Welcome to Happy Hour Instructor Training Services - the home of quality Driving Instructor Training for both those training to become a Driving Instructor and qualified Instructors looking to improve and develop their skills.
Becoming a Driving Instructor
The Register of Approved Driving Instructors (ADI) was set up in the interests of road safety in order to maintain and improve the standard of car driving instruction available to the general public.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS:
When applying to become an approved driving instructor, you must fulfill the following legal requirements:
- Hold a full UK or European Union (EU/European Economic Area (EEA) unrestricted car driving licence
- Have held it for a total of at least four out of the past six years prior to entering the Register after qualifying
- Not have been disqualified from driving at any time in the four years prior to being entered in the Register
- Be a fit and proper” person to have your name entered in the Register. All convictions, motoring and non-motoring, will be taken into account when we assess your suitability to be entered on the Register. You will be required to have an enhanced level criminal record check. The information from this check will be used by us to assess the suitability of persons applying for inclusion on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors.
CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKS FOR DRIVING INSTRUCTORS
Applying for your driving instructor criminal record check
Before starting the Potential Driving Instructors (PDI) qualification process, you will need to get an enhanced level criminal record check.
To apply for this, you will need to fill in a disclosure application form and send it to the Capita Recruitment Vetting Service (CRVS) - one of the Driving Standards Agency's (DSA) criminal record checks contractors. You can request a disclosure application form from the CRVS Helpline on Tel 0870 850 2455.
Once you have returned this form, you will receive the disclosure report and reference number. You will need to put the report's reference number on your ADI 3 form - Application for registration as a PDI - before you send it to the DSA. You will find the form in your starter pack, or you can download the ADI 3 form from the DSA website.
THE EYESIGHT TEST:
You must be able to read in good daylight with the aid of glasses or contact lenses if worn, a motor vehicle registration mark containing letters and figures:
- 79mm in height and 50mm wide at a distance of 26.5 metres OR
- 79mm in height and 57mm wide at a distance of 27.5 metres
If you do not pass the eyesight test, you will not be allowed to take the driving ability element. The test will be marked as a fail and will count towards your three attempts.
SKILLS REQUIRED
Approved driving instructors require a high standard of driving ability and a sound knowledge of the subjects related to teaching others to drive and must be able to apply these abilities.
Teaching others to drive includes being knowledgeable about:
- How to teach
- How people learn
- How to assess the performance of others
- Communication
- Interpersonal skills
QUALIFYING
The qualification examination is in three parts:
- A computer based theory test and hazard perception
- A practical test of your driving ability
- A practical test of your ability to instruct
You must take and pass all three parts of the examination in this order and you must complete the whole examination within two years of passing the theory test. If you are unable to complete the examinations within this time you must start again from the beginning and pass each part again. You can take the theory test as many times as you want but you are only allowed a maximum of three attempts at each of the practical tests within each two year qualification period. Additionally, you cannot start the qualifying process again until two years has passed since you last passed your theory test.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED AT TEST CENTRES FOR PARTS 1, 2 AND 3
When you arrive at the test centre you will be expected to show both parts of your valid driving licence (the photocard and the paper counterpart). You should also bring your appointment letter or booking number. If you don’t bring the correct documents with you on the day, you won’t be able to take your test and you will lose your fee.
From 1 November 2005 if you have an old-style paper licence you must take both your paper licence and a valid passport with you. The Driving Standards Agency will no longer accept any other form of photographic identification.
PDI PART 1 - The Theory and Hazard Perception Test:
What is the ADI theory test like?
The theory test is made up of two parts; the multiple choice part and the hazard perception part. The multiple choice part is delivered using a touch screen computer and mouse and the hazard perception part records your responses through the use of a computer mouse button. You need to pass both parts to pass the theory test. If you pass one part and fail the other you will fail the whole test, and you will need to take both parts again.
Part One - Multiple choice
Before the test starts you will be given instructions on how the test works.
A question and four answer options will appear onscreen and you have to select the correct answer to the question by touching the screen or using the mouse. You can navigate between questions and ‘flag’ questions that you want to come back to later in the test. You will have 90 minutes to answer 100 questions that will be split into four bands which will be:
- Road procedure
- Traffic signs and signals, car control, pedestrians, mechanical knowledge
- Driving test, disabilities, law
- Publications, instructional techniques
The purpose of the banding is to ensure candidates have a comprehensive knowledge across the whole syllabus.
The pass mark for the multiple choice part of the theory test is 85% -that is 85 questions answered correctly. However, you must reach a minimum 80% (20 out of 25) in each of the four bands. It is therefore possible for you to get an overall mark of 85% or above but still fail the examination because you have not gained the minimum of 80% in one of the bands.
After the multiple choice part you can choose to have a break of up to three minutes before the hazard perception part starts.
Part Two – Hazard Perception:
After the break you will then be shown a short tutorial video clip about how the hazard perception part works. This is also delivered on a computer but you respond by clicking a button on the mouse. You will be presented with a series of 14 video clips which feature every day road scenes. In each clip there will be at least one developing hazard, but one of the clips will feature two developing hazards. To achieve a high score you will need to respond to the developing hazard during the early part of its development. The maximum you can score on each hazard is five. You will not be able to review your answers to the hazard perception test; as on the road you will only have one chance to respond to the developing hazard. The pass mark for the hazard perception test is 57 out of 75.
PDI PART 2 - The Practical Test of Driving Ability:
The practical test of driving ability consists of tests of eyesight, safety questions and driving technique. The test will last for about one hour
The Test Vehicle
It is your responsibility to provide a car which is properly taxed and insured. It must be a saloon car or hatchback/estate car in good working condition and with seat belts in working order. It must be capable of the normal performance of vehicles of its type with a manual transmission, right-hand steering, a readily adjustable seat with a head restraint for a forward facing front passenger, and an adjustable interior rear view mirror for use by the examiner. The car must not display L plates.
If your vehicle does not meet the above requirements, it will not be possible to carry out the test.
Safety Questions
From the 10 August 2005 your examiner will ask you to describe how to perform a check on the condition and safety of three components of the vehicle and demonstrate an actual check on the condition of a further two components. Happy Hour Training Services will supply the Show Me / Tell Me questions.
Test of Driving Ability
During the test, you are allowed to make six driving faults at the most. Seven or more faults mean that you fail. One or more serious or dangerous faults will also result in your failing the test.
If you make any faults during the test, the examiner will record these. If the action you take - or reaction you have - to a situation is wrong, it will be assessed and marked accordingly.
To pass the test, you must:
- drive to a high standard of competence, demonstrating a well-planned, positive, progressive drive, sticking to - and reaching - national speed limits when safe and where possible.
- turn the vehicle to face in the opposite direction by using forward and reverse gears with reasonable accuracy and effective all-round observation
- reverse-park the vehicle into the space behind a parked car within the space of about two car lengths and close to and parallel with the kerb with reasonable accuracy and effective all-round observation, or reverse-park into a parking bay, with reasonable accuracy and effective all-round observation
- drive in reverse gear, and while doing so enter limited openings to the right and to the left with reasonable accuracy and effective all-round observation
- stop the vehicle as if you're in an emergencyturn left-hand and right-hand corners correctly without undue hesitancy
- overtake, meet or cross the path of other vehicles and take an appropriate course without undue hesitancy
- move away straight ahead or at an angle
PDI PART 3 - The Practical Test of Ability to Instruct:
The object of this test is to assess the quality of your instruction and your ability to pass your knowledge on to pupils. The test is in two parts, each of which lasts about half an hour. You must pass both parts on the same test.
You will be asked to demonstrate your knowledge and ability by giving practical driving instruction to the examiner who will first take on the role of a pupil who is a beginner, or a learner driver with limited driving knowledge, and then a pupil who is at a trained stage. The examiner will set the scene accordingly for each phase and explain everything to you at the time. For each of the two roles the examiner will choose a PST and assess you on Phase 1 and 2. At the end of the test the examiner will carry out a full debrief.
The instruction you give should be tailored to the time available and to the standard of the pupil’ being role-played by the examiner. You will probably find it helpful to establish the depth of the pupil’s’ knowledge in each phase, by asking questions and observing the ‘pupil’s’ performance as you would with a real pupil you had not taught before.
How Will I Be Assessed?
In assessing your performance, the examiner will take into account:
- The method, clarity, adequacy and correctness of instruction given
- The observation, analysis and correction of faults committed by the pupil
- Your general manner
You will be expected to maintain control of the lesson, be patient and tactful and give encouragement to the ‘pupil’ at all times. What is assessed is the relevance of the instruction for the ability of the pupil and to the particular conditions on the road on the day of the test.
What Happy Hour can do for you
Happy Hour's success rate for delivering PDI (potential driving instructors) training is over 90% success! Where the national average is 28%.
The reason Happy Hour gain such success is that all Happy Hour trainers are fully qualified ORDIT (Official Register of Driver Instructor Trainers) trainers and operate all over Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Happy Hour training course is structured to suit training in the real world and not just to pass a pre-set test.
For your free consultation contact Rosemary Farrell on 0800 0 52 54 56.
