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

[Ridetherails]

I applied for Stourbridge and Birmingham.

My Stourbridge application is progressing, Birmingham is still at initial stage ( but assuming that’s because it’s progressed with Stourbridge )

 

[Tcastle15]

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.

Hi there,

Sorry if this is a weird question. Is the VSE test strictly sent as a link for you to do at home(in your own time) or could the VSE also be done as a face to face test at the centre by OPC?
I’ve done the VSE before but via link at home. I’m asking due to an email I’ve received stating I have the VSE and MMI to do in Watford? But was always under the impression it was sent as a pre OPC centre test to do online via link?

 

[Ridetherails]

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.

How long did you get on Part 3

I’ve just been going over the paper practice sheet from opc. I’m a little
Confused on the 4 second rule they give. Is that 4 seconds for the entire line ( part 1 and part 2 ) or is it 4 seconds per square of the part 2 section?

If it’s 4 seconds per line good lord!!! lol

 

[xenomorth45]

How long did you get on Part 3

I’ve just been going over the paper practice sheet from opc. I’m a little
Confused on the 4 second rule they give. Is that 4 seconds for the entire line ( part 1 and part 2 ) or is it 4 seconds per square of the part 2 section?

If it’s 4 seconds per line good lord!!! lol

Heya the practice sheets are not particularly helpful for part 3. The time you get is to check both sides is about 5 seconds before it changes. But sometimes they speed it up and sometimes slow it down. It will give you a warning you are moving to high intensity.

 

[Ridetherails]

Heya the practice sheets are not particularly helpful for part 3. The time you get is to check both sides is about 5 seconds before it changes. But sometimes they speed it up and sometimes slow it down. It will give you a warning you are moving to high intensity.

Dang. Well, time to bite the bullet :/

 

[logicaldrinkin]

Hi there,

Sorry if this is a weird question. Is the VSE test strictly sent as a link for you to do at home(in your own time) or could the VSE also be done as a face to face test at the centre by OPC?
I’ve done the VSE before but via link at home. I’m asking due to an email I’ve received stating I have the VSE and MMI to do in Watford? But was always under the impression it was sent as a pre OPC centre test to do online via link?

It seems it's usually done at home but similar to you, I did mine together with the MMI at Watford as I'd already completed the other tests with another TOC.
You'll do it first and you'll need to pass it to do the MMI afterwards. Good luck!

 

[xenomorth45]

Dang. Well, time to bite the bullet :/

Good luck buddy, let us know how you get on.

 

[walsh1990]

Apologies- I am like a dog with a bone here but am I right in thinking- people submitted the online application and heard nothing via email or any updates on the application website until they received a link to sit the VSE a couple days ago?

I really can’t fathom what has happened with my application and how it’s at OPC without having any correspondence whatsoever.

It seems it's usually done at home but similar to you, I did mine together with the MMI at Watford as I'd already completed the other tests with another TOC.
You'll do it first and you'll need to pass it to do the MMI afterwards. Good luck!

So maybe I’ll be sitting the VSE at the testing centre? With the other tests?

 

[Ridetherails]

Well that was awful lol

Good luck buddy, let us know how you get on.

who knows with part 1. Part 2 I had 2 errors.

Part 3 wasn’t as bad as I thought then chaos broke out so god knows how I did.

I will say they should give you an option of using key presses instead of moving a mouse! The UX interface is appalling. On part 3 I prioritised task 1 but the yes/no buttons are so far from report button and close together and small I found myself whizzing my mouse around my desk and sometimes hadn’t moved the mouse quite enough resulting in a mistake even though I meant to click the other answer

 

[logicaldrinkin]

Apologies- I am like a dog with a bone here but am I right in thinking- people submitted the online application and heard nothing via email or any updates on the application website until they received a link to sit the VSE a couple days ago?

I really can’t fathom what has happened with my application and how it’s at OPC without having any correspondence whatsoever.


So maybe I’ll be sitting the VSE at the testing centre? With the other tests?

I'm guessing here but Chiltern might not have got around to sending out VSE tests for Marylebone applicants yet (previous commenters seem to be based further north). The fact that your application is showing OPC 1.7 sounds like you'll get a VSE test when the time comes, but they might be prioritising applicants who have already completed other tests for now. Hope you get some news soon though.

 

[Pcoftw]

Marylebone applicant here… Also waiting for an invite and application showing 1.7. I sat the VSE in 2024 for their September vacancy but was told they were no longer hiring for Marylebone at the time. Fingers crossed this time.

 

[xenomorth45]

Well that was awful lol

who knows with part 1. Part 2 I had 2 errors.

Part 3 wasn’t as bad as I thought then chaos broke out so god knows how I did.

I will say they should give you an option of using key presses instead of moving a mouse! The UX interface is appalling. On part 3 I prioritised task 1 but the yes/no buttons are so far from report button and close together and small I found myself whizzing my mouse around my desk and sometimes hadn’t moved the mouse quite enough resulting in a mistake even though I meant to click the other answer

Yea it does kinda runaway with you, after lulling you into a false sense of security haha. Fingers crossed for both us, hope we don’t have to wait too long to find out.

 

[Ridetherails]

Yea it does kinda runaway with you, after lulling you into a false sense of security haha. Fingers crossed for both us, hope we don’t have to wait too long to find out.

Funny as you’re right the practice material has zero correlation to the test and I was shocked as found the test way easier in that respect, just the bloody user interface / extreme spacing of the buttons proper did my head in as I’ve got a rather large monitor my mouse was literally flying across my desk back and forth clicking between error and if shapes matched. Felt like I was playing some crazy frogger game

Now it’s just the waiting game for results. Good lick everyone

 

[Tcastle15]

It seems it's usually done at home but similar to you, I did mine together with the MMI at Watford as I'd already completed the other tests with another TOC.
You'll do it first and you'll need to pass it to do the MMI afterwards. Good luck!

Appreciate that, thank you.
If I could ask one more question? Was the VSE(at OPC centre Watford) pencil and paper or on computer?

 

[logicaldrinkin]

Appreciate that, thank you.
If I could ask one more question? Was the VSE(at OPC centre Watford) pencil and paper or on computer?

No problem.
It was on computer - I've not done the online one before but sounds like it's the same (part 3 was bonkers).

 

[Tcastle15]

No problem.
It was on computer - I've not done the online one before but sounds like it's the same (part 3 was bonkers).

Brilliant.
Thank you for your help.

 

[campbellr123]

Just done mine and can shed a little more light on this. The first test is nothing like the practice test and involved monitoring a dot (train), moving around a circuit and identifying errors. That's ok but does take a while so keeping focussed is key. The second test involves a low and high intensity activity, matching shapes. This I found slightly trickier as the change from matching 4 shapes to 6 can be sudden and threw me off quite a bit. Taking time would be advised as 4 seconds may not sound long but it's more than enough. In any case, most people may have a certain technique that suits them. Part 3 is a combination of the two tests and the circuit may throw errors in that weren't present in part 1, so you really need to look at the whole thing rather than the initial dot. Similar to Ridetherails, there's a point where it kicks up a level on the shape matching then drops back to low intensity then kicks up again so be prepared for that.#

We'll see how it went and good luck to you who still need to sit the test.

 

[Tcastle15]

Just done mine and can shed a little more light on this. The first test is nothing like the practice test and involved monitoring a dot (train), moving around a circuit and identifying errors. That's ok but does take a while so keeping focussed is key. The second test involves a low and high intensity activity, matching shapes. This I found slightly trickier as the change from matching 4 shapes to 6 can be sudden and threw me off quite a bit. Taking time would be advised as 4 seconds may not sound long but it's more than enough. In any case, most people may have a certain technique that suits them. Part 3 is a combination of the two tests and the circuit may throw errors in that weren't present in part 1, so you really need to look at the whole thing rather than the initial dot. Similar to Ridetherails, there's a point where it kicks up a level on the shape matching then drops back to low intensity then kicks up again so be prepared for that.#

We'll see how it went and good luck to you who still need to sit the test.

Thank you much appreciated.

 

[Ridetherails]

Not had an email yet but just checked my application and it’s changed from 1.3 VSE test to 1.7 OPC Stage 1

 

[New York Giant]

Not had an email yet but just checked my application and it’s changed from 1.3 VSE test to 1.7 OPC Stage 1

Good spot. 1.7 for me too.

 

[Ridetherails]

Good spot. 1.7 for me too.

Congrats

 

[New York Giant]

Congrats

Thank you. Congrats to you too.

 

[walsh1990]

Not had an email yet but just checked my application and it’s changed from 1.3 VSE test to 1.7 OPC Stage 1

Well done!


So you applied and it went to 1.3 VSE and you sat the VSE and now it’s 1.7?

 

[Ridetherails]

Well done!


So you applied and it went to 1.3 VSE and you sat the VSE and now it’s 1.7?

Correct

Applied and sat at current stage for a while then VSE passed that now OPC stage 1

 

[xenomorth45]

Just checked my application today and have moved to the next stage. Sh!t just got real! So just waiting on an email from the OPC with a date I imagine. Honestly did not expect to pass as part 3 was abysmal. Time for an uncomfortable discussion with my manager why I will be wanting a day off with such short notice.

 

[walsh1990]

Anyone who sat the VSE- how did you get the practise material? Was it emailed or sent in the post?

My post gets stolen a lot as I have a communal box on a main road

 

[crt-crt]

Anyone who sat the VSE- how did you get the practise material? Was it emailed or sent in the post?

My post gets stolen a lot as I have a communal box on a main road

Practise material for train driver OPC assessments are only sent out by email.

 

[walsh1990]

Practise material for train driver OPC assessments are only sent out by email.

thanks

 

[Ridetherails]

Just checked my application today and have moved to the next stage. Sh!t just got real! So just waiting on an email from the OPC with a date I imagine.

Yep, although not holding my breath it will be anytime soon

thanks

VSE practice material was via email link for myself

 

[ttofatrain]

Not had an email yet but just checked my application and it’s changed from 1.3 VSE test to 1.7 OPC Stage 1

Mine has now done the same have you received an email yet to confirm if you have passed the VSE ? I did mine on the 22nd or the 23rd and not received any confirmation yet ? Also I've passed my stage 1 to national standards already so hopefully go straight to stage 2.