Transport for Wales - Trainee Train Drivers

[Chris1305]

Hi everyone had my 2nd attempt at the paper tests on monday in cardiff. Had feedback from the first one only failed on the dots. Had did everyone else get on ? Anyone know how many lines to pass the dots ? Thanks

Not sure how many you need but i was getting 10-11 lines consistently and passed.

 

[BOMPO83]

10 lines per section ?

 

[Chris1305]

Yes 10-11 lines per section

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Nov 2023 ==

By all accounts they want a balance of Speed and accuracy whilst being fairly consistent throughout the test. So no good doing 7 lines on the first section then 13 on the next and then back to 7. Try and stay consistent whilst going as fast as you can without making to many mistakes or omissions.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Yes 10-11 lines per section

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Nov 2023 ==

By all accounts they want a balance of Speed and accuracy whilst being fairly consistent throughout the test. So no good doing 7 lines on the first section then 13 on the next and then back to 7. Try and stay consistent whilst going as fast as you can without making to many mistakes or omissions.

This from what I've heard from my mates that have passed. I'll confirm soon for myself. Currently in practice I'm a very consistent 11 on 3 pages and 12 on two.

I've on my last few daily tests tried to do them with some light sound distractions with the phone playing as I'm sure that it won't be fully quiet at the test place from the external world outside.

 

[BOMPO83]

Yes 10-11 lines per section

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Nov 2023 ==

By all accounts they want a balance of Speed and accuracy whilst being fairly consistent throughout the test. So no good doing 7 lines on the first section then 13 on the next and then back to 7. Try and stay consistent whilst going as fast as you can without making to many mistakes or omissions.

Ah think i only done 6 to 7 per section on the day. Gutted. How are you llokong at 250 patterns in 2 minutes ? Fair play

 

[Chris1305]

Ah think i only done 6 to 7 per section on the day. Gutted. How are you llokong at 250 patterns in 2 minutes ? Fair play

It was Just practice. When i first started practicing I was getting 7-8 lines, but after a lot of practice you start to recognise the shapes of the patterns which helps. I think you end up learning to scan them rather than study each one because you lose to much time.

You may be ok if you were accurate. I dont think anyone knows the actual pass mark

 

[johnnymarr]

Failed the DMI - the email said the paper and computer/mmi count for 2 years. It also said this was the case the other driving companies, is this the case?

 

[BOMPO83]

It was Just practice. When i first started practicing I was getting 7-8 lines, but after a lot of practice you start to recognise the shapes of the patterns which helps. I think you end up learning to scan them rather than study each one because you lose to much time.

You may be ok if you were accurate. I dont think anyone knows the actual pass mark

Just had an email passed the paper tests !

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Nov 2023 ==

Failed the DMI - the email said the paper and computer/mmi count for 2 years. It also said this was the case the other driving companies, is this the case?

Sorry to hear. They give you feedback?

 

[harleyluna]

Failed the DMI - the email said the paper and computer/mmi count for 2 years. It also said this was the case the other driving companies, is this the case ?

I also failed and my 6 months were up on the 26th Nov. Just waiting for openings in my local depot .

 

[NSEWonderer]

Good evening, on the cables and dials aka trp2 did anyone answer below 20 questions out of the 43 and pass?

 

[7819Hinton]

Good evening, on the cables and dials aka trp2 did anyone answer below 20 questions out of the 43 and pass?

I’d be gob smacked if less than 50% equated to a pass, not that I or anyone knows the pass marks outside of the OPC.

 

[NSEWonderer]

I’d be gob smacked if less than 50% equated to a pass, not that I or anyone knows the pass marks outside of the OPC.

I used to think that before reading up on several GB passes of 6-7 which is less than 50%. I did do some digging and noticed several people mention completing 20-23 and passing for an enhance toc with a high % so indeed whi knows haha.

 

[J.Wills]

Good evening, on the cables and dials aka trp2 did anyone answer below 20 questions out of the 43 and pass?

You're joking, right?

 

[NSEWonderer]

You're joking, right?

No joke, I've heard of 14 questions answered making the cut for opc but that could be down to a number of factors. More so just wondering if there's more people who've passed under the half m questions mark.

 

[baz962]

I used to think that before reading up on several GB passes of 6-7 which is less than 50%. I did do some digging and noticed several people mention completing 20-23 and passing for an enhance toc with a high % so indeed whi knows haha.

I done around 8-9 lines on the group bourdon test and 22 or 23 out of 40 odd on the dials. My passes were in the top 2% and high enough for every toc.

 

[NSEWonderer]

I done around 8-9 lines on the group bourdon test and 22 or 23 out of 40 odd on the dials. My passes were in the top 2% and high enough for every toc.

Dang that is very good. GB I really enjoyed was about 11 or 12 average with no errors or omissions that I can remember. Practiced for that once a day for a week. Tea OCC and trp 1 was great, finished trp 1 and had quite a bit of time to check answers.

 

[7819Hinton]

I done around 8-9 lines on the group bourdon test and 22 or 23 out of 40 odd on the dials. My passes were in the top 2% and high enough for every toc.

Wow!! I didn’t realise the standard was that low. No offence intended.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Nov 2023 ==

I used to think that before reading up on several GB passes of 6-7 which is less than 50%. I did do some digging and noticed several people mention completing 20-23 and passing for an enhance toc with a high % so indeed whi knows haha.

GB is more to do with accuracy and consistency.. so I can believe 7 lines maybe would be good enough if close to perfect, but again none of us know what the pass marks are.

 

[NorthernTech]

I done around 8-9 lines on the group bourdon test and 22 or 23 out of 40 odd on the dials. My passes were in the top 2% and high enough for every toc.

Yeah, I wouldn’t have practiced these quite so much if I’d known the pass mark had been so low. Again, no offence, but I was getting way more on GB and a few more on Dials, working on accuracy rather than speed. I’ve no idea how you know your results and how you score nationally, im just glad I passed.

 

[baz962]

Yeah, I wouldn’t have practiced these quite so much if I’d known the pass mark had been so low. Again, no offence, but I was getting way more on GB and a few more on Dials, working on accuracy rather than speed. I’ve no idea how you know your results and how you score nationally, im just glad I passed.

After I started training with London Overground , we had a day where the OPC sent someone to teach us how to learn quickly. On that day they told our whole group that we were in the top 2%.
We weren't told our actual scores , but we were given paperwork that showed how we compared to each other.

 

[NSEWonderer]

I know they take into account several different factors ontop of the questions answered. They did mention there is a different weightings and factors that make it all up.

 

[7819Hinton]

I know they take into account several different factors ontop of the questions answered. They did mention there is a different weightings and factors that make it all up.

What other factors???
The cut of your jib, the way you enter a room, your posture when seated..
surely TRP2 is all about how many you complete and how many you get right.. not really sure what other factors come in to play for that test..
GB, there is a little more to it and indeed I see how the weightings come into play.
Definitely consistency of speed is key. Accuracy obviously and to a lesser extent though still very important, lines completed. I guess corrections will also play a part.

 

[NSEWonderer]

What other factors???
The cut of your jib, the way you enter a room, your posture when seated..
surely TRP2 is all about how many you complete and how many you get right.. not really sure what other factors come in to play for that test..
GB, there is a little more to it and indeed I see how the weightings come into play.
Definitely consistency of speed is key. Accuracy obviously and to a lesser extent though still very important, lines completed. I guess corrections will also play a part.

There is going to be other weighting factors that come into it. The score clearly fluctuates between tocs for one. People have passed in this fourm from what I've seen with 14 out of 43. The standard isn't defined as insinuated at more than half = a pass.

Plus also one forgets there is the enhanced weighting that has its own cut off point ontop of the national. Plenty have got enhanced with low 20s.

At the end of the day however its just speculation how they assess but... From what I've seen on the fourm it does show people are able to pass below 20(Mainly high 10s).

 

[NorthernTech]

After I started training with London Overground , we had a day where the OPC sent someone to teach us how to learn quickly. On that day they told our whole group that we were in the top 2%.
We weren't told our actual scores , but we were given paperwork that showed how we compared to each other.

That’s quite good, and set you up quite well for the test. Quite an insight. Did you compare as a group? Was there quite a big variety of answers across the group?

 

[7819Hinton]

There is going to be other weighting factors that come into it. The score clearly fluctuates between tocs for one. People have passed in this fourm from what I've seen with 14 out of 43. The standard isn't defined as insinuated at more than half = a pass.

Plus also one forgets there is the enhanced weighting that has its own cut off point ontop of the national. Plenty have got enhanced with low 20s.

At the end of the day however its just speculation how they assess but... From what I've seen on the fourm it does show people are able to pass below 20(Mainly high 10s).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Dec 2023 ==

I would take ‘a lot’ of what you read on this forum with a dollop of salt.
So much incorrect information passed off as ‘fact’, when it’s little more than someone’s opinion.
It’s an eye opener.

 

[7819Hinton]

There is going to be other weighting factors that come into it. The score clearly fluctuates between tocs for one. People have passed in this fourm from what I've seen with 14 out of 43. The standard isn't defined as insinuated at more than half = a pass.

Plus also one forgets there is the enhanced weighting that has its own cut off point ontop of the national. Plenty have got enhanced with low 20s.

At the end of the day however its just speculation how they assess but... From what I've seen on the fourm it does show people are able to pass below 20(Mainly high 10s).

Surely the national standard is the national standard.
I appreciate no one really knows what enhanced means. It could mean an additional test, high pass rates on some tests, or a mixture of both.
So enhanced with low 20’s is probably more likely standard and very poor standard at that.
I’ll agree with you in that it’s all speculation.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Surely the national standard is the national standard.
I appreciate no one really knows what enhanced means. It could mean an additional test, high pass rates on some tests, or a mixture of both.
So enhanced with low 20’s is probably more likely standard and very poor standard at that.
I’ll agree with you in that it’s all speculation.

I mean our fellow forum member Baz, did say they got enhanced with Arriva Overground on 22-23 dials, as you say we don't know what defines national standard or what defines enhanced. But having a rough idea is possible based on what said persons that took the test may be able to recall, progress wise. I've never read about anyone pass under 14 questions answered as of current, agreed that means nothing as not everyone that sits these tests are on the forum and yes it could be utter nonsense that someone claims to have passed with 14 to national standard on this forum but then again outside of them and more importantly the OPC, who'd know for certain?

But its some numeric data and for trying to see how the results and pass rates may differ.

 

[mtb]

I've had my staff rail pass which is valid from yesterday but I don't start my course until Feb. I assume I can't use it to travel until then?

 

[baz962]

I mean our fellow forum member Baz, did say they got enhanced with Arriva Overground on 22-23 dials, as you say we don't know what defines national standard or what defines enhanced. But having a rough idea is possible based on what said persons that took the test may be able to recall, progress wise. I've never read about anyone pass under 14 questions answered as of current, agreed that means nothing as not everyone that sits these tests are on the forum and yes it could be utter nonsense that someone claims to have passed with 14 to national standard on this forum but then again outside of them and more importantly the OPC, who'd know for certain?

But its some numeric data and for trying to see how the results and pass rates may differ.

The enhancements can be both the actual scores and extra tests. I ask questions and have never been afraid too and asked many of the OPC.
On the first day at London Overground I know someone that passed the group bourdon to national , but not enhanced.
Also some companies version of enhanced means adding the magnificent seven sjt and the visual search exercise. Others use the dfft or driver fault finding test. I guess someone can have lower scores but little to no mistakes etc. As to the point someone made above about taking a pinch of salt regarding some posters , maybe some people do post rubbish. I post personally only what I was told by the OPC and also what I know regarding people who have passed tests. A few other people on here know me and I am ex Overground metro driver and now currently an inter city driver mentor (instructor). Before I started with Overground I was offered interviews with Thameslink/great northern , C2C and First Great Western. If any of my information is incorrect regarding testing/training then it's because the information has changed or you can blame the OPC . I am currently away and if I remember when I get home and if I remember and can find it. I will post the paperwork ( my personal stuff) the OPC gave me.

 

[Paddygee]

I've had my staff rail pass which is valid from yesterday but I don't start my course until Feb. I assume I can't use it to travel until then?

I wouldn’t if I were you.

 

[ThePeakNed]

I've had my staff rail pass which is valid from yesterday but I don't start my course until Feb. I assume I can't use it to travel until then?

Rather envious of your February course date. Thought I'd have heard by now but apparently not!

The waiting game continues.