Becoming an Instructor

If you enjoy driving and meeting a wide variety of people, choosing when you work and how much you earn then this could be the career for you.

Driving instructors are more in demand than ever. Recent changes to the driving test have made it far more difficult for candidates to pass the test and as a result need more driving lessons.

The Driving Standards Agency Register of Approved Driving Instructors was set up in the interests of road safety and to maintain the standards of driving instruction available to the public. It is illegal for anyone to charge money for driving lessons unless their name is on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors or they hold a Trainee Licence.

To qualify for entry into the register of Approved Driving Instructors you will need to:

• Have held a full driving licence for at least 4 years
• Have not been disqualified for any part of the 4 years prior to your application.
• Be a fit and proper person to have your name entered into the register. This includes motoring and non motoring convictions being taken into account. Any motoring offences totalling 5 points or more are closely looked at and can result in an application being refused.
• Pass the 3 part qualifying examination.

Qualifying as an instructor

There is a 3 part examination to qualify as a driving instructor. You must pass all 3 parts within 2 years of passing the first part.

PART 1 The A.D.I. theory test

This test consists of a computer based theory and hazard perception test (HPT) with 100 questions and 4 answers to each question, only one answer is correct. Questions are taken from a wide range of subjects and the test must be completed in 90 minutes. The overall pass mark is 85 out of 100. Typical example: -

The legal minimum depth of tread for car tyres over 3/4 of the breadth is:

A. 1 mm   B. 1.6mm   C. 2.5mm   D. 4mm

After a short break the Hazard Perception Test (HPT) will start with a tutorial before the test itself.

This test requires you to identify the developing hazard that would cause a driver to take action to avoid an accident. There are 14 video clips with 15 developing hazards (one clip contains 2 developing hazards). The faster you respond by pressing the mouse the higher the score, you can score up to a maximum of 5 points per clip. The test contains 15 score able hazards. The pass mark is 57 out of 75.

Both parts of the test have to be passed. The result will be given at the end of both tests.

PART 2 The test of driving ability

A 1-hour advanced driving lest that is conducted in a similar way to an "L" test, but you must demonstrate a high technical standard of driving. The route covers approximately 20 miles of various road and traffic conditions. You will also be asked to perform various manoeuvres and an emergency stop. During the test you can have up to 6 driving faults and still pass however a 7th driving fault or a single serious or dangerous fault will result in failure. The examiner will give the result at the end of the test.

PART 3 The test of ability to instruct

A 1-hour test of your ability to instruct. The object of the test is to assess the quality of your instruction and your ability to pass knowledge on to pupils. There are two phases of approximately 30 minutes. In phase 1 the examiner plays the role of a novice or part trained pupil. In phase 2 the examiner plays the role of a test standard pupil or a full licence holder. During the test the examiner will select the subjects from a possible list of 12. They will commit various faults in order for you to correct them. The result and debrief will be given at the end of the test.

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