West Midlands Trains (inc. LNWR) - Trainee Driver - Recruitment Discussion

[LookingToDrive]

I’ve been invited to one of these after completing the initial questions.

The session is 4 hours long, does anyone know what it involves?

 

[BHMGuard]

Also been invited to stage one for Cov for anyone else who’s applied.

 

[Harjam11]

Also received the invitation last week. Do you know when we will receive practice documents? Good luck!

 

[Trains101]

is stage 1 online?

 

[A2Jon]

I received the invite to book my DMI for Bletchley Yesterday, I'm booked in for a couple of weeks time.

I have previously passed all my OPC testing last year with a different TOC.

 

[cwww]

I received the invite to book my DMI for Bletchley Yesterday, I'm booked in for a couple of weeks time.

I have previously passed all my OPC testing last year with a different TOC.

Good luck!!! I have my stage 2 at Watford on Friday.

 

[UTV1982]

Also received the invitation last week. Do you know when we will receive practice documents? Good luck!

I got mine today and I'm booked in for Tuesday 3rd March

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Feb 2026 ==

is stage 1 online?

Stage 1 is pencil and paper according to the practice material sent to me today. Stage 2 assessments are computer based.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Feb 2026 ==

I’ve been invited to one of these after completing the initial questions.

The session is 4 hours long, does anyone know what it involves?

I got the email with practice material on today and the email states:

Group Bourdon

Test of everyday Attention- Occupational

Trainability for Rules and procedures Part 1

Trainability for Rules and procedures Part 2

Driver Fault finding test

 

[A2Jon]

Good luck!!! I have my stage 2 at Watford on Friday.

Thank you, How did you get on today?

 

[BHMGuard]

I got mine today and I'm booked in for Tuesday 3rd March

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Feb 2026 ==


Stage 1 is pencil and paper according to the practice material sent to me today. Stage 2 assessments are computer based.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Feb 2026 ==


I got the email with practice material on today and the email states:

Group Bourdon

Test of everyday Attention- Occupational

Trainability for Rules and procedures Part 1

Trainability for Rules and procedures Part 2

Driver Fault finding test

Not related to what you’ve said at all, however, just wanted to say fantastic username you’ve got.

 

[cwww]

Thank you, How did you get on today?

Next Friday sorry haha, I’ll update you on how it goes.

 

[Penguin80]

Next Friday sorry haha, I’ll update you on how it goes.

Good luck to you . Yes please let us know how you get on. I have my stage 2 on 9th March in Watford.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Feb 2026 ==

I got mine today and I'm booked in for Tuesday 3rd March

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Feb 2026 ==


Stage 1 is pencil and paper according to the practice material sent to me today. Stage 2 assessments are computer based.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Feb 2026 ==


I got the email with practice material on today and the email states:

Group Bourdon

Test of everyday Attention- Occupational

Trainability for Rules and procedures Part 1

Trainability for Rules and procedures Part 2

Driver Fault finding test

I don't think they do the fault finding test anymore as I didn't have to do it when I did my stage 1

 

[Owen Morris]

I got mine today and I'm booked in for Tuesday 3rd March

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Feb 2026 ==


Stage 1 is pencil and paper according to the practice material sent to me today. Stage 2 assessments are computer based.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Feb 2026 ==


I got the email with practice material on today and the email states:

Group Bourdon

Test of everyday Attention- Occupational

Trainability for Rules and procedures Part 1

Trainability for Rules and procedures Part 2

Driver Fault finding test

I sat stage 1 myself a couple of weeks ago and they said to us on the day that the Driver Fault Finding Test has now been taken out of the testing so I wouldn't worry about learning how that test works if I was you.

 

[UTV1982]

Good luck to you . Yes please let us know how you get on. I have my stage 2 on 9th March in Watford.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Feb 2026 ==


I don't think they do the fault finding test anymore as I didn't have to do it when I did my stage 1

One less to worry about, thank you

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Feb 2026 ==

I sat stage 1 myself a couple of weeks ago and they said to us on the day that the Driver Fault Finding Test has now been taken out of the testing so I wouldn't worry about learning how that test works if I was you.

Thanks for the update. Just the 4 to stress over now

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Feb 2026 ==

Not related to what you’ve said at all, however, just wanted to say fantastic username you’ve got.

Ha ha, thanks mate.

 

[tadhg1999]

Hi all, I have my Stage 1 assessments a week today and I'm quite nervous. To save me scrolling through hundreds of pages, does anyone have any online links they can recommend for practice? I have a book with some sample bourdon tests in it. I see the OPC sell sample tests, are these worth getting? Really wanna put myself in the best spot possible.
Many thanks!

 

[Harjam11]

Hi all, I have my Stage 1 assessments a week today and I'm quite anxious! To save me scrolling through hundreds of pages, does anyone have any online links they can recommend for practice? I have a book with some sample bourdon tests in it. I see the OPC sell sample tests, are these worth getting? Really wanna put myself in the best spot possible.
Many thanks!

I’m not sure if it’s much help but I brought the OPC samples and found they weren’t worth the money , but that is just my opinion.

 

[tadhg1999]

Afternoon all,

I took the OPC Stage 1 psychometric assessments last week for a WMR Trainee Train Driver and happy to say that I passed! I am now waiting to be invited for stage 2 assessments which will be the computer-based stuff. I'm really happy to have made it this far and would like to work really hard towards passing stage 2 as well.

Does anyone have any advice for me, please, or any tips on getting prepared for the computer-based assessments.

Congrats on passing mate! Do you have any advise regarding practice/materials? Thanks

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Feb 2026 ==

Does anyone who has completed TRP1b test (where you have instructions and have to answer questions on them), how long you are given the instructions for before they're taken away? Thanks!

 

[RyanMD]

Congrats on passing mate! Do you have any advise regarding practice/materials? Thanks

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Feb 2026 ==

Does anyone who has completed TRP1b test (where you have instructions and have to answer questions on them), how long you are given the instructions for before they're taken away? Thanks!

Hi mate,

For stage 1 you can find a lot across the internet
- Practice the bourdon test as dots rather than letters as that's what you do on the day
- For TRP1 and TRP2 IMO they're very much assessing innate skills, but you can practice the beeping sound on YouTube. For the reading the passage test, just practice reading different things and then testing yourself on your memory of what you read.

Stage 2, you can practice the flashing grey box (download from railprep), the 2 hand coordination is very much natural ability again and flashing images can be practiced on YouTube as well.

 

[tadhg1999]

Hi mate,

For stage 1 you can find a lot across the internet
- Practice the bourdon test as dots rather than letters as that's what you do on the day
- For TRP1 and TRP2 IMO they're very much assessing innate skills, but you can practice the beeping sound on YouTube. For the reading the passage test, just practice reading different things and then testing yourself on your memory of what you read.

Stage 2, you can practice the flashing grey box (download from railprep), the 2 hand coordination is very much natural ability again and flashing images can be practiced on YouTube as well.

Thanks mate! I’ve got a book with the dots rather than letters. Also been doing the Youtube tests for the beeps. Do you remember how long you get the TRP1b instructions for before it’s taken away to answer the questions on it? Wanna time myself to practice. Cheers!

 

[A2Jon]

Thanks mate! I’ve got a book with the dots rather than letters. Also been doing the Youtube tests for the beeps. Do you remember how long you get the TRP1b instructions for before it’s taken away to answer the questions on it? Wanna time myself to practice. Cheers!

5 minutes if I remember correctly

 

[Penguin80]

Hiya has anyone done stage 2 recently that could share their experience of the AART test (one with the photo that disappears after 1 second). Got my stage 2 coming up and I feel I keel struggling with this test

 

[RiverDon]

Hiya has anyone done stage 2 recently that could share their experience of the AART test (one with the photo that disappears after 1 second). Got my stage 2 coming up and I feel I keel struggling with this test

In my opinion it's probably he hardest test because of the uncertainty involved. However the list of things you are looking for is always the same and it is always presented to you in the same order. It is an adaptive test so the pictures will get progressively harder/busier until you start making errors, then they'll get simpler again. Don't worry too much about that aspect of it though, just do your best. My advice would be to make sure you are seated comfortably and have a good view of the monitor. I didn't try to scan the photos, I just looked at the overall scene. Only click you saw something if you're certain you did actually see it as I have read on here previously that it is negatively marked (it deducts points for saying you saw something when it wasn't present in the photo), although I'm not sure how true that is.

 

[Penguin80]

In my opinion it's probably he hardest test because of the uncertainty involved. However the list of things you are looking for is always the same and it is always presented to you in the same order. It is an adaptive test so the pictures will get progressively harder/busier until you start making errors, then they'll get simpler again. Don't worry too much about that aspect of it though, just do your best. My advice would be to make sure you are seated comfortably and have a good view of the monitor. I didn't try to scan the photos, I just looked at the overall scene. Only click you saw something if you're certain you did actually see it as I have read on here previously that it is negatively marked (it deducts points for saying you saw something when it wasn't present in the photo), although I'm not sure how true that is.

Thank you so much this is very helpful. So basically I need to scan the photo for people, cars, traffic lights etc

 

[hawkster26]

In my opinion it's probably he hardest test because of the uncertainty involved. However the list of things you are looking for is always the same and it is always presented to you in the same order. It is an adaptive test so the pictures will get progressively harder/busier until you start making errors, then they'll get simpler again. Don't worry too much about that aspect of it though, just do your best. My advice would be to make sure you are seated comfortably and have a good view of the monitor. I didn't try to scan the photos, I just looked at the overall scene. Only click you saw something if you're certain you did actually see it as I have read on here previously that it is negatively marked (it deducts points for saying you saw something when it wasn't present in the photo), although I'm not sure how true that is.

I done this yesterday, picture pops up and asks you to select ether

Pedestrian
Motor vehicle
Motorbike/moped/bicycle
Traffic sign
Traffic light

Not much more to say really. Good luck

 

[txnshie]

Hi all,

Received an email to say that my application is on hold. Is this normal?

 

[cwww]

Thank you, How did you get on today?

Passed the computer tests and had the MMI, just waiting for the MMI results will hopefully hear back next week.

 

[chris2288]

Passed the computer tests and had the MMI, just waiting for the MMI results will hopefully hear back next week.

Well done buddy!
Can i ask what we're the 6 scenario questions for the MMI?

 

[cwww]

Well done buddy!
Can i ask what we're the 6 scenario questions for the MMI?

Thank you! From what I remember, in no particular order:

- when is a time you’ve had to persevere learning something new
- what is a role you perform that’s similar to that of a train driver
- when is a time you’ve followed rules and procedures
- describe a time you’ve had to make sure you don’t make a mistake

There were a couple more I can’t remember but if I do manage to remember I’ll let you know! They’re on the forum in other groups if you have a look x

 

[tadhg1999]

For those who have done it, is it 100% confirmed that the Stage 1 OPC does not include the fault finding test? It is listed in the email is all and they sent practice material for it.

Cheers!

 

[Owen Morris]

For those who have done it, is it 100% confirmed that the Stage 1 OPC does not include the fault finding test? It is listed in the email is all and they sent practice material for it.

Cheers!

Sat stage 1 OPC for West Midlands a couple of weeks ago myself and was confirmed on the day by the test administrator that it is a very recent removal by the TOC hence why they still included it in the practice material that was sent out!

 

[tadhg1999]

Sat stage 1 OPC for West Midlands a couple of weeks ago myself and was confirmed on the day by the test administrator that it is a very recent removal by the TOC hence why they still included it in the practice material that was sent out!

Good to know - thanks!