The PDI Part 3 Test

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.