DVSA ADI Part 3 Explained

DVSA ADI Part 3, Test Of Instructional Ability Explained

The Test of Instructional Ability, DVSA ADI Part 3 Test is the final stage of the qualification process to become a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Approved Driving Instructor, DVSA ADI.

The test can only be taken after passing the first two parts of the qualification process; The Theory & Hazard Perception Test, DVSA ADI Part 1; and The Test of Driving Ability, DVSA ADI Part 2.

DVSA ADI Part 3 must be passed within 2 years of passing DVSA ADI Part 1.
An appointment for a DVSA ADI Part 3 Test can be taken after the 2 year time period has expired, provided the application for the test was received by DVSA before the 2 year period elapsed.

The Test of Ability to Instruct, DVSA ADI Part 3, is a practical test of your ability to teach, it is not enough to give directions and to tell the learner that they have done something wrong.
Candidates are being assessed for their teaching ability, not just that any information that you give is factually correct.

The DVSA ADI Part 3 Test lasts about 1 hour, and an examiner sits in the back seat of the car, observing the candidate give a driving lesson.

The prospective driving instructor taking DVSA ADI Part 3 is delivering a real driving lesson to a client that was selected by you in advance of the test, and you would have previously had a conversation with, regarding the goals of the lesson to be conducted.

For the best preparation you will have delivered lessons to your client previously, that way you will have continuity with the lesson being delivered, you will already know the client’s ability, and what topics they have already learnt, you will also know how they respond in different circumstances, and how they learn best.

The pupil used for the DVSA ADI Part 3 does not have to be a provisional licence holder preparing for a driving test.
The pupil can be either a provisional driving licence holder, or a full driving licence holder, or a foreign driving licence holder, provided they are legally entitled to drive in the UK.

The only people that you are not allowed to use as a pupil for a DVSA ADI Part 3 is a qualified driving instructor, or someone that has passed DVSA ADI Part 2, The Test of Driving Ability.

When a full licence holder is used as the pupil it is important that a real driving lesson is delivered, suitable for the pupil's real driving ability.
Any attempt by the pupil to role play a learner driver, or to simulate driving errors, will almost certainly result in a failed exam.

Pages in the DVSA ADI Part 3 Explained Section of the Driving Instructor Trainers website:

Sections of the Driving Instructor Trainers Website: