How to practise for train driver psychometric tests

You cannot practise the exact paper. Operators and providers keep that closed, and a site that promises otherwise is selling you a story. You can practise the family of tasks so the wrapper isn't a shock.

That's the whole plan. Meet the formats. Build enough stamina that the fifth easy test isn't where you fall over. Keep a record so you know whether you are guessing or improving.

Cover the families, not one favourite

People practise the interesting tests and skip the dull one. The dull one is usually vigilance, and it is the one that spends attempts.

• Vigilance: at least one full-length run, not a five-minute taste. Misses and false alarms both count.
• Concentration: timed Group Bourdon pages when you are already a bit tired.
• Search and reaction: a method, then withhold. Fast on the wrong signal is still wrong.
• Judgement: pick the boring safe answer. Silence and drama are the usual traps.

If your invite names dual-task work, sit that wrapper a few times. The first meeting is most of the difficulty. After that your hands stop arguing with your ears.

A week is enough to stop being surprised

You don't need a three-month programme. You need enough sessions that the interface isn't novel. Short daily work beats a Sunday binge, especially for vigilance.

Sleep still matters more than a last extra run. Cramming the night before trains tired guessing, which is the opposite of what the day rewards.

What a practice score is for

A practice score tells you whether this session was cleaner than the last one. It does not tell you if you would pass. There is no public pass mark for most operator days, and our numbers are not theirs.

Watch hits, misses, and false alarms. If you only watch a percentage, you will game it. The day scores the mistakes you make when you are bored, not the vibe of a good morning.