed, but haven't hit Transpennine's score standard.
(The OPC enhanced pass score for Transpennine is higher then Northern and is one of the highest for the North TOC's)
However, if you have resat any or all of the testing for Transpennine express, passed to national and haven't met the enhanced standard of Northern or TPE. This would replace your previous score (only for the tests sat) and you would have to wait 12 months to apply for any TOC that uses a similar enhanced score.
If you fail to reach national standard it's 12 months for the second attempt followed by 3 years for the third and final attempt.
How do you know which TOCs have the highest enhanced scores? Is that information publically available?
will1989
Member
Just received a message inviting me to the next stage. Over the moon to have passed the first stage but under no illusions that the hard work has even started yet.
When you say it’s one of the highest for the north and higher than Northern, I’m confused, what to you mean higher?
I just got my email too saying he been invited to the second stage. So pleased as I was really worried on how I did on the day! Good luck to everyone and to anyone who hasn’t got the best of news don’t give up!
Nice! Congrats. It's not much harder than stage 1, there are good hints and tips for the computer testing
ro11along
Member
NorthernTech
Member
Presumably the tests that Northern and TPE expect ‘enhanced’ scores, above the standard score, TPE’s score would perhaps be higher. So say Group Bourdon (4dots test), industry standard may be 9 lines with no errors or omissions, Northern may want their enhanced score of 10 lines (no errors etc), and TPE may want 11 lines to pass… I’ve no idea of the actual numbers of the closely guarded secrets of Psychometric Testing but I’m just kind of explaining what the various enhanced scoring ’may’ look like.
You’ve just gotta do your best on the day… It’s gonna drastically cut down how many people move on to the next stages of recruitment, rightly or wrongly?!
It's not publicly available but the OPC will tell you once you sit the assessments which standards you have met in relation to your personal scores.
The last OPC assesment I carried out, the assessor actually mentioned it during the introduction.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Essentially that you're required to score higher than the national standard and higher than the enhanced standard of other TOC'S to be successful in the process.
The Enhanced standard isn't a fixed score across the board, this means that different TOCs have set a minimum threshold above the national minimum standard score that you much achieve to be successful for that operator.
(The below is hypothetical percentages and just to help explain and not representative of how scored are actually marked)
If 65/100 and above was a National Pass, let's say you achieve 75/100. You have passed to an enhanced standard (IE. Above the national pass mark(.
Train company A accept national standard- You would be successful for this company.
Train company B accept an enhanced standard of 70/100 and above - You would be successful for this company also.
Train company C accept an enhanced standard of 80/100 and above. - You would not be successful as you have failed to meet TOC C's enhanced standard.
Does that make sense?
Last edited by a moderator:
DownboundTrain
Member
I've been following this thread for months. I applied for Preston. I only got as far as the online test, and I did well enough to not get the immediate same-day brush off email, but after a week or so of hiring manager consideration stage was booted.
I'm gutted for you guys who are just getting the no thanks email, and I'm sat here wondering whether to keep trying for this and other TOCs as they come up.
I've applied for everything in the area with Northern, XC, Avanti WC etc but getting nowhere fast. I know it's competitive and I'm not a quitter by nature, but I get the distinct feeling I'm falling into an "undesirable" category of applicants and wasting my (and their) time. Something in my work/edu history, or something I'm saying/not saying in my answers (for Northern at least) is a red flag in some way and I'm none-the-wiser.
I'm male, 42, coming out of a Construction Industry/Property Development self employment, College level education. It has me wondering what sort of background with work/edu all you applicants who got further are coming from, and whether anyone feels comfortable sharing that? (just general info, nothing private)
For example, my friend drives for Northern. She came to driving out of teaching (I also teach privately in Music at schools and home), is a Uni graduate, female, and got her job pretty much on her first attempt. (I believe it was her second application but the first was still under review when she progressed with her second, so to all intents and purposes she got it on her first try.) I can't even get past the first stage of any Northern application. Through mutual friends I also know a Maintenance Manager at another depot, and a couple of engineers. Ive had them all read my application/cv/answers. They all say there's nothing present/missing that they could see as a problem. I know they're not on the hiring panels but I hoped they'd spot something.
By contrast, on this job for TPE I seemingly survived three sifts before getting the heave-ho.
Does anybody feel like sharing their work/edu background in non-specific terms? Call it market research!
I'm gutted for you guys who are just getting the no thanks email, and I'm sat here wondering whether to keep trying for this and other TOCs as they come up.
I've applied for everything in the area with Northern, XC, Avanti WC etc but getting nowhere fast. I know it's competitive and I'm not a quitter by nature, but I get the distinct feeling I'm falling into an "undesirable" category of applicants and wasting my (and their) time. Something in my work/edu history, or something I'm saying/not saying in my answers (for Northern at least) is a red flag in some way and I'm none-the-wiser.
I'm male, 42, coming out of a Construction Industry/Property Development self employment, College level education. It has me wondering what sort of background with work/edu all you applicants who got further are coming from, and whether anyone feels comfortable sharing that? (just general info, nothing private)
For example, my friend drives for Northern. She came to driving out of teaching (I also teach privately in Music at schools and home), is a Uni graduate, female, and got her job pretty much on her first attempt. (I believe it was her second application but the first was still under review when she progressed with her second, so to all intents and purposes she got it on her first try.) I can't even get past the first stage of any Northern application. Through mutual friends I also know a Maintenance Manager at another depot, and a couple of engineers. Ive had them all read my application/cv/answers. They all say there's nothing present/missing that they could see as a problem. I know they're not on the hiring panels but I hoped they'd spot something.
By contrast, on this job for TPE I seemingly survived three sifts before getting the heave-ho.
Does anybody feel like sharing their work/edu background in non-specific terms? Call it market research!
AverageJoe
On Moderation
You will find a lot of people come from a shift work background.I've been following this thread for months. I applied for Preston. I only got as far as the online test, and I did well enough to not get the immediate same-day brush off email, but after a week or so of hiring manager consideration stage was booted.
I'm gutted for you guys who are just getting the no thanks email, and I'm sat here wondering whether to keep trying for this and other TOCs as they come up.
I've applied for everything in the area with Northern, XC, Avanti WC etc but getting nowhere fast. I know it's competitive and I'm not a quitter by nature, but I get the distinct feeling I'm falling into an "undesirable" category of applicants and wasting my (and their) time. Something in my work/edu history, or something I'm saying/not saying in my answers (for Northern at least) is a red flag in some way and I'm none-the-wiser.
I'm male, 42, coming out of a Construction Industry/Property Development self employment, College level education. It has me wondering what sort of background with work/edu all you applicants who got further are coming from, and whether anyone feels comfortable sharing that? (just general info, nothing private)
For example, my friend drives for Northern. She came to driving out of teaching (I also teach privately in Music at schools and home), is a Uni graduate, female, and got her job pretty much on her first attempt. (I believe it was her second application but the first was still under review when she progressed with her second, so to all intents and purposes she got it on her first try.) I can't even get past the first stage of any Northern application. Through mutual friends I also know a Maintenance Manager at another depot, and a couple of engineers. Ive had them all read my application/cv/answers. They all say there's nothing present/missing that they could see as a problem. I know they're not on the hiring panels but I hoped they'd spot something.
By contrast, on this job for TPE I seemingly survived three sifts before getting the heave-ho.
Does anybody feel like sharing their work/edu background in non-specific terms? Call it market research!
I think this helps at interview stage because for one you have already displayed you can handle the shifts and secondly you are more likely to have some real life experience when it comes to answering the questions, especially if you have come from an emergency services background or light rail.
There is a push to encourage more females to join the industry, will that sway the decision of a manager at interview point if he has a few successful candidates but only a couple a positions available? Who knows.
But what I can say is the assessment side of things cannot make a choice based on gender. You either pass those or you don’t.
However it is still very possible to get the job off the street from a job that has no similarities to the railway.
Keep trying