Prepare for SCAAT Test

Have you been invited to take a SCAAT test? The safe concentration and attention test is a test you may come up against if you are applying as a train driver or conductor. Learn more about this test and how to prepare for this test.

About

The SCAAT is a challenging concentration test, often used instead of the Group Bourdon test for jobs that need you to concentrate for long periods of time. Preparation for this test is important as you only have one or two chances to take it, and this is a stage where many candidates fail.


What skills are tested in the SCAAT?

The SCAAT looks at how well you can concentrate on routine tasks when working at high speed. There are three specific skills tested in the different sections of the test: ability to concentrate on a monotonous or repetitive task; ability to concentrate on two things at once; and the ability to switch focus accurately and quickly.

This test is used extensively in the rail industry from train drivers to conductors and guards, jobs that need to you concentrate well in order to maintain the safety of hundreds of people at a time.

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What is involved in the SCAAT?

The SCAAT test can be either online or taken with a paper and pen at an assessment centre. In this test, you are given three sets of three sheets containing shapes and patterns. Unlike the Group Bourdon test there is no set form for the shapes, and they may change during the test. The tasks also get harder throughout the test.

You are given one minute for each page, and the test will automatically move on when the time is up regardless of whether you have finished the page or not. In fact you are not expected to finish the page, but you are required to work as quickly and accurately as you can.

  • You may have more than one task throughout the test.
  • In the first set of pages you are required to identify the target shape every time it appears on the page.
  • In the second set you need to look out for two shapes.
  • In the third set you need to look for both a target shape and a shape that changes on each line.

You are not expected to reach the end of the page in the time allocated, but you will be scored on how far you have got.

SCAAT Test Practice

It is crucial that you prepare for the SCAAT ahead of taking the test in your recruitment process. This test gets actively harder and you will find it more difficult to concentrate as the test goes on. Therefore you need to learn how to concentrate for longer periods of time during the test.

 

By taking SCAAT test practice online you can familiarise yourself with the tasks in the test and make it easier for you to go through each page quickly and accurately. Prepare for this test with the materials available online.