Iwetoddit

Just finished my panel.  They spoke about the next class being in September, if not then next year.  I feel good but it will linger until I hear from them lol.

22 hours ago, Alberto said:

Hey guys, I was at the open house on June 3rd. Has anyone gotten the email yet for the S&D overview yet? I know it’s coming,  just getting anxious lol. My interviewer did say it could take awhile, and to pay attention to your emails going forward. 

47 minutes ago, Ador said:

I was also looking to see if any one from 6/3 open house was contacted. Do you know if everyone who passed the open house test and was interviewed will be invited to the S&D overview or do they use a selection process from that pool of candidates. Also, I was curious , did you or anyone you know write a thank you or follow up email to the person you interviewed with? I am just trying to figure out how to be successful and make it through the process

The pool of candidates begins after the open house.  From what I understand you are rated at every step in the process.  I took my S&D exam on June 8th and their were people from my open house on 4/9 just invited to the last S&D overview on June 15th.  And I have my panel interview tomorrow 2 1/2 weeks after my exam.  And I believe @Steven trejo had his panel around a month after his test and was contacted 2 1/2 weeks after his test for that interview.

So the best thing is to be patient.  There is no exact timeline to the process.  Be ready when the time comes though cause the S&D is no joke.  I would suggest reading through this thread.  There is great insight and advice given throughout the life of it.  And if you can’t give time to read through it, then you won’t give the time to study properly for the S&D.  

3 hours ago, Lirrdream said:

Panel interview was yesterday morning. I was just a bit nervous but they do a great job at making you feel comfortable. I think it went well. A small writing portion and some rules and regulations to look over before the interview. Now the wait for phase one begins....

Interesting, thanks for sharing.  Best of luck.

My interview is next week.  Looking forward to it.

6 hours ago, NycHopeful718 said:

Hi which, creators quizlet did you guys use to review the S&D?

It has the Q on the face of the app and I guess the color purple.

29 minutes ago, drenyce311 said:

Lump sum payment is paid out after completion of phase 2. 

Thanks @drenyce311 that’s a good clarification. 

10 hours ago, Elaine said:

Good morning,

Congratulations to everyone who has passed and are now moving on to the next phase.

Can someone please confirm if the following is accurate:

If a person passes the S&D test, the next step is a panel interview and then Phase 1 - which is a 6 week non-compensated training program?

I tried to follow the thread, but to be honest I got confused.

Thanks for any/all responses.

 

 

That is correct Elaine.  When one makes it to phase 2 they are employees of LIRR and then will you get a lump sum payment for phase 1.  There is a medical and background done between phase 1 and 2.

2 hours ago, Frazzles said:

I attended the S&D review on June 15th; the test is scheduled for July 20th. 

There were 53 people at the review.  People I spoke with had attended the open house in April, like myself, and the one in May.  There may have been people from earlier open houses but I can't verify that.

Apparently, there is another S&D review scheduled for June 22nd.

There's a good amount of material to absorb.  However, according to the instructors, there is no need to understand the concept behind the definitions for this test, which makes things a little easier.

The instructor said in the old days, they only gave them 3 weeks to study before taking the test. He said if you didn't know it in 3 weeks, you wouldn't know it in 5 weeks.  I took this point to heart.   My goal is to memorize all the signals and all the definitions in 3 weeks and review the last  2 weeks.  This goes against my usual study style which is to cram.  Cramming is not going to work here, that's for certain.

What the instructors said that I found most disturbing was the high percentage of no shows to the test and the the low percentage of people who actually pass the S&D test.  The instructors mentioned that only 4 people passed the last test.  This tells me you need to know the signals and definitions as well as you know your own name if you expect to pass this test. 

They said they want to start a phase 1 class in around 6 weeks.  My guess is they're looking for a few more people from the 6/15 + 6/22 reviews to pass the test next month before starting up a phase 1 class.

Congrats!

One thing I read on this forum was to begin with definitions.  For me, it made everything else easier to learn and, believe it or not, understand it better.  Then I tackled signals which I found easier than one would imagine.  There are 126 but the names are the same for more than one and a lot of them are pretty similar, at least for me.  Indications are very similar from signal to signal.  I made associations that allowed me to register it quicker.

Thanks for the heads up about phase 1.  It gives me a good gauge as to when I could expect to let my employer know I will need to leave a little early on Wednesday’s.  I actually began a new job and hope it doesn’t pose a problem.  It’s amazing how everything has happened so quickly.  But like I said before, if it’s meant to work out, the Lord will make it work.

As for what @drenyce311 says about the rule book, if those that passed can do it on their own, we will be able to do it with instruction.  No one should be giving up after 5 weeks of intense studying and training.  That’s my stand on it.  But there has been enough warning about the road getting tougher.  So we all should be on the same page as to what to expect and prepare to bust our booties.  This opportunity is better than what I’m doing now, although it’s still a state entity, but I will not go without a fight.

Good Luck to all on your S&D studying.  3-4 hours daily is good and the Quizlet app helped a lot.  Just make sure the definitions are the same as the handout.  There can be differences.  

Just called LIRR back and received official word that I PASSED!!!!  Panel is on June 27!!!  What a sigh of relief!!

59 minutes ago, Lirrdream said:

@Iwetoddit once you get a call that's what matters,  you can sleep well knowing that you passed.  They will not call you for any other reason. 

Appreciate that @Lirrdream and CONGRATS on passing!  Good luck on your interview.

3 hours ago, Lirrdream said:

Just got my call from H.R. that I passed my s&d.... panel interview next week Thursday. My blood pressure is back to normal now... a huge thanks to everyone who helped me out with their responses and putting up with my impatience...

I got a call and missed it.  Called back and left a message.  Now waiting for them to call me back.  The suspense might not let me sleep tonight lol. 

41 minutes ago, drenyce311 said:

You will not get a letter if you failed the S&D. You will get a letter if you didn’t get selected after the panel interview. I could be wrong.

So they can leave you hanging if you failed?

@Lirrdream I came to a realization yesterday that we can’t stress ourselves on what isn’t in our control.  I have read in the forums that no news is good news.  We haven’t heard anything so we are good.  If we failed we will get a letter in the mail.  If we didn’t, we just wait until they are ready for us and call us.  

It has been mentioned on how some are called within days and others within months.  So until we hear otherwise it’s a waiting game now.  I believe in God and His plan for each of us, so I trust it will work out the way it should.

20 minutes ago, Steven trejo said:

Wait a second they said there was a June class ?!

Yes, it was mentioned that June was the next phase 1 class.

5 minutes ago, Lirrdream said:

@LIRRrailfan thanks for the response. I'm wondering if they contacted all who passed already in the same day or they have a process for contacting them. I'm assuming H.R. did mention anything to you about others who passed?  I'm going nuts over here lol.

They don’t contact until they are ready for you to move on to the next step.  This is why I said @LIRRrailfan must have been the highest scorer.  In the overview the instructor mention how someone might make the June class but it wasn’t guaranteed.  

1 hour ago, Lirrdream said:

I don't know if anyone would know but do they usually notify all those who passed at the same time/same day? They already notified @LIRRrailfan, I'm just here biting my nails, I was pretty sure I aced it,  but you never know until its official....

The way I have understood is that those that are being placed for the next phase get notified.  So @LIRRrailfan may have been the highest scorer and was notified this quick to move on to the next phase.  The other two may wait a little to hear from them. 

24 minutes ago, LIRRrailfan said:

Hey all! First time, long time. I was also there this Sat. In the back of the room to the right. I was the second one to hand in the signals test. I’ve been lingering in this forum for a while now and I have to thank everyone for all the great tips and insight into the process. I’m proud to say that I just got the call that I passed!!! Panel is next Thurs!! That was fast!! The instructor was spot on because the woman in HR mentioned that I was 1 of 3 from our class that passed, and there will be a Phase 1 class sometime this summer that she’s trying to get me into. I’ve dreamed of this opportunity since I was a kid and am so happy to be moving on in the process! Hope to see everyone in Phase 1! Good luck to all and keep studying!!

Wow, only three passed.  That is quite something.  That is a little nerve wrecking.

53 minutes ago, Lirrdream said:

@Iwetoddit I was the one up front at the table on the right sitting alone. I feel like I aced it but will not get ahead of myself until I find out officially. I was wondering where that girl heard that glossary statement from,  because he definitely didn't say that at the overview like she stated. I don't know if you saw but one guy left in the middle of the signal portion,  I heard him tell the instructor that it was alot of signals to remember and he forgot a few, so he'll just try again in a year. I thought I would have been nervous but I was 100% calm throughout, which was surprsing.

So correct.  I ran into her on my way out and I said to her I don’t remember hearing that.

Were you wearing a hat?  And took it off during the test?

14 minutes ago, Lirrdream said:

Just finished taking the s&d exam, feeling good about it. 24 people no showed off the bat from the beginning which is nuts. @Iwetoddit how do you feel about it? I was the person directly up front at the first table, I was trying to guess who you were lol. Hopefully we get our results fairly quickly and start continuing to move through the process. 

On the left side or right side?

I was at the third table on the left side between a lady and guy.  

I feel really good about it.  The up side to it is that they didn’t use any real difficult terms.  I really wanted to show my skills and write out the Roadway Worker definition LOL.

The first instructor said it at the overview, that they would be lucky to get half of the original class to take the test.  I feel like one or two dropped really quickly with the signals.  Some left a little too quick after getting their Indications/Definitions packets, so I feel that they also gave up.  There was a good 15 that actually took the test.  I now know why he said they would be lucky to get 5.  I know a girl after the test says she missed a signal.  That was the same girl that had asked about a glossary.  

I also hope we find out soon.  I’m beginning another job and need to prepare them for any upcoming obligations lol.

Good luck to all that are taking the S&D exam today!!

1 hour ago, Steven trejo said:

Try not to study definitions on the quizlet app Bc the wording is different and not updated, just giving you a heads up  don’t want you guys getting confused lol hehe

Oh I made sure to check the definitions and ensure they were identical to the booklets.  If not, I made the changes or entered it correctly.  From practice writing tests I was able to double check.  I found one that I had written incorrectly at the beginning. 

1 hour ago, Lirrdream said:

@Iwetoddit I'm absolutely ready to tackle this exam asap. At first I was very nervous based on the amount of information we had to know in 5 weeks, but like you said the brain is an amazing muscle, I know everything at this point and just review everyday after work for a few hours to retain it all. I must admit that I seriously surprised myself. I studied everyday for anywhere from 4 hours to somedays 8 hours, and its weird because it does not feel like tedious work, I actually look forward to going home to study everyday (go figure). Retaining the information definitely got easier as time went on. I'm just ready to take this exam already, what I'm actually kind of worried about is going into the exam overconfident and making a stupid mistake, I have to make sure that I go over the exam multiple times before turning it in.

I too don’t want to be overconfident.  That’s why I still practice daily plus didn’t learn everything too early.  Must keep the mind active and learning fresh items.  As said, it got easier moving along to absorb.

1 hour ago, drenyce311 said:

Re read and once your done. Wait like 3-4 minutes to get your mind out of focus then go through the exam with a fine tooth comb for mistakes. Always go with your gut. I caught one mistake. Then corrected it. If you guys think it’s going to get better. It’s going to get worse. Lol. 

Thanks @drenyce311 I’m definitely going to take my time and recheck everything.  And the instructor mentioned how it’s get harder and this is nothing compared to what’s ahead, lol.  It’s definitely hard work but not impossible.  The benefits will outweigh the toiling. 

24 minutes ago, Lirrdream said:

@Iwetoddit hows the studying going?  Have you been able to retain all the information effectively? What did you find to be the hardest part to commit to memory? @Steven trejo me and iwetoddit have our s&d exam this Saturday,  if all goes well you very well may see us in your phase 1 class. I'm assuming that they may not have enough qualified candidates to fill the next phase 1 class (I definitely could be wrong) so they may be waiting for the outcome of Saturday's class. I wish everybody luck on the upcoming test, let's all just give them what they want ,  which is qualified engineers. They practically begged our overview class to take this opportunity extremely seriously, I agree, as this is a very rare opportunity and i plan to take full advantage of it. They briefly mentioned how people would show up after basically not studying, which totally blew my mind, to crap away such an opportunity, I just don't get it. 

The definitions were by far the most challenging of the study sets.  I’m glad I began with them.  I had read on this forum to do so and it definitely was the way to go.

Signals weren’t as difficult as I had thought and pretty much have them memorized and going through the indications now.  I have 8 indications remaining to learn.  I will say it’s amazing how the mind works after weeks of studying.  It seems to have gotten easier to study, at least for me, as the time progressed.  I’ll be honest that I began to tackle the roadway worker definition yesterday and am feeling pretty confident of knowing it for the exam.  The mind can be a sponge.  That doesn’t mean I don’t practice.  Every chance I get I am practicing on the Quizlet app and I’m still studying 3hrs every night unless I’m off and I have two study sessions of about 2-3 hrs each.

@Lirrdream how are you fairing?  I’m excited and a bit nervous for Saturday.  I can’t let it get to me, must remained steady and true.

8 hours ago, Ador said:

I will  post if I get any contact regarding the S&D overview  after the Open House . I don't remember if they gave us any timetable at the Open House. it would be good to keep each other informed.

 

There isn’t a set timetable, thus they never give one.  It all depends on the classes going on and who passes.  Then they judge their need and go ahead filling the next class(es).  A phase 1 class has commenced recently and I’m sure one ended before that.  They need 12 people that passed 1 to conduct Phase 2.  And from what I understand they pick the higher performers to fill classes first.  Not sure if a phase 2 is currently running but whoever passes from that will dictate what their need will be and what classes to schedule next.  It’s a trickle down effect essentially.  I imagine that the results of this Saturday’s S&D test will also determine when the next S&D class is conducted.  Hope this sheds some light. 

Plus, if there are some more retirements that pop up, it could also create more need.  All throughout this forum it has been said that patience is key.

2 hours ago, Steven trejo said:

Thank you !  and no timeline just been told that they are still gathering qualified candidates to fill up classes , and it was pretty straight forward relaxed interview, nothing out of the ordinary. If you go back on the forum like half way you could find some gems just saying   And nice good luck keep studying those flash cards! 

Sounds good, I have read through the forum.  So I’m familiar in the questioning.  Just thought I put it out in case of something different.  Thanks!

1 hour ago, Steven trejo said:

Hey guys! Just finished my panel interview! Feeing amazing and relieved  good luck too all going through the process. We got this ! 

-Steven Trejo 

Congrats!  Any timeline given?

Plus, what did they ask?  If you can share.

One week till my S&D.

56 minutes ago, drenyce311 said:

I think it specifies. Can’t remember. Restricting (Zone A) or Restricting (Zone C). 

That seems familiar, I think he showed that to us.  I’ve been so caught up with studying that that day is now a blur lol.