Assessments & Medicals discussion

[cwww]

What example did you write down first?

I was doing a dispatch team leader shift in the ambulance service and didn’t have a dispatcher on duty as they went duty sick so I was doing my role and their role solo for 12 hours, but because I still had occasional communication with the ambulance crews he said it wasn’t suitable because I would have still been speaking to people.. instead I just gave the example of a solo charter pilot as they have like 8 hours of being solo at times and have to stay locked in, the only thing that came to mind.

 

[hawkster26]

Hey everyone,

I had my OPC MMI yesterday and when it came to the final question 6, a time you’ve had to do a role similar to that of a train driver he didn’t accept the example I’d written, so instead he asked me to give an example of a role I believe is similar to that of a train driver which I was able to. Just worried because it was basically a completely different question and overthinking if this is going to affect the outcome. Has anyone had a similar situation happen before?

This happened to me, I push back planes for departure and move them around Heathrow. And they asked at the end to say another job and I just said a bus driver. I passed the MMI

 

[cwww]

This happened to me, I push back planes for departure and move them around Heathrow. And they asked at the end to say another job and I just said a bus driver. I passed the MMI

That’s a relief! Fingers crossed then, thank you.

 

[juspassingby]

I was doing a dispatch team leader shift in the ambulance service and didn’t have a dispatcher on duty as they went duty sick so I was doing my role and their role solo for 12 hours, but because I still had occasional communication with the ambulance crews he said it wasn’t suitable because I would have still been speaking to people.. instead I just gave the example of a solo charter pilot as they have like 8 hours of being solo at times and have to stay locked in, the only thing that came to mind.

The roles that'd come to my mind would be lorry driving, taxi driving, tram driving or bus driving as they do the similar repetitive and boring tasks on a daily basis, especially tram drivers and bus drivers who need great levels on concentration, communication and customer service skills.

There's also ways to pass that question with your job role as a dispatcher by adding some key words that they usually look for. There's some very specific words they look for starting with 'safety procedures + concentration' and ending with 'the ability to work with others as part of the wider network + remaining calm in unexpected situations'.

I'm guessing you'll find out the results on Monday? You should be OK, hopefully you'll pass.

 

[mr_ixolite]

The best tip I received before taking the test came from a driver I met the night before my test. She told me to concentrate on the little things, especially traffic lights and road signs.

Larger objects like cars, buses, lorries, and motorbikes are easy to spot in the picture, so your main focus should be on the smaller details and pedestrians.

As mentioned above, you'll be looking out for:

- Road signs
- Traffic lights
- Pedestrians
- Cyclists
- Motor vehicles

Smaller objects are harder to notice, while larger ones are usually obvious. If you focus on spotting the small details first, you’re less likely to miss anything out.

This is great advice, wish I'd thought of that before doing mine

 

[Chesney]

Hey everyone,

I had my OPC MMI yesterday and when it came to the final question 6, a time you’ve had to do a role similar to that of a train driver he didn’t accept the example I’d written, so instead he asked me to give an example of a role I believe is similar to that of a train driver which I was able to. Just worried because it was basically a completely different question and overthinking if this is going to affect the outcome. Has anyone had a similar situation happen before?

Sometimes I think this whole recruitment process and criteria is ridiculous.

"Think of a time you do a role similar to that of a train driver. (But not what you wrote down) And it would help if it was driving something several hundred metres long and full of passengers!"

For a decent chunk of people, this would be a career change. So its unlikely you've ever done anything explicitly similar. I think there are skills they can look for, methodical, able to follow rules, can multi task, a technical background etc.

Of the 3 drivers I personally know who retrained, (Arriva, SouthEastern and Avanti) 2 were in very similar roles to myself. And the other is the same industry but a sales role. A friends Dad also went from running a motorcycle dealer to ultimately Eurostar!

But having an incredibly rigid criteria MUST exclude candidates who could be excellent drivers. Simply because they dont have specific experience.

I found it interesting that they admit they have a shortage of drivers in general, yet from peoples comments on here and elsewhere reject 90%+ of people that even get to the DMI/MMI stages. Which suggests that they should re-order the process and do DMI/MMI first and THEN to the assessments. A huge rejection rate during, not before, the process perhaps indicates that it needs overhauling. If only to stop them wasting so much time interviewing hundreds of people for maybe a handful of positions (I was never told how many vacancies there actually were)

I did chuckle to myself that the training costs £100k per driver, for 2 reasons.

1) If you cant take a suitable person with no train experience and make them into a driver with £100k in 12-15months then the training isn't very good if you need a candidate to be starting from a very similar role.

And 2) If you want to learn to fly commercial aircraft (eg Airbus A320 for EasyJet) The 18-24 month training from ZERO experience flying to full ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot Licence) is roughly £100-£120K (albeit self funded by the candidate)

 

[mr92]

The best tip I received before taking the test came from a driver I met the night before my test. She told me to concentrate on the little things, especially traffic lights and road signs.

Larger objects like cars, buses, lorries, and motorbikes are easy to spot in the picture, so your main focus should be on the smaller details and pedestrians.

As mentioned above, you'll be looking out for:

- Road signs
- Traffic lights
- Pedestrians
- Cyclists
- Motor vehicles

Smaller objects are harder to notice, while larger ones are usually obvious. If you focus on spotting the small details first, you’re less likely to miss anything out.

Thank you that’s a great tip

 

[John Thomas]

I have been looking to join the railway for some time but have had little success for one reason or another. I just have applied for RO2 platform staff role at SWR and I'm trying to find out what the assessments include? Does anyone have any idea what I might be tested on, so that I can prepare? Thank you

Quote

 

[Neatro]

The Hogan online test is one of those where you have 4 options. strongly disagree, disagree, agree, strongly agree. And you choose 1.

From memory the question was "Skydiving is something I'm very interested in" I put "Agree" since I am interested, since I have done one (Quick unpaid plug for Go Skydive in Salisbury. ) But not strongly agree since I won't do another.

It was not mentioned at all in my DMI. I was surprised they asked me to do the Hogan test at all when nothing was mentioned in the DMI. But then some of the questions in the DMI seemed more like the MMI questions. But I guess thinking on your feet is to be expected as part of the selection process. So I'm not complaining

@madisuperstar, I will help if I know the answers. Feel free

If it asked you if you're interested in skydiving, and you said you were interested but wouldn't do another isn't that disagree? Because you wouldn't want to do another after already having done one.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Mar 2026 ==

I dont know if its worth getting a hearing aid or 2 but I dont want to jeopodise anything... but also dont want to fail the hearing test... I feel damn right sad... on low tones I am moderate loss but high tones I am mild.... medical company wont tell me anything before I have medical... so I feel abit stuck...

If you don't want to push for a hearing aid but also don't want to fail because you're apparently on the limit then your only option is practice high and low tones (there's a plethora of these types of tests online).

Put some headphones on, sit in a quiet room and tap your leg, a table or whatever is near you every time you think you hear a tone.

Tbf, my hearing is pretty average I would guess as I've never been told anything, but the test is hard because it's so quiet sometimes you think you hear a noise which you question.

Just practice is my advice.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Mar 2026 ==

Sometimes I think this whole recruitment process and criteria is ridiculous.

"Think of a time you do a role similar to that of a train driver. (But not what you wrote down) And it would help if it was driving something several hundred metres long and full of passengers!"

For a decent chunk of people, this would be a career change. So its unlikely you've ever done anything explicitly similar. I think there are skills they can look for, methodical, able to follow rules, can multi task, a technical background etc.

Of the 3 drivers I personally know who retrained, (Arriva, SouthEastern and Avanti) 2 were in very similar roles to myself. And the other is the same industry but a sales role. A friends Dad also went from running a motorcycle dealer to ultimately Eurostar!

But having an incredibly rigid criteria MUST exclude candidates who could be excellent drivers. Simply because they dont have specific experience.

I found it interesting that they admit they have a shortage of drivers in general, yet from peoples comments on here and elsewhere reject 90%+ of people that even get to the DMI/MMI stages. Which suggests that they should re-order the process and do DMI/MMI first and THEN to the assessments. A huge rejection rate during, not before, the process perhaps indicates that it needs overhauling. If only to stop them wasting so much time interviewing hundreds of people for maybe a handful of positions (I was never told how many vacancies there actually were)

I did chuckle to myself that the training costs £100k per driver, for 2 reasons.

1) If you cant take a suitable person with no train experience and make them into a driver with £100k in 12-15months then the training isn't very good if you need a candidate to be starting from a very similar role.

And 2) If you want to learn to fly commercial aircraft (eg Airbus A320 for EasyJet) The 18-24 month training from ZERO experience flying to full ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot Licence) is roughly £100-£120K (albeit self funded by the candidate)

It's not ridiculous it's methodical because they're looking for a specific criteria that the RSSB deems good qualities to become a train driver.

Yes there could be people that "could" make good train drivers but there's also people who even routinely make it through all the process and don't have what it takes, that's why the criteria is there.

As for roles similar to being a train driver, you could use most jobs, you could even use driving long distances (I used that as an example when I drove over to the Netherlands)

Can you stay concentrated for long periods of time?
Can you follow rules and procedures strictly?
Are you safety orientated putting safety first in your thought process?

The list goes on..

Also some companies do the MMI/CBI first, but you're then interviewing hundreds of people where as getting them to do the tests first might whittle that 100+ applicants down to say 25 which most companies prefer than interviewing everybody that makes the application sift.

The reason it's 100k is because a lot of effort goes into it.

You've got your initial trainers who will be training you on the rules etc for a good 6 months, traction training which not only requires a train to be there but also in my case a completely different set of trainers. Then you've got instructors who will get you to your hours, managers all the office staff behind the scenes for paperwork etc whilst also giving you a wage for training.

There's a lot behind the scenes that have a cost to them.

 

[Zugaga]

I was doing a dispatch team leader shift in the ambulance service and didn’t have a dispatcher on duty as they went duty sick so I was doing my role and their role solo for 12 hours, but because I still had occasional communication with the ambulance crews he said it wasn’t suitable because I would have still been speaking to people.. instead I just gave the example of a solo charter pilot as they have like 8 hours of being solo at times and have to stay locked in, the only thing that came to mind.

If you're still waiting to hear back: same thing happened in my MMI, and I was convinced I'd flunked it but I passed. Incidentally it seems half the railway is ex-forces and/or ex-blue light (mostly cops but more than a few ambulance service) and with your flying hours as well I daresay you'll be fine.

 

[SeanJessEm]

Hi All,

Does anyone no what the assessment day for trainee train conductor/manager involves?

The email states;

Group Activity

Role play

Interview

Thanks in advance

 

[Harjam11]

Hi everyone,

How long does it usually take to receive your stage 1 OPC results?

 

[UTV1982]

Hi everyone,

How long does it usually take to receive your stage 1 OPC results?

I sat stage 1 today and the OPC person said it’ll take 7-10 days. How long ago was yours?

 

[hawkster26]

Hi everyone,

How long does it usually take to receive your stage 1 OPC results?

I did mine on a Wednesday and got an email on the following Monday

 

[Aspect87]

Anyone know if it is still the Brake test in TPR1 OPC (Psychometric train driver testing) please ? If so, any advice please ?

 

[RyanMD]

Hi all,

For those that have passed the DMI previously, how long did you wait to be invited for your medical?

I’ve been asked about my notice period, confirm date of birth etc. And been told they are planning for next course intakes for 2026.

Just trying to get an insight to others experiences and manage my own expectations lol

 

[EZ2636]

Been waiting (and still waiting) since September - GWR

 

[mickeyC]

Hi all,

For those that have passed the DMI previously, how long did you wait to be invited for your medical?

I’ve been asked about my notice period, confirm date of birth etc. And been told they are planning for next course intakes for 2026.

Just trying to get an insight to others experiences and manage my own expectations lol

It’s all TOC dependant.
Had my DMI late Jan, 3 days later a call to confirm I had passed, booked medical and MMI that day for 2 weeks later.
Course confirmed after MMI for April 2026.
It can all happen in the blink of an eye but I do know people in the Southeastern talent pool that have passed DMI and MMI but still waiting for medical.

 

[JustJim93]

Hello everyone, first time posting here. Did my assessment day yesterday for GWR. I realised that I did 2 mistakes that I know of during the computer tests. Anyone else done any mistakes that they knew of during the time of the assessments and still made it through?

You all seem to have had your congratulations emails pretty quick after aswell which is a good thing! Dreading the 7-10 day wait that I was told.

 

[I2026]

Hello everyone, first time posting here. Did my assessment day yesterday for GWR. I realised that I did 2 mistakes that I know of during the computer tests. Anyone else done any mistakes that they knew of during the time of the assessments and still made it through?

You all seem to have had your congratulations emails pretty quick after aswell which is a good thing! Dreading the 7-10 day wait that I was told.

You are normally told on the day unless GWR don't do that

 

[Purplerain77]

The test I did that you are referring to I did 2 weeks ago the sounds I was told that I was in a lift and the control panel didn’t work. Every low tone I heard was the lift going up. They played 10 different sound clips of low and high tones I just had to count the low tones and write down what floor level I would have been on. Then I had to search through a telephone directory and just circle matching symbols I had 45 seconds to do this then I had to listen and count low tones whilst going through circling matching symbols

Is the whole lift scenario just something you forget and focus on the low tones? So if i hear 4 it's on the 4th floor or does it go up and down depending on if it's high or low? Ive seen so many different variations. Mines at the OPC soon too for GTR

 

[mr_ixolite]

Is the whole lift scenario just something you forget and focus on the low tones? So if i hear 4 it's on the 4th floor or does it go up and down depending on if it's high or low? Ive seen so many different variations. Mines at the OPC soon too for GTR

Yeah pretty much, lift scenario is a distraction, just count the low tones for going up so as you correctly surmised 4 low tones = 4th floor, ignore the high, that's how it was for my test anyway

 

[JustJim93]

You are normally told on the day unless GWR don't do that

We weren't told on the day which I found a little strange. The lady who took the assessments said 7-10 days you will hear if you have passed in an email. I had the email this morning at 6:40am saying that I had passed the assessment and that I will be invited to an MMI.

 

[hawkster26]

Is the whole lift scenario just something you forget and focus on the low tones? So if i hear 4 it's on the 4th floor or does it go up and down depending on if it's high or low? Ive seen so many different variations. Mines at the OPC soon too for GTR

They do explain everything very well, you just count the low tuns and write down how may you heard. Then you have you go through a big sheet of paper and circle matching symbols while listing out for low tunes.

 

[railhead150]

I've been getting 8 - 9 lines on the group bourdon with at most 2 omissions, sometimes just one or none. Is this likely to be enough to pass?

 

[I2026]

Yes I would say so

 

[Neatro]

I've been getting 8 - 9 lines on the group bourdon with at most 2 omissions, sometimes just one or none. Is this likely to be enough to pass?

There's no way of knowing because we don't know what the pass mark is.

For reference I did 9 lines on practice but 10-11 at the actual test and passed, and other people I know did 11 on practice but only 7-8 on the assessment (I'm guessing nerves had still passed).

My advice would be to forget the lines, set a timer for 2 minutes and do as many as you can without making a mistake. Then leave it alone and come back to it a couple hours or a day later and do it again.

 

[dalesrail]

Thanks for that

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Mar 2026 ==

I've generally been in the 9 to 10 zone myself with only the occasional one missed

 

[Neatro]

Thanks for that

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Mar 2026 ==

I've generally been in the 9 to 10 zone myself with only the occasional one missed

You need to consecutively make no mistakes, focus on accuracy and the speed part will come.

Thsts how I practiced, I didn't count the lines I just set a timer and was as accurate as I could be and got my partner to mark them.

 

[juspassingby]

There was an assessment day/hiring day in Manchester yesterday for Northern, did anyone from here attend?