West Midlands Trains (inc. LNWR) - Senior Conductor Recruitment and Discussion

[Matty1997]

Hi there, I applied to be a trainee senior conductor at Leamington spa, with west midland railway recently.

I have completed all tests which included
- SCAAT, RAAT & TCT
- Situational Judgement Test
- Senior conductor preference questionnaire
- Senior Conductor Verbal Reasoning Test

I absolutely nailed the SCAAT and RAAT test
And I completed 15 TCT tests confidently.

I completed these tests on 28/05/2026

We’re now heading into the middle of June
(09/06/2026)

I haven’t heard back as to whether I’ve passed or failed. No emails. No phone calls.
I’ve checked my junk / spam folders etc

Not a word from them. Is this normal?

 

[lj32]

Hi there, I applied to be a trainee senior conductor at Leamington spa, with west midland railway recently.

I have completed all tests which included
- SCAAT, RAAT & TCT
- Situational Judgement Test
- Senior conductor preference questionnaire
- Senior Conductor Verbal Reasoning Test

I absolutely nailed the SCAAT and RAAT test
And I completed 15 TCT tests confidently.

I completed these tests on 28/05/2026

We’re now heading into the middle of June
(09/06/2026)

I haven’t heard back as to whether I’ve passed or failed. No emails. No phone calls.
I’ve checked my junk / spam folders etc

Not a word from them. Is this normal?

I applied the end of last year for WMR, didn't hear anything and assumed I'd been unsuccessful, but last week they sent me the situational judgement, preference and verbal reasoning tests. Got sent the SCAAT, RAAT and TCT today so assuming I passed those first ones. So from my experience they really take their time, not sure how typical that is though

 

[Matty1997]

I applied the end of last year for WMR, didn't hear anything and assumed I'd been unsuccessful, but last week they sent me the situational judgement, preference and verbal reasoning tests. Got sent the SCAAT, RAAT and TCT today so assuming I passed those first ones. So from my experience they really take their time, not sure how typical that is though

Ok cool. Good luck. Let me know how quick they respond to you once you’ve completed this next set of tests, cheers mate

 

[sammywints]

Hi there, I applied to be a trainee senior conductor at Leamington spa, with west midland railway recently.

I have completed all tests which included
- SCAAT, RAAT & TCT
- Situational Judgement Test
- Senior conductor preference questionnaire
- Senior Conductor Verbal Reasoning Test

I absolutely nailed the SCAAT and RAAT test
And I completed 15 TCT tests confidently.

I completed these tests on 28/05/2026

We’re now heading into the middle of June
(09/06/2026)

I haven’t heard back as to whether I’ve passed or failed. No emails. No phone calls.
I’ve checked my junk / spam folders etc

Not a word from them. Is this normal?

I’m in the same boat as you. Applied around the same time and completed both sets of assessments but nothing as of yet.

I presume it’s a no news is good news thing for now, but also the application closed on 29th May so I would imagine there’s a fair 2 weeks window for those who applied late.

By that timeframe I’m guessing we should probably be hearing next week at the earliest now (give or take a couple working days)

 

[Matty1997]

I’m in the same boat as you. Applied around the same time and completed both sets of assessments but nothing as of yet.

I presume it’s a no news is good news thing for now, but also the application closed on 29th May so I would imagine there’s a fair 2 weeks window for those who applied late.

By that timeframe I’m guessing we should probably be hearing next week at the earliest now (give or take a couple working days)

Hopefully it really is a “no news is a good news” thing.

I applied last October, did the tests and had an email back within 10 days to say I failed. I know I’ve done a million times better this time round, and it’s taking even longer for them to respond. Fingers are crossed.

 

[sammywints]

Hopefully it really is a “no news is a good news” thing.

I applied last October, did the tests and had an email back within 10 days to say I failed. I know I’ve done a million times better this time round, and it’s taking even longer for them to respond. Fingers are crossed.

Had my interview email come through today hope you got a response as well!

 

[Matty1997]

Had my interview email come through today hope you got a response as well!

had my interview today. Smashed it. Guy said it was one of the best interviews he’s had, and gave me the job on the spot.

 

[Lowery74]

had my interview today. Smashed it. Guy said it was one of the best interviews he’s had, and gave me the job on the spot.

Management do not have the authority to 'give jobs on the spot'. Interviews are graded, and then sent to the recruitment team who make the final determination based entirely on your score.

 

[Sotac464]

had my interview today. Smashed it. Guy said it was one of the best interviews he’s had, and gave me the job on the spot.

Sounds disrespectful to the other candidates.

 

[Matty1997]

Management do not have the authority to 'give jobs on the spot'. Interviews are graded, and then sent to the recruitment team who make the final determination based entirely on your score.

That can’t be right what you’re saying, the guy who interviewed me told me he’s going to mark the interview himself in 2 stages. The conductor manager was present on a phone call via WhatsApp, and the interviewer was sat right in front of me. He told me I passed the first half of the interview. And at the second stage, he marked it in front of me he told me I passed that stage too. He told me I’d have an email or phone call to get my medical booked in as well, and said “see you soon” as he walked me to the station entrance, upon thanking me.

 

[Sotac464]

That can’t be right what you’re saying, the guy who interviewed me told me he’s going to mark the interview himself in 2 stages. The conductor manager was present on a phone call via WhatsApp, and the interviewer was sat right in front of me. He told me I passed the first half of the interview. And at the second stage, he marked it in front of me he told me I passed that stage too. He told me I’d have an email or phone call to get my medical booked in as well, and said “see you soon” as he walked me to the station entrance, upon thanking me.

I know what you mean, I knew upon leaving the building that I was in but Lowery74 is right they cant formally offer you the position there and then, even if you do know yourself.

Anyway congratulations.

 

[lj32]

I had an interview invite come through on Tuesday while I was away on holiday. The only dates available were the following three days, when I'm still away. I did email straight away asking if they have any alternatives, but haven’t had any response, so I’m assuming that’s that. Good to know I passed the tests at least. Will I have to take the tests again if I apply again in the future, or do they stay on file?

 

[Matty1997]

I had an interview invite come through on Tuesday while I was away on holiday. The only dates available were the following three days, when I'm still away. I did email straight away asking if they have any alternatives, but haven’t had any response, so I’m assuming that’s that. Good to know I passed the tests at least. Will I have to take the tests again if I apply again in the future, or do they stay on file?

I had to take unpaid leave in my current job in order to attend my interview. Was totally worth it. I’m not too sure how it works though mate. My guess is you’ll have to do it again maybe? It’s worth ringing them mate.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Jun 2026 ==

Had my interview email come through today hope you got a response as well!

Have you done your interview? If so , did you do good my friend?

 

[Twin82]

I had an interview invite come through on Tuesday while I was away on holiday. The only dates available were the following three days, when I'm still away. I did email straight away asking if they have any alternatives, but haven’t had any response, so I’m assuming that’s that. Good to know I passed the tests at least. Will I have to take the tests again if I apply again in the future, or do they stay on file?

No. Not for this company. You will have to do the online assessments though. And that is for any company that you apply to. That’s mandatory. You may be asked to do additional test with other TOC’s, and in worse case scenario, may have to do the whole lot. For the most part,you should be good for companies that accept the standard pass.

 

[lj32]

I had to take unpaid leave in my current job in order to attend my interview. Was totally worth it. I’m not too sure how it works though mate. My guess is you’ll have to do it again maybe? It’s worth ringing them mate.

I got lucky and had an email back today, and I’m now booked in for next week. Any tips for the interview? Is it just the STAR type questions they ask?

 

[Matty1997]

I got lucky and had an email back today, and I’m now booked in for next week. Any tips for the interview? Is it just the STAR type questions they ask?

My interview lasted around 96 minutes. Personally, I found it quite challenging at first, but once the first 20 minutes were out of the way, the nerves settled and I felt much more comfortable.


The interview was split into two stages: Part A and Part B.


Part A focused on me as a person. They wanted to know about my background, my experience (particularly anything relevant to the role), and what I knew about the company. They also asked why I wanted to become a conductor and what I knew about the railway industry.


At the end of this section, the interviewer left the room to mark my answers. When they returned, they told me whether I’d passed Part A. If you don’t pass this stage, unfortunately the interview ends there.


Part B was competency-based and, from memory, there were around 14 questions. It’s a lot of talking, and I answered every question using the STAR method, which is exactly what they’re looking for. That’s how they assess your competency responses.


I spent months preparing. I researched the railway industry, the conductor role, and the company inside out.


At the end of my interview, I was told I’d done really well, and about a week later I received an email confirming I’d been successful.


Your questions may be different to mine, but my biggest advice is to do your research and prepare thoroughly. It really is a long interview, and you’ll be talking for most of it.


I aimed to spend around 3–4 minutes answering each question, with some taking even longer. The key is to give detailed, well-structured answers rather than rushing through them.


Ultimately, they’re looking for someone who’s done their homework, communicates clearly and professionally, gives structured, informative answers, and has the right personality for a safety-critical, customer-facing role.


Best of luck with your interview. Let me know how you get on!

 

[lj32]

My interview lasted around 96 minutes. Personally, I found it quite challenging at first, but once the first 20 minutes were out of the way, the nerves settled and I felt much more comfortable.


The interview was split into two stages: Part A and Part B.


Part A focused on me as a person. They wanted to know about my background, my experience (particularly anything relevant to the role), and what I knew about the company. They also asked why I wanted to become a conductor and what I knew about the railway industry.


At the end of this section, the interviewer left the room to mark my answers. When they returned, they told me whether I’d passed Part A. If you don’t pass this stage, unfortunately the interview ends there.


Part B was competency-based and, from memory, there were around 14 questions. It’s a lot of talking, and I answered every question using the STAR method, which is exactly what they’re looking for. That’s how they assess your competency responses.


I spent months preparing. I researched the railway industry, the conductor role, and the company inside out.


At the end of my interview, I was told I’d done really well, and about a week later I received an email confirming I’d been successful.


Your questions may be different to mine, but my biggest advice is to do your research and prepare thoroughly. It really is a long interview, and you’ll be talking for most of it.


I aimed to spend around 3–4 minutes answering each question, with some taking even longer. The key is to give detailed, well-structured answers rather than rushing through them.


Ultimately, they’re looking for someone who’s done their homework, communicates clearly and professionally, gives structured, informative answers, and has the right personality for a safety-critical, customer-facing role.


Best of luck with your interview. Let me know how you get on!

Thanks so much that's really helpful. It's been about 15 years since I last had an interview, so I’m definitely very nervous. My biggest worry is a curveball competency based question I didn't think to prepare for, and with 14, that's a good chance. But preparing well is all I can do. If I fumble it, then it's just some intel I have when trying again next time. Knowing this much already definitely helps with the nerves though, so thanks.

 

[Spider1806]

Hi there, I applied to be a trainee senior conductor at Leamington spa, with west midland railway recently.

I have completed all tests which included
- SCAAT, RAAT & TCT
- Situational Judgement Test
- Senior conductor preference questionnaire
- Senior Conductor Verbal Reasoning Test

I absolutely nailed the SCAAT and RAAT test
And I completed 15 TCT tests confidently.

I completed these tests on 28/05/2026

We’re now heading into the middle of June
(09/06/2026)

I haven’t heard back as to whether I’ve passed or failed. No emails. No phone calls.
I’ve checked my junk / spam folders etc

Not a word from them. Is this normal?

Hey - can you advise what came up roughly in RAAT test?

 

[lj32]

Hey - can you advise what came up roughly in RAAT test?

You just get a passage to read, then a few multiple choice question below on the same page. Each page is a new passage and set of questions. The paragraph is about rules or regulations related to the railway. I found the free RAAT practice questions on the opc website to be a good representation of the real thing

 

[Matty1997]

I got lucky and had an email back today, and I’m now booked in for next week. Any tips for the interview? Is it just the STAR type questions they ask?

Let me know how you got on mate

 

[taylorw]

Hi all,
I applied for Trainee Senior Conductor for Bham NS/SH around about a month ago, does anyone know how long it roughly takes to hear if you've been shortlisted?

So far from experience it seems to range alot dependent on the company, but some experiences from WMT would be nice,

Thanks

 

[lj32]

Let me know how you got on mate

I passed the Part A, they were quite happy with that. Part B, I think the scenarios and pretending to do the announcement went well, just a couple of the star questions were a bit different to what I prepared for and I think the examples I gave could have fit the question a bit better and made me wonder from the structure a bit, but the rest were fine. They spoke about the possible next stages, but that might be standard so won't read too much into that. Just a waiting game now. Not getting my hopes up about it too much, whatever happens it was a useful experience for next time

 

[Eddy364]

Hi everyone, just wondering—on average, how many ticket-checking questions do you guys manage to complete within the time limit? Cheers.

 

[Matty1997]

Hi everyone, just wondering—on average, how many ticket-checking questions do you guys manage to complete within the time limit? Cheers.

I answered 15 TCT questions

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jul 2026 ==

I passed the Part A, they were quite happy with that. Part B, I think the scenarios and pretending to do the announcement went well, just a couple of the star questions were a bit different to what I prepared for and I think the examples I gave could have fit the question a bit better and made me wonder from the structure a bit, but the rest were fine. They spoke about the possible next stages, but that might be standard so won't read too much into that. Just a waiting game now. Not getting my hopes up about it too much, whatever happens it was a useful experience for next time

the answers to the competency based questions don’t have to be work related, they can be answered using examples from your own personal time too. Let’s just hope you hit the pass mark. You should receive an email within a 3-5 days

 

[lj32]

the answers to the competency based questions don’t have to be work related, they can be answered using examples from your own personal time too. Let’s just hope you hit the pass mark. You should receive an email within a 3-5 days

Had an email today to say I got the job!

 

[Matty1997]

Had an email today to say I got the job!

Buzzing mate. Very very happy for you. Well done sir. You will just have a quick medical soon. Had my medical last Friday. Have you been given a start date? Mine is 19th September

 

[afoc]

Buzzing mate. Very very happy for you. Well done sir. You will just have a quick medical soon. Had my medical last Friday. Have you been given a start date? Mine is 19th September

Hi! Have recently received an offer for the position of senior conductor at WMT I am just missing the medicals.
Do you know how does the roster works exactly? And how is the enhancement payment for overtime?
BTW my start date it's the 14th of September

 

[Matty1997]

Hi! Have recently received an offer for the position of senior conductor at WMT I am just missing the medicals.
Do you know how does the roster works exactly? And how is the enhancement payment for overtime?
BTW my start date it's the 14th of September

Good I’m glad to hear. Well done.

If you already haven’t, you will receive your medical date via email. I had my medical just outside Edgbaston.

They will test your eyesight (near and far), colourblindness test, hearing test, blood pressure test & drug and alcohol test.

As far as the roster, I’m aware it’s a week of early shifts, then a week of late shifts (on repeat). I believe it’s 4 days on, 3 days off.

I think we work 36 hours per week, but overtime is available. The overtime rate is time and a quarter or time and a half , I forgot what the man said.

 

[MikeBkr88]

Hi when did you guys apply?

The deadline for all my online assessments was 16th June and I've not heard anything since.

Just want to know if I've passed or failed to be honest!

 

[Matty1997]

Hi mate, so here’s the exact timescale of my application process:

- I applied for the job (Senior Conductor) on 08/05/2026

- Assessments sent out to me on 28/05/2026 and completed on 30/05/2026 (2 days later)

- Email inviting me to interview sent to me on 17/06/2026

- Interview completed on 25/06/2026

- Email confirming my success and job offer on 30/06/2026

- Medical completed on 10/07/2026

I officially start on 14/09/2026

It’s worth checking your spam & junk folders if you already haven’t. If nothing is there I would advise contact WMT or the OPC