OC Transpo bus operator test: how to prepare

What OC Transpo asks for

• Conventional bus operators drive City of Ottawa buses in line with the Highway Traffic Act and corporate policy, with a strong focus on customer service. (source)
• Minimum requirements include a valid Ontario G class driver’s licence (or provincial equivalent), an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (or recognized equivalent) and a clean, uncertified 3-year driver’s abstract issued within the past six months. (source)
• Applicants need at least three years of customer service experience and five years of driving experience. (source)
• The recruitment process has nine stages, including written, cognitive and driving assessments, an interview, an MTO medical exam and a vulnerable sector police record check, followed by a six-week training program and MTO testing for a class C licence. (source)

Check the current posting on the OC Transpo careers page. Follow it where it differs from this page.

What to practise

Bus operator written tests usually check three skills: reading a route map, knowing traffic signs (see the Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: signs), and knowing where major Ottawa landmarks are.

Landmarks worth knowing

• Ottawa City Hall is at 110 Laurier Avenue West. (Government of Ontario: ServiceOntario Ottawa City Hall location)
• The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus is at 1053 Carling Avenue. (The Ottawa Hospital: Contact us)
• The Ottawa Hospital’s General Campus is at 501 Smyth Road. (The Ottawa Hospital: Contact us)
• CHEO is at 401 Smyth Road. (CHEO: Home page)
• Queensway Carleton Hospital is at 3045 Baseline Road. (Queensway Carleton Hospital: Home page)
• The University of Ottawa Heart Institute is at 40 Ruskin Street. (University of Ottawa Heart Institute: Home page)
• Carleton University is at 1125 Colonel By Drive. (Carleton University: Home page)
• Tabaret Hall at the University of Ottawa is at 75 Laurier Avenue East. (University of Ottawa: Contact us)