PDI Part 3 Test
One of the key differences with this test is that it has
aspects to it that you have no control of whatsoever. For instance:
How
will the SE play the role-play; nervous, arrogant, timid, uncertain
Where
will the SE direct you to go – what area will the test be in
Which
PST are you going to get
How
will other road users affect your test
The obvious similarities with the Learner test are that you
have no idea where the examiner will take you, and anything COULD crop up, with
regards to other road users – an ambulance on blue lights, an accident in front
of you, roadworks, a cyclist creeping up on you when you are doing a manoeuvre,
a reckless driver etc. So it stands to
reason that for a learner, the more opportunity they can give themselves to
experience all these factors, the better – the more prepared they will be. I go further than this, as my training
incorporates experiences that will never crop up on the Learner test but WILL
crop up after the Learner test.
And the same holds true for PDI training. Get yourself as much experience of
‘instructing’ in as many different driving conditions and areas as you can....
variety is good. You aren’t going to get
your part 3 test in the dark for example, but you sure will be teaching
learners in the dark.
Getting yourself prepared in every PST should be a
given. My standard training packages for
PDI’s goes beyond the PST requirements.
For example, there is no PST on bay parking or teaching the reading of
bends on rural roads, but you sure will need to offer that to your
Learners.....true?
But for me, the big unknown in the above list is actually to
do with the SE. Firstly, it should be
appreciated that they have a big task ahead of them; they have to role-play a
learner of a certain character, whilst driving a car they are unfamiliar with,
in a manner that portrays the character but within the framework of the
guidelines of the test (DSA publication ‘ADI 1’ refers). Whilst doing all that, they have to accurately
respond to the instruction (or lack of) from the PDI, and ALSO accurately
assess, measure the performance of the PDI.
I think you will agree, this is a big ask of anyone. They are only human. And like all of us, they get better at their
job, with experience. I personally
believe there should be an official observer of the test from the DSA, whose
job it is to grade the performance. But
that’s not really the point of this blog.
The message I would like to get across is that it is
essential that the PDI gets mentally prepared for the SE to role-play in a
pretty extreme manner if given the opportunity.
The test is only about an hour long, so they have to squeeze in as many
opportunities as they can to see you demonstrate how able you are to ‘instruct’. As such, the Part 3 does NOT reflect
reality. In that hour, will be a
condensed version of how Learners act.
Literally from the very start of the test, the SE will go into role and from
that moment on, it is ‘game on’ so to speak.
Also, if you ‘deal’ with any driving faults using the DSA system, then
that Learner they are role-playing will improve far quicker than a normal
Learner will, and that particular driving fault wont re-surface, which again is
not reality.
But it is what it is.
It’s the same for everyone. The
above goes some way to explaining why the pass rate for the Part 3 is as low as
it is. From a trainers point of view
though, what I CAN do though, is accurately replicate this scenario. I will equip a PDI with the tools to be a
driving instructor in years to come, but I will also prepare them mentally for
the actual test. PDI’s don’t fail the
test because they cannot instruct, they fail the test because they are not
properly prepared for the test.
