Checked 27 October 2026. Facts are from the Rail Delivery Group's guidance note RDG-OPS-GN-080 (March 2026), Southeastern's published question bank and interview guidance, RSSB's December 2024 FAQ, The OPC's candidate guide and the Avanti West Coast and Northern pages, read between 23 and 27 Oct 2026. The worked answer, the preparation plan and the tips marked as ours are ProSyllabus advice. Each train company runs its own interviews and chooses its own questions.
Train driver interview questions are mostly about your past behaviour and how you think: rule following, staying focused, communicating clearly, handling pressure and why you want the job. Most candidates meet two kinds of interview: the Multi-Modal Interview (MMI) in the national psychometric assessment, and the train company's own competency or Driver Manager Interview (DMI). Below are the questions by competency, taken from question banks the rail industry has published, and one fully worked STAR answer.
Checked on 27 October 2026 against the Rail Delivery Group's March 2026 guidance on line manager interviews for train driver selection, Southeastern's published question bank, RSSB's FAQ on the selection standard, The OPC's candidate guide and the train companies' own pages. Our own advice is labelled as ours. 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.
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The interview is one part of the day: the attention tests come too
The MMI sits inside the same RSSB assessment as the Group Bourdon attention test. Level 1 of our concentration trainer is free with no sign-in: three timed sheets, then your accuracy and your missed and wrong marks counted apart.
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The interviews in train driver selection, and when each happens
There is no single "train driver interview". The national selection standard, RSSB's RIS-3751-TOM, includes one interview, the MMI, which every candidate sits as part of the psychometric assessment. Each train company then adds its own interview with its driver managers or HR, and the order differs. The OPC, a registered assessment centre, says the usual next step after passing the tests and interview is "a final interview with a manager or HR", and that some companies hold it before the tests instead.
| Interview | Who runs it | When | What it assesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Modal Interview (MMI) | The assessment centre, as part of the national psychometric assessment | On the assessment day, with the tests | Communication, and with the situational judgement exercise, behavioural aptitudes (RSSB table 1) |
| Company competency interview | The train company (Northern: its Driver Management Team in Leeds) | Northern: stage 2, before the psychometric assessment | Northern says "a series of competency-based questions" |
| Competency Based Interview (CBI) | Avanti West Coast lists it at the OPC face-to-face assessment centre | Avanti: stage 4, with the computer-based Vienna tests | Avanti's page does not say; a CBI asks for examples from your past |
| Driver Manager Interview (DMI) | The train company's driver managers | Avanti: stage 5, the final stage; then the talent bank | Not published by Avanti. Separately, RDG's advisory guidance for line-manager interviewers uses the categories in the next section; Avanti may not use them |
| Selection interview (Southeastern) | A Southeastern hiring manager | Generally the final stage, Southeastern says; then the talent pool | Its Ways of Working, through behavioural and potential-based questions |
A note on the name: in train driver selection, MMI stands for Multi-Modal Interview, the term RSSB and The OPC use. Some pages call it a "multiple mini interview", which is a different format used in other fields; nothing in the rail sources we read describes a rotation of mini stations. The OPC says you fill in a form before the interview to think about which past experiences to talk about, and that your examples can come from work, home life, education or training, or your leisure interests.
What assessors look for, and how answers are scored
No train company we read publishes its scoring sheet. The best public guide is the Rail Delivery Group's guidance note RDG-OPS-GN-080, "Line Manager Interviews for Train Driver Selection" (March 2026). It is written for interviewers and is advisory: RDG says compliance is at each company's discretion. Its question bank is organised mainly by the categories of the RSSB Non-Technical Skills Model, the skills a driver uses alongside technical knowledge.
| Category (RDG / RSSB model) | What it covers in the question bank |
|---|---|
| Situational awareness | Attention to detail, overall awareness, maintaining concentration, retaining information, anticipating risk |
| Diligence | A systematic and thorough approach, checking, following rules and procedures |
| Communication | Listening, clarity, assertiveness, sharing information |
| Decision making and action | Effective and timely decisions, diagnosing problems |
| Workload management | Selective attention, prioritising, staying calm under pressure |
| Cooperation and working with others | Considering and supporting others, respect, dealing with conflict or aggressive behaviour |
| Self-management | Motivation, confidence and initiative, keeping skills up, being prepared and organised |
| Also in the bank | Preparation and motivation (about you, the challenges of the role), and equity, diversity and inclusion |
For scoring, RDG suggests a simple three-tier framework: not capable (no understanding shown; answers vague or unrelated to the skill), semi-capable (some understanding, but answers lack depth or consistency) and capable (clear, relevant examples that show a good grasp of the skill). It is a suggestion to interviewers, so your company may score differently, but it tells you what a strong answer looks like: relevant, specific and clearly about the skill asked.
The MMI is marked against the national standard. The OPC says it gives out no scores, and that candidates who pass get no further feedback; if you fail the MMI, it can tell you "which of the topic areas" you were unsuccessful on, but not what you said that led to it.
Train driver interview questions by competency
These are real questions, quoted from two published banks: RDG's strengths-based bank for train driver interviews (RDG) and Southeastern's core question bank for its candidates (SE). Your company may use other questions, but they cover the same skills. Read them as a list to prepare examples for, not as a script: Southeastern says you do not need to plan an answer to every question.
| Competency | Question | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Motivation and the role | What research or steps have you taken to understand what being a train driver involves? If so, what have you learned? | RDG |
| Motivation and the role | What do you expect the day-to-day responsibilities of a train driver to be like? | RDG |
| Motivation and the role | What aspects of the train driver role do you think you might find challenging? And how do you think your strengths could help you overcome those challenges? | RDG |
| Concentration | What helps you stay focussed for long periods, especially when working alone? | RDG |
| Concentration | Have you ever struggled with staying focussed? What did you do to improve? | RDG |
| Anticipating risk | When given a task to complete, how do you identify what things might go wrong, so that you can take action to avoid this? | RDG |
| Rules and procedures | How do you make sure you don't forget key steps when following a process? | RDG |
| Rules and procedures | Suppose you're working on a task and realise you've made an error that could affect others. What would you do? | RDG |
| Rules and procedures | Imagine you notice someone not following a procedure correctly, how do you respond? | RDG |
| Safety under pressure | Tell me about a time you felt pressure to sacrifice quality/ safety in order to meet pressing deadlines or other demands. | SE |
| Communication | You're given instructions that are unclear or incomplete. What do you do to ensure you understand them correctly before acting? | RDG |
| Communication | Tell me about a time it was important to demonstrate you were really listening to someone? | SE |
| Decision making | You're unsure about the best course of action, but waiting could cause delays. How do you make a confident decision quickly? | RDG |
| Decision making | Give an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision based on conflicting information. | SE |
| Dealing with pressure | How do you manage your emotions during high-pressure situations? | RDG |
| Working with others | A disagreement gets out of hand and the other person raises their voice to you. How does that make you feel and how does it affect your response? | RDG |
| Working with others | Tell me about a time you have had to resolve a difference of opinion with a colleague/ customer/ supervisor | SE |
| Shift work and organisation | How do you make sure you're on time and prepared for important commitments like school, work, or appointments (or this interview!)? | RDG |
| Learning | How do you stay motivated when learning something new, especially if it's challenging? | RDG |
Notice the four question types in the list; RDG describes each. Competency-based and behavioural questions ("Tell me about a time...") ask for a real example: answer with STAR. Situational questions ("Imagine...", "Suppose...") are hypothetical: say what you would do, step by step, and why. Strengths-based questions ("What helps you...", "What do you enjoy...") are about what energises you: RDG describes two frameworks for these. EPE: what energises you, how that energy sharpens your skills, and an example of a task in the role you are applying for where you would use it. SPIES: the strength, why it matters to you, its impact on your performance, an example task in the role, and how you keep the skills behind it sharp. If the question also asks for a past example, switch to STAR for that part. RDG says strengths-based questions can help younger applicants, career changers and neurodivergent candidates show their potential; your company may or may not use them.
If you are neurodivergent or new to work
- RDG's guidance was written partly because competency questions can disadvantage neurodivergent candidates and those with limited work experience, and it suggests interviewers share topics, structure and some questions in advance.
- Southeastern says it sends a selection of the questions you will be asked before your interview, and that you may refer to notes, though it encourages you not to read from them.
- For adjustments, ask the recruitment team early. Our guide for candidates with ADHD or dyslexia covers what the sources say.
From RDG-OPS-GN-080 and Southeastern's interview guidance; what your company does may differ.
One worked STAR answer
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. RDG and Southeastern both recommend it for competency and behavioural questions. Southeastern's guidance gives rough shares: the situation about 15% of your answer, the task about 10% and the action about 60%, described step by step, with the result and what you learned at the end. Here is a common rule-following question, in our wording (it is not from either published bank), answered in full with an invented example.
Situation (about 15% of the answer)
I worked evenings on goods-in at a supermarket. Two people had to check and sign the temperature record before a chilled delivery was accepted. One night the lorry came 40 minutes late, after my colleague had gone home.
Task (about 10% of the answer)
I was the only person on goods-in, and the stock was needed on the shelves by morning.
Action (about 60% of the answer)
The driver asked me to sign so he could leave. I told him politely that the record needs two signatures and that I could not sign it alone. I radioed the duty manager, explained that a chilled delivery was waiting and asked for a second checker. So that no time was wasted, I took a first probe reading on every pallet and wrote each one down, without signing anything. When the manager arrived, we rechecked my readings together and then checked the rest of the load. One pallet read above our limit, so we followed the procedure: we recorded the reading, refused that pallet and noted it on the paperwork. Only then did we both sign for the rest.
Result (the rest of the answer)
Signing took about 25 minutes longer than the driver wanted, but no out-of-temperature stock went on sale and the supplier credited the refused pallet. The rule mattered most on the night it was inconvenient.
An invented example written by ProSyllabus to show the structure; use a true example of your own. The shares of the answer are the guide Southeastern gives its candidates for Situation, Task and Action (15%, 10%, 60%); Result takes the rest.
Why this answer works
- It answers the exact question. A rule, the pressure to break it, and the choice to follow it anyway. The OPC's tip: answer the question asked, without irrelevant information.
- It is about what "I" did. The OPC asks you to talk about what you did, rather than what other people did.
- The action is the longest part. Telling the driver why, calling for a second checker, taking readings while waiting without signing, rechecking them together, following the procedure for the pallet that failed, and only then signing.
- The result is honest. It cost 25 minutes and annoyed someone, and that is the point: a driver follows procedures when it is inconvenient and no one is watching.
Our analysis of our own example.
This is the only fully worked answer on this page, by design: a model answer you copy is easy for an interviewer to spot, and your own example is what gets probed with follow-up questions. Build one true STAR story for each competency in the table, recent enough that you remember the detail; the OPC suggests fairly recent examples.
The same assessment, the other half
Prepared your examples? Now practise the attention tests
The MMI is one part of the RSSB assessment; the Group Bourdon and TEA-Occ attention tests are another, and you have to pass them all. Our concentration trainer has ten timed levels: level 1 is free with no sign-in.
Try 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.
Driver Manager Interview questions about the company
The company's own interview is where "why us?" comes up. Southeastern says its interview starts with a scene-setting question about your relevant experience and what attracts you to the role and to Southeastern. Questions in this part are usually about the company itself: why this company, what you know of its routes and depots, its values, and whether the shifts suit your life. Typical forms (our wording, not from a published bank):
Typical company questions
- Why do you want to drive for this company rather than another?
- What do you know about the routes and depots you would work from?
- Which of our values do you most recognise in yourself, and when have you shown it?
- How will you manage early starts, late finishes, weekends and bank holidays?
ProSyllabus examples of the questions companies commonly ask in this part; not taken from a company's question bank.
How to research them (our advice, with what the companies publish):
| Research | Where to find it | Why it comes up |
|---|---|---|
| The company's values | Its careers pages and question packs. Southeastern's questions are built on its Ways of Working: "We show we care", "We think what if?" and "We make great things happen". Avanti's online situational judgement test names seven qualities: conscientious, humility, motivated, pride, responsible, risk focus and supportive. | Southeastern says its questions are aligned to its Ways of Working |
| Routes and depots | Check the advert for the depot or depots named, then the company's route information on its website | Companies check how far you live from the depot, and Northern bases practical training at your local depot |
| The shifts and the distance rule | The advert and careers page. Northern asks you to live within a 45-minute car journey and to get to early and late shifts without relying on public transport. | Companies check you can actually work the roster |
| The training | The careers page (Northern: 64 weeks, classroom at its Manchester or Leeds academies, then practical training at your depot) | It shows you know what you are signing up for |
| What the job is like | Driver stories on the careers pages, and talking to drivers if you know any | RDG's bank asks what research you have done and what you have learned |
For the whole recruitment route, requirements and pay, see how to become a train driver in the UK.
Mistakes that cost candidates the interview
What to avoid
- Answering a different question. The OPC: listen carefully and answer that question only. Under RDG's scoring, a response unrelated to the skill is a "not capable" answer.
- "We" instead of "I". Interviewers score what you did. Say what your team did in one line, then what you did.
- Vague, general answers. "I always follow the rules" is not an example. A specific time, with what you did step by step, is.
- Old or half-remembered examples. The OPC suggests fairly recent examples you remember well, because the questions will be quite detailed.
- Bending the truth. The OPC says to be as open and honest as you can, and that it is to your advantage. Follow-up questions find invented detail.
- Treating the shifts as a detail. Northern says drivers work from the early hours to late at night, at weekends and on bank holidays. Have a real answer for how you will manage it (our advice).
From The OPC's candidate guide and RDG-OPS-GN-080, with our advice marked.
If you fail the interview: attempts and feedback
The MMI is part of the national psychometric assessment, so failing it counts against the national attempt rules. RSSB says that for candidates who start the process from 7 December 2024, three failed attempts is the limit: attempt 2 at least 1 year after failed attempt 1, and attempt 3 only 5 years after failed attempt 1 and at least 1 year after failed attempt 2. If you sat any part of the process before 7 December 2024, the earlier two-attempt rule applies. Ask for feedback: The OPC gives feedback to unsuccessful candidates it assessed within the last 3 months, and for the MMI it can name the topic areas you fell short on.
A company interview (the DMI or a selection interview) is the company's own decision, and no national rule we read covers how soon you can apply to it again. Ask the company. Avanti's page, last updated in January 2025, describes two lifetime attempts and its own enhanced standards; that differs from RSSB's three-attempt rule for candidates who start the process from 7 December 2024, so check the current rules with Avanti. The full attempt rules, with a date checker, are in our guide to pass rates and retakes.
How to prepare in a week
A plan for the week before your interview (ProSyllabus advice):
| Day | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Read the advert, the company's careers pages and any interview pack it sent. Write down its values and the depots it is recruiting for. |
| 2 | List one true example for each competency in the question table: rules, concentration, risk, communication, decisions, pressure, working with others, organisation. |
| 3 | Write each example as STAR. Keep the action the longest part, in the first person. |
| 4 | Say them out loud, timed. Cut any situation that runs long; add detail to any action that is thin. |
| 5 | Prepare "why this company", your answer on shifts and travel, and two questions to ask the interviewer. |
| 6 | A mock interview with someone who asks follow-ups: "What exactly did you say?", "What would you do differently?" |
| 7 | Light review only. Check the time, place, ID and anything the invitation asks you to bring, and plan your journey. |
If the interview is on your assessment day, the tests come too: see what happens on the assessment day and our guide to all the train driver psychometric tests.
Frequently asked questions
What questions are asked in a train driver interview?
Mostly competency, behavioural, situational and strengths-based questions about rule following, concentration, risk, communication, decisions, pressure, working with others and motivation. The Rail Delivery Group has published a bank of such questions for train driver interviews (RDG-OPS-GN-080, March 2026), and Southeastern publishes its own core question bank.
What does MMI stand for in train driver selection?
Multi-Modal Interview. It is the interview in RSSB's national psychometric assessment, and it assesses communication and, with the situational judgement exercise, behavioural aptitudes. Before it, The OPC says, you fill in a form to think about which past experiences to talk about.
How long is a train driver interview?
None of the sources we read gives a length for the MMI or for a company interview. Your invitation usually sets out the timetable for the day; if it does not, ask the recruitment team.
Is the interview the same at every train company?
The MMI is part of the national standard, so every candidate sits it. Company interviews differ: Northern interviews before the psychometric tests, Avanti holds a Driver Manager Interview as its final stage, and Southeastern's interview is generally the final stage and built on its own Ways of Working.
Can you resit a train driver interview?
The MMI comes under RSSB's attempt rules for the whole psychometric assessment: from 7 December 2024, three failed attempts at most, with attempt 2 at least 1 year after failed attempt 1, and attempt 3 only 5 years after failed attempt 1 and at least 1 year after failed attempt 2. A company interview follows that company's own policy, so ask it.
Can I take notes into the interview?
Southeastern says you may refer to notes you made to prepare, but encourages you not to read from them. Other companies may differ, so ask if it matters to you.
The concentration trainer
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Our guides on this assessment are collected on the UK train driver exam page.
More in this series
- Group Bourdon test practice: free sheets and a 14-day plan
- The TEA-Occ test: what it is and how to prepare
- Every UK train driver psychometric test explained
- Free practice tests compared
- How to pass the Group Bourdon
- Pass rate and retake rules
- The assessment day, step by step
- Group Bourdon pass mark and scoring
- ADHD, dyslexia and the medical
- How to become a train driver in the UK
- Northern trainee train driver
- Train driver fault finding test (DFFT)
- How to become a Tube driver
- GWR trainee train driver
- Avanti West Coast trainee train driver
- ScotRail trainee train driver
- LNER trainee train driver
- Southeastern trainee train driver
Sources
- official — Rail Delivery Group: RDG-OPS-GN-080 issue 1, "Line Manager Interviews for Train Driver Selection" (March 2026; read 27 Oct 2026): question types, the RSSB non-technical skills categories, the three-tier scoring framework, pre-interview packs, STAR, and the strengths-based question bank. Guidance for interviewers; RDG says it is advisory, not mandatory
- official — Southeastern: "The Interview Process: Core Question Bank" (candidate PDF; read 27 Oct 2026): its Ways of Working and the questions its hiring managers choose from
- official — Southeastern: "Your interview at Southeastern: Advice and Guidance" (candidate PDF; read 27 Oct 2026): behavioural and potential-based questions, questions sent in advance, notes, STAR
- official — Southeastern: "Recruitment process" careers page (read 23 and 27 Oct 2026): interview guidance, the core question bank, talent pools
- official — RSSB and the Rail Assessment Centre Forum: 3751-FAQ, issue one (December 2024), on RIS-3751-TOM issue four (read 27 Oct 2026): table 1 (the MMI assesses communication and, with the SJE, behavioural aptitudes), question 19 (the three-attempt rule)
- official — The OPC (a registered assessment centre): "Train Driver Assessment: A guide for candidate's who undertake their assessment with The OPC" (04/12/2024; read 23 Oct 2026): what the interview looks at, hints and tips, the manager or HR interview, feedback on the MMI
- official — Avanti West Coast: "Train Driver Recruitment" careers page (page last updated 23 January 2025; read 27 Oct 2026): stages 1 to 5, the Competency Based Interview at stage 4 and the Driver Manager Interview at stage 5, the M7-SJT values
- official — Northern: "Train Driver" careers page (read 23 Oct 2026): competency-based questions on the application, the interview with the Driver Management Team, then the psychometric assessment with a multimodal interview
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.
