Chiltern Railways - Apprentice Train Drivers - Multiple Locations (26/01/23)

[12LDA28C]

Is there any Moor Street applicants here that have also applied for avanti? At what point would you give your focus to 1 toc?

When you have an offer of employment would be my suggestion.

 

[Aviator88]

Is there any Moor Street applicants here that have also applied for avanti? At what point would you give your focus to 1 toc?

Your hand will be forced when you receive your invite to a structured interview, because Chiltern and Avanti use different types. If you sit a CBI, you can't sit an MMI for 6 months, and vice versa.

 

[d44nny]

Your hand will be forced when you receive your invite to a structured interview, because Chiltern and Avanti use different types. If you sit a CBI, you can't sit an MMI for 6 months, and vice versa.

Thank you. What would happen if if I sit the opc tests for avanti and then say a month later chiltern sent for them would you have to do again or would it be as lo g as the results are high enough they would count?

 

[12LDA28C]

Thank you. What would happen if if I sit the opc tests for avanti and then say a month later chiltern sent for them would you have to do again or would it be as lo g as the results are high enough they would count?

If you pass all the OPC tests with Avanti, Chiltern would accept that as a pass although you would still have to do any Chiltern-specific tests such as VSE if that wasn't included in the Avanti suite of tests.

 

[Aviator88]

Thank you. What would happen if if I sit the opc tests for avanti and then say a month later chiltern sent for them would you have to do again or would it be as lo g as the results are high enough they would count?

Yeah, most TOCs honour passes on the OPC database so long as your results meet the bar they set.

Again, be mindful that if you sit the CBI for Avanti, that will then effectively put your application with Chiltern on hold for 6 months, because they use the MMI. Due to the amount of applicants, this may translate as your application being binned.

I faced an identical dilemma - I have applications open with Chiltern, Avanti and Crosscountry. I sat the CBI in January so, if Avanti doesn't work out, I'll be unable to continue with Chiltern or Crosscountry unless I'm invited to sit an MMI with them in July at the earliest. I'm prepared for my application to not be progressed due to this, however.

 

[SuperS16v]

If you pass all the OPC tests with Avanti, Chiltern would accept that as a pass although you would still have to do any Chiltern-specific tests such as VSE if that wasn't included in the Avanti suite of tests.

I have been invited to sit the VSE test for Avanti. If I sit this and pass and then invited for the Chiltern VSE will that mean I won’t have to sit it again?

Alternatively, if I fail with either one of them will that mean a fail on both TOCs?

 

[12LDA28C]

I have been invited to sit the VSE test for Avanti. If I sit this and pass and then invited for the Chiltern VSE will that mean I won’t have to sit it again?

I believe that is correct

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Mar 2023 ==

Alternatively, if I fail with either one of them will that mean a fail on both TOCs?

Yes, you will have lost one life and can reapply to either (or both) after 6 months

 

[SuperS16v]

I believe that is correct

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Mar 2023 ==



Yes, you will have lost one life and can reapply to either (or both) after 6 months

Thank you! I really appreciate the feedback.

One last query, If I receive an invite for the VSE off Chiltern, say next week, I will have two invites open for the same test. I assume I sit one and inform the OPC about what’s going on?

 

[atruetennisfan]

Thank you! I really appreciate the feedback.

One last query, If I receive an invite for the VSE off Chiltern, say next week, I will have two invites open for the same test. I assume I sit one and inform the OPC about what’s going on?

I would say that’s the best course of action. Doing it twice would be pointless.

 

[Brum_AVFC]

Is there any Moor Street applicants here that have also applied for avanti? At what point would you give your focus to 1 toc?

I’ve given both a serious go but I’d prioritise Chiltern, I’d hate to use the word ‘easier’ but Avanti are a lot more difficult to get a job with with their standards and testing.

 

[TTD31]

Got the phonecall yesterday to say I passed the VSE for Chiltern. OPC Driver assessments next soon. The next stage does seem very intense, there are about 8 assessments that need to be undertaken, does anyone know if these will all be carried out on the same day?

It's my first time ever applying for a trainee train driver role so I'm guessing I'll be carrying them all out on my assessment day? Also any tips/advice would be great, I'm certainly practicing with the material they've given me.

 

[atruetennisfan]

Gteat

Got the phonecall yesterday to say I passed the VSE for Chiltern. OPC Driver assessments next soon. The next stage does seem very intense, there are about 8 assessments that need to be undertaken, does anyone know if these will all be carried out on the same day?

It's my first time ever applying for a trainee train driver role so I'm guessing I'll be carrying them all out on my assessment day? Also any tips/advice would be great, I'm certainly practicing with the material they've given me.

Great news mate. It’ll probably be conducted over two days. If you pass the first set you’ll be invited to the second set of tests. If you then pass both sets of tests you’ll be invited to the DMI by the TOC.

May I ask which location?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Mar 2023 ==

Got the phonecall yesterday to say I passed the VSE for Chiltern. OPC Driver assessments next soon. The next stage does seem very intense, there are about 8 assessments that need to be undertaken, does anyone know if these will all be carried out on the same day?

It's my first time ever applying for a trainee train driver role so I'm guessing I'll be carrying them all out on my assessment day? Also any tips/advice would be great, I'm certainly practicing with the material they've given me.

I didn’t use anything outside of the practice material when I sat mine and the key thing was to familiarize yourself with the format of the test. Most of the tests are based on your existing / natural ability but you can definitely give yourself the best chance by familiarizing yourself with the format of the test.

Good luck.

 

[TTD31]

Gteat

Great news mate. It’ll probably be conducted over two days. If you pass the first set you’ll be invited to the second set of tests. If you then pass both sets of tests you’ll be invited to the DMI by the TOC.

May I ask which location?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Mar 2023 ==


I didn’t use anything outside of the practice material when I sat mine and the key thing was to familiarize yourself with the format of the test. Most of the tests are based on your existing / natural ability but you can definitely give yourself the best chance by familiarizing yourself with the format of the test.

Good luck.

Ahh perfect thank you for that information! Glad to hear the practice material is enough as with the VSE it was completely different than what they gave to practice on.

I've applied to Moor St.

 

[12LDA28C]

Thank you! I really appreciate the feedback.

One last query, If I receive an invite for the VSE off Chiltern, say next week, I will have two invites open for the same test. I assume I sit one and inform the OPC about what’s going on?

You wouldn't need to 'inform OPC' - it's them that provides the testing so they would know you had already completed it.

 

[atruetennisfan]

Ahh perfect thank you for that information! Glad to hear the practice material is enough as with the VSE it was completely different than what they gave to practice on.

I've applied to Moor St.

I found that too. The practice material was different but I got the impression that the practice material was more about familiarizing yourself with the format of the test more than anything else. And given that some tests are more about your ability they’re not something you can really practice. I’m sure you’ll be fine mate. Don’t over think it. And there are plenty of threads on this forum talking over the same points. The search function is your friend.

 

[TraineeD]

Moor St. applicant here.

Am I out of the process already? I did my 2nd questionnaire a few weeks back and haven't heard a thing since.

Browsing this thread I thought everybody was in the same boat but it seems RoyalE has done the VSE and now onto the actual OPC tests.

Where is everyone else in their application process?

 

[SuperS16v]

Moor St. applicant here.

Am I out of the process already? I did my 2nd questionnaire a few weeks back and haven't heard a thing since.

Browsing this thread I thought everybody was in the same boat but it seems RoyalE has done the VSE and now onto the actual OPC tests.

Where is everyone else in their application process?

I applied to Bham too. Not heard anything yet either. I’m not really seen many people say they have got through to VSE yet so I assumed no one has heard back.

Some people got offered the VSE after the first questionnaire. The thinking was these were the people who have already passed the OPC assessments. But I passed recently and It seems Royal has never sat them before but is steaming ahead.

I’ve no idea what the pattern is.

 

[TheRedRattler]

Just had my rejection email from Aylesbury.

• 26/01 - Applied.
• 21/02 - "We want to know more about you."
• 20/03 - "Unfortunately, we regret to advise you that your application has not been successful at this time."

Turns out they didn't want to know more about me... Why did I have to wait 2 months for that?

 

[SuperS16v]

Just had my rejection email from Aylesbury.

• 26/01 - Applied.
• 21/02 - "We want to know more about you."
• 20/03 - "Unfortunately, we regret to advise you that your application has not been successful at this time."

Turns out they didn't want to know more about me... Why did I have to wait 2 months for that?

That’s quite late in the evening. Did you not sit a second questionnaire?

 

[TheRedRattler]

That’s quite late in the evening. Did you not sit a second questionnaire?

I didn't even sit a first one. They said they wanted to learn more about me, then I was never invited to a questionnaire.

 

[SuperS16v]

I didn't even sit a first one. They said they wanted to learn more about me, then I was never invited to a questionnaire.

Oh, that’s odd! In the ‘we want to know more about you’ there should have been a link to complete the questionnaire, they didn’t come separately.

Are you sure you haven’t missed it, not submitted and automatically failed?

Maybe there was an error with the email, might be worth asking them!

 

[TheRedRattler]

Oh, that’s odd! In the ‘we want to know more about you’ there should have been a link to complete the questionnaire, they didn’t come separately.

Are you sure you haven’t missed it, not submitted and automatically failed?

Maybe there was an error with the email, might be worth asking them!

Yeah, no link in the email, just double-checked it. It said they'd be back in touch, but nothing ever arrived. I've sent an email, but not holding my breath. Back to the drawing board!

 

[Lewlew]

Yeah, no link in the email, just double-checked it. It said they'd be back in touch, but nothing ever arrived. I've sent an email, but not holding my breath. Back to the drawing board!

First email sent in January time didn’t have a link. There was a second email with a link that was sent two weeks later in February. And then a third email two weeks later.

All of which said “we are looking forward to learning more about you”.

 

[clarets2005]

Got the phonecall yesterday to say I passed the VSE for Chiltern. OPC Driver assessments next soon. The next stage does seem very intense, there are about 8 assessments that need to be undertaken, does anyone know if these will all be carried out on the same day?

It's my first time ever applying for a trainee train driver role so I'm guessing I'll be carrying them all out on my assessment day? Also any tips/advice would be great, I'm certainly practicing with the material they've given me.

Some TOCs do it differently to others. With Chiltern, I believe you would sit Stage 1 & 2 in one day, including the multi-modal interview at the end. Stage 2 is sat so long as you've passed all of Stage 1's assessments.
My advice is:

• Practice as much as you can using the material provided by the OPC
• Get into a habit of eating well, exercising a little and getting proper rest, if you can
• Explore 'non-technical skills', seeing which ones are important to safe train driving and where your experience demonstrates that
• Explore the 'STAR' answering method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for interviews

While the assessments might feel intense, the people at the OPC are generally very polite people who are there to help you do as well as you can on the day.
I can't give away anything that the OPC wouldn't want you to know, but I am happy to help in any way that's appropriate for this forum.
I wish you the very best of luck.

 

[TTD31]

Some TOCs do it differently to others. With Chiltern, I believe you would sit Stage 1 & 2 in one day, including the multi-modal interview at the end. Stage 2 is sat so long as you've passed all of Stage 1's assessments.
My advice is:

• Practice as much as you can using the material provided by the OPC
• Get into a habit of eating well, exercising a little and getting proper rest, if you can
• Explore 'non-technical skills', seeing which ones are important to safe train driving and where your experience demonstrates that
• Explore the 'STAR' answering method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for interviews

While the assessments might feel intense, the people at the OPC are generally very polite people who are there to help you do as well as you can on the day.
I can't give away anything that the OPC wouldn't want you to know, but I am happy to help in any way that's appropriate for this forum.
I wish you the very best of luck.

Thank you very much for the advice and help. Sounds like it'll be a very long day if I do get to do all of it in one go but suppose it's all done and dusted then.

 

[boxerdog]

Thank you very much for the advice and help. Sounds like it'll be a very long day if I do get to do all of it in one go but suppose it's all done and dusted then.

My partner did the all the OPC assessments in one day, including the MMI. It was a very long and mentally draining day...... So, my advice is to try and prepare for the length of day as well.

 

[Brum_AVFC]

My partner did the all the OPC assessments in one day, including the MMI. It was a very long and mentally draining day...... So, my advice is to try and prepare for the length of day as well.

Yeah mine was all in one day

 

[atruetennisfan]

My partner did the all the OPC assessments in one day, including the MMI. It was a very long and mentally draining day...... So, my advice is to try and prepare for the length of day as well.

I did mine over two days so I can image that must have been a long day. Need to make sure you'll well rested before the day.

 

[Effnjeff]

I have just received an email inviting me to complete the second 'further questions' questionnaire, but the email says that the deadline for completion was three days ago! I haven't tried following the link yet as it's one time only and I want to research and prepare, but am concerned that it won't work when I try it.
I have returned email back querying the deadline date, but the email bounces back! Anyone else in the same boat, or have knowledge of what to expect next? Thanks in advance.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Mar 2023 ==

I have just received an email inviting me to complete the second 'further questions' questionnaire, but the email says that the deadline for completion was three days ago! I haven't tried following the link yet as it's one time only and I want to research and prepare, but am concerned that it won't work when I try it.
I have returned email back querying the deadline date, but the email bounces back! Anyone else in the same boat, or have knowledge of what to expect next? Thanks in advance.

Ahh, just received another email amending the deadline date to next week. Panic over!
Thank you for sorting that out.

 

[adamheath]

Anyone heard back from the Moor street depot after completing the second further questions?