Train Driver Interview Practice
Our practice covers six competencies: safety, rule following, concentration, communication, working under pressure and shift work. Each question gives an interview question or a situation and four answers: pick the strongest, then see why, judged against the scoring framework the Rail Delivery Group suggests to train driver interviewers, with a model STAR outline for that competency. Your score by competency after every set shows what to prepare next, and one set covers what operators publish about themselves for the Driver Manager Interview.
The sets
The free sample has one safety question, one rule-following situation and one communication question. It runs in the same player as the full sets: a question palette, mark for review and a summary before you submit, then every answer explained.
Double-checked questions Real exam pattern Free sample · 3 questions
Train Driver Interview Practice · Free sample
Free sampleInstant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
Train Driver Interview Practice · Mock interview: all six competencies (30 questions)
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
Train Driver Interview Practice · Safety
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
Train Driver Interview Practice · Rule following
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
Train Driver Interview Practice · Concentration
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
Train Driver Interview Practice · Communication
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
Train Driver Interview Practice · Under pressure
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
Train Driver Interview Practice · Shift work and lifestyle
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
Train Driver Interview Practice · Know the operator (DMI)
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
How we judge the strongest answer
The Rail Delivery Group's March 2026 guidance for line managers who interview train driver candidates (RDG-OPS-GN-080) suggests a simplified three-tier framework. It is advisory: each company sets its own criteria and scoring. In RDG's words:
- CapableThe candidate provides clear, relevant examples that show a good grasp of the competency. Responses reflect confidence, consistency, and alignment with role expectations.
- Semi-capableThe candidate demonstrates some understanding and relevant behaviours, though responses may lack depth or consistency. This level often indicates emerging potential that could be developed through training and support.
- Not capableThe candidate shows no understanding or capability. This may reflect a lack of exposure rather than a lack of potential. Responses may be vague or unrelated to the competency being assessed.
Our key is the answer that best fits RDG's "Capable" description; real interviewers may score differently. The wrong answers carry weaknesses we built in on purpose: a general statement where an example was asked for, "we" with no action of your own, a detailed story with an unsafe shortcut in it, or no result. Southeastern's candidate guidance suggests about 15% of a STAR answer for the situation, 10% for the task and 60% for the action; every explanation here ends with a STAR outline in that shape.
The interviews you may meet
From RSSB's and the operators' own pages, read on 23 and 27 October 2026. Each company sets its own process: check its instructions and any pack it sends you.
Multi-Modal Interview (MMI) at the assessment centre
Part of the standardised psychometric assessment in RSSB's train driver selection standard; RSSB supplies the MMI and the Situational Judgement Exercise. Northern says its multimodal interview is one of the three main stages of the RSSB psychometric assessments it invites candidates to. Sources: RSSB · Northern
Competency-based interview
Avanti West Coast lists a Competency Based Interview at stage 4 of its process; Southeastern's candidate guidance describes behavioural questions about things you have done, answered with STAR. Sources: Avanti · Southeastern
Driver Manager or line manager interview (DMI)
Avanti's final stage is a Driver Manager Interview with its driver management team; Northern lists an interview with its Driver Management Team at stage 2, after the online application, asking competency-based questions. RDG's March 2026 guidance for these interviewers sets out question types, a three-tier scoring framework and STAR. Sources: Avanti · Northern · RDG
What is inside
| Competency | Closest RSSB non-technical skills category | What our questions practise |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | Situational awareness; diligence | Spotting and reporting a hazard, stopping when something is unsafe, owning an error that could affect others, honesty about a near miss. |
| Rule following | Diligence | Keeping to a procedure when it is inconvenient, checking your own work, raising a better idea through the right channel, responding when someone else cuts a corner. |
| Concentration | Situational awareness | Staying focused on long, routine or solo tasks, taking in and keeping information, handling distraction and tiredness honestly. |
| Communication | Communication | Clarifying an unclear instruction, repeating back, speaking up firmly and respectfully, explaining clearly to a customer or colleague. |
| Under pressure | Workload management; decision making and action | Staying calm, putting tasks in order, deciding in time with incomplete information, recovering after a mistake or a delay. |
| Shift work and lifestyle | Self-management | Early, late, night and weekend shifts, long periods alone, rest before duty, reliability, a long training course with exams, and why you want the job. |
| Know the operator (DMI) | – | 35 facts from 11 operators' own published pages (values, routes, recruitment stages, requirements), each with its source link, and how to use it in a "why us?" answer. |
| Total | A mock interview of 30 questions across all six competencies, a set for each competency, the operator set and the free sample: 195 questions in all | |
RDG organises the strengths-based questions in its question bank into sections, seven of which align with categories of the RSSB Non-Technical Skills Model; grouping our questions into these six competencies, and the closest category for each, is our own.
Your readiness map
- Your score by competency after every set, marked "ready on our questions", "nearly there" or "practise this next", with a link to that competency's set.
- Why the best answer scores, why each other answer scores lower, and a model STAR outline, for every question.
- Your time per question, the answers you changed, and your progress across retakes.
Your percentage is your score on our questions; it does not predict an interview result.
Before you buy
Are these real interview questions?
No. Every question, situation and answer is our own. The stems use the question types described in published guidance (RDG's situational, competency-based, behavioural and strengths-based questions); none is taken from any company's interview.
Does it cover the Driver Manager Interview?
Yes, in two ways: the competency sets practise competency-based questions, which Northern says its Driver Management Team interview asks (RDG's guidance for these interviewers also covers situational, behavioural and strengths-based questions), and the operator set covers facts from 11 operators' own pages for "why us?" and "what do you know about us?". Read your own operator's current pages before the day; details change.
Does it cover the Multi-Modal Interview (MMI)?
Not directly. It practises general interview judgement and answers built on past examples. RSSB supplies the MMI; this practice is not MMI-specific and does not reproduce it.
I have little work experience. Will this help?
Yes. RDG's guidance notes that competency and situational questions can disadvantage candidates without prior work experience, and that strengths-based questions are a more inclusive alternative; The OPC's guide says examples can come from home life, education or training, or leisure interests. Several questions show how to build an answer from those.
Is this made or recommended by a train company, RSSB or RDG?
No. It is independent practice by ProSyllabus.
What do I get?
A mock interview of 30 questions across all six competencies, a set for each competency and the operator set, 195 questions in all with the free sample, in the full test player. After each set: your score by competency, the explanation and STAR outline of every answer and your time per question. Retake any set as often as you like.
How do I pay and get access?
One payment by card (or PayPal where offered), handled by our payment provider. In the United Kingdom the price is charged in pounds; in the euro area in euros and in the United States in US dollars; elsewhere in your own currency where we support it, otherwise in Indian rupees with the local figure shown as an estimate. Access opens on this device straight after payment. Sign in afterwards to keep it on your account. Purchase policy.
Independent practice material by ProSyllabus. Not made or endorsed by RSSB, the Rail Delivery Group, any assessment centre or any train company. Interview guidance and operator facts from their own published pages, read on 23 and 27 October 2026.