TfW - Trainee Conductors - Various Locations (31/03/22)

[mugatneysface]

Is there anyone on here who has gone through the group assessment stage for the guards job with TFW recently?

 

[mugatneysface]

Does anyone know how long I'm likely to be waiting to hear on my group assessment day? I completed my TCT test on 24/8 and after emailing recruitment on 31/8 I recieved this email the day after.


Good afternoon

We hope you’re well.

We just wanted to notify you that you have been successful at all stages of online testing and will be informed of next steps in due course. Please be aware that there will be a delay in hearing from us, whilst we process a large volume of applications, this could take up to 3-4 weeks.



Congratulations and we will be in touch.

Many thanks


Recruitment Team
[email protected]



It'll be 4 weeks tomorrow since I recieved this email and I'm just wondering if I have reason to be concerned as I've not heard back yet. I did email them the other day (26/9) to see if there was an update and I received this.

Hi Joseph



Thank you for your email.
We don’t have an update yet, but as soon as we do, we shall be in touch. Thank you for your patience and continued interest in the role.

Many thanks


Is there any chance they made an error in telling me I passed the initial tests and there has been a mistake within the HR department?

Apologies for the paragraph.

 

[Tevion539]

Does anyone know how long I'm likely to be waiting to hear on my group assessment day? I completed my TCT test on 24/8 and after emailing recruitment on 31/8 I recieved this email the day after.


Good afternoon

We hope you’re well.

We just wanted to notify you that you have been successful at all stages of online testing and will be informed of next steps in due course. Please be aware that there will be a delay in hearing from us, whilst we process a large volume of applications, this could take up to 3-4 weeks.



Congratulations and we will be in touch.

Many thanks


Recruitment Team
[email protected]



It'll be 4 weeks tomorrow since I recieved this email and I'm just wondering if I have reason to be concerned as I've not heard back yet. I did email them the other day (26/9) to see if there was an update and I received this.

Hi Joseph



Thank you for your email.
We don’t have an update yet, but as soon as we do, we shall be in touch. Thank you for your patience and continued interest in the role.

Many thanks


Is there any chance they made an error in telling me I passed the initial tests and there has been a mistake within the HR department?

Apologies for the paragraph.

The recruitment team are pretty good - it's just that the railway is notoriously slow in recruitment processes. Be patient, but keep prompting for updates. Don't let the wait dishearten you.

 

[mugatneysface]

The recruitment team are pretty good - it's just that the railway is notoriously slow in recruitment processes. Be patient, but keep prompting for updates. Don't let the wait dishearten you.

That's very reassuring thank you buddy.

 

[Dav182]

Afternoon all. I'm due to sit the TCT (Ticket Checking Test) before Monday and was wondering if anyone could rum me through how the test is formatted? Do you get a reference card and do you need to know peak times etc before starting?

Hi mate, just been invited to complete the TCT. Just wondering if you can shed some light on what to expect? Did you use anything to practice? Only thing I can find is the TCST not sure if it’ll help though. Thank you.

 

[Tevion539]

Hi mate, just been invited to complete the TCT. Just wondering if you can shed some light on what to expect? Did you use anything to practice? Only thing I can find is the TCST not sure if it’ll help though. Thank you.

The ticket checking, you are going to look at tickets and decide if they are valid or not. You get told peak times, the current time and location of your train. As for selling, it will ask about change and if I remember right, percentages (unsure if charts are provided, as they were for me when I done mine with SWR on the paper tests_

Also - I would really recommend emailing the forum support to change your name to avoid any privacy issues.

 

[mugatneysface]

Hi mate, just been invited to complete the TCT. Just wondering if you can shed some light on what to expect? Did you use anything to practice? Only thing I can find is the TCST not sure if it’ll help though. Thank you.

Hi buddy. The OCS offer a practise pack the TCST amd I recommend that. Obviously you won't be needs the selling part but the ticket checking part is a big help. Just to get you familiar with what you need to look out for.

 

[Dav182]

Hi buddy. The OCS offer a practise pack the TCST amd I recommend that. Obviously you won't be needs the selling part but the ticket checking part is a big help. Just to get you familiar with what you need to look out for.

Thank you, just had an email to confirm I’ve been successfully in the testing stages. Have you heard back from them regarding next steps yet or are you still waiting?

I have contacted the forum to request the name change

 

[Oldtimer82]

Afternoon All,
curious as to if any one knows the conductor shift patterns and routes difference if any for Holyhead and Llandudno junction are the same , IE. start times/ end times , routes covered ect. What would your preferred Depot be to be based at and Why?
Thank you

 

[L401CJF]

Afternoon All,
curious as to if any one knows the conductor shift patterns and routes difference if any for Holyhead and Llandudno junction are the same , IE. start times/ end times , routes covered ect. What would your preferred Depot be to be based at and Why?
Thank you

Holyhead and Llandudno Jn guards both sign the same routes-
-Holyhead/Llandudno to Chester
-Chester to Manchester Airport via WBQ
-Chester to Crewe
-Llandudno to Blaenau

Llandudno Jn guards also sign Chester-Liverpool whereas Holyhead don't. Stock is all the same but Holyhead work MK4 stock and Junction don't.

Shift pattern pretty similar across the whole company afaik, Junction is only a small depot so not many late jobs etc - Holyhead do have some very late/early turns in comparison.

 

[Tevion539]

Holyhead and Llandudno Jn guards both sign the same routes-
-Holyhead/Llandudno to Chester
-Chester to Manchester Airport via WBQ
-Chester to Crewe
-Llandudno to Blaenau

Llandudno Jn guards also sign Chester-Liverpool whereas Holyhead don't. Stock is all the same but Holyhead work MK4 stock and Junction don't.

Shift pattern pretty similar across the whole company afaik, Junction is only a small depot so not many late jobs etc - Holyhead do have some very late/early turns in comparison.

If you sign Chester/Crewe im surprised we haven't crossed paths!

 

[Boozle78]

I completed my SCAAT on Sunday. Is it usually a week or so to hear back and do you hear from TFW or OPC as the first I knew of the test was an OPC email. Thanks in advance!

 

[mugatneysface]

I completed my SCAAT on Sunday. Is it usually a week or so to hear back and do you hear from TFW or OPC as the first I knew of the test was an OPC email. Thanks in advance!

Yeah it'll be about a week/ 10 days until you hear back. You'll hear back from OPC. If you have an invite for the next test (RAAT) you'll have passed the SCAAT.

Don't suppose anyone here could tell me how long they were waiting for their interview date could they? Passed the tests in the end of August and I've been informed I've passed the tests but am still waiting for further info on the assessment day.

 

[Tevion539]

Yeah it'll be about a week/ 10 days until you hear back. You'll hear back from OPC. If you have an invite for the next test (RAAT) you'll have passed the SCAAT.

Don't suppose anyone here could tell me how long they were waiting for their interview date could they? Passed the tests in the end of August and I've been informed I've passed the tests but am still waiting for further info on the assessment day.

I had to wait a month between my assessments and interview date. However this was prior to the new assessment day they put back in to the process.

 

[Boozle78]

Yeah it'll be about a week/ 10 days until you hear back. You'll hear back from OPC. If you have an invite for the next test (RAAT) you'll have passed the SCAAT.

Don't suppose anyone here could tell me how long they were waiting for their interview date could they? Passed the tests in the end of August and I've been informed I've passed the tests but am still waiting for further info on the assessment day.

Thank you, just heard I passed so it wasn’t bad, only three days to wait! RAAT sent to me now for completion

 

[mugatneysface]

Thank you, just heard I passed so it wasn’t bad, only three days to wait! RAAT sent to me now for completion

Well done buddy! I didn't find the RAAT as difficult as the SCAAT but I still recommend buying the practise samples from the OCS. I found they helped personally. Best of luck to you!

 

[Boozle78]

Well done buddy! I didn't find the RAAT as difficult as the SCAAT but I still recommend buying the practise samples from the OCS. I found they helped personally. Best of luck to you!

Thank you, bought them and had a go last night so going to give the RAAT a go tonight. Fingers crossed!

 

[mugatneysface]

Anyone who applied for the last cardiff valleys trainee conductors position with tfw heard anything back on the assessment day yet?

 

[Boozle78]

if You fail the TCT after passing the RAAT and SCAAT do you know if you have to sit them again if you reapply after the 6 months please?

they’ve just emailed me back to say I wouldn’t need to resit. ignore this Question!

 

[cw11]

Good afternoon all,

Sorry to jump on the thread. I have recently sat the TCT assessment with OPC and I'm not feeling too positive with my performance therefore if I have failed the TCT ( passed both RAAT and SCAAT) would I get the option of retaking the TCT or would I need to wait 6 months and reapply for the position?

Thanks

 

[Tevion539]

Good afternoon all,

Sorry to jump on the thread. I have recently sat the TCT assessment with OPC and I'm not feeling too positive with my performance therefore if I have failed the TCT ( passed both RAAT and SCAAT) would I get the option of retaking the TCT or would I need to wait 6 months and reapply for the position?

Thanks

If you've failed - you won't be able to resit for six months.

What makes you think you've failed?

 

[railwaykelsey]

Sorry if this has been answered in the past, I have looked through the forum and cant find anything.

I have recently been invited to an assessment day involving:

• Written Communication Test
• Group Activity
• Customer Service Role Play
• Interview

I am slightly nervous as i really want to do well, does anyone have any further insight or advice?

Anyone who applied for the last cardiff valleys trainee conductors position with tfw heard anything back on the assessment day yet?

Yes I have received a date for the end of November.

 

[cw11]

If you've failed - you won't be able to resit for six months.

What makes you think you've failed?

Thank you for the reply.
I think its due to the practice tests being so informative and not really giving me much time to let the information process.
I have a gut feeling that I may of missed some of the errors such as the student discount not tallying up with the journey time. I also only managed around 18 tickets out of the 40. I’m hoping I’m over thinking it. The deadline for the TCT assessment was 9pm today- is there an estimate of when I would hear back? With the previous assessments it was around 5 days max.

Thank you,
I really appreciate your time.

 

[mugatneysface]

Thank you for the reply.
I think its due to the practice tests being so informative and not really giving me much time to let the information process.
I have a gut feeling that I may of missed some of the errors such as the student discount not tallying up with the journey time. I also only managed around 18 tickets out of the 40. I’m hoping I’m over thinking it. The deadline for the TCT assessment was 9pm today- is there an estimate of when I would hear back? With the previous assessments it was around 5 days max.

Thank you,
I really appreciate your time.

I wouldn't beat yourself up over it. I thought I'd made mistakes as well on the TCT but I found out later I passed. From what I've gathered with TFW from speaking to people is that no news is good news. If you still haven't heard back a week/10 days after you completed the assessment there's no harm in dropping them an email. I did this back in September and was told I'd passed the tests and only last week was I invited to an assessment day.

 

[cw11]

I wouldn't beat yourself up over it. I thought I'd made mistakes as well on the TCT but I found out later I passed. From what I've gathered with TFW from speaking to people is that no news is good news. If you still haven't heard back a week/10 days after you completed the assessment there's no harm in dropping them an email. I did this back in September and was told I'd passed the tests and only last week was I invited to an assessment day.

Cross fingers. I will wait untill a week Friday and chase them up if I havnt heard anything. If I do pass whats the next steps? All information seems to be different as I had read following the assessments with OPC its interview and then talent pool?

Thank you

 

[mugatneysface]

Cross fingers. I will wait untill a week Friday and chase them up if I havnt heard anything. If I do pass whats the next steps? All information seems to be different as I had read following the assessments with OPC its interview and then talent pool?

Thank you

Yeah fingers crossed for you. After the online tests (if you are successful) you'll be invited to an assessment day which involves group exercises and an interview. As far as I'm aware this is the final stage but I could be wrong.

 

[cw11]

Superb. Thank you for getting back to me

 

[Tevion539]

Also, I only done about 24 tickets when I done my online tests and I was fine. I find the majority of tickets had discrepancies, with only the odd one being valid. I'd like to say it's different IRL, but it is, only just... I jest, of course.

The thing they look for most, is accuracy over speed. As long as you had the majority right and didn't answer (for example) 3 questions, you should be okay.

I know in the SCAAT test, on some pages, I only got about five, maybe, six lines in. I'd previously done my psychometrics with other TOCs and passed every time, so my results were used and went straight to interviews with tfw.

As above - no news should be good news, in theory. You have to pass all tests to progress. Recruitment is slow, chase them up with a polite email if you feel the need. You might get a standard "no updates yet" response, but always worth a try.

As far as I'm aware this is the final stage but I could be wrong.

I believe that is correct. However, there is a medical if you get past this stage, which will only happen when a start date is given. They will ask if you've been off work sick in the past 12 months, for how long and why. They will also ask if you have any medical conditions, if you're being treated for anything and if you're being investigated for any conditions. There's drug and alcohol testing, blood pressure, and eyesight testing... Reading a snellen chart, and colour blindness. Also, a hearing test, where you're in a soundproof booth, with headphones, pressing a button every time your hear a tone.

 

[cw11]

Thank you so much for the information. I found the SCAAT and RAAT rather straight forward and reassured afterwards. But found the TCT to be play with my mind and be move of a trick question type assessment.

So to confirm if I do succeed have passed the TCT assessment I would be invited to an assessment day? What does that include? Or will it be an invite for an interview?

Thank you for the info on the medical, It’s nice to know what to expect

Thank you once again.

 

[cw11]

Hiya all,

I’m back being a pain with 101 questions, sorry.

I completed the TCT on 8.11.23 and I'm still none the wiser if I have passed that stage or not. I had emailed into recruitment last week who replied stating there was no updates on the TCT. I have emailed again today to hope for an idea of what to expect but not had a reply as of yet. I started off believing that no news is good news but now I’m starting too loose hope that Ive passed the TCT.

I was wondering how long around is it to get any correspondence of whether you've passed the TCT stage or not? I found with the SCAAT and RAAT that it was maximum of a week before being notified of progression to the next stage.

Also is it usually via email or phone call as I believe it’s then an invite for interview/assessment day. The only confirmation I had of passing the SCAAT and RAAT was an email inviting me to complete the next set of tests.

Finally, if invited for interview/assessment how much notice would you have?

Diolch,
Chelsey