Southeastern - Trainee Driver - Recruitment Discussion

[CFRAIL]

Hey I everyone I have tests to do in assessment center in Fab 11 is there anyone here who is going to do tests on same day with me??

Good luck for the 11th. I completed mine back in November. Concentrate on the instructions on the day, avoid distractions and you'll be fine.

 

[Pablo 45]

Try not to worry too much about what specific questions are asked and prepare to much for them, you may not get the same questions. I've just sat and passed my Psych/MMI to Enhanced for Northern which I'm sure will be similar to yours.

You'll do a SJE and select what you think of behaving a certain way in a number of situations, and the questions for your MMI will be selected from a list of possible questions they have on a list, to probe you about the type of person you reveal yourself to be in the SJE.

They're along the lines of application questions, "tell us about a time when...". Before you go in to MMI they'll give you a pre interview form to fill where you can make little notes about your answers, which you'll expand on in the MMI. Just stay calm and friendly, ask for a moment to compose yourself if you need it, hit all the right notes on your attitude to safety and protocols and I'm sure you'll be fine.

I should point out that this was my experience with Northern and other TOC's may vary, but I doubt it will be any different given that they're standardised.

Good luck.

Hello Downbound train, thanks for those lines. Quick question, do they give you a sheet for the MMI before you meet the person? And the questions are from your answers?
Thank you

 

[Hamna]

Good luck on 11th.
Looking back over your messages I can see you’ve applied for loads of different trainee driver roles, have you not seen successful in previous applications?

They said it’s on talent pool or pending on status I didn’t heard back from them yet.

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Good luck for the 11th. I completed mine back in November. Concentrate on the instructions on the day, avoid distractions and you'll be fine.

Thank you so much for kind words and suggestions

 

[mickeyC]

They said it’s on talent pool or pending on status I didn’t heard back from them yet.

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Thank you so much for kind words and suggestions

It’s a lengthy process as you already know.
At the start I wished that I was in another TOC catchment but I’m almost at the end of the process and should be starting in April with Southeastern after almost 2 years since application.
Good luck with the assessment day.

 

[DownboundTrain]

Hello Downbound train, thanks for those lines. Quick question, do they give you a sheet for the MMI before you meet the person? And the questions are from your answers?
Thank you

Yeah they did for mine. I think the SJE I mentioned is how they select your questions, then they gave us a sheet to answer these 5 or 6 questions, all very similar to the kind of things you were asked on the application, "tell us about a time when you had to deal with an emergency" for example. You don't have to write much, you can use professional or personal examples, and you can use the same example more than once, although I didn't.

This step from what I can tell is just to streamline the interview and minimise the number of times they sit in front of someone who is umming and ahhing their way through a painful hour. Honestly if you're in the right frame of mind and have safety and rules at the forefront of your mind when you're answering you'd be fine. (he says, having done it once!)

 

[Ellwill]

This step from what I can tell is just to streamline the interview and minimise the number of times they sit in front of someone who is umming and ahhing their way through a painful hour. Honestly if you're in the right frame of mind and have safety and rules at the forefront of your mind when you're answering you'd be fine. (he says, having done it once!)

I think they're streamlining the interview part of the process across all grades now. Station staff roles now get interviewed by one or two managers on the same day immediately after their assessment morning, and not necessarily by the manager of the station you're applying for either.

It’s a lengthy process as you already know.
At the start I wished that I was in another TOC catchment but I’m almost at the end of the process and should be starting in April with Southeastern after almost 2 years since application.

Unfortunately it does little if anything to reduce the long waiting times after interview for positions to open up.

 

[Pablo 45]

Yeah they did for mine. I think the SJE I mentioned is how they select your questions, then they gave us a sheet to answer these 5 or 6 questions, all very similar to the kind of things you were asked on the application, "tell us about a time when you had to deal with an emergency" for example. You don't have to write much, you can use professional or personal examples, and you can use the same example more than once, although I didn't.

This step from what I can tell is just to streamline the interview and minimise the number of times they sit in front of someone who is umming and ahhing their way through a painful hour. Honestly if you're in the right frame of mind and have safety and rules at the forefront of your mind when you're answering you'd be fine. (he says, having done it once!)

Hi, thanks for your response. Got my MMI date for next month. Quite nervous now hahaha

 

[DownboundTrain]

I think they're streamlining the interview part of the process across all grades now. Station staff roles now get interviewed by one or two managers on the same day immediately after their assessment morning, and not necessarily by the manager of the station you're applying for either.

Unfortunately it does little if anything to reduce the long waiting times after interview for positions to open up.

TBF I would have liked to just plough on and do the DMI on the same day. It had been a long day testing and MMI'ing but I was in the zone and would prefer to just know there and then if it's going any further for me.

 

[mickeyC]

Hi, thanks for your response. Got my MMI date for next month. Quite nervous now hahaha

What date you going in Feb, I’m in Ashford on 10th for MMi

 

[Pablo 45]

What date you going in Feb, I’m in Ashford on 10th for MMi

24th, long shoot.

 

[juspassingby]

What date you going in Feb, I’m in Ashford on 10th for MMi

You guys have to wait so long for your MMi?
Where I'm from, they tend to do it on the day of the psychometrics or within a week of passing for some reason.

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TBF I would have liked to just plough on and do the DMI on the same day. It had been a long day testing and MMI'ing but I was in the zone and would prefer to just know there and then if it's going any further for me.

Were you prepared for it? after a long day of doing paper assessments and computer assessments, I feel like it's a little too much for one day.

 

[mickeyC]

You guys have to wait so long for your MMi?
Where I'm from, they tend to do it on the day of the psychometrics or within a week of passing for some reason.

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Were you prepared for it? after a long day of doing paper assessments and computer assessments, I feel like it's a little too much for one day.

Southeastern job went live around June 2024, they had over 15,000 applicants for 170 trainee driver positions.
I can only imagine the nightmare recruitment had working through everybody.
I think that’s the only reason it’s taking ages.

 

[juspassingby]

Southeastern job went live around June 2024, they had over 15,000 applicants for 170 trainee driver positions.
I can only imagine the nightmare recruitment had working through everybody.
I think that’s the only reason it’s taking ages.

Yeah that's possible.

I think the same is happening here up north, companies are in need of drivers so they are advertising, giving interviews/psychometrics within and week and getting MMi done on the same day as the psychometrics. I think they just want to get the courses going as soon as possible.

 

[DownboundTrain]

You guys have to wait so long for your MMi?
Where I'm from, they tend to do it on the day of the psychometrics or within a week of passing for some reason.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Jan 2026 ==


Were you prepared for it? after a long day of doing paper assessments and computer assessments, I feel like it's a little too much for one day.

I felt ok tbh, but only two of us passed on the day so it was straight into MMI after a short lunch break (10 mins) rather than hanging around. All over with by 3pm, I think I could have happily done another hour or two and got the DMI out the way too. As for whether I was prepared for it or not, who knows! I just meant I was on a roll with taking and hitting all my important points.

From what I’m told, the DMI is similar to the MMI in term of questioning, but that it’ll be less conversational and they won’t coax extra depth out of you to probe what you’re about. So I’ll be making sure to answer in plenty depth when the time comes.

 

[blabberhaus]

Excatally this pal. They where very robotic in approach and precise in the way the question was asked. Just make sure fully prepared and you'll be fine. Good luck with the process.

Huge congrats! I've got my DMI coming up, so prepping as much as possible. For the core values, do you need to know all of the individual points other than 'we show we care, we think 'what if?' and 'we make great things happen'?

 

[mickeyC]

Huge congrats! I've got my DMI coming up, so prepping as much as possible. For the core values, do you need to know all of the individual points other than 'we show we care, we think 'what if?' and 'we make great things happen'?

Good luck with the DMi, what depot are you going for?
That’s pretty much all I said when they asked me about Southeastern core values.

 

[Carrot12345]

Morning, sorry to ask again but does anyone remember the MMI questions they got asked recently for southeastern

Thanks

 

[blabberhaus]

Good luck with the DMi, what depot are you going for?
That’s pretty much all I said when they asked me about Southeastern core values.

Ah great, thanks mickeyC! I'm going for Grove Park and prepping like a beast... and going a bit mad in the process.

Good luck with the training and congrats again!

 

[typicalalex1]

Morning, sorry to ask again but does anyone remember the MMI questions they got asked recently for southeastern

Thanks

Everyone gets asked a variation of the 6 questions that are plastered all over this forum. You will also be asked additional questions and have to think on the spot.

No one is going to tell you the exact questions as that's unfair, search the forum and you'll be fine.

 

[Ash0110]

Has anyone who had to do the additional artic shores tests following there passed assessment day heard anything back yet?

My chosen depot is Ramsgate and Faverhsam but I haven’t heard anything yet.

Just curious to see if any of you have heard any news yourselves?

Thanks

 

[CFRAIL]

Has anyone who had to do the additional artic shores tests following there passed assessment day heard anything back yet?

My chosen depot is Ramsgate and Faverhsam but I haven’t heard anything yet.

Just curious to see if any of you have heard any news yourselves?

Thanks

I'm in the same boat, not heard a thing

 

[forgetmyname69]

Huge congrats! I've got my DMI coming up, so prepping as much as possible. For the core values, do you need to know all of the individual points other than 'we show we care, we think 'what if?' and 'we make great things happen'?

I wouldn't worry about the individual points. Nnkng them three values is key, and then elaborating how you meet these key values a d how you demonstrate how you do XYZ. Everyone's DMI process seems to be slightly different guess it depends on depo managers. Mine where very by the book and regemented, where I've heard others say it's very casual

 

[mickeyC]

Huge congrats! I've got my DMI coming up, so prepping as much as possible. For the core values, do you need to know all of the individual points other than 'we show we care, we think 'what if?' and 'we make great things happen'?

Another thing I did was read the Southeastern railway plan and mentioned specific sections on infrastructure and fleet upgrades.
It’ll show that you’ve looked deeper into the company rather than the about us page and reel off all the same stuff as everybody else

 

[Ash0110]

I'm in the same boat, not heard a thing

At least it’s not just me then at the minute. Fingers crossed we hear something soon.

I think the cut off for that online assessment was 23/1/26. Hopefully it’s a case of them going through that and then possibly hear something

 

[newbiewannabe]

Has anyone who had to do the additional artic shores tests following there passed assessment day heard anything back yet?

My chosen depot is Ramsgate and Faverhsam but I haven’t heard anything yet.

Just curious to see if any of you have heard any news yourselves?

Thanks

Not a sausage

 

[CFRAIL]

I did speak to a friend of mine who was invited to do Arctic Shores after applying (I believe this stage is usually prior to the in person assessments). He was unsuccessful and was told so straight away.

 

[Hamna]

Hey does anyone can recommend any site from where I can do practice for test for assessment center…

 

[CFRAIL]

Hey does anyone can recommend any site from where I can do practice for test for assessment center…

If you've got assessments coming up they'll provide practice material.

 

[mickeyC]

Hey does anyone can recommend any site from where I can do practice for test for assessment center…

All the information and test material is sent to you.
Practice with that and trust the process, it’ll all make sense on the day.

 

[Hamna]

All the information and test material is sent to you.
Practice with that and trust the process, it’ll all make sense on the day.

Okay thank you

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All the information and test material is sent to you.
Practice with that and trust the process, it’ll all make sense on the day.

I want to ask one thing that in the attention test do we need to do full page within one minute or it’s not necessary that how much did we do in one minute?? Because it’s very short time to find the word from whole page in one minute during practice I’m able to do only 11 lines in one minute doesn’t matter how many times I do it’s still 11 lines…