Advice for preparing for signaller assessment

[sunshine]

Hello, everyone,
I would be very grateful if you could provide me with any pointers on how best to prepare for the assessment tests I will be attending next week. Has anyone managed to find a way to practice for the one about the lift sounding? That one in particular fills me with dread!

Also, from what I've seen from other posts, should I manage to get through the assessment tests, I'll then be interviewed. What is concerning me is that the questions that other people have come across in their interviews are ones that appeared on my application form. Has the format of the interviews changed recently? Any help or insights would be gratefully received.

 

[John1976]

I done the tests earlier last year. What I can remember is that I found the counting the lifts the hardest but I managed to pass! Just make sure you get the assessor to repeat the examples again if required before doing the test proper. That way you make any mistakes you have time enough to learn from them.
All the other tests I found you can prepare for yourself at home. Especially useful I found was getting someone to name a feature on a road atlas (ie picnic sites) and then timing you as you try and find as many as possible on the map. Don't worry on the day of the test,you won't find all of them that would be impossible! They just want to test your ability to focus and concentrate.

Try and stay relaxed and Good luck.

 

[sunshine]

Thank you very much for that. I'm interested to hear that you found a way to practice the other tests - the map one sounds like a good idea. Thank you for the encouragement!

 

[mac]

where about's are you going to be working?

 

[Smoggy]

I passed the assessment last year and did no preparation as was arranged last minute.

For the map test, the best option is to take a systematic approach. I suggest starting in the top left corner then working along the rows or columns finding the required symbol.

For the lift beeps, I found this to be the hardest test and I dont think anything could have prepared me. Just keep cool and many other candidates were even counting on fingers to help.

All the other tests are fairly straight forward as per the Practice Test paper.

As for the interview, they asked the standard set of questions including questions from your application form, general questions of what you know about Network Rail and its values and I was also asked what I knew about the signalbox and its controlling area.

Good luck with the assessment

 

[sunshine]

Thanks, Smoggy, that's really helpful and reassuring. I didn't really want to spend hours drawing my own test papers. It sounds like it depends to a fair degree on how on the ball your feeling on the day. And Mac, I don't really know where I'll be working. Although the advert stated Musselburgh, they have since advertised for pretty much across Scotland and since I would be relocating I'm open to anywhere really. Thanks again.