AfroG97

I doubt that's even possible, I believe MNR/LIRR are not civil service because they are governed by the FRA and its regulations. Also while the city jobs get NYCERS, the railroads get RRB. And even in the Transit umbrella, MABSTOA and MTA Bus aren't even civil service themselves. In any case, I think it's harder to get into Transit than it is to get into the railroads, especially now. It took me approximately 7 months to be hired by MNR from application date to orientation date, while on the flip side, it always seem that people wait for years and years to get called to back for Transit on those O/C exams, especially for RTO positions. Of course, I am only speaking on my experience and I very well may have been an outlier.

If you mean the mechanical aptitude test no that's been around and is different from the personality test. Apparently, it seems the mechanical aptitude has been doing people in, but I'm trying to figure out what that fifth section is, because it's new to me

I'm sorry you went through that 2ride, and I can't really speak on the discriminating against applicants but neither Metro North nor LIRR (or Transit for that matter) handle the hiring process anymore, the BSC mostly does. And to that end, the BSC is pretty bad collectively in getting things done right or on time. A couple months back I took the LE exam for Metro North, and a couple of applicants got screwed over by the BSC because they weren't sent the LE Key Responsibilities form, a form that we all needed to complete to be able to continue on with the process. They also failed to send it to me initially but I was able to put constant pressure on them via a barrage of emails and phone calls until they sent it to me prior to the exam. Some of my fellow test takers weren't so fortunate...

Congrats RJP. The interview will be in a panel format where you'll have a couple of road foremen and/or training officers in addition to your HR recruiter who will all sit in via Microsoft Teams (You said zoom, but I'm assuming it's actually Microsoft Teams since my interview was held on Teams as well). In any case, you want to thoroughly go over the LE Job Description as the panel will ask you what the responsibilities of a Locomotive Engineer are. You don't have to remember it verbatim, but it is in your best interest to be able to recite all of the functions and responsibilities of the job. Second, They will ask WHY do you want to be an Engineer at MNR and they will ask WHAT skills do you have from prior jobs that make you a good candidate. If you have a history of safety sensitive jobs be sure to mention them, I can not emphasize enough SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY is crucial when answering questions so be sure to mention the importance of maintaining train safety and the safety of the crew and ground employees whenever you can. They will also ask you of a time where you had to successfully multitask so be prepared. Note, there a couple of scenario based questions in where you are asked to make decisions on the fly. Again take into account maintaining safety and remember the safety of persons along the right of way supersede train timeliness or any events that happen onboard the train (take a REAL good note of this) . Finally, do not forget to ask questions at the end of the interview as it shows the panel that you are truly interested and are eager to proceed with the process. Overall it is a fairly straightforward interview and as long as you don't psyche yourself out you will do just fine. Good luck!

Interesting... when I took the AC exam back in October last year it was 4 sections. Did they add back the personality portion or was it something else?

I agree with everything said thus far, but I will say if you had your heart set on working for Metro North, don't just apply for conductor just "get your foot into the door" by any means and make your way there as an internal. It's cliche, but your odds of becoming a conductor are increased by breaking in as a coach cleaner, custodian, clerk, ticket seller, ambassador, electrician etc. Heck, don't limit yourself to just MNR for that matter, apply, apply, apply to as much as you can on that MTA Careers page.

Do not, and I mean DO NOT underestimate the stupidity of some of our colleagues. Some of our guys on the MNR side of things have chips on their shoulders and forget that their badges and metro card passes are basically free rides.

Congrats, it's basically a crapshoot on whether you get called back for a test just because there's so many people who apply. And this goes for all positions not just AC. Like the Locomotive Engineer test there are 4 sections; Signals and Definitions, Reading Comprehension, Mechanical Aptitude, and Math. Only difference between the AC test and the Engineer test is Math being exclusively on the conductor test and and Attention testing being exclusively on the Engineer test. There used to be a personality test on both exams, but for whatever reason they were removed. In any case, as long as you study your signals and definitions, you'll do fine. Do not forget to MAKE FLASHCARDS!!!!! Thankfully, the math section isn't random AP/ college level calculations. It's functional "Metro-North" math, all questions will basically utilize Metro-North's fare system so if you like take a look at some of Metro-North's fare charts at MTA.info to get an idea of how fares work, such as peak vs off peak pricing, regular vs senior/disabled, city tickets, etc. Good luck!

Belvin, it's a computerized test with four sections, I made a post on this thread a couple of months ago detailing the four sections on it. Don't worry to much about how much time you will have for the test, each section has it's own time limit and quite frankly you will have more than enough time to complete each section imo.

I live in the neighborhood, just a block or two away from that 167th Street station, and quite frankly I would say that it's not even the most dangerous line in the vicinity. The Concourse line between 12:00 AM and 5:00 AM is not a fun place to find yourself at with those giant mezzanines and blind spots...

The Attendant Terminal Appearance PAT is a multifaceted exam. You will have an exam full of physical excerises that simulates different things based on the position you're going for. You will also receive a traditional checkup where your vision, hearing, etc will be checked including a drug test via urine. Take note that the PAT is different for every craft, as I myself am going to be taking my second PAT since working for MNR, specifically Locomotive Engineer, and it has different exercises related to T&E. If I recall correctly, when I took the Attendant Terminal Appearance PAT a couple years back there was a section where you walk on uneven track, another where you walk through a weighted door a couple times, carrying a weighted trash bag around, simulate mopping with a weighted stick, wiping down a row of train seats, and a couple of other things I just don't remember. Note that everything is timed and that they will check your heart rate as well.

Btw, is there anyone else on the forum who took the exam in October? Just had my interview today and HR Generalist and the Road Foremen who interviewed me are saying the next class is starting somewhere around June. Anyone else feeling like they might be apart of that class as well?

I'm sure you know how "slow" the BSC is in time sensitive communication. I'm assuming you emailed them, I'd recommend calling them as you're more likely to receive a quicker response than emailing. They screwed quite a bit of people back when I took the exam in October. The BSC didn't send a whole bunch of candidates the LE Key responsibilities form in the invitation email and alot of guys didn't find out till the day of the test...

Hey there 🖐🏾. Sorry to hear about your termination from Keolis/MBTA, s*it happens. Unfortunately, we can't change the past, we can only keep moving forward with the opportunities we're granted and make for ourselves. With that being said, should you pass the exam and get an interview that will be something they will ask you about. To that end, even though I may not be the best authority on which to give advice since I've yet to complete the process myself, I have passed the exam and can throw a couple pointers your way of each section; First off, the LE exam is currently a four section test (Attention, Mechanical Aptitude, Reading Comprehension, and Signals/Definitions). It is completely multiple choice and computerized. The Attention Test tests your reaction time, short term memorization, and ability to respond to stimuli presented to you within a very short amount of time. In my opinion the hardest part of the exam. Mechanical Aptitude tests your knowledge of functional/mechanics based physics. You can't really study for this section, either you know it or don't. Reading Comprehension tests your ability to discern information given a short essay to read, analyze and subsequently answer a couple of questions. Be warned, if English is not your first language this section may be tricky as the questions will truly test your understanding of the passages; take your time and read each section multiple times over and as long as you don't drag *ss, you will be able to answer each question within the time limit. Last section is the Signals and Definitions, quite frankly the only section you CAN study for as they give you the packet to study on your testing invitation. Also, depending on you study habits and ability to retain information possibly the easiest section. After the test is complete you should get an email about a day later with either a pass or fail message. If pass, you wait for them to contact you for an interview (the part of the process where i'm at currently). If you fail, you must wait a calendar year to reapply for the position, but that shouldn't stop you from applying to other positions. I've said alot, but I just wanted to be thorough in explaining each section of the test. Good luck to you and all who take it. From the people I have spoken to who have become engineers at MNR, it is worth every bit of time and energy spent studying and sacrificing to mark up, and I want nothing more than to see people who take the opportunity, achieve it. 👍🏾

I see. Either things have changed from when I hired on to the railroad, or more likely the process is different for the Locomotive Engineer position because they didn't let me know they were conducting a background check nor did I have to sign a waiver the first time around. The background check being handled by a third party, I was aware of that because they contacted me to send some pay stubs in from a prior employer back in 2022.