Sydney Trains Aptitude Test 2026: What to Expect and How to Prepare

The Sydney Trains candidate information packs do not use the words “aptitude test”: they call this stage job-related testing. The trainee train driver pack says the tests “have been selected to reflect the skills and abilities required to effectively and safely perform in the role of a Trainee Train Driver. These may include reading comprehension, abstract reasoning, and a visual search exercise.” Those two sentences name the possible test types; the packs give no question formats, counts, timings or pass marks. This guide sets out what the packs do say, what they leave out, and how to practise the three named abilities.

ProSyllabus is an independent study site, not part of Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink or Transport for NSW. The recruitment facts below come from the two Sydney Trains candidate information packs, the Transport for NSW recruitment page and the Transport for NSW job ads listed under Sources, each read on 27 October 2026; our own comments, advice and practice examples are marked as ours.

Sydney Trains Trainee Train Driver candidate information pack, September 2026.

Transport for NSW’s general “Our recruitment process” page adds that your talent specialist “will provide more details about the test type, timing and deadlines for this step where applicable.” So expect the practical details of your own sitting from the talent specialist. Driver candidates should note one more line in the pack: they “may also be considered for the Trainee Train Guard recruitment process.”

One instruction in the pack is easy to miss: “You will be tested on how well you understand and retain the information in this pack throughout the application process, so study it carefully.” The application questions are based on the pack and the role description, so reading them closely is part of the preparation, not a formality.

The Sydney Trains candidate information packs do not describe the test questions, so the examples below are ours, written for this guide. They do not reproduce or claim to resemble Sydney Trains’ tests. Each one shows the quickest reliable method for that kind of question, which is where most of the time is saved.

Passage. “From 2100 Friday to 0430 Monday no trains will run between Hallam Junction and Port Kerrin. Buses replace trains between these stations, stopping at every station except Fenwick Road. Bicycles cannot be carried on replacement buses, although folded bicycles in a bag are accepted.”
Question. Which of these may a passenger take on a replacement bus? (A) a standard bicycle (B) a folded bicycle in a bag (C) any bicycle if staff agree (D) a bicycle on a rack.
Answer and method. B. When a rule starts with a ban, look straight after it for “although”, “except” or “unless”: the allowed case is almost always in that clause. Read the question before the passage so you know which sentence to hunt for.

Series. Four frames show a shape and some dots. Frame 1: a triangle and 1 dot. Frame 2: a square and 2 dots. Frame 3: a pentagon and 3 dots. Frame 4: a hexagon and 4 dots. What should a fifth frame show?
Answer and method. A seven-sided shape with 5 dots. Two features change at once: the shape gains one side each time and the dots go up by one. Look at one feature at a time and cross out every option that gets it wrong; usually one or two features remove all but one option before you have checked the rest.

Task. How many times does q appear below?

b d p q d b q p
p b d d q b p d
q p b d b q d p

Answer and method. 5 (row 1: 2, row 2: 1, row 3: 2). Fix the one detail that makes the target different (a stick on the lower right) and sweep row by row, keeping a tally per row. Counting the whole block in one go is where most slips happen.

The practical lesson is ours, not Sydney Trains’: the test result follows you for a year. A weak result cannot be replaced by sitting a test of the same type again within 12 months, while a good one can carry over to other Sydney Trains and NSW Trains roles that use the same tests. Prepare before the invitation arrives, not after.

Our advice, not Sydney Trains’: practise balancing pace and accuracy in every type. In reading questions, base each answer on the words of the passage, not on general knowledge or on what sounds sensible. In figure and symbol questions, an answer you can check against the figure is worth more than a quick guess.