Trainee Driver Pass Out Rate

Drift · 20 Jan 2024

Evening,

I was wondering if anyone knew roughly what the successful pass out rate is for trainees once they are enrolled on a training course.

I’m fully aware that there is going to be a direct link between how much effort one puts in and the chances of success, and I’m definitely willing to put the effort in. However, to start off with my wage would drop quite substantially from my current line of work.

With a mortgage & family, my worst situation (without being too pessimistic) would obviously be to take a pay cut to commence training, and then find out that the pass rate is ridiculously low and ultimately fail the course.

Any advice or stories would be welcome.

RailUK Forums

transportphoto · 20 Jan 2024

Which job role are you considering, where? A train operating company invests a lot of money into a new recruit - it’s in their interests to help people pass.

Drift · 20 Jan 2024

Apologies, it’d be for the role of Driver. I’m guessing there’s some variation from TOC to TOC?

baz962 · 20 Jan 2024

Drift said:
Evening,

I was wondering if anyone knew roughly what the successful pass out rate is for trainees once they are enrolled on a training course.

I’m fully aware that there is going to be a direct link between how much effort one puts in and the chances of success, and I’m definitely willing to put the effort in. However, to start off with my wage would drop quite substantially from my current line of work.

With a mortgage & family, my worst situation (without being too pessimistic) would obviously be to take a pay cut to commence training, and then find out that the pass rate is ridiculously low and ultimately fail the course.

Any advice or stories would be welcome.

I have been at two companies as a driver and have heard of around 4 failing in six years. If you put the effort in you will have a very high chance of qualifying. That four is out of hundreds.

Drift · 20 Jan 2024

Thanks, that’s encouraging to hear

Owen2323 · 20 Jan 2024

I'm a newly qualified driver so have less experience than baz but I'll echo the same - to fail is very rare but you do have to give it 110% for the first year or so. When you finish the 17 week course you might think the hard part is over - it isn't its only just started

Feel free to pm me if you like

Sly Sloth · 20 Jan 2024

I know of 1 that failed their Initial Competency Assessment but passed at the 2nd attempt. As mentioned once it costs thousands to train someone so you’ll get 2 chances to get your key

16.19 · 21 Jan 2024

It’s yours to fail.

Put in 100% and you won’t fail

AverageJoe · 21 Jan 2024

If you want to pass out you will.

Take the class seriously, do a little study at home and then when out driving with your instructor keep up with your rules and put in the effort to learn your route well and the final assessments will just feel like another day in the office.

By the time you reach the final assessments you should have all the knowledge you need to pass out and do the job.

Kendo · 21 Jan 2024

Everything I belive is designed for you to pass with the correct attitude and self discipline you'll be okay. The couple of people I've seen fail wasn't about attitude was more about concentration levels.

43066 · 21 Jan 2024

Of eight I started with five successfully passed out as drivers.

357 · 21 Jan 2024

Some TOCs are known to fail people for stupid reasons on their first attempt if the manager thinks they are too confident or they have a personality clash. Find out during your training how many people fail on their first attempt.

I've never known anyone fail on a second attempt. Only one person who would have done, and the shortfall was identified during training and they found another job for him.

baz962 · 21 Jan 2024

43066 said:
Of eight I started with five successfully passed out as drivers.

And sadly they passed you out

AverageJoe said:
If you want to pass out you will.

Take the class seriously, do a little study at home and then when out driving with your instructor keep up with your rules and put in the effort to learn your route well and the final assessments will just feel like another day in the office.

By the time you reach the final assessments you should have all the knowledge you need to pass out and do the job.

Just to add to this. Always ask questions. We say there is no such thing as a stupid question on the railway and there isn't. As in any industry you might occasionally ask the wrong person , but 99 out of 100 will help you and no driver knows 100%. I am now a mentor (instructor) and I still ask more experienced people the odd question myself and as a newly qualified driver I sometimes knew stuff that drivers with 30 years experience didn't know. Ask ask ask. If you also want to ask people here during training , I'm sure plenty of us would help if we can.

Drift · 21 Jan 2024

Thanks for all the responses, it’s been really good to read through them and it’s definitely helped

driver9000 · 21 Jan 2024

You'll spend a lot of time with Rules trainers and Instructors during your training who will coach you but a lot of the leg work has to come from you. Put in the work, listen to what you're taught, ask questions on anything you're unsure of and you shouldn't have to worry about failing. When I'm with a trainee I ask questions throughout their training to ensure knowledge is building and being retained as this shows us what areas we need to work on before they get anywhere near being passed out.

Failing a pass out is rare because you should be assessed by a competent manager during your handling hours to identify areas that need work and in 19 years I can probably count on 1 hand how many trainees I know of that have failed or struggled on their pass out week. Those that have struggled have been given further training as necessary and then successfully passed out.

ComUtoR · 21 Jan 2024

People fail at every level. It tapers off but it can, and does happen. We lost one this week on their traction course. It's gut wrenching when its someone you know but it is the risk everyone takes when changing jobs, let alone going through the intense course for Train driving. Nobody wants anyone to fail and all support is given and most people who fail the courses will fin another role somewhere.

It is worth the risk. Our failure rate is around 5-10% and that figure includes PTS right up till their final assessment for Driver

gshock · 21 Jan 2024

We had two people out of fifteen not make the grade on my course.

One had a bit of a wild personal life and didn't take it at all seriously... the other had a rubbish attitude to the job, was late on their commute in almost daily, fell asleep during class and all kinds of things.

If you graft hard.. and I mean HARD.. then you will be given all support. Trainers will actually liaise with managers and if you are a hard worker then there is wiggle room with the timescale that you have before your final assessment. Once on the road you will all have your final assessment week at different times.

They will want you to be ready for your final test.

As somebody said.. it it yours to fail... or pass.

Hard work, good attitude and LIVING it is key. Punctuality also, good attenting. Every ticked box will be in your favour.
You can apply that to almost anything in life really.

Applepie356 · 21 Jan 2024

Passing out isn’t the final hurdle, you still have to keep your nose clean.

Seen too many get complacent and end up getting a damaged SoL record or worse.

Efini92 · 21 Jan 2024

Drift said:
Evening,

I was wondering if anyone knew roughly what the successful pass out rate is for trainees once they are enrolled on a training course.

I’m fully aware that there is going to be a direct link between how much effort one puts in and the chances of success, and I’m definitely willing to put the effort in. However, to start off with my wage would drop quite substantially from my current line of work.

With a mortgage & family, my worst situation (without being too pessimistic) would obviously be to take a pay cut to commence training, and then find out that the pass rate is ridiculously low and ultimately fail the course.

Any advice or stories would be welcome.

When you finish at school and go back to depot, put an hour in each night going over your rules. Otherwise you’ll find as your traction and route knowledge goes in, the rules knowledge will be pushed out.
Work hard for a year and it will reward you for the rest of your career.

Twotwo · 22 Jan 2024

The classroom bit of things is draining but once you go with an instructor it becomes better even though there's lots to learn. Imo the driving and route knowledge is more important then the rules and i spent more times drawing maps, front end turns, track access and going over the route guide. Figure out how you route learn and do your best to learn your route. Once you are confident then I'd go back to rules and go over things again.

Evolution · 22 Jan 2024

We had 11 on my course and we all passed out, a couple did struggle but got there in the end. As other posters have mentioned, if you apply yourself and put in the hard work you will pass, it's an intense year or so but well worth it in the long run.

If there is anything you are unsure about don't be afraid to ask your trainers or even on here, there's no such thing as a stupid question!

Drift · 23 Jan 2024

Morning, just wanted to say thank you to all the people that have taken the time to reply, it’s been really good reading through the responses

Zontar · 23 Jan 2024

I've known a few that haven't ever made the grade, some not even finished the classroom phase. Around 5 in the last 5 years.

I can't help but think this may be toc specific, but from some of my personal experience, wrong attitude and money motivation were very evident.

rakoczigabi · 23 Jan 2024

I’ve started my classroom training back in 2019.
Was 12 of us in the group , 6 internal 6 external.
Me and another guy foreigner.

Day one at school I said to the trainer if I don’t understand something I’ll ask. Even if it’s a stupid question.
They said there’s no stupid questions.

So I kept asking when I wasn’t sure.

So if you are unsure just ask, make sure you put in 110%.

All of us passed rules.
Then went our separate way with our instructors.

One guy quit during driving hours , he said it’s not for him.

A guy failed his traction course twice. Was offered to be a depot driver with a different traction. Passed that.

Another guy failed twice on his final , so was also let go. Was offered a guards job but didn’t take it.

So 9 of us left at the end. I’ve been out driving solo 2 years now.

As I said , if you put in the work , ask questions you’ll be fine

Lurcheroo · 23 Jan 2024

Just to Chuck in some more numbers. At My TOC I have seen 3 make it through the classroom training but not finish their driving hours. Sounds like all 3 weren’t putting the effort in though and ‘always knew better’.

As others have said, they don’t want to see anyone fail. It’s the trainees thing to loose.

marco sadler · 13 Mar 2024

Drift said:
Evening,

I was wondering if anyone knew roughly what the successful pass out rate is for trainees once they are enrolled on a training course.

I’m fully aware that there is going to be a direct link between how much effort one puts in and the chances of success, and I’m definitely willing to put the effort in. However, to start off with my wage would drop quite substantially from my current line of work.

With a mortgage & family, my worst situation (without being too pessimistic) would obviously be to take a pay cut to commence training, and then find out that the pass rate is ridiculously low and ultimately fail the course.

Any advice or stories would be welcome.

none on my course
only had 1 drop out

PlexiDriver · 13 Mar 2024

Fails are rarer, drop out rate by resigning is much higher.

BrokenSam · 13 Mar 2024

It's not always because of attitude either. Sometimes it just doesn't click.

Horizon22 · 13 Mar 2024

BrokenSam said:
It's not always because of attitude either. Sometimes it just doesn't click.

Indeed, I've met ex-drivers who have obtained other railway roles who didn't leave because of any incidents but found they didn't like the role relatively quickly and moved on.

Some people find the harsh shift starts/finishes too difficult or find the role isolating and sometimes monotonous for those whose mind 'wanders'.

Juliet Barvo · 30 Mar 2024

10 joined in my intake. All passed out as Drivers.

My TOC had a thing where 5 of us were placed with Instructors immediately and qualified, the other 5 were made to wait months for Instructors until people who'd joined the company after them had been placed with Instructors. Of those five who were made to wait months for Instructors, 2 left within about a year of qualifying. Guess they didn't like being passed over during training and being queue jumped in the wait for full drivers money. But that was the Elizabeth Line

Trainee Driver Pass Out Rate

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