Prepare for the TfL Graduate Scheme and Online Psychometric Tests

TfL offers graduate jobs in 21 different schemes from engineering to information management and finance. The difference between jobs means that some tests and assessments may differ, but on the whole, assessments are similar across programmes. Learn more about these assessments below.

The online application form is fairly basic asking about you are your previous education and experience. The form also includes some competency questions for you to tell them about your skills. You are expected to provide examples from your previous experience, so try setting your answers out following the STAR technique to ensure that you do not leave anything out. You are also given the opportunity to submit a cover letter along with your CV. This is a very good opportunity to show exactly how you are a perfect fit for the job. It’s a good idea to include skills that are necessary for the job along with practical examples showing this in a real-life situation.

Alongside your application form, you have to complete a situational strengths test. This test looks at how you respond to situations in the workplace. You are given a set of short scenarios based on situations that may arise in your job with TfL. Beneath each scenario is a list of possible responses and you are asked to identify what you consider to be the most suitable response. The aim of this test is to allow the recruitment team to get a picture of how you respond to certain situations and how those responses align with the person requirements of a job with TfL. The recruitment team are looking for honest answers based on what you think to be the case. This test is not timed, so you can think about each answer before you make your choice. Learn more about situational judgement tests and how you can prepare for your test with our situational judgement tests practice pack.

After passing the first stage of the application process you will be asked to take a set of online ability tests. The tests you take will depend on the scheme you are applying to. All applicants are required to take a numerical reasoning test, but applicants to engineering schemes are also asked to take an inductive reasoning test. Note that the Psychometric test can help you in practising. Applicants to other schemes may also be asked to take a verbal reasoning test. These tests are supplied by CEB’s SHL. Each test is described below.

Here you are examined on your ability to use numerical or statistical information in your everyday work. You are given approximately 20 minutes to answer 20 questions by performing the relevant calculations on the information in order to choose the correct answer from a list of options. This isn't a lot of time so time management will be an issue here as well as the questions themselves. These tests are designed to measure your ability to make correct decisions and inferences from different data materials. You will be given information in the form of tables, graphs, or other numerical formats and asked to calculate the results based on the information you have. Practise for your SHL numerical reasoning test to get the best score you deserve.

This is a non-verbal test looking at your ability to spot patterns and solve problems. Typically you are given just 20 minutes to answer 36 questions so you will need to work fast. In these tests, you will be judged on your ability to draw inferences and understand relationships between various concepts that you may not know anything about. Learn tips and tricks for solving questions and practise for this test with our SHL inductive reasoning test.

Applicants to selected schemes are invited to take a verbal reasoning test. This test evaluates your ability to understand, apply and analyse written language in order to answer a set of questions. For each question you are given a text to read and a set of multiple-choice or true, false, cannot say questions asking you to apply what you have read to a statement. This test is timed, with less than a minute allocated to each question. Brush up on your speed reading and verbal analysis skills as well as get your all-important preparation in with our SHL verbal reasoning practice.

If you are successful at the tests stage, you will receive an invite to a TfL phone interview. There will be two parts to this interview. The first part of the interview will ask some general questions about you and why you want to work for TfL. The rest of the interview focuses on competency or technical questions.

Some TfL telephone interview competency questions are listed below:

• Why have you chosen to apply for a graduate scheme at TfL?
• Tell me about a time when you have had to adapt in order to meet the needs of a wider group of people other than your friends?
• Describe a time when you had to persuade someone to do something that they didn't want to do?
• Have you ever had to work with people with a different background to yourself? How did you deal with this?
• Give me an example of when you had to plan something with someone else? How did it work out?
• Tell me about a time when you've had to work with a team to achieve a goal. What challenges did you encounter? how did you deal with the situation?
• Tell me about a time you have set yourself an ambitious goal and been successful. How did you go about it? Why do you think you were successful?

The questions that they ask you will be mainly based on collaboration, performance and results, as well as customer focus. You may get some questions relating to your chosen field. Ahead of your interview review your application form. Think about examples from your past experience that you could use to illustrate your skills against common questions such as those listed above. Organise your examples using the STAR method. To improve your confidence, rehearse giving those answers. Once you have completed all your preparation, you will want to rehearse giving over your answers in an interview situation. Use our interview preparation pack and get feedback, from a trained assessor who can give you tips on your strengths and weaknesses.