Test Std v Real Life

Whether you are training to become a Driving Instructor or a Learner training to become an independent driver with a full licence you can look at your goal in different ways.  Are you concerned with passing the test(s) only, or do you want to feel equipped for life after the tests too?

“Surely by passing the test I WOULD be ready to drive independently!” – not a guarantee I’m afraid (even the DSA have evidence to back that fact up).  Let me give some real examples.  Firstly, looking at it from the point of view of a Learner:

In real life, you may need to be able to parallel park on the right side of the road.  Where I live for example, parking spaces by shops are a premium and only on one side of the road, you may not have the luxury of time to turn your car round so that you can parallel park to the left as you are only asked to do on the test.  Equally, you may live in a one-way street with parking in the street on the right side only..... it happens, it really happens. 

You may need to emerge from a road that was on a 30 limit, on to a road that is on a national speed limit eg 60.  It is unlikely to come up on your test but very commonly arises.

You no doubt will need to negotiate up and down very tight multi-storey car parks – possibly narrow, maybe very low ceiling, maybe very bendy.

You may need to take journeys along rural roads where being able to read the severity of bends is a very important skill for ensuring your speed is set correctly on approach.

You may need to drive in heavy rain, fog, snow, the dark, in the early hours of the morning, after a very busy day at work, when you feel ill, when you feel upset, when you have friends in the car – how many of those will you get on the test?

You may well need to drive on a motorway.

You may well need to drive with the ‘help’ of a SatNav.

You may well get a puncture – what would you do then?

You may need to follow someone driving in front of you in an area you are not familiar.

You may need to drive abroad.

This could go on a long time couldn’t it?  The fact is, rightly or wrongly, the current test of 38mins length does have limitations as to how well it assesses your ‘fitness’ to drive.  By ‘fitness’ I mean, how well you will be able to cope on your own, once you’ve passed.   The list above is not intended to be complete, not in the slightest, but it does go a little way to demonstrate how restricting your training could be, if you were to only consider passing the test.  This is one of the reasons why I absolutely disagree with the approach taken by a local ‘intensive driving course’ organisation near to me, who provide the absolute minimum of in-car training in their package, and then ONLY whatever crops up in the test to cause a ‘fail’ is then provided in further so called ‘free’ training.  This is passing tests by doing the absolute bare minimum – it is a truly shocking approach to driving training.

Considering PDI’s, let’s look at what could crop up once you’ve passed your tests:

How are you going to teach doing a reverse bay park – it’s not covered in the Part 3.

How do you know what the Learner test standard is?

How are you going to market your business?

What are the pro’s/con’s for going indy as opposed to on a franchise?

What are you going to do if a Learner doesn’t understand what you are trying to explain?

What are you going to do if a Learner cannot do a manoeuvre the way you want it to be done?

What are your prices going to be for lessons?

Do you intend to drive all the time, ALL the time, as you want your Learners to drive?

How will you know when is the right time for your Learners to go in for the practical test?

Again, there will be more, but I think you probably get the idea.

So, my advice to you as a PDI or a Learner is ask anyone who you may end up training with some really, really good questions.  Ultimately, you want to know what the extent of their training is – are they concerned with you just passing the tests or do they take the longer view?  So some good questions I would suggest you ask:

Do you mainly drive round the ‘test routes’?

Can you tell me please the % of your Learners in the last 12 months who passed on their first attempt?

How long on average does it take you to get an absolute beginner to test standard?

How many miles, on average, would I drive on a 1 hour lesson with you?

Do you train me local to where I live, or where I take the test?

Is there anything about what you provide that sets you apart from other Driving Instructors?

Or for PDI's.....

How often can I book in sessions to do my part 2 and part 3 training?

Do you explain in your training the test sheets the examiners use for my tests and the Learner tests?

Is your syllabus of training only based on the criteria of the part 2 and part 3 tests?  Can you show me your syllabus please?

Do you offer any advice on marketing?

Why is the pass rate for the part 3 test as low as it is?

Do you think driving instructors should be accountable for their Learner pass rates?

How able are you to fit the training around my schedule?

Can you tell me what % of PDI's pass part 2 & 3 after 40 hrs of your training?