Checked 23 October 2026. Updated for RIS-3751-TOM issue 4 (in force from 7 December 2024). Official facts are from RSSB's December 2024 FAQ, ORR's guide of 9 April 2026 and the assessment-centre and train company documents listed at the end, read 23 Oct 2026. The practice plan, targets and drills are ProSyllabus advice, not official guidance. Each train company runs its own recruitment: it confirms what you will sit.
For Group Bourdon test practice, our advice is short, timed sheets: mark every target group, count your missed and wrong marks separately, and keep accuracy ahead of speed. Start with level 1 of our concentration trainer below, free and with no sign-in. Then work through the approved practice materials your train company sends at least a week before your assessment.
Free · no sign-in
Play level 1 of our concentration trainer
Three timed sheets of dot groups, 40 seconds each: mark every group of exactly four dots. At the end you see your accuracy, groups per minute, and missed and wrong marks counted apart.
Play level 1 freeIndependent practice by ProSyllabus. Not the official test, not a copy of it, and not produced or checked by RSSB, an assessment centre or a train company.
ProSyllabus is an independent study site. It is not part of RSSB, the Office of Rail and Road, The OPC or any train company, and nothing here is official test material.
What you are practising for
The Group Bourdon is one of the two attention tests in RSSB's RIS-3751-TOM, Psychometric Assessment in Train Driver Selection, the rail industry standard for train drivers on Great Britain's mainline railway. RSSB's FAQ lists it as the "Paper Group Bourdon", next to the Test of Everyday Attention-Occupational (TEA-Occ). The OPC, one of the registered assessment centres, counts it among the "core tests" that are "universal to all companies" and "that you must pass". Translink, in Northern Ireland, which says its own process also follows RIS-3751-TOM, lists it as "Paper & pencil", competency assessed "Attention".
What none of these documents gives is the layout: they do not say what the items look like, how many there are or how long each part lasts. Candidates describe it on forums. One reply in a 2017 traindriver.org forum thread (forum-reported, not checked against any official source) puts it as five sheets of boxes of dots, sometimes letters, with each box of four dots to be circled and two minutes a sheet. Treat any such figure as one forum poster's account. The approved practice materials your train company sends are what RSSB says will familiarise you with what to expect.
That gap shapes how to practise. You cannot rehearse an official sheet that none of the sources we read publishes, so practise the ability the standard names, attention: a steady scan, a check before every mark, and the same accuracy on the last sheet as on the first. For every test in the standard, see our guide to all the UK train driver psychometric tests.
An annotated example sheet
Our trainer uses one simple format: a grid of boxes, each holding a group of dots, and you mark every box with exactly four dots, working along each row from left to right. The example below is drawn for this guide. It shows the decisions you make on every box, including two traps worth knowing.
Green frame: a correct mark. Dashed amber: a four you passed without marking (a missed group). Red frame: a mark on a group that is not four (a wrong mark).
Drawn from scratch by ProSyllabus for this guide, not copied or traced from any test or practice material. It shows the format of OUR trainer (find every group of exactly four dots), not a Group Bourdon sheet: no official source we read publishes that layout.
What the example shows
- Four is a count, not a shape. A tidy square of four is easy. The same four dots spread across the box, or set in a diamond, are still four and still need a mark.
- The square-plus-one five. A square of four with one extra dot beside it can read as four at a glance. It causes wrong marks when you decide on the outline before counting.
- Missed and wrong are different errors. A four you pass without marking is a missed group; a mark on a three, five or six is a wrong mark. They have different causes, so the trainer counts them apart.
- Reached, not finished. On each sheet, our trainer scores up to your last mark (or the whole sheet if you press Done). Boxes after your last mark count as not reached, not as errors.
ProSyllabus explanation of our own trainer, not a description of the official test.
A habit worth building from the first sheet: let the shape suggest "maybe four", then confirm by counting any box that is not a clean square before you mark it. As the count becomes automatic, the confirmation gets faster without becoming a guess. The OPC's first tip for the tests is "Try to avoid wild guessing."
PDF sheets or online practice?
Search for Group Bourdon practice and you find printable PDF sheets, home-made sheets and tools that candidates share on forums (forum-reported and unverified), and timed online trainers. Each has a use. The table compares them on what matters for an attention test.
| Question | Printable PDF sheet | Online timed trainer (ours) | Approved practice materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does it time you? | No: you time it yourself with a stopwatch or timer | Yes: a clock on every sheet | Follow their own instructions |
| Does it count missed and wrong marks separately? | Only if you mark it yourself, box by box, against an answer key | Yes, by sheet and by row | Depends on what your company sends |
| A fresh sheet every time? | Depends on the PDF: repeat the same sheet and you start to remember it | Yes: sheets are generated for every run | Whatever your company sends |
| Same medium as the test? | Paper and pencil, like the paper test RSSB names | A screen: you tap or click | The format your company approves |
| Is it the real format? | Unknown: we found no official published layout | No: our own format, built to train attention | Approved by your company to familiarise you with what to expect (RSSB) |
Our view: use a timed online trainer for the daily repetitions, because it times you, marks you and gives you a fresh sheet every run, and finish on paper. RSSB names the Group Bourdon as a paper test, and a pencil mark and a tap are different movements, so your groups per minute on a screen may not match your pace on paper. Compare yourself only with yourself, on the same medium.
A 14-day Group Bourdon practice plan
This plan takes 10 to 20 minutes a day and climbs our trainer's ten levels. Days 1 and 2 use the free level 1; from day 3 it needs levels 2 to 10, which are paid. The targets are our own. The accuracy target is the trainer's "cleared" rule (at least 95%); the groups-per-minute figure is our arithmetic for the other half of that rule, reaching at least 60% of all the boxes over a full run: it is the pace that gets there if you use each sheet's full time, rounded up. Neither is an official pass mark: RSSB says RIS-3751-TOM issue four does not set pass marks, and each train company decides which it uses.
| Day | Trainer level | Runs | Target accuracy | Target groups a minute | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 (free) | 2 runs | Note it | Note it | Baseline. Learn the task; count any box that is not a clean square before you mark it |
| 2 | 1 (free) | 3 runs | 95% | 44 | Clear level 1: 95% accuracy and 60% of the boxes reached over the run |
| 3 | 2 | 3 runs | 95% | 51 | Slightly looser groups: keep counting, do not judge by outline |
| 4 | 2, then 3 | 2 + 1 runs | 95% | 51 / 52 | First sheets with groups of six |
| 5 | 3 | 3 runs | 95% | 52 | Four sheets a run: watch your last sheet |
| 6 | 4 | 3 runs | 95% | 58 | Longer sheets: keep the same pace to the end of each row |
| 7 | 4 | 1 run, then review | 95% | 58 | Light day: read your errors by row and by half |
| 8 | 5 | 3 runs | 95% | 65 | 50-second sheets of 90 groups |
| 9 | 6 | 2 runs | 95% | 72 | Less regular groups and five sheets a run |
| 10 | 6, then 7 | 1 + 1 runs | 95% | 72 / 80 | Compare your first half with your second |
| 11 | 7 | 2 runs | 95% | 80 | If accuracy slips, stay here tomorrow |
| 12 | 8 | 2 runs | 95% | 87 | Practise in silence, phone out of reach |
| 13 | 9 | 2 runs | 95% | 94 | Hold accuracy as the sheets get longer |
| 14 | 10, or your highest cleared level | 1 to 2 runs | 95% | 101 at level 10 | A full six-sheet run, then rest |
Two rules override the plan. If your accuracy drops below 95%, repeat the level instead of moving up: speed bought with errors is not progress. And the day your approved practice materials arrive, they come first. RSSB says candidates invited to an assessment are given them at least a week before the assessment date. Do them exactly as their instructions say, then use the trainer to keep your attention sharp between sessions.
Day 1 of the plan
Run level 1 twice today and note your accuracy
Level 1 is free with no sign-in: three timed sheets of 48 groups, 40 seconds each. Your result shows accuracy, groups per minute and your missed and wrong marks, which is the baseline the plan builds on.
Start day 1 freeIndependent practice by ProSyllabus. Not the official test, not a copy of it, and not produced or checked by RSSB, an assessment centre or a train company.
Reading your results
Every run of our trainer ends with a result screen. These are the numbers on it, and what each one tells you to change.
| On the result screen | What it is | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy | The share of the boxes you reached that you got right: no missed four, no wrong mark | Keep it at 95% or above before you raise your pace |
| Groups per minute | How many boxes you reached, per minute of time used | Raise it slowly, a level at a time, while accuracy holds |
| Score | Correct marks minus wrong marks, never below zero | A quick single number; read it together with accuracy, because guessing raises marks and wrong marks together |
| Missed groups | Fours you passed without marking | Many misses usually mean you are scanning faster than you check: slow down slightly |
| Wrong marks | Marks on boxes that do not hold four | Many wrong marks usually mean you mark on first impression: count doubtful boxes before marking |
| First half vs second half | Your accuracy in the first half of the run against the second (on a run with an odd number of sheets, the middle sheet is left out of both) | A drop of more than a few points may mean your attention is fading: practise holding one steady pace to the last sheet |
| Errors by row | Missed and wrong marks by row of the sheet, added over every sheet | Errors piling up in one row can show where you rush or lose your place |
| Change from your last run | Your change in accuracy, speed, score and errors against an earlier run of the same level in this browser | Progress is the trend over several runs, not one good sheet |
| Cleared | Our own target: at least 95% accuracy and at least 60% of the boxes reached over a full run | Move up a level, or repeat this one for more groups per minute at the same accuracy |
The trainer also gives one line of advice from your own pattern: whether your errors were mostly misses or mostly wrong marks, whether your second half dropped, or whether you are accurate but too slow to reach enough of each sheet. None of this predicts a result at an assessment centre. The OPC's guide says that candidates are not given any scores of their assessments, and no official source we read publishes a pass mark.
Free Group Bourdon practice options, compared honestly
| Option | Cost | What you get | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approved practice materials from your train company | Sent by the company; no cost stated | The material your company approves, sent at least a week before your assessment (RSSB) | Only once you are invited; if it has not arrived, contact the train company (RSSB) |
| Examples before the test on the day | Part of the day | The OPC says you may have the chance to complete some examples before each test, and the assessor can help with them | Only if offered; ask every question before the test time starts |
| Forum-shared tools and printable sheets | Some are free | Home-made sheets and electronic tools that candidates share on rail forums (forum-reported) | Unverified formats; check how, or whether, each one marks your errors |
| Level 1 of our concentration trainer | Free, no sign-in | Three timed sheets of 48 groups, scored for accuracy, groups per minute, missed and wrong marks | Our own format, not the official sheet; one level |
| Levels 2 to 10 of our trainer | One payment, no subscription | 56 to 126 groups a sheet, three to six sheets a run, groups of six from level 3, less regular groups from level 6, fresh sheets every run | Independent practice of attention, not the official test; no prediction of a pass |
Nothing on this list replaces the approved practice materials. What our trainer adds is daily repetition on freshly generated sheets, with your missed and wrong marks split and tracked over time.
The OPC's tips, applied to practice
The OPC's hints for the tests, in its words
- "Try to avoid wild guessing."
- "Try to answer as many questions as you can in the time allowed."
- "You might not reach the end of all of the tests, not many people do, but if you work as accurately and quickly as you can, you give yourself the best chance of being successful."
- "Listen carefully to the instructions given by the OPC's Talent Assessor before each exercise."
- "Concentrate as hard as you can and try to shut everything else out."
The OPC, "Train Driver Assessment: A guide for candidate’s who undertake their assessment with The OPC" (04/12/2024), page 4.
Our reading of that: do not expect to reach the end of every test (The OPC says "not many people do"), and do not let the clock push you into marks you have not checked. The OPC adds that the tests are done in complete silence, so practise without music, a TV or a phone in view, and stop a session when you notice your attention slipping rather than grinding through tired.
The rules in brief
The rules around the test matter to how you practise, because you have a limited number of attempts. In short, from RSSB's FAQ and ORR's guide:
Rules that affect your practice
- Pass marks: RIS-3751-TOM issue four does not set them. RSSB has recommended pass marks and each train company decides which it uses; some use a higher, "enhanced" standard (RSSB, The OPC).
- Attempts: if you start the process from 7 December 2024, three failed attempts end the process; the second can be at least a year after the first failed attempt, the third only five years after the first failed attempt and at least a year after the second. If you sat any part before that date, the earlier two-attempt rule applies. Some company pages still describe older rules (Avanti West Coast's says 2 lifetime attempts), so confirm with the company you apply to.
- Validity: from 7 December 2024, results are valid for five years.
- Practice materials: given at least a week before the assessment date.
RSSB 3751-FAQ (December 2024), questions 18, 19, 28 and 29; ORR guide (9 April 2026), paragraph 1.5.
The full rules, the retake date checker and what changed in issue four are in our hub guide to the train driver psychometric tests. A separate guide on Group Bourdon scoring and time limits is in preparation.
On the assessment day
| Topic | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| What to bring | Photo ID (passport or driving licence) and proof of your National Insurance number; the train company tells you what else to bring (RSSB) |
| Pencils and paper | Not needed: everything is supplied (The OPC) |
| Before each test | Instructions, and possibly some examples to complete; ask every question before the test time starts (The OPC) |
| During the tests | Complete silence; you may be tested alongside other applicants (The OPC) |
| Glasses or contact lenses | Bring them if you usually wear them, so that you can see the test clearly (The OPC) |
| Adjustments | Ask the train company's recruitment team as early as possible, with evidence of your disability or condition, including neurodiversity (RSSB) |
Rows marked The OPC come from its guide for candidates it assesses; at another centre, follow your train company's and the centre's instructions.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Group Bourdon practice app?
We know of no official app. The official preparation the sources describe is the approved practice material your train company sends at least a week before your assessment. Our concentration trainer runs in a web browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with level 1 free and no sign-in; it is independent practice, not the official test.
Where can I get a free Group Bourdon practice PDF?
The material that comes from the process itself is the approved practice material your train company sends once you are invited (the sources state no price). Printable sheets shared online are unofficial and unverified: the official layout is not published, a PDF does not time you, and you must mark it yourself to separate missed from wrong marks.
How many practice sheets should I do?
No official source we read sets a number. Our 14-day plan uses about 10 to 20 minutes a day, including reading your results, from three to six timed sheets a run, and moves up a level only when accuracy stays at 95% or above. In our view, regular short sessions work better than one long one.
How long is each Group Bourdon sheet in the real test?
No official source we read publishes the timing or the number of sheets. One 2017 forum post describes two minutes a sheet over five sheets, but that is one forum poster's account. Our trainer uses 40 to 50 seconds a sheet. Your approved practice materials and the instructions on the day are what count.
Is the Group Bourdon on paper or on a computer?
RSSB's FAQ names it as the paper Group Bourdon, and Translink lists it as a paper-and-pencil test of attention. The OPC says an assessment day mixes paper-and-pencil and computer-based tests.
What is the pass mark for the Group Bourdon?
None of the official sources we read gives one. RSSB says RIS-3751-TOM issue four does not set pass marks: RSSB has recommended them, each train company decides which it uses, and some companies use a higher, enhanced standard.
Does practice make a difference?
No official source we read says how much. RSSB says the purpose of the practice materials is to let candidates familiarise themselves with what to expect on the assessment day. Our view is that practice also helps you arrive with a steady routine for accurate marking.
The concentration trainer
Ten levels of timed attention practice, with missed and wrong marks counted apart
- Level 1 free with no sign-in; levels 2 to 10 unlock with one payment, no subscription.
- From 48 to 126 groups a sheet, three to six sheets a run, 40 to 50 seconds a sheet.
- Freshly generated sheets for every run, so you are not repeating a sheet you have learned.
- Accuracy, groups per minute, missed and wrong marks by sheet and by row, and your first half against your second half.
The price is on the trainer page.
Start with level 1 freeIndependent practice by ProSyllabus. Not the official test, not a copy of it, and not produced or checked by RSSB, an assessment centre or a train company.
Sources
- official — RSSB and the Rail Assessment Centre Forum: 3751-FAQ, "Frequently asked questions", issue one, on RIS-3751-TOM issue four "Psychometric Assessment in Train Driver Selection" (read 23 Oct 2026): the tests by selection criterion, attempts, pass marks, validity, practice materials, minimum age
- official — Office of Rail and Road: "A guide to the occupational psychological fitness and medical requirements" (read 23 Oct 2026): the occupational psychological fitness examination, RIS-3751-TOM, the three-attempt rule
- official — RSSB Standards Catalogue: RIS-3751-TOM issue 4, "Psychometric Assessment in Train Driver Selection"
- official — The OPC (a registered assessment centre): "Train Driver Assessment: A guide for candidate's who undertake their assessment with The OPC" (read 23 Oct 2026): the tests, hints and tips, the day, results and feedback
- official — The OPC: train driver assessment advice page (read 23 Oct 2026)
- official — Translink: train driver psychometric testing policy, HR023 version 1.5 (read 23 Oct 2026): Translink's train driver assessment process, Appendix B
- official — Avanti West Coast: "Train Driver Recruitment" careers page (last updated 23 January 2025; read 23 Oct 2026): application stages 1 to 5, with the stage 1.5 online sift
- reported — traindriver.org forum thread "group bourdon tests" (June 2017; read 23 Oct 2026): one forum user's description of the test, forum-reported and not checked against any official source
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
