First Stage Application Form This is all done on the internet. It starts off asking all the obvious stuff, name, address etc. It then asks for education and qualifications. Then it asks a series of competency based questions.
After the application stage you will get sent a complete pack of information on what tests you will be undertaking and what is involved. This pack is excellent and although slightly different to the actual tests will give you some idea of what to expect on the day.
Second Stage Assessment Day 1
The first test undertaken was the Group Bourdon (or Dots Test). There is a good program on this forum here:
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=79923 that you can use to practice these. It was a paper and pencil test. Do a few on the computer and print some off and do them with a pencil, it feels a lot different to the computer test.
The second test undertaken was the TEA-Occ test. This consisted of 3 parts. The first part was listening to an audio CD where you have to count the low tones ignoring the higher pitched tones. The second part involved searching a piece of paper, which looked similar to a telephone directory, for matching symbols. The third part was a combination of the first 2, searching for matching pairs of symbols while counting low tones from the CD.
The third test undertaken was the TRP test. This consisted of 2 parts. The first part was listening to instructions being read out, while also reading the same instructions on paper. You have to study the information (you can make notes too) and answer questions based on the information you have heard and read. The written information and your notes are collected before you answer the questions. The second part is the Dials and cables test. There are dials; each dial has an arrow indicator on it which is positioned on one of 4 different shaded segments. You have to decide which order the dials are checked in depending on where each arrow is. Make sure you listen to the instructions carefully.
That was it for Day 1! All the tests were paper and pencil/pen tests. After each test they marked everything and people that hadnt got the required score were sent home.
Second Stage Assessment Day 2
These tests were all the computer based tests.
Before the computer tests, we were asked to fill in a form that would be used in the MMI later in the afternoon. They asked for examples of competency based questions.
After filling in the MMI form we proceeded straight to the computer tests. The first test undertaken was the WAFV vigilance test. This consisted of staring at a white computer screen, where a light grey box would flash up in the middle at a consistent speed. Randomly it would change to a dark grey square; you have to press a green button on a special keyboard as quickly as possible. This carried on for 30mins! To help practice the WAFV Vigilance test download an app called Vigilance Test (by hsapps.com) from the play store.
The second test was the ATAVT perception test. This consisted of images of traffic scenes that were flashed up on screen for 1 second. After the image had gone you have to indicate which of the 5 objects listed (pedestrian, motor vehicle, bikes/motorbikes, road signs and traffic lights) you saw in that image.
The third test was the 2Hand Co-ordination test. You have to move a ball around a shape on the screen using a special keyboard with 2 joysticks. The right hand one only moved the ball up and down and the left hand one only moved the ball left and right. You have to trace the same shape 10 times.
After these 3 computer tests they marked everything and people that hadnt got the required score were sent home again. After this it was straight on to the MMI.
The MMI was a formal and structured interview where you are asked to go into more detail about each example given earlier. It lasted just under an hour.
Third Stage DMI This was a formal and structured interview with 2 driver managers. This interview lasted just over an hour and although it was structured and formal it was also far more relaxed than the MMI.
Final Stage Medical This consisted of standard stuff: Hearing test, height, weight, urine sample for drugs screening, breathalyser, ECG, eye sight, colour-blindness, questions about an medication and finally a chat with the Doctor who also went through flexibility test and grip strength.
For all of the tests and interviews wear a suit and tie. Make sure you pay attention to any instructions given while carrying out the tests. Assume you are being assessed all the time, even before and after the tests are actually taking place.
