ADI Standards Check: Everything you need to know

07/02/2023

The Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) Standards Check provides a national quality framework to assess the ability and competence of all instructors who teach pupils in driving a car.

Whether you’re preparing for your first assessment as a relatively new instructor or are brushing up ahead of your latest test, there are lots you need to know. That includes any changes that may have been introduced since your last ADI Standards Check.

The purpose of the ADI Standards Check

The aim of the ADI Standards Check is to assess your ability to competently tutor people in learning how to drive. The assessment will check that you deliver driving instruction in accordance with the National Driver and Rider Standards.

The process also affords driving instructors the opportunity to undergo their own personal quality check to provide insights into strengths in their teaching and also areas in which they can improve.

From the public’s perspective, especially those learning how to drive, the ADI Standards Check offers accessible information on the assessment of an instructor’s teaching calibre. The government publishes information on approved driving instructors, including the grade they achieved from the test itself. Though it’s not mandatory to opt-in for this to be displayed, it can be useful for both prospective pupils to compare instructors and for instructors themselves as a marketing tool as well as checking on the standard of others in their local area.

The format of the ADI Standards Check

Rather than being like a formal exam, the ADI Standards Check is intended to be as ‘natural’ as it’s possible to be. The test takes the form of a DVSA examiner observing a 45-minute driving lesson with an additional 15 minutes at the end for questions, and feedback from the examiner and for them to tell you the grade you’ve achieved. There’s no fee for taking the ADI Standards Check.

The examiner will sit in the back of the car while you provide instructions to someone. The ‘pupil’ you choose does not need to be a learner driver (though it can be) and you can opt to provide tuition to a full licence holder if you prefer. You can’t use a fellow Approved Driving Instructor or an individual who has passed the Part 2 test of driving ability. You also get to choose the route taken for the lesson. All of this allows you as the instructor and examinee quite a lot of flexibility in how the test is structured and for your intended lesson plan.

How often are instructors required to undergo the ADI Standards Check?

Once you’ve qualified as an Approved Driving Instructor having passed the part 3 assessment, you’ll usually get the ADI Standards Check within 12 months. Until recently, instructors were then routinely called for the standards check during each four-year period in which they were registered (whether they were actively proving driving tuition or not).

That has now changed and the DVSA uses data to determine when an instructor’s ADI Standards Check is due over a 12-month rolling period. The information that informs the frequency of checks includes the driving test results of all your pupils. This will be a combination of factors comprising pupil performance and is known as the Test Information Programme (TIP). Your overall pass rate forms part of this as does the average number of faults and serious faults per test and the number of instances in which an examiner had to take physical action.

The data in the TIP is used to determine trigger points that would lead to an instructor being called in for an ADI Standards Check. A voluntary support call will be offered before the requirement to attend the test itself and you’ll receive a copy of your ‘ADI driver test analysis report’ by email. If your performance measures don’t indicate the need for a check, you might only be required to attend once every four years.

Preparing for your ADI Standards Check

As mentioned, you have control over the most significant aspects of the ADI Standards Check. You get to choose the person you’ll be giving tuition to as well as the route to be taken and you can prepare your own lesson plan.

The ADI Standards Check is based on three broad areas:

• Lesson planning
• Risk management
• Teaching and learning strategies

The examiner will complete form SC1 as part of their assessment. Familiarise yourself with the criteria to get a good understanding of what you’ll be evaluated on in the ADI Standards Check.

Notice that there are 17 assessment criteria in the ADI Standards Check, with each scored out of 3 to give maximum total points of 51. Both your overall grade and score are published on the DVSA website. Gradings are awarded as follows:

• Score 0 to 30 fail
• Score 31 to 42 pass grade B
• Score 43 to 51 pass grade A

As with any examination, preparation for the ADI Standards Check is key. Some further tips for passing and achieving a good score include:

Pick the right pupil - someone who is both a relatively confident person and driver is ideal as it can feel a little pressured once the check is underway.

Choose the right route - an area you’re familiar with is best but also identify alternative ways on the course you’ve picked should any hazards or issues like significant congestion occur. Ensure the route is suited to the experience and competence of your pupil. Too ‘easy’ and you don’t get to demonstrate the full range of your teaching ability. Too difficult and the challenges posed could be overwhelming for your pupil.

Plan some key points - identify some goals that you intend the lesson to achieve that are relevant to the person you’re providing tuition to. Think of some faults in advance that you think likely that the pupil will demonstrate and how you’ll rectify them.

Think goals and feedback - introduce the lesson plan and its goals to your pupil (and the examiner) before the ADI Standards Check begins. Offer positive reinforcement once you're underway. Make sure your route allows some time at the end to give feedback to the person you’re instructing based on your lesson plan, progress towards goals and the record you make of the lesson.

Stay on top of risks at all times - risk management is one of the core areas of the check. That means averting potential danger at all times with verbal instructions or using the dual controls. Pull your pupil over to reflect on any hazardous situations that occur.

There are a heap of materials out there to help you prepare for the ADI Standards Check. A good resource is the latest edition of Target 51 - The Standards Check which covers all you need to know.

Finally, don’t forget to proudly display your ADI grade on your car (assuming all goes well!).