Assessments & Medicals discussion

[Spider1806]

Hi All, been advised there will be a question regarding the training inbolved to be a trainee train driver, what will be involved and what will be required

Can anyone shed light on the basics behind training for a trainee train driver please?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jan 2025 ==

Hi all

Is the criteria for eye tests 6/12 one eye and 6/9 other?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jan 2025 ==

Hi all

Is the criteria for eye tests 6/12 one eye and 6/9 other?

 

[ATG01]

I was wondering if anyone had recently gone for a safety critical medical (Conductor role) in Glasgow for ScotRail, I'm keen to know how long overall it took.

I'm traveling 3.5 hours there and back in a couple or weeks so I'm looking at travel time options for the journey. Thanks

How long did you have to wait for a medical date? Trying to gauge when mine might be lol cheers!

 

[Horizon22]

I was wondering if anyone had recently gone for a safety critical medical (Conductor role) in Glasgow for ScotRail, I'm keen to know how long overall it took.

I'm traveling 3.5 hours there and back in a couple or weeks so I'm looking at travel time options for the journey. Thanks

I would suggest to plan for an appointment of about 1hr, but may well be less.

Are Scotrail supporting you in any way for this? Obviously they don't have to, but the nature of their network means a trip from the Highlands (as per your profile location) is almost worth an overnight stay!

 

[Adamp1392]

Hi all, I believe I have passed my SCAAT test as I have now been asked to do RAAT and CSS. Does anyone have any tips or anything so I know what to expect.

 

[rosehill]

Hello everyone, I've recently had an interview with freightliner for groundman shunter, only hoping for them to send me an opc assessment to complete.
Any tips for revision please as when googling railway opc assessment it comes up with 100s of practise tests. TIA

 

[asrut10]

Hi All, been advised there will be a question regarding the training inbolved to be a trainee train driver, what will be involved and what will be required

Can anyone shed light on the basics behind training for a trainee train driver please?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jan 2025 ==

Hi all

Is the criteria for eye tests 6/12 one eye and 6/9 other?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jan 2025 ==

Hi all

Is the criteria for eye tests 6/12 one eye and 6/9 other?

Hi mate what TOC is this with?

 

[Adamp1392]

Hi mate what TOC is this with?

Hey, it’s with GTR Southern

 

[asrut10]

Hey, it’s with GTR Southern

thanks mate, goodluck

 

[Fittermat]

I don’t think you need to go to the OPC to be a shunter at freight liner. Only saying that as I know a few shunters there who have failed there psychometric for driving.

 

[Charladenz]

How long did you have to wait for a medical date? Trying to gauge when mine might be lol cheers!

I was interviewed in April and put in reserve pool. I was called on the 9th Jan to ask if I was still interested in the position and medical was booked then. If you are looking for a timeline - who knows how they work it all.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jan 2025 ==

I would suggest to plan for an appointment of about 1hr, but may well be less.

Are Scotrail supporting you in any way for this? Obviously they don't have to, but the nature of their network means a trip from the Highlands (as per your profile location) is almost worth an overnight stay!

Thank you. I've planned for 1.5 and a half hour buffer just to leisurely make my way there.

They will supply a travel email, so I'll be able to get there and back for free which I am thankful for. It is a long day but worth it. It's the difficulty in being so far North when everything else is centralised in Scotland.

 

[GiordyRail]

Hello everyone I wondering how long people who work at GTR (Southern) waited to hear back from HR after passing a medical? I had mine on 10th Jan for an engineering role, I passed the medical on the day just wondering if I’m being held up due to PTS course spaces etc. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Spider1806]

Sounds like your eyesight is well within the parameters of being a train driver . They will test your eyesight with your glasses on and without. They will also ask you to bring with you an up to date prescription for your glasses. Nothing to worry about .

Standard eye test
Hearing test
Height and weight
Blood pressure
ECG
Drugs and alcohol
Diabetes test
That's about it I think .

Worst one is the hearing test . Also Remember to declare any medication you have taken at all . I include paracetamol in that when asked .

Do you know the frequencies they test at? For the hearing test

 

[RailNoob666]

Has anyone undergone or has been required to undergo a visual fields test? TIA.

 

[ainsworth74]

Not a member of railway staff but I have had it done during a routine eye test (there was a small concern I might have the early stages of glaucoma, thankfully it was entirely a false alarm). Just put my head in a dome in a dark room and I think push a button or say (it was years ago now) whenever I saw a flash of light. Was simple, painless and kinda interesting actually. Better than that test they do where they blast air in your eye anyway!

 

[Kieran1990]

Got my conductor assessment day for Northern at Leeds next Thursday.
Day is divided up into 2 group activities, role play and a panel interview

Any advise/ what to expect on group tasks/ role play?

 

[Burrowl]

Hi team,

I took tests such as the Group Bourdon and vienna test system in September, and have the MMI and SJT coming up with Southeastern. Given the 2 life system, it's very important to me that I pass if I can. Unfortunately, I'm going through a stressful time with other stuff. I'm doubting my desire a little.

I'm a little confused as to what they are trying to test, and what attitude to take - I don't feel prepared.
I'm not too sure how to respond to the emergency or pressurised situation question - I have a very good example from outside work, but how2become recommend work examples, and supposing I did something imperfect in the way I handled it? Another example would be my part in dealing with a customer who fainted on a railway station (railway, but less significant to me personally, so less response).
I'm wondering what the pass rate is ?

Kind regards,

 

[Chat Moss]

Hi has anyone done these for any toc since it apparently changed 7th December?
I dont see anything in the practice material about a test involving tones and the phonebook. Has that one gone? Most of the others are there dots test 2 hand coordinating. Vigilance etc

 

[Chat Moss]

Does anyone have a link to print the dots test the sticker on the assesments thread just seems to be a digital format with no way to print out. I found it years ago when I did nt need it. Know I do I cant find anything

 

[Neatro]

Does anyone have a link to print the dots test the sticker on the assesments thread just seems to be a digital format with no way to print out. I found it years ago when I did nt need it. Know I do I cant find anything

It's the very first post in this thread, it's a program you install but can then print the pages off instead of doing it on your computer

 

[Chat Moss]

It's the very first post in this thread, it's a program you install but can then print the pages off instead of doing it on your computer

Not being very computer literate i didnt see a way to print the sheets off

 

[RiverDon]

Not being very computer literate i didnt see a way to print the sheets off

If you open the program and press the button circled in red you can print the sheets.



(image shows Group Bourdon practice tool with print button highlighted)

 

[Chat Moss]

Brilliant thanks for that

 

[Snowman84]

Morning All,

I've recently passed my face to face interview with Northern, and next steps are to attend the Pyschometrics at their in house centre in Leeds. Looking for some top tips, and also wanted to ask if they are valid for any TOC if passed?

Reason I ask is I may have another opportunity (Not confirmed), so all about the timings currently

 

[roadtotherails]

Morning All,

I've recently passed my face to face interview with Northern, and next steps are to attend the Pyschometrics at their in house centre in Leeds. Looking for some top tips, and also wanted to ask if they are valid for any TOC if passed?

If these are OPC related tests (I.e. stage 1 paper based tests or stage 2 computer tests) then yes they are valid for other TOCs, however I believe some TOCs require an advanced pass mark whilst other TOCs will accept a standard pass

 

[Snowman84]

If these are OPC related tests (I.e. stage 1 paper based tests or stage 2 computer tests) then yes they are valid for other TOCs, however I believe some TOCs require an advanced pass mark whilst other TOCs will accept a standard pass

Great thanks, I believe it is the OPC related tests (Eg Group Bourdon, Computer based tests and MMI etc etc)

Anybody recently been through them? I'm still awaiting the dates and prep material from Northern

 

[12LDA28C]

Great thanks, I believe it is the OPC related tests (Eg Group Bourdon, Computer based tests and MMI etc etc)

Anybody recently been through them? I'm still awaiting the dates and prep material from Northern

If you take some time to search through the various other threads in this section of the forum, you will find many examples of candidates who have completed the OPC testing for a variety of TOCs, describing how they found it, what they found difficult / failed on etc.

 

[Chat Moss]

Does anyone who has recently done the dots test know if you have to go left to right or can you come back right to left then back left to right?

 

[NSEWonderer]

Does anyone who has recently done the dots test know if you have to go left to right or can you come back right to left then back left to right?

Do it left to right. There's no reason to do it snh other way In my opinion.

 

[xenomorth45]

Hi,

I have received an email today confirming that I have progressed to the online tests with OPC for trainee driver. Happy with the SJT but no idea what the other 3 are (see screenshot). Anyone else had theirs yet or taken them?

Going to do mine on Saturday so I have no lingering work feeling left.

 

[Alfpp]

Morning All,

I've recently passed my face to face interview with Northern, and next steps are to attend the Pyschometrics at their in house centre in Leeds. Looking for some top tips, and also wanted to ask if they are valid for any TOC if passed?

Reason I ask is I may have another opportunity (Not confirmed), so all about the timings currently

What role is it that you’ve been successful for? Conductor or driver?