TfL Apprenticeships Online Ability Tests and Assessment Centre Preparation

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Transport for London, also known as TfL, offer 11 different apprenticeships across all areas of work. These popular apprenticeships are aimed at school leavers who have not gone to university. Therefore, competition is high for each and every place. In order to get a place on the scheme, you must impress the recruiters at each stage. Practice and thorough preparation are the keys to doing this. Learn more about each stage and how to prepare with JobTestPrep.

The TfL form is designed to allow you to show how well you suit the criteria for this job. You need to be able to explain why you have chosen this scheme, as well as what skills and abilities you have that make you great for this job. Make sure you answer every question and that you follow the instructions for each of them. The recruiters are looking for examples of how you meet their expectations, so illustrate every answer with an example from your previous work experience, school or extracurricular activities. Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to organise your answers and make sure your examples are relevant to the question you are answering. Questions have word limits, so plan your answers carefully and keep them concise.

If your application is taken forward, the next step is a set of online ability tests. You will be asked to take one or more tests, but exactly which tests depend on the TfL apprenticeship you are applying to. TfL’s tests are all provided by CEB’s SHL and we will describe some of the most likely tests below.

The numerical reasoning test is one of the most common tests used by employers. In this test, you are examined on how well you understand and apply numerical information to your work. You are given information in tables, graphs or charts and asked questions on the information contained. You need to be able to calculate the answers in order to pick the correct one from a set of multiple choice answers. To add to the challenge, the test is timed, with just over a minute allocated to each question. Taking practice tests ahead of tackling the real thing enables you to build your skill level, confidence and teaches you how to answer the questions more quickly. Prepare for your numerical reasoning test with our specially created SHL-style numerical reasoning test pack.

Some applicants, particularly those of you applying to TfL engineering apprenticeship tracks will be asked to take an inductive reasoning test. This is a non-verbal reasoning test, which asks you to identify the pattern connecting a series of shapes and pick out the next shape in the sequence from a set of options. The focus of this test is your problem-solving skills using new information that you may not understand at first glance. Learn more about the SHL inductive reasoning test. In addition, take practice tests which can help you identify patterns and answer questions more accurately, with our CEB’s SHL-style inductive reasoning test pack or with our exclusive logical reasoning test preparation pack.

Verbal reasoning tests are designed to examine how well you use and understand information in a written format. In this test, you are given a short text to read and a set of questions or statements based on what you have read. There are two types of question in an SHL verbal reasoning test, multiple-choice questions where you need to choose the answer the best backs up the statement, or questions where you have to decide whether a statement is true, false, or you cannot say based on the information in the text. This test is also timed, so you need to be able to read and understand the information quickly in order to answer the questions in the time allocated. Our specially created SHL-style verbal reasoning test pack contains tips to help you create solving strategies as well as improve your verbal reasoning skills and score in the test.

If you are successful at the online tests stage, the final stage of the recruitment process itself is the TfL assessment centre. You will be told exactly which exercises to expect ahead of the day and will definitely have an interview, but here are some more exercises you may get.

This interview is a competency-based interview with business managers from the area your scheme is based in. The interviewers will ask you questions designed to give them an idea of your potential against the competencies or skills that are important to TfL. Your role is to show the interviewers that you have what it takes. They are looking for you to give full answers setting out your role in each example you give. Prepare some examples ahead of the interview and use the STAR technique to organise them. Read the role description for clues about the types of skills they are looking for from you and prepare examples to match each skill. Review your application form, as well as research both TfL and the specific area you are applying to. When you have pulled all of this together, you may find it useful to rehearse your answers in a mock interview. Our Skype-based interviews are carried out by a trained assessor, who can give you the interview practice you need, as well as feedback on how you did and what you could do differently.

Your assessment day may involve a group exercise with other TfL apprentice candidates. You will be given a brief and a set of information to read over and then discuss as a group. The brief will tell you whether you need to come to a solution, verbally brief a group of managers, or some other instruction. You are assessed throughout the activity by a group of assessors who will be looking for your team working skills, how much you contribute and how well you contribute to the discussion. They are not looking for you to take over the group, so you need to find your balance within the group. Gain tips on how to approach a group discussion, as well as whats to look out for, with our group exercises pack.

At some TfL assessment centres, you may be asked to take a pen and paper version of the tests that you took online earlier in the process. The purpose of this is to verify the scores you got last time around. You are warned to expect these tests again, so ahead of your assessment day, don’t forget to review the skills involved in your test or tests.

If you are successful at the assessment centre, all that remains is for Transport for London to offer you a place on their apprenticeships scheme. This page has shown you all the exercises you need to impress in to get to this point. Also, this page has highlighted the resources available to help you prepare for each one. We hope you have found this useful - good luck!