How do verify how many lives I have left to become a train driver

[Unknockable]

Hi everyone.

I don’t think I have any lives left if I’m honest as I’ve not passed the initial stages with a few TOCs within the last 6 years. Got to various stages with each TOC but mainly failed on the situational judgement tests if I remember correctly.

How can I be sure to check if I have any lives remaining?

Thanks in advance.

 

[NorthernTech]

The ‘lives’ are just related to the psychometric tests that you would be invited to do in-person at a training centre or hotel etc, but NOT the tests sent to you online. The online tests are just used to further sift the number of applicants in the process. If you have been and sat the psychometric tests, and failed to meet the national standard twice, then these are your 2 lives gone.

I hope this makes sense

 

[CCnottoolate]

you ask a very good question. I am also wondering if there's a central place where these results are recorded and how we can access this information.

 

[NorthernTech]

The OPC if it’s the Psychometric Tests.

 

[Unicorn7]

I was wondering the same thing if anyone can help. On another forum, people have mentioned that if you have failed the VSE twice you can no longer apply as it counts towards your lives, but it’s an online test. There’s many conflicting answers and a place than can just confirm would be great!

 

[Class2ldn]

Generally you won't be able to apply to companies that use the extra tests to sift before the opc psychometrics if you've failed with them twice but its a bit of a grey area that one.

 

[DJP78]

The national psychometric tests that count towards your 2 lives are always sat at a testing centre and will be invigilated by test administrators. No one is allowed to sit any of these tests at home, remotely.

Any test sent to you online is independent of the national driver psychometric tests and will not impact your 2 lives.

Instead, as mentioned in above replies, these extra tests are a precursor and will be designed to sift applicants to reduce numbers, TOC specific. From what I’ve read in other forum threads and seen locally in other TOC’s, it’s increasingly the norm

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Just to add, all results are on a national database but it is not available to the public (FOI request may be available but unsure)

 

[Spincity]

The national psychometric tests that count towards your 2 lives are always sat at a testing centre and will be invigilated by test administrators. No one is allowed to sit any of these tests at home, remotely.

Any test sent to you online is independent of the national driver psychometric tests and will not impact your 2 lives.

Instead, as mentioned in above replies, these extra tests are a precursor and will be designed to sift applicants to reduce numbers, TOC specific. From what I’ve read in other forum threads and seen locally in other TOC’s, it’s increasingly the norm

The VSE (Avanti etc) is sat initially at home, this is part of their process. If fail thats a life gone.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

The VSE (Avanti etc) is sat initially at home, this is part of their process. If fail thats a life gone.

It's a VSE life that has gone, you still have 2 lives for the paper and computer testing

 

[Spincity]

It's a VSE life that has gone, you still have 2 lives for the paper and computer testing

It’s a life gone for TOCs that use it as part of their process, so 1 life lost for that TOC 1 remaining. Those that do t use it 2 lives remain.

 

[CCnottoolate]

Thank you all for your input, it is clear now but I don't understand why we can't access the national database as we have
sat the tests so we should be able to access our own results.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Thank you all for your input, it is clear now but I don't understand why we can't access the national database as we have
sat the tests so we should be able to access our own results.

There are many national databases that are not public access, you don't really need access to it as you will know whether you have passed a test or not shortly after (or same day in computer testing).

 

[Unicorn7]

Thank you all. Frustrating as I had an email from a FOC last year saying I was unsuccessful for the trainee driver role and couldn’t apply for that role for 6 months, but could apply for any other role. Then after 6 months, I can re-apply as everything resets. But it doesn’t seem that was correct.

 

[Spincity]

Thank you all. Frustrating as I had an email from a FOC last year saying I was unsuccessful for the trainee driver role and couldn’t apply for that role for 6 months, but could apply for any other role. Then after 6 months, I can re-apply as everything resets. But it doesn’t seem that was correct.

uncertain what doesn’t seem correct. You were unsuccessful for the driver role assessment, you are required to wait 6 months before resitting the process.

 

[Unicorn7]

uncertain what doesn’t seem correct. You were unsuccessful for the driver role assessment, you are required to wait 6 months before resitting the process.

Sorry. I also said that everything resets after 6 months (what they said). Led me to thinking that if it resets, it’s not one of the 2 lives and then you can never apply to an enhanced TOC/FOC after 2 lives are up.

 

[DJP78]

The VSE (Avanti etc) is sat initially at home, this is part of their process. If fail thats a life

Sorry. I also said that everything resets after 6 months (what they said). Led me to thinking that if it resets, it’s not one of the 2 lives and then you can never apply to an enhanced TOC/FOC after 2 lives are up.

Yeah. This is the problem with the TOC’s own application process tests. Some TOC’s will afford you 2 lives to undertake their own tests, other TOC’s allow you to have a crack at their tests for each application. 6 months waiting is about the norm for most TOC’s before you can reapply.

The main thing is, if it’s an online test sat at home, this won’t have cost you a life towards the main psychometric tests you would sit at a OPC testing centre.

 

[Unicorn7]

Yeah. This is the problem with the TOC’s own application process tests. Some TOC’s will afford you 2 lives to undertake their own tests, other TOC’s allow you to have a crack at their tests for each application. 6 months waiting is about the norm for most TOC’s before you can reapply.

The main thing is, if it’s an online test sat at home, this won’t have cost you a life towards the main psychometric tests you would sit at a OPC testing centre.

This is helpful. Thank you