Chiltern - Apprentice Train Driver - Marylebone, Stourbridge and Birmingham - Talent Pool (18/02/25)

[TobyAleAsp]

Had an email through to complete a VSE this afternoon. Congrats to all who have also received. Can anyone please point me to resources to practice? The OPC link isn’t overly descriptive. Thanks in advance.

 

[12LDA28C]

Had an email through to complete a VSE this afternoon. Congrats to all who have also received. Can anyone please point me to resources to practice? The OPC link isn’t overly descriptive. Thanks in advance.

I'm not sure there are online resources to practice the VSE - was there no information included with your email?

 

[TraineeD]

I've also had the VSE email.

I passed the VSE in March 2023 with Avanti, does anyone know if this would count as a pass or will I need to do it again?

I will email them to confirm but don't want to waste their time if it definitely won't count.

 

[xenomorth45]

Yay have also received the email this afternoon! Will be doing mine Saturday afternoon so left over work residue

 

[guiltedge]

I’ve also had the VSE email. Has anyone received the follow up email from OPC with the link to do the test yet? Received my email from Chiltern at 1615 but nothing from OPC yet

 

[Ridetherails]

I also got the email. Interesting it’s only the VSE test.

Nothing from OPC yet

 

[xenomorth45]

I’ve also had the VSE email. Has anyone received the follow up email from OPC with the link to do the test yet? Received my email from Chiltern at 1615 but nothing from OPC yet

Nothing either from OPC. Given how late in the day the emails went out I imagine it will be tomorrow.

 

[Ridetherails]

When I got invited by WMT they did say it could take upto 5 days to receive the link from OPC

 

[12LDA28C]

I also got the email. Interesting it’s only the VSE test.

Nothing from OPC yet

Not that interesting as Chiltern use the online VSE test as an additional sifting exercise. Pass the VSE and you go through to in-person assessment at OPC. Fail the VSE and it’s game over.

 

[Ridetherails]

Ah ok

 

[xenomorth45]

Does anyone know the answer to this? For those of us who are in the WMT talent pool after passing the 4 online tests and waiting on the OPC. If we fail the Chiltern VSE does that impact our WMT application?

 

[Pintman]

I've also had the VSE email.

I passed the VSE in March 2023 with Avanti, does anyone know if this would count as a pass or will I need to do it again?

I will email them to confirm but don't want to waste their time if it definitely won't count.

If you sat it at home rather than at an assessment centre then it will only have a 6 month validity period. You'll most likely need to do it again.

 

[TraineeD]

If you sat it at home rather than at an assessment centre then it will only have a 6 month validity period. You'll most likely need to do it again.

Thank you. I won't even bother emailing then. I'll just re-sit. I remember part 3 of it being tough so was hoping to avoid it.

 

[12LDA28C]

Does anyone know the answer to this? For those of us who are in the WMT talent pool after passing the 4 online tests and waiting on the OPC. If we fail the Chiltern VSE does that impact our WMT application?

How are you 'in the talent pool' for WMT if you haven't passed the entire testing process?

 

[xenomorth45]

How are you 'in the talent pool' for WMT if you haven't passed the entire testing process?

So we passed the online tests to progress to the in person stage. But they sent out emails saying our applications have been put on hold. The OPC will be in touch when they are ready to do the next stage. But for now they are holding a bunch of us in a talent pool.

 

[12LDA28C]

So we passed the online tests to progress to the in person stage. But they sent out emails saying our applications have been put on hold. The OPC will be in touch when they are ready to do the next stage. But for now they are holding a bunch of us in a talent pool.

Ok well that's not the normal definition of a talent pool. That usually means that you have passed all of the necessary testing and interviews and are waiting a start date which could be sooner or later or occasionally, not at all as some contributors to this forum will attest.

 

[xenomorth45]

Ok well that's not the normal definition of a talent pool. That usually means that you have passed all of the necessary testing and interviews and are waiting a start date which could be sooner or later or occasionally, not at all as some contributors to this forum will attest.

TOCS are one of the worlds greatest unsolved mysteries. Also I am in denial about not hearing at all.

 

[walsh1990]

I’ve also had the VSE email. Has anyone received the follow up email from OPC with the link to do the test yet? Received my email from Chiltern at 1615 but nothing from OPC yet

If you don’t mind me asking, when did you apply? February 2025 or before?

 

[Amnesiac]

Wrong thread, apologies.

 

[Ridetherails]

I’ve received the email from OPC today for the VSE test

 

[guiltedge]

If you don’t mind me asking, when did you apply? February 2025 or before?

No worries, I applied in Feb 2025 yes.

 

[walsh1990]

Anybody here applied to Marylebone in Feb. 25 and received the VSE link?

I am very confused as my application in the job portal updated weeks ago to OPC 1.7 but had no emails telling me this and no VSE link sent out. Never sat it previously either.

I'm not sure whether to contact them as I appear to have skipped a stage but would rather sit it now in the comfort of my own home, rather than find out later down the line that I need to sit it when I'm trying to juggle the other tests etc.

Good luck to anyone sitting it! Let us know how it goes... x

 

[xenomorth45]

Wow just completed my tests. Pretty sure I aced the first. Got about 5 wrong on the 2nd shape matching one. Part 3 I dread to think, I would say I got around 10 wrong. Part 3 was absolutely horrible, not holding my breath. Although guess they don’t expect 100%. Back to the waiting game now.

 

[I_am_Nobody]

Wow just completed my tests. Pretty sure I aced the first. Got about 5 wrong on the 2nd shape matching one. Part 3 I dread to think, I would say I got around 10 wrong. Part 3 was absolutely horrible, not holding my breath. Although guess they don’t expect 100%. Back to the waiting game now.

When I originally did the VSE, I felt the same as you, I thought it was terrible… but I got a pass, so fingers crossed for you!

 

[Ridetherails]

Hopefully doing mine Tuesday.

What were the 3 parts?

Part 1 light moving round in sequence, spot the error?

Part 2, find the odd one out?

Part 3, part 1+2 combined?

 

[xenomorth45]

Hopefully doing mine Tuesday.

What were the 3 parts?

Part 1 light moving round in sequence, spot the error?

Part 2, find the odd one out?

Part 3, part 1+2 combined?

Part 2 - two lines of 8 shapes and you have to confirm if each sides match or not. First it starts with just 2 shapes and goes to 3 shapes. Gives you instant feedback if it was correct and in the right time.

 

[Ridetherails]

Yeah that’s what I meant lol. Then part 3 part 1+2 combined right?

 

[xenomorth45]

Yeah that’s what I meant lol. Then part 3 part 1+2 combined

Yup thats right, first two are a breeze.

 

[guiltedge]

Wow just completed my tests. Pretty sure I aced the first. Got about 5 wrong on the 2nd shape matching one. Part 3 I dread to think, I would say I got around 10 wrong. Part 3 was absolutely horrible, not holding my breath. Although guess they don’t expect 100%. Back to the waiting game now.

I felt exactly the same after doing mine over the weekend. Some encouraging words further down the thread though, fingers crossed we did enough!

 

[sjp2354]

Have any Birmingham applicants received their email yet? I’m sure they have a vast amount of applications to work through but I am just curious.