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Group Boredom and Reactions Practice

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Sammy h

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But the software isn't even available for download on there? From what I can see anyway...
 

sw1ller

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I downloaded the tests when the link worked, if anyone wants them, just e-mail me your e-mail and i'll happily send them to you. :)
 

Beveridges

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Think it goes without saying that this test is boring in the extreme. Thats the hardest part about it - not letting your mind wander onto something else.
At least the Reactions test is much more fun.
 

Daniel84

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What sort of scores are people getting on these? I'm slowly improving on the Group Bourdon at least with speed, I missed 4 on my first attempt and managed 1095 with a fluctuation of 3.10 (first sheet 232 cells, last 210). After a few goes my last attempt was a total of 1194 cells with 2 missed and a fluctuation of 3.65 (first sheet 260 last 223). How much work would you say I had to go, they don't seem too consistent or fast at the moment.

I feel the reactions are going OK and can keep up all the way through the first bit until it slows again and then down to below about 900, which I've read is about how far the real thing goes. Once it's down to about 500 there is no chance.

Am I right in thinking that with the DB Schenker assessment, I should expect the glop, dials, mechanical, GB, reactions and then interview? I've also had some numerical examples sent through, but not seen many people mention that they've been tested on this.

So much to keep practising during the next week, the mechanical test worries me as does the interview.
 

TDK

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What sort of scores are people getting on these? I'm slowly improving on the Group Bourdon at least with speed, I missed 4 on my first attempt and managed 1095 with a fluctuation of 3.10 (first sheet 232 cells, last 210). After a few goes my last attempt was a total of 1194 cells with 2 missed and a fluctuation of 3.65 (first sheet 260 last 223). How much work would you say I had to go, they don't seem too consistent or fast at the moment.

I feel the reactions are going OK and can keep up all the way through the first bit until it slows again and then down to below about 900, which I've read is about how far the real thing goes. Once it's down to about 500 there is no chance.

Am I right in thinking that with the DB Schenker assessment, I should expect the glop, dials, mechanical, GB, reactions and then interview? I've also had some numerical examples sent through, but not seen many people mention that they've been tested on this.

So much to keep practising during the next week, the mechanical test worries me as does the interview.

I have posted this numerous times about the group bordon, it is consistancy and accuracy they are after, if your figure is lower on the last page by a margin you will fail the test. Everyone is so obsessed with speed and it is not the amount they are looking for its accuracy and consistancy keep on that theme and you will pass. listen to others on the forum who harp on about completeing thousends and you will ultimately trip yourself up!

The mechanical test when I did it had 40 questions and you were timed, they were multi choice, what I did and I have posted this before is to go through all of them and answer all the ones I knew were 100% correct, then through again and answer the ones I tought were correct, then once more and guess the rest. I completed all 40 questions with time to recheck some of them and passed with a high grade.

Concentration test is relatively easy if you have good coordination, fortunately I used to dabble with the drums and found it easy, there is a section about half way through that is humanly impossible to do, don't panic as many do but pick up the rythm after this section and you will have cracked it hopefully.

As for the interview you have either got it or you haven't, just do your best, memorise what you put on your application and don't dig yourselt a hole, be honest and don't get drawn if when they probe you about subjects. If they ask a question twice they need more evidence as the first answer was not suficiant. Learn all you can about the company you are applying with including the size of the MD shoes and you can't do no more than that.

I managed to pass all assessments and both interviews without any practice at all due to the short notice I was given however I think this helped me as I hadn't set myself any standardsand I actually listened to what the assessor was saying when most in the group I was in didn't and out of 60 I think 28 failed the bordon test due to inconsistancy.
 

bababarracuda

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I'm not having any luck here. Seems everything links back to the download at the Digital Reality site, but that's gone now, so there's nothing to link to. Can anyone help? If there's a better link, or a copy available? It's a freeware program so if anyone has it they can put it in a dropbox folder or something and put up a link, right?
 

142094

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Am I right in thinking that with the DB Schenker assessment, I should expect the glop, dials, mechanical, GB, reactions and then interview? I've also had some numerical examples sent through, but not seen many people mention that they've been tested on this.

From talking to someone who went down recently, it was GB first, Glop, dials then reaction test after lunch, followed by the interview. They didn't do the mechanical test so don't know where that fits in.
 

Daniel84

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Thanks for the replies.

TDK - I have noted your excellent advice around the forum and hope to put this in to practice at the assessment. With regards to the tests, it is clearly better to answer all the questions, say the pass mark is 70% and I only answered 65% of the questions albeit all correctly, then I wouldn't make the grade?

142094 - Thanks for that, my email advises that areas which are assessed are concentration, mechanical comprehension, numerical computation, train ability, reactions and then obviously the interview. I won't be too upset if the mechanical bit is missed off, but will hopefully be well prepared never the less.

Thanks again.
 

TDK

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Thanks for the replies.

TDK - I have noted your excellent advice around the forum and hope to put this in to practice at the assessment. With regards to the tests, it is clearly better to answer all the questions, say the pass mark is 70% and I only answered 65% of the questions albeit all correctly, then I wouldn't make the grade?

142094 - Thanks for that, my email advises that areas which are assessed are concentration, mechanical comprehension, numerical computation, train ability, reactions and then obviously the interview. I won't be too upset if the mechanical bit is missed off, but will hopefully be well prepared never the less.

Thanks again.

The pass rate for the mechanical test when I took it was 60% and on the first hit I answered 27 that I knew were correct so the pressure was off as they say.
 

youngboy

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I have posted this numerous times about the group bordon, it is consistancy and accuracy they are after, if your figure is lower on the last page by a margin you will fail the test. Everyone is so obsessed with speed and it is not the amount they are looking for its accuracy and consistancy keep on that theme and you will pass. listen to others on the forum who harp on about completeing thousends and you will ultimately trip yourself up!

The mechanical test when I did it had 40 questions and you were timed, they were multi choice, what I did and I have posted this before is to go through all of them and answer all the ones I knew were 100% correct, then through again and answer the ones I tought were correct, then once more and guess the rest. I completed all 40 questions with time to recheck some of them and passed with a high grade.

Concentration test is relatively easy if you have good coordination, fortunately I used to dabble with the drums and found it easy, there is a section about half way through that is humanly impossible to do, don't panic as many do but pick up the rythm after this section and you will have cracked it hopefully.

As for the interview you have either got it or you haven't, just do your best, memorise what you put on your application and don't dig yourselt a hole, be honest and don't get drawn if when they probe you about subjects. If they ask a question twice they need more evidence as the first answer was not suficiant. Learn all you can about the company you are applying with including the size of the MD shoes and you can't do no more than that.

I managed to pass all assessments and both interviews without any practice at all due to the short notice I was given however I think this helped me as I hadn't set myself any standardsand I actually listened to what the assessor was saying when most in the group I was in didn't and out of 60 I think 28 failed the bordon test due to inconsistancy.

Sound advice,I didn't know what the visual online test for Northern was until I started it, sometimes IMO it's better to wait and just do your best.

TDK...Just a question, why so much emphasis on learning all about the company ?? Reading older posts on here it seems a lot of swatting up on the company is done but surely as an interviewer you would know and just end up hearing the same old same old in every interview ??
 

LCC106

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youngboy, no disrespect but I did wonder at first whether this was a serious question. The interviewer wants to know just how much interest YOU have in the company - how much research you've actually done. Shocking how many interviews I've done where candidates know very little about the business / what it does / achievements! Added to this, a lot of companies use a scoring system to further sift candidates. The more you know, the better your score. Hope this helps. :)
 
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Beveridges

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In the structured interview that forms as part of the psycho test, you do not need to know about the company.
In the line manager interview you do need to know about the company as they normally ask it as one of the first questions. It is one of the easiest questions and its literally just throwing away "easy points" if you don't answer it very well.

Despite what some say, the reactions test never speeds up to a speed that is humanly impossible. I managed to keep up with it throughout and would never even say it went that fast. It never really gets any faster than about 900ms per action. However if you find can't keep up with this speed then just do what others have suggested, that is pause for a quick moment then pick it up again when you can.
 
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Daniel84

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In my recent Northern interview when I requested feedback they signed off by saying they were impressed with my knowledge of Northern. Learning the facts was easy enough and as said it's easy points. Shame the rest didn't go quite as well, but it's all a learning curve.
 

youngboy

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youngboy, no disrespect but I did wonder at first whether this was a serious question. The interviewer wants to know just how much interest YOU have in the company - how much research you've actually done. Shocking how many interviews I've done where candidates know very little about the business / what it does / achievements! Added to this, a lot of companies use a scoring system to further sift candidates. The more you know, the better your score. Hope this helps. :)

Thanks LCC106, not something we ever did whilst interviewing asking about the company, the company I worked for was a specialist in it's field and probably there wouldn't be much to find out about them even on the net. Anyway all information helps...many thanks once again.
 

TDK

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Sound advice,I didn't know what the visual online test for Northern was until I started it, sometimes IMO it's better to wait and just do your best.

TDK...Just a question, why so much emphasis on learning all about the company ?? Reading older posts on here it seems a lot of swatting up on the company is done but surely as an interviewer you would know and just end up hearing the same old same old in every interview ??

That depends - Same old if you quote it off wiki but not if you have taken the time to do some research for example it is easy to quote how many services a train runs or how many passengers they carry but it would be a great answer if you could tell the interviewer the current PPM, the pecentage of complaints resolved, the companies vision, the name of the MD, the business of the parent company, the share values etc etc. The list is never ending and it is the few that take the time to research correctly that the interviewer will remember. Pick some figures that even the interviewer don't know and many candidates blew me away and to be fair I was rather embarressed at the time that they knew a lot more about the company I had worked for 7 years than I did.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Despite what some say, the reactions test never speeds up to a speed that is humanly impossible. I managed to keep up with it throughout and would never even say it went that fast.

Of course Bev maybe you aint Human after all - belive me and I have done this test many a time to test it before candidates had their go and for me there is (or was when I did it) a few seconds that were impossible to keep up with. If you did this then good luck to you. I always got between A1 and A3 on the practice and a C3 is a pass!!!!!
 
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bababarracuda

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Can anyone say what sort of row fluctuation is too much? These are my results for today. I think on a pure number done and accuracy level, I'm nailing it, but I'm not sure if I'm being too inconsistent.


Overall Statistics:
-------------------

Perception & Attention:

Targets Omitted ------------ None
Marked Incorrect ----------- None


Speed:

Total Cells ---------------- 1731
Mean Cell Time ------------- 0.222
Median Cell Time ----------- 0.200

Completed Rows ------------- 66
Mean Row Time -------------- 5.577
Median Row Time ------------ 5.485


Vigilance:

Row Fluctuation ------------ 2.65
 

Beveridges

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No that is an excellent score, will easily be a top Grade A pass on the Boredom test. You scored very slightly better than me on speed and consistancy there and same as me on errors (i.e. zero) and I got the top pass grade you can possibly get.

You've really nailed the consistancy.

No need to practice this test anymore, like me you've gone overkill on it, if you're going to practice any more, concentrate your efforts on the other tests from now.

They aren't looking for robots who can hit 1700 cells all correct with 0 Fluctuation!

Remember you are expected to pass this test without practice. To match or beat the score you have just posted without previous practice would be humanly impossible.
 
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LCC106

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Don't see the logic in expectation to pass without practice... But yes, a great score and I would also recommend practising other tests but maybe keeping your hand in with this once you're happy with the others. (Expectation, no... Ability, yes!)
 

Beveridges

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The Assessors expect you to pass without practice. Remember that practice tools have not always been available and there was a time when people had to sit the Boredom and DTG Tests without having had the chance to practice at home in the weeks leading up to the tests. Even back then, some people still passed.

But I seriously doubt anyone was hitting any of the sort of scores that we are seeing now that the practice tools are available!
 

TDK

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The Assessors expect you to pass without practice. Remember that practice tools have not always been available and there was a time when people had to sit the Boredom and DTG Tests without having had the chance to practice at home in the weeks leading up to the tests. Even back then, some people still passed.

But I seriously doubt anyone was hitting any of the sort of scores that we are seeing now that the practice tools are available!

Not blowing my trumpet here but I got a top score without any practice as I did this 13 years ago on all the tests including the GB & Reation test. I think that all these aids are not helping the recruitment process and this is why there are so many passing the tests and not getting past the interview. Anyone with practice can get through the tests but it is the interviews that sort out the ideal candidates from the ones that are not. In days gone by there were fewer people passing the tests but the ones that did pass and it wans only 10% that passed usually passed the interview as well.
 

Beveridges

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I would never have passed Group Boredom without practice. The Reactions test I think I would have nailed first time but GB was hard at first.
I always remember my first ever attempt on the Boredom practice software. I think I only managed about 1000 cells and got over 10 errors with a horrendous row inconsistancy of over 6 seconds.
After a few practice attempts I was soon hitting scores similar to Bababarracuda (see above post). 1700 cells and zero errors and an almost perfect consistancy.
If it was not for the Group Boredom aid software, I doubt I would have ever got this job
 

Daniel84

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I think my GB tests are getting worse the more I practice haha. Reacitions seem to be going well at the moment. I think I'll do an hour on the interview and then have a few more goes with the GB. I thought I was doing OK, but then noticed the scores above and now I think I'd best pull my finger out.

Assessment day is fast approaching. Does anybody know if the parking at DBS is easy enough?
 

Sunday_mornin

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I think my GB tests are getting worse the more I practice haha. Reacitions seem to be going well at the moment. I think I'll do an hour on the interview and then have a few more goes with the GB. I thought I was doing OK, but then noticed the scores above and now I think I'd best pull my finger out.

Assessment day is fast approaching. Does anybody know if the parking at DBS is easy enough?

With regards parking, drive upto the gate and talk through the intercom system. Tell them the Top Secret Magic Password (or just say Hi, I'm here for Driver Assessments) and viola!
 
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