Every approved driving instructor (ADI) in Great Britain has passed three tests, and the last of them, the Part 3, is the one that examines whether a candidate can actually teach. This article summarises GOV.UK’s description of the ADI Part 3 test, published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). It applies to Great Britain: GOV.UK notes that the Part 3 test works differently in Northern Ireland, and that there is a different process to qualify there. GOV.UK’s separate overview of becoming an ADI covers the qualifying route as a whole.
What the Part 3 test is
GOV.UK says the Part 3 test is the last of three tests a person must pass to qualify as an ADI and that it is a test of the candidate’s ability to teach pupils. It can be booked once the ADI Part 2 test has been passed. The standard against which candidates are judged is the national standard for driver and rider training, which GOV.UK says sets out everything a candidate must be able to do to pass.
The lesson the examiner watches
A DVSA examiner watches the candidate give a client-centred driving lesson to one of their own pupils for about 45 minutes. At the start, the candidate discusses the goals for the lesson and risk management with the pupil, which should take no more than three minutes. The pupil must drive for about 40 minutes of the lesson. The candidate cannot spend the whole lesson teaching a manoeuvre, though a short recap of one taught earlier is allowed, and can stop safely to give immediate feedback. At the end, the pupil is given no more than three minutes to reflect on their performance.
The pupil can be a partly trained learner, a fully trained learner or a full licence holder. GOV.UK says a partly trained learner should be able to drive for 40 minutes without frequently stopping, and that the pupil cannot be an ADI or someone preparing for the Part 3 test.
How the marking works
The candidate is marked on 17 areas of competence grouped into three categories: lesson planning, risk management, and teaching and learning strategies. The examiner scores each of the 17 competences from 0 to 3, and the scores are added up to decide whether the candidate passes and what grade they receive. GOV.UK gives the results as follows:
- 0 to 30: fail. The performance is unsatisfactory and the candidate does not join the ADI register.
- 31 to 42: Grade B. The candidate may join the ADI register.
- 43 to 51: Grade A. The candidate has shown a high standard of instruction and may join the register.
There are automatic fails. A candidate fails if they score 7 or less in the risk management category, or if the examiner stops the lesson because the candidate has put themselves or someone else in danger. The candidate receives the grade and the completed test report by email.
Rules for the car
The candidate’s car must have no warning lights showing, no tyre damage and legal tread depth on every tyre, with no space-saver spare, be roadworthy, and carry an extra interior rear-view mirror plus a passenger seatbelt and head restraint for the examiner. It must reach at least 62mph and have an mph speedometer, and have four wheels and meet the maximum authorised mass limit. It must be taxed, have a current MOT if over three years old, and be insured for an ADI Part 3 test. A hire car fitted with dual controls is allowed. A test can be cancelled without a refund if the car does not meet the rules.
Manual and automatic licences
A candidate with a manual licence can take the test in a manual or automatic car and will be able to train in both types once qualified. A candidate with an automatic licence must take the test in an automatic car and will only be able to train people in an automatic car. This matters to learners who want an automatic lesson, since it affects which instructors can offer it; see the site’s guide to manual versus automatic lessons.
After the result
A candidate who passes can apply for a first ADI badge, and must do so within 12 months of passing or must pass all three qualifying tests again. Someone who fails the first or second attempt can retake the test, booking the next attempt within two years of passing the Part 1 test. GOV.UK says that failing the third attempt means the candidate must stop giving paid-for lessons immediately, because it is illegal to give paid-for lessons after a third failure, that a trainee licence becomes invalid, and that Parts 1 and 2 must be retaken after a wait of two years from the original Part 1 pass. For the trainee stage, see the site’s guide to trainee licences and the six-month rule.
What learners can take from it
The Part 3 grades of A and B both allow registration, and the test is a snapshot of one lesson rather than a continuing measure. The ongoing check on registered instructors is the standards check described in the site’s guide to the ADI standards check, and questions to put to an instructor are in the guide to ADI and PDI qualifications.
Common questions
Does a Grade A instructor teach better than a Grade B? GOV.UK describes Grade A as a high standard of instruction and Grade B as sufficient to join the register; it does not compare ongoing teaching quality.
The bottom line
The ADI Part 3 test is a roughly 45-minute observed lesson marked on 17 competences, with a score of 31 or more needed to pass, 43 or more for Grade A, and automatic failure for a risk management score of 7 or less or a dangerous lesson. Three failed attempts end a candidate’s ability to give paid lessons until the earlier tests are retaken. Learners can ask an instructor about their grade and checks. This is general information for Great Britain; Northern Ireland differs.
Sources
- GOV.UK, “Approved driving instructor (ADI) part 3 test”
- GOV.UK, “Check if you can become a driving instructor”