SWR - Guard - Recruitment Discussion

[levels]

Hi

I have applied for a commercial guard role at Farnham depot and have passed the initial automated tests and received an invite to the assessment centre (almost immediately - I wasn’t expecting to get an invite for 3-4 months based on other people’s experience!) I’ve read up about what to expect thanks to this very helpful forum, but I had a couple of Farnham specific questions and a couple of general about working on the railway as I would be a newbie.

As I understand it each depot has its own roster, I just wondered what the broad working pattern was at Farnham? Ie rest days/earlys/late. I saw something from about 8 years ago but that was based on a different length working week.

Farnham guards also sign for a fairly wide range of routes. It it likely that you’re allocated all of them fairly regularly or do you tend to do some more than others?

I’ve been told that I’ll just be tested on red/green colour blindness, SCAAT and RAAT. It appears that other interviewees have done more tests so have the range of tests changed recently?

Finally any reflections from people who successfully got through the recruitment process with no prior rail experience would be very welcome.


Thanks in advance

 

[flopsie19]

Hi

I have applied for a commercial guard role at Farnham depot and have passed the initial automated tests and received an invite to the assessment centre (almost immediately - I wasn’t expecting to get an invite for 3-4 months based on other people’s experience!) I’ve read up about what to expect thanks to this very helpful forum, but I had a couple of Farnham specific questions and a couple of general about working on the railway as I would be a newbie.

As I understand it each depot has its own roster, I just wondered what the broad working pattern was at Farnham? Ie rest days/earlys/late. I saw something from about 8 years ago but that was based on a different length working week.

Farnham guards also sign for a fairly wide range of routes. It it likely that you’re allocated all of them fairly regularly or do you tend to do some more than others?

I’ve been told that I’ll just be tested on red/green colour blindness, SCAAT and RAAT. It appears that other interviewees have done more tests so have the range of tests changed recently?

Finally any reflections from people who successfully got through the recruitment process with no prior rail experience would be very welcome.


Thanks in advance

Hello,

I hope you are well.

How did your assessment centre go? What stage are you at now?

I’ve applied for the guard role at Guildford and Woking. It’s a job I would love. I’ve received an email to say that I successfully passed the SJT assessment. What are the next steps?

It sounds like you went through the process very quick. How long has it been from each point?

Any advice you can give?

Thank you!

 

[levels]

Hello,

I hope you are well.

How did your assessment centre go? What stage are you at now?

I’ve applied for the guard role at Guildford and Woking. It’s a job I would love. I’ve received an email to say that I successfully passed the SJT assessment. What are the next steps?

It sounds like you went through the process very quick. How long has it been from each point?

Any advice you can give?

Thank you!

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

Hi. Happy to share but do you want to message me directly - the forum only allows you to direct message once you do 5 posts which I think you have (I haven’t)

Thanks

 

[lennie1]

Hi. I've also applied for the Guard role at both Basingstoke and Farnham and would like to hear about the process – successfully completed SJT. I've also in a holding pattern with GWR at Reading for a Conductor role, after successfully completing stage 1 online assessments (with hiring manager – applied in December).

As far as I'm concerned, all the roles sound great, if I can get through.

 

[limjf63]

Hi, I’m currently applying for the role of commercial guard to be based at Farnham.
Can anyone tell me what I’m likely (if successful) to expect in terms of assessments.
First off the online assessments sent to you and then what I’d be doing at the assessment centre if I pass the first stage. Apologies if this topic has been asked before.

 

[Urban Gateline]

Hi, I’m currently applying for the role of commercial guard to be based at Farnham.
Can anyone tell me what I’m likely (if successful) to expect in terms of assessments.
First off the online assessments sent to you and then what I’d be doing at the assessment centre if I pass the first stage. Apologies if this topic has been asked before.

The online one is scenario based and you choose the best and worst choice in your opinion of actions to take on the scenario in each question.

Assessment centre in Southampton, is a few different tests, not sure whether it's changed since I did them 3yrs ago but you will get practice material for them, a concentration test where you mark shapes on lines, a ticket checking and selling test, audio test where you note important bits and try to remember for passing a report on. Also colour blindness and your right to work documents get checked. You find out on the day if you pass. After that it's interview with 2 guards managers either locally at depot or in Southampton again.

Best of luck.

 

[MiNi]

My assessment day was back in 2020. I was 1 of 14 at the start of the day,various people left during the day when they failed a test. You were told you'd failed and were sent on your way home. It sounds like it hasn't changed much since 2020.
Good luck

 

[limjf63]

The online one is scenario based and you choose the best and worst choice in your opinion of actions to take on the scenario in each question.

Assessment centre in Southampton, is a few different tests, not sure whether it's changed since I did them 3yrs ago but you will get practice material for them, a concentration test where you mark shapes on lines, a ticket checking and selling test, audio test where you note important bits and try to remember for passing a report on. Also colour blindness and your right to work documents get checked. You find out on the day if you pass. After that it's interview with 2 guards managers either locally at depot or in Southampton again.

Best of luck.

Thank you for the reply , is there a maths assessment and if so what does it contain ?
And the psychometric test , is it dots or shapes. I’m just trying to be as prepared as possible.

 

[MiNi]

When I did mine the maths test was pretty basic. I'm no maths wizard but I passed it ok. A few of each adding,subtracting etc

 

[Urban Gateline]

Thank you for the reply , is there a maths assessment and if so what does it contain ?
And the psychometric test , is it dots or shapes. I’m just trying to be as prepared as possible.

As MiNi said above, basic maths test, also ticket checking and selling, they give you all the information there so as long as you can read a chart of discounts to work out fares you'll be okay. The concentration test should be shapes, I believe dots is for Drivers (Group Bourdon).

If you want a less stressful experience book a hotel the night before your assessment so that you don't have to worry about the journey down there as most of the assessments seem to start at 9am or thereabouts and you definitely don't want to be late or rushing around!

 

[Harby]

Hello everyone. Sorry for the long question in advance. I recently applied and passed an assessment for a Metro Guard Role based at Waterloo Station. Although I am very happy to have passed I have some questions regarding the work-life balance that Recruitment Team hasn’t been able to specify in. Mainly i want to know what does the day to day, week to week looks like. How many hours do Metro Guards do per day? Are longer shifts mandatory as per roster? How many days per week do you work? At Waterloo I heard you do night shifts. How often and what do you do in these shifts? I currently work as a Train dispatcher for southeastern so I am used to waking up early to get to work at 0600- 1400, lates 1400-2200 or nights 2200-0600. Although I can do rest day work or 12h shift’s this is by my own choice. I would really appreciate anything that helps clarify this. Thank you

 

[Jessething]

Hello everyone! I've had the call telling me my interview was successful for waterloo depot which I am beyond excited about! Unfortunately, however, recruitment was unable to give me a start date. Is anyone able to advise me the average wait time, or roughly when the guards starting training now interviewed? Thank you

 

[Urban Gateline]

Hello everyone. Sorry for the long question in advance. I recently applied and passed an assessment for a Metro Guard Role based at Waterloo Station. Although I am very happy to have passed I have some questions regarding the work-life balance that Recruitment Team hasn’t been able to specify in. Mainly i want to know what does the day to day, week to week looks like. How many hours do Metro Guards do per day? Are longer shifts mandatory as per roster? How many days per week do you work? At Waterloo I heard you do night shifts. How often and what do you do in these shifts? I currently work as a Train dispatcher for southeastern so I am used to waking up early to get to work at 0600- 1400, lates 1400-2200 or nights 2200-0600. Although I can do rest day work or 12h shift’s this is by my own choice. I would really appreciate anything that helps clarify this. Thank you

The roster at Waterloo is quite varied, as you probably know crew don't sign on at rounded times like platform staff, generally at Waterloo earliest starts around 0400 and latest finish 0130, they have a few different links there with some on permanent earlies, permanent lates or nights, but as a new guard you'd go onto the mixed link which tends to have less extreme shifts, mix of weeks of earlies, weeks of lates, no nights. So the main consideration is how you can get to work for the very early starts and home for the late finishes as it may be before/after the first/last trains, so depends where you live.

Shifts are as short as 6hrs and can be as long as 11h when covering other depot work, you get "spare" days when you are as ordered, where you only find out 2 days before them what you'll be doing and they can move your start time 3hrs either side of your "as ordered" base roster timing. RDW is called FDW (free day working) for SWR crew, you have to e-mail the roster clerk (CRO) in advance with dates every month that you are available for it and it's allocated on a count basis (and paid at time and quarter). Hope that all makes sense and if you have more questions feel free to reach out!

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

Hello everyone! I've had the call telling me my interview was successful for waterloo depot which I am beyond excited about! Unfortunately, however, recruitment was unable to give me a start date. Is anyone able to advise me the average wait time, or roughly when the guards starting training now interviewed? Thank you

Congrats! Waterloo is the largest guard depot with a lot of movement so you probably won't be waiting too long, nobody can tell you how long though! I was fortunate when passing my interview that they offered me a start date just a month and a bit later, just enough to give notice at previous job, but they will have a waiting list of people so it depends how far near the top you are on that, fingers crossed for you. Waterloo is a great depot with a lot of variety of work!

 

[Mainsideman]

The roster at Waterloo is quite varied, as you probably know crew don't sign on at rounded times like platform staff, generally at Waterloo earliest starts around 0400 and latest finish 0130, they have a few different links there with some on permanent earlies, permanent lates or nights, but as a new guard you'd go onto the mixed link which tends to have less extreme shifts, mix of weeks of earlies, weeks of lates, no nights. So the main consideration is how you can get to work for the very early starts and home for the late finishes as it may be before/after the first/last trains, so depends where you live.

Shifts are as short as 6hrs and can be as long as 11h when covering other depot work, you get "spare" days when you are as ordered, where you only find out 2 days before them what you'll be doing and they can move your start time 3hrs either side of your "as ordered" base roster timing. RDW is called FDW (free day working) for SWR crew, you have to e-mail the roster clerk (CRO) in advance with dates every month that you are available for it and it's allocated on a count basis (and paid at time and quarter). Hope that all makes sense and if you have more questions feel free to reach out!

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


Congrats! Waterloo is the largest guard depot with a lot of movement so you probably won't be waiting too long, nobody can tell you how long though! I was fortunate when passing my interview that they offered me a start date just a month and a bit later, just enough to give notice at previous job, but they will have a waiting list of people so it depends how far near the top you are on that, fingers crossed for you. Waterloo is a great depot with a lot of variety of work!

Are you a guard with SWR currently!

 

[Urban Gateline]

Are you a guard with SWR currently!

Yes

 

[Harby]

Thank you Urban Gateline, all that info is very useful! I assume the longer and shorter shifts are rostered right? It’s not up to me whether I stay longer or shorter, unlike in dispatching roles. If so i would appreciate any info on how often these 11h shifts are on a weekly or monthly basis. Also will the night shift become mandatory later on? Finally what are your thoughts about the work/life balance in this position? When I went to the assessment they seem to have made it a big deal that it’s you shouldn’t expect to have much of it haha

 

[Urban Gateline]

Thank you Urban Gateline, all that info is very useful! I assume the longer and shorter shifts are rostered right? It’s not up to me whether I stay longer or shorter, unlike in dispatching roles. If so i would appreciate any info on how often these 11h shifts are on a weekly or monthly basis. Also will the night shift become mandatory later on? Finally what are your thoughts about the work/life balance in this position? When I went to the assessment they seem to have made it a big deal that it’s you shouldn’t expect to have much of it haha

Yep those are rostered, on the day you might get disruption leading to late booking off for which you can claim overtime, I believe 1hr enforced overtime is expected so you have to be somewhat flexible as it does happen sometimes, not finishing on time! The longer rostered duties over 10h tend to only come on your "AO/As ordered" days if you pick up a duty covering another depot, there's no set amount of times it could happen, it really depends on luck and coverage unfortunately!

Night shifts are only in a special night "link" on the roster, if you wanted to work them you'd have to join a waitlist for that link, you wouldn't get nights on the normal roster ever. If you were to join specific links later on, they do permanent of something, either permanent nights, earlies or lates, each have waitlists of people from the mixed main link wanting to join.

Work/life balance is different for everyone, I personally love it, having lots of days off (sometimes 4 or 5 in a row), makes up for 7 day stints on the roster. It will depend on your circumstances as to how it'll affect you, if you have kids and a partner, fitting school runs in and arranging childcare can be tough, you'll work a lot of weekends, roughly half of all saturdays and sundays a little less than that, late night finishes on a Fri/Sat night when your friends might be out enjoying themselves. I have siblings who work mon-fri and it can be tough arranging to see them with such few weekends off, but on the flip side I have time for lots of holidays and trips! It's good that recruitment are honest about the challenges as the hours are not for the faint hearted, compared to platforms you'll find them more extreme and possibly a challenge transport wise if you rely on trains/buses to get to/from work!

 

[levels]

Just say that I start training in early September after being offered commercial guard role last month so process took about 8 months for me including medical (on 12 weeks notice in current role hence later start date). If anyone starting at similar time do DM me!

 

[bigmike148]

I’ve just started as a new metro guard at Waterloo I was formerly an RO2. Typically once an interview is passed depending on annual leave you should get a start date in around 3 months

 

[VSKrey]

I’ve just started as a new metro guard at Waterloo I was formerly an RO2. Typically once an interview is passed depending on annual leave you should get a start date in around 3 months

I just applied for the metro guard opening in Wimbledon. Did the SJT and passed, stated in the email they will progress those with the highest scores but the listing for the role is still up and Im still in the game. Can you advise what comes after this stage (Would it be the Southampton assessment day)?