Checked 31 October 2026. Competitor prices and terms were read on each provider's own pages on 31 Oct 2026 and may change; check the provider's current page before paying. Our own prices are read live from our catalogue as the page loads. Facts about the assessment are from RSSB's December 2024 FAQ, The OPC's candidate guide and Translink's policy, read 23 Oct 2026. Which option suits you is our view, labelled as ours.
Practice for the train driver assessment can cost nothing. For Great Britain's mainline railway, RSSB says invited candidates are given approved practice materials at least a week before the assessment, and the sources we read mention no charge for them; some practice sites also have free practice or free tiers. The paid plans we checked on 31 October 2026 run from £4.99 a month (one test area) to £29.99 one-off. A private, self-funded psychometric assessment is a different question: the sources we checked give no price for one, and the provider is the one to ask what it involves.
ProSyllabus is an independent study site: its practice is written by ProSyllabus, not produced or checked by RSSB, an assessment centre or any train company, and nothing here is official test material. We sell some of the practice compared on this page; the other providers are listed with the prices on their own pages.
Free: what you can practise without paying
Start with the approved materials, because they are what the company you applied to provides for the assessment; the sources we read mention no charge for them. RSSB says invited candidates are given the approved practice materials at least a week before the assessment, so that they can familiarise themselves with what to expect; The OPC says at least 7 days, sent by the company you applied to. Translink's policy says it provides practice materials wherever possible, with correct responses. If yours have not arrived a week before, contact the company.
Beyond those, three kinds of free practice exist:
Free practice, as each provider describes it
- Free sites. traindriverpro.co.uk describes itself as free practice for every UK train driver psychometric test and asks users who found it helpful for a donation ("buy a coffee").
- Free tiers of paid sites. TDF Psychometrics has a free tier with 5 test attempts; traindrivertests.com has free demos, free interview questions with STAR guidance and one free AI feedback on an interview answer.
- Free parts of our tools. Level 1 of our Group Bourdon trainer, 3 questions of our fault finding practice and 3 of our interview practice.
From each provider's own page, read 31 October 2026. What free practice is worth your time is compared in our guide to free train driver practice tests.
Practice sites have a limit worth knowing before you pay for anything. traindrivertests.com says it is "not the official test", TDF says it does not provide official OPC tests, and ours is independent practice. The TEA-Occ is published by Pearson TalentLens, and The OPC lists the Vienna Test System among the tests. What is provided for familiarisation with the assessment itself is the approved materials from the company, plus the instructions, and possibly examples, before each test on the day (The OPC).
Paid practice compared
The providers compared here, with the price, what each covers, its free part and its refund terms, as each states them on its own pages. We include our own row; its price is read from our catalogue when the page loads, in the box below the table.
| Provider | Price (checked 31 Oct 2026) | What it covers | Free part | Refund |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approved practice materials from the company you applied to | No charge mentioned in the sources we read | What to expect on the day, given to invited candidates at least a week before the assessment (RSSB) | No charge mentioned in the sources we read | Not applicable |
| traindriverpro.co.uk | Free; it asks users who found it helpful for a "buy a coffee" donation | It describes itself as free practice for every UK train driver psychometric test | All of it, as it describes itself | Not applicable |
| TDF Psychometrics (traindriverpsychometrics.co.uk) | Free tier (5 attempts); Single Test £4.99 a month; Premium £7.99 a month; Complete Package £24.99 a year | Practice areas it lists: attention, vigilance, memory, reasoning, perception, reaction time and coordination; the annual package adds a psychometric guide | Free tier | Not stated on its pricing page |
| traindrivertests.com | Basic £14.99 or Premium £29.99, one-time | Basic: four tests (three it describes as similar to the WAFV, ATAVT and TRP1, and a printable Group Bourdon) plus interview prep. Premium adds a divided-attention test it describes as similar to the TEA-Occ, two-hand coordination, a situational judgement test and a spoken interview coach | Free demos, free interview questions, one free AI feedback | Full refund if you contact it within 14 days of payment |
| ProSyllabus (this site) | Read live from our catalogue: see the price box below the table | Group Bourdon trainer, TEA-Occ practice trainer, fault finding practice and interview practice, sold one by one or as one bundle. No practice for the computer tests, the TRP tests or the situational judgement exercise | Each tool has a free part | See our purchase policy |
Competitor prices and terms as shown on each provider's own page on 31 October 2026; prices change, so check the provider before you pay. "Similar to" is each provider's own description of its practice; traindrivertests.com says it is not the official test, TDF says it does not provide official OPC tests, and ours is independent practice.
Our arithmetic from each provider's own pages. What each plan covers differs (see the table): TDF's Complete Package explicitly includes a psychometric guide. Our own prices are read live in the box above, so they are not drawn here.
Three differences matter more than the headline price. First, one-off or recurring: TDF's subscriptions are monthly or yearly and can be cancelled (it also sells token packs), while traindrivertests.com and our tools are one payment. Second, coverage: only some providers offer versions of the computer tests, and we do not; we do have a TEA-Occ practice trainer. Third, refunds: traindrivertests.com offers one on contact within 14 days of payment; TDF's pricing page does not state a refund policy; ours is on our purchase policy page.
What you actually need for your invitation
Which tests you sit depends on the company, but RSSB's standard lists them by selection criterion, and some can be practised at home more usefully than others. Our view, test by test:
| Test | Worth practising at home? | Free route | Paid route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Bourdon and TEA-Occ (attention) | Yes: attention under time pressure is a habit you can build with short, regular runs | Approved materials; free trainers and demos | Timed attention practice: ours counts missed and wrong marks on the Group Bourdon, and our TEA-Occ trainer pairs listening with looking; traindrivertests.com offers a printable Group Bourdon and TDF lists attention practice |
| TRP 1b and 2 (memory and reasoning) | Partly: reading and recalling rules carefully | Approved materials | Some providers offer a version of the rules-and-procedures memory test |
| WAFV, ATAVT, two-hand coordination | Our suggestion: use home practice to get familiar with the tasks; the standardised tests are taken at an assessment centre | Instructions, and possibly practice examples, on the day (The OPC) | Versions some providers describe as similar |
| Situational judgement exercise | Some: reading scenarios calmly and choosing the safe, rule-following action | Approved materials, if included | Some providers offer a scored SJT |
| Multi-Modal Interview and company interviews | Yes: The OPC's interview advice centres on examples from your own past experience | Your own list of examples | Interview question practice (several providers, ours included) |
| Fault finding test, where a company sets one | Yes, if your process includes it: the method of reading a diagram and a fault guide can be practised | Free sample questions | Timed fault finding sets (ours) |
The OPC also says you might not reach the end of all of the tests, and that not many people do. Our suggestion: practise staying accurate when you might not finish, not only getting faster.
Our suggested order for choosing practice
Our suggestion, in order, so that you only pay for what free practice does not cover:
Pay only for the gaps
- 1. The approved materials. From the company you applied to, provided so that you know what to expect on the day (RSSB). Work through them as soon as they arrive.
- 2. Free practice first. A free site and the free parts of paid tools will show you which tests feel hardest.
- 3. If you want the widest range of test types, check each provider's list: traindrivertests.com Premium (£29.99 one-off) lists versions of the TEA-Occ, two-hand coordination and a situational judgement test; TDF's Complete Package (£24.99 a year) covers every skill area TDF lists (31 October 2026 prices).
- 4. If your weak spots are the Group Bourdon, the TEA-Occ, a fault finding test or the interview: our train driver practice bundle has all four tools in one purchase, priced below the three bought one by one; the price is in the box above and on its page.
Our view, not official guidance. Whatever you choose, use the approved materials the train company sends.
Subscription or one-off: five checks before you pay
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Does it renew? | A monthly or yearly plan can renew; a one-off payment does not. Check how long you will need it before you choose |
| Does it cover the test you are worried about? | Read the list of tests, not the headline: compare each provider's named tests with your invitation, and check any gaps with the provider |
| Is there a free part? | Try it first (our suggestion): if the free part does not suit you, think twice about the paid part, though paid plans may add different tests |
| What are the refund terms? | Read them on the provider's own page before paying; they differ (see the table above) |
| Does it claim to be official? | traindrivertests.com says it is not the official test, TDF says it does not provide official OPC tests, and ours is independent practice. The approved materials from the company are provided for familiarisation |
Thinking about a private assessment?
If you are thinking about a private, self-funded psychometric assessment, ask the provider exactly what you would sit, and ask these questions too (our suggestions):
Before you book a private assessment
- Price. The sources we checked give no price. Ask the provider directly.
- Does it count as an attempt? RSSB's FAQ counts failed attempts at the process; the sources we read do not say how a private sitting is treated. Ask the provider and the company you want to apply to before you book.
- Will a company accept the result? The sources we read do not say how a private result is treated. For results in general, RSSB says the company checks the national database and tells you what you must sit, and some companies use an enhanced standard. Ask the company.
RSSB 3751-FAQ, questions 19, 21 and 28. Our questions to ask; the answers are the provider's and the company's.
Frequently asked questions
How much does train driver psychometric test practice cost?
It can cost nothing: invited candidates are given approved practice materials (the sources we read mention no charge), and some sites have free practice or free tiers. The paid plans we checked on 31 October 2026 charge from £4.99 a month (TDF Psychometrics, one test area) to £29.99 one-off (traindrivertests.com Premium).
Do I have to pay for the approved practice materials?
The sources we read mention no charge: RSSB says invited candidates are given the approved practice materials at least a week before the assessment, and The OPC says they are sent by the company you applied to.
Is paid train driver practice worth it?
None of the official sources we read evaluates it. The approved materials exist so that you can familiarise yourself with what to expect (RSSB). Paid plans add things such as unlimited attempts, scores and explanations, which differ by provider (see the table); whether that is worth paying for depends on which test worries you and whether a free option covers it.
How much does a private train driver assessment cost?
The sources we checked give no price. Ask the provider directly, and ask both the provider and the company you want to join whether a private sitting counts as an attempt and whether its result would be accepted.
Do any practice sites have the real tests?
Check each provider's own statement: traindrivertests.com says it is not the official test, TDF says it does not provide official OPC tests, and ours is independent practice. For familiarisation with the assessment itself, use the approved materials the company sends.
Is there a monthly fee?
It depends on the provider. TDF Psychometrics sells monthly plans and an annual package; traindrivertests.com and our tools are one-off payments with no subscription.
What each test in the standard measures is in our hub guide to the train driver psychometric tests; which free practice is worth your time is in free train driver practice tests; and what happens on the day is in the assessment day, step by step.
Sources
- official — RSSB and the Rail Assessment Centre Forum: 3751-FAQ, "Frequently asked questions", issue one, on RIS-3751-TOM issue four (read 23 Oct 2026): practice materials, attempts, validity
- 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, practice materials, the day
- official — Translink: train driver psychometric testing policy, HR023 version 1.5 (read 23 Oct 2026): practice materials with correct responses
- official — Pearson TalentLens, the publisher of TEA-Occ: "TEA-Occ" product page (read 31 Oct 2026)
- reported — traindrivertests.com pricing page (the provider's own page, read 31 Oct 2026): Basic £14.99 and Premium £29.99, one-time, and what each includes
- reported — traindrivertests.com home page (the provider's own page, read 31 Oct 2026): free demo, no subscription, refund on contact within 14 days of payment
- reported — traindriverpro.co.uk home page (the provider's own page, read 31 Oct 2026): free practice, supported by "buy a coffee" donations
- reported — TDF Psychometrics, traindriverpsychometrics.co.uk pricing page (the provider's own page, read 31 Oct 2026): free tier, Single Test £4.99 a month, Premium £7.99 a month, Complete Package £24.99 a year
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.
