ADI Standards Check

If you’re an approved driving instructor (ADI), you have to renew your registration every 4 years. This means paying a £300 fee, and undergoing a standards check. This will assess whether you’re still on top of your game when it comes to giving driving lessons.

How do I book my standards check?

You’ll receive a reminder from the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) that renewal is due. You should receive this both by post and email, and you’ll have 10 days to confirm or request a change of venue.

You can book online; you’ll just need your driving licence number and ADI personal reference number to hand. There’s no fee for booking a standards check. 

Being an ADI is a position of responsibility, so DVSA takes the standards check seriously. You usually have to provide evidence to support any cancellation, and you might be struck off the register if you don’t make a booking or fail to show up.

There’s a different procedure for taking your standards check in Northern Ireland.

What if I’m not working as an ADI?

You’ll still have to perform the standards check even if you aren’t working as an ADI, or don’t have a car. The check is there to assess your ability to teach pupils, not to check in on your business.

What format does the assessment take?

You need to take a car and a pupil to the assessment, and give them a supervised lesson. The pupil can't be an ADI themselves, or someone preparing to take the ADI part 3 test. It doesn’t matter whether they’re a learner or hold a full licence, as long as they can drive legally.

The assessment will take an hour, beginning and ending at the test centre. You get to plan the route yourself, which means you can familiarise yourself with it thoroughly.

What do I need to bring?

You’ll need your ADI registration certificate, a pupil, and a car which:

● is roadworthy, safe and reliable.
● is under 3 years old, or has a valid MOT certificate.
● has full-size seats in the rear, with working seatbelts.
● has L-plates if the pupil is a learner, or D-plates in Wales.
● isn’t a soft-top convertible.

What happens during the standards check?

First of all, you’ll meet your examiner and give them an overview of your pupil and lesson plan.

Then you'll introduce the pupil to your examiner, and explain the purpose of the lesson. Be clear that it’s actually you being examined, and not them. It’s a good idea to ask them if there’s anything they’d like covered specifically.

Then you'll give a lesson as normal. Be aware that management of risk is a key factor during the assessment. Making sure the lesson is conducted safely is the most important aspect of the standards check. All directions given should be clear and in good time, and you should be mindful of your surroundings and other road users’ actions.

After the lesson, you'll have a 5-minute debrief with the pupil before the examiner gives you your feedback.

What am I marked on?

There are 17 areas of competence, grouped into 3 categories:

● lesson planning
● risk management
● teaching and learning skills

The examiner will score you from 0 to 3 on each of these, which are added up to make a possible grade of 51. After the lesson, the examiner will give you feedback on your performance, and give you your grade. This will take about a quarter of an hour.

How your total score is graded:

You’ll fail automatically if you score less than 7 in the risk management category. And as with any driving test, you’ll fail immediately if the examiner stops the lesson due to you putting yourself or anyone else in danger.

What if I fail the standards check?

It’s not the end of the world if you fail the standards check first time. You get 2 more attempts but if you fail 3 times, you’ll be removed from the ADI register. To rejoin the register, you’ll need to pass all 3 tests again.

Just remember you've done it before so try to keep a cool head, don’t forget your training, and be confident you can do this.