Prepare for the correct operating company and role, from online skills tests to First Bus driver assessment.
By the Game Assessment Prep research teamUpdated September 14, 2026How we research
The published evidence points to job-related skills and practical checks. It does not establish a common FirstGroup game lineup.
FirstGroup includes multiple operating businesses. Its First Rail careers page describes both operating companies and specialist head-office functions such as engineering, procurement, finance and operations. A job title and operating company are therefore more useful preparation clues than the group name alone.
Keep the bus-driver pathway separate from railway and corporate recruitment. In particular, a general FirstGroup online-test description is not a complete specification of train-driver selection. Follow the vacancy’s own assessment pack whenever it is more specific.
First Bus distinguishes qualified PCV drivers from trainees. Its driver page describes training in vehicle operation, routes, ticketing and safety, so preparation should demonstrate both safe judgment and passenger service.
Source: Bus driver careers
Other First Bus jobs use competency interviews and may include specific assessments, with any advance preparation communicated to candidates.
Source: What you can expect at First Bus
The careers page lists rail operators alongside head-office teams and rail consultancy. Those are different jobs, rather than evidence of one test battery shared by every group employee.
Source: First Rail careers and brands
The First Bus graduate page describes operational-depot and business-strategy opportunities. At this review it says applications are not open and offers registration of interest instead.
Source: First Bus graduate programmes
The group FAQ names customer service, verbal and numerical skills, and concentration as possible assessment areas. Applicants must meet the standard for their assessment.
Source: FirstGroup recruitment FAQs
FirstGroup says most tests are untimed and typically take 10–20 minutes. This is an average completion estimate, not a guaranteed limit for every test.
Source: FirstGroup recruitment FAQs
First Bus confirms a medical check, interview and driving assessment for bus-driver candidates. These assess a different set of responsibilities from office recruitment.
Source: What you can expect at First Bus
A recruiter answer updated in January 2026 describes reading, writing, road-sign and licence checks, plus drug/alcohol screening. Follow the local invitation for the agenda.
Source: What to expect at my interview — recruiter answer, updated January 2026
The group FAQ says a candidate who passed the same assessment within the previous six months need not repeat it after the team verifies the match. This is not a general six-month retake entitlement.
Source: FirstGroup recruitment FAQs
The reviewed pages do not identify one assessment supplier or publish numerical cut scores. Do not infer a vendor from the application portal.
Source: FirstGroup recruitment FAQs
The main FAQ confirms the practical elements without fixing one local running order.
Source: What you can expect at First Bus
First Bus advises candidates to understand the local business and prepare evidence relevant to their current expertise.
Source: What you can expect at First Bus
There is no single group-wide recruitment calendar. Record the vacancy closure separately from an assessment invitation’s expiry.
| Cycle | Application dates | Likely assessment window | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual vacancies | Use advertised date; some roles close early | As stated in invitation | Official source FirstGroup advises early submission because applicant volume can bring closing dates forward. Source: FirstGroup recruitment FAQs |
| First Bus graduate programmes | Not open on the page at this review | No current selection dates published there | Official source Registering interest is for future opportunities. The page does not supply a current graduate assessment schedule. Source: First Bus graduate programmes |
Choose preparation that reflects the daily responsibilities of the particular job. The following are practice suggestions, not promised interview questions.
Prepare a situation where you noticed a risk, followed a procedure or raised a concern despite time pressure. Explain what you checked, whom you involved and how you knew the issue was resolved. Avoid treating speed as the only measure of good performance.
Rehearse explaining a delay or unfamiliar route to a frustrated passenger. Keep the explanation short, acknowledge the concern and offer the practical next step you can actually provide. Think about customers with different accessibility or communication needs.
For a driver invitation, review road signs and your driving responsibilities and organize the requested documents. For a numerical or verbal invitation, practice reading instructions accurately, extracting a few relevant facts and checking your answer. Use the employer’s format guidance where supplied.
Learn which routes, depot or business unit the vacancy serves. For engineering or business roles, choose a technical or improvement project and explain its reliability, cost and service implications. Prepare questions about training and the working pattern rather than relying on a group-level description.
No. The group FAQ makes online assessments role dependent. The operating company and invitation determine the requirements.
The official FAQ confirms medical, interview and driving elements. A First Bus recruiter also describes basic written and road-sign checks. The local invitation gives the specific agenda.
First Bus has both qualified-driver and trainee routes. Its trainee page describes training toward a PCV licence; check the exact vacancy’s eligibility requirements.
The reviewed official guidance does not establish one supplier for the group. Use the supplier named in your assessment invitation instead of assuming a brand.
At the September 2026 review, the programme page says they are not open. Check the current page and vacancy listings for a subsequent change.
The sources below support this guide. Claim labels distinguish official information, candidate reports, and research inferences.
FirstGroup · Accessed
First Bus · Accessed
First Bus · Accessed
FirstGroup · Accessed
First Bus · Accessed
First Bus · Accessed
4,700+ candidates from MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Yale and 100+ universities have run 68,000+ practice sessions here · median +25% score improvement by the fifth attempt · 84% of 6,000+ game ratings say “Great”.
Prepare for the correct operating company and role, from online skills tests to First Bus driver assessment.
By the Game Assessment Prep research teamUpdated September 14, 2026How we research
The published evidence points to job-related skills and practical checks. It does not establish a common FirstGroup game lineup.
FirstGroup includes multiple operating businesses. Its First Rail careers page describes both operating companies and specialist head-office functions such as engineering, procurement, finance and operations. A job title and operating company are therefore more useful preparation clues than the group name alone.
Keep the bus-driver pathway separate from railway and corporate recruitment. In particular, a general FirstGroup online-test description is not a complete specification of train-driver selection. Follow the vacancy’s own assessment pack whenever it is more specific.
First Bus distinguishes qualified PCV drivers from trainees. Its driver page describes training in vehicle operation, routes, ticketing and safety, so preparation should demonstrate both safe judgment and passenger service.
Source: Bus driver careers
Other First Bus jobs use competency interviews and may include specific assessments, with any advance preparation communicated to candidates.
Source: What you can expect at First Bus
The careers page lists rail operators alongside head-office teams and rail consultancy. Those are different jobs, rather than evidence of one test battery shared by every group employee.
Source: First Rail careers and brands
The First Bus graduate page describes operational-depot and business-strategy opportunities. At this review it says applications are not open and offers registration of interest instead.
Source: First Bus graduate programmes
The group FAQ names customer service, verbal and numerical skills, and concentration as possible assessment areas. Applicants must meet the standard for their assessment.
Source: FirstGroup recruitment FAQs
FirstGroup says most tests are untimed and typically take 10–20 minutes. This is an average completion estimate, not a guaranteed limit for every test.
Source: FirstGroup recruitment FAQs
First Bus confirms a medical check, interview and driving assessment for bus-driver candidates. These assess a different set of responsibilities from office recruitment.
Source: What you can expect at First Bus
A recruiter answer updated in January 2026 describes reading, writing, road-sign and licence checks, plus drug/alcohol screening. Follow the local invitation for the agenda.
Source: What to expect at my interview — recruiter answer, updated January 2026
The group FAQ says a candidate who passed the same assessment within the previous six months need not repeat it after the team verifies the match. This is not a general six-month retake entitlement.
Source: FirstGroup recruitment FAQs
The reviewed pages do not identify one assessment supplier or publish numerical cut scores. Do not infer a vendor from the application portal.
Source: FirstGroup recruitment FAQs
The main FAQ confirms the practical elements without fixing one local running order.
Source: What you can expect at First Bus
First Bus advises candidates to understand the local business and prepare evidence relevant to their current expertise.
Source: What you can expect at First Bus
There is no single group-wide recruitment calendar. Record the vacancy closure separately from an assessment invitation’s expiry.
| Cycle | Application dates | Likely assessment window | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual vacancies | Use advertised date; some roles close early | As stated in invitation | Official source FirstGroup advises early submission because applicant volume can bring closing dates forward. Source: FirstGroup recruitment FAQs |
| First Bus graduate programmes | Not open on the page at this review | No current selection dates published there | Official source Registering interest is for future opportunities. The page does not supply a current graduate assessment schedule. Source: First Bus graduate programmes |
Choose preparation that reflects the daily responsibilities of the particular job. The following are practice suggestions, not promised interview questions.
Prepare a situation where you noticed a risk, followed a procedure or raised a concern despite time pressure. Explain what you checked, whom you involved and how you knew the issue was resolved. Avoid treating speed as the only measure of good performance.
Rehearse explaining a delay or unfamiliar route to a frustrated passenger. Keep the explanation short, acknowledge the concern and offer the practical next step you can actually provide. Think about customers with different accessibility or communication needs.
For a driver invitation, review road signs and your driving responsibilities and organize the requested documents. For a numerical or verbal invitation, practice reading instructions accurately, extracting a few relevant facts and checking your answer. Use the employer’s format guidance where supplied.
Learn which routes, depot or business unit the vacancy serves. For engineering or business roles, choose a technical or improvement project and explain its reliability, cost and service implications. Prepare questions about training and the working pattern rather than relying on a group-level description.
No. The group FAQ makes online assessments role dependent. The operating company and invitation determine the requirements.
The official FAQ confirms medical, interview and driving elements. A First Bus recruiter also describes basic written and road-sign checks. The local invitation gives the specific agenda.
First Bus has both qualified-driver and trainee routes. Its trainee page describes training toward a PCV licence; check the exact vacancy’s eligibility requirements.
The reviewed official guidance does not establish one supplier for the group. Use the supplier named in your assessment invitation instead of assuming a brand.
At the September 2026 review, the programme page says they are not open. Check the current page and vacancy listings for a subsequent change.
The sources below support this guide. Claim labels distinguish official information, candidate reports, and research inferences.
FirstGroup · Accessed
First Bus · Accessed
First Bus · Accessed
FirstGroup · Accessed
First Bus · Accessed
First Bus · Accessed
4,700+ candidates · 68,000+ practice sessions across Game Assessment Prep.