Train Drivers

The Test Solution “Train Drivers” is used to determine the suitability of train drivers. The Test Solution can be used both to select applicants for training and for testing existing staff. The selection of dimensions and the determination of dimension weightings for calculating the overall score follow a systematic approach that combines regulatory requirements with relevant empirical findings. The starting point is the minimum requirements for train drivers laid down in EU Directive 2007/59/EC, which include logical reasoning, attention and concentration, memory, responsiveness, perception, eye-hand coordination, and relevant personality dimensions. These were supplemented by the extended catalog of requirements of the Community of European Railways (CER) and the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) to include verbal skills, resilience of reaction time, and specific personality traits such as emotional self-control, reliability, and conscientiousness (CER, 2009).

To determine the weightings, the best available effect sizes in terms of criterion validity were first identified for all resulting dimensions, with preference given to results from validation studies in the field of rail transport. The meta-analyses by Salgado et al. (2003) for cognitive abilities in technical professions and the Rail Safety and Standards Board studies by Evans & Johnson (2010) and Johnson & Evans (2011) formed the primary empirical basis for this. This was supplemented by current research results from Chu et al. (2019), Guo et al. (2016), Guo et al. (2019), Hani Tabai et al. (2018), and Hickey et al. (2017) were also included, which provided specific validity coefficients for the performance of Train Drivers.

The resulting weighting distribution reflects empirical evidence for the relative importance of various psychological constructs in rail transport. Accordingly, Vigilance (Sustained Attention) and concentration (selective attention) are given the highest weighting, followed by reactive stress tolerance. This prioritization corresponds to the results of extensive accident analyses in European rail transport between 1980 and 2009, according to which more than two-thirds of human factors in safety-critical events can be attributed to attention and perception deficits (Evans, 2011). The next highest relevance in the overall weighting is logical reasoning as an indicator of fluid intelligence, which underlines the importance of basic cognitive abilities for complex decision-making processes.

Overall, personality dimensions are given moderate weightings in line with their empirically proven relevance for individual safety performance: conscientiousness as the strongest predictor among the Big Five factors, followed by emotional stability, account for the majority of the weightings allocated to personality dimensions. The very low weightings for extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience reflect the limited predictive power of these dimensions for safety-critical individual workplaces in rail transport. This distribution is consistent with the meta-analyses by Barrick & Mount (1991) and other meta-analytical Europe-specific findings in transport psychology (Clarke & Robertson, 2005).

The Test Solution “Train Drivers” covers the following dimensions:

• Logical reasoning, long-term memory & verbal ability (INT)

• Concentration (TACO)

• Vigilance (VIGIL)

• Eye-hand coordination (2HAND)

• Obtaining an overview (ATAVT-2)

• Ability to react (RT)

• Reactive stress tolerance (DT)

• Personality: conscientiousness, agreeableness, emotional stability, extraversion, and openness (FCB5)

The table below provides a complete overview of the specific weightings of the individual tests used to calculate the overall score for the Test Solution “Train Drivers”. Further information on the calculation of the results and its interpretation can be found on the page: Notes on evaluation and interpretation.

For the aptitude testing of train drivers, both a standard form, which covers all of the above-mentioned cognitive and personality-related characteristics, and a screening form are available, which focuses on key cognitive dimensions and personality traits (INT, TACO, FCB5), does not require additional hardware, and is open mode capable. The standard form takes about 109 minutes to complete, while the screening form takes about 42 minutes.

References can be found here: Literature