Invitation for Standards Check

You will usually be invited to book a Standards Check at your local driving test centre. It will be expected that you will book this in a timely manner and that there will be no undue delays. If you are unable to attend the DVSA will expect proof of this. You will receive a communication from the DVSA confirming the time and place for the Standards Check, which will also explain the procedure on the day. If it is your Part Three exam you will choose the date and time.

There were changes brought in to limit the length of time of the exam during the Pandemic. This shortened the duration of the exam and meant the examiner would be ringing you in advance to discuss things with you. This means you are able to paint a much fuller picture of what the examiner can expect on the day. It also means you can give details about the way you normally work with this pupil. The advice from DVSA is that you should only stop when necessary, to reduce the Covid risk. This does not mean you cannot stop! If you are unsure about any aspect of this, then take the time to ask the examiner in advance of the test during the phone call.

Examiners have expressed a desire to keep this phone call in advance of the test as it gives them a better idea of what to expect on the day. At the time of publishing this document it is unclear as to how this will be going forward.

In 2021 the DVSA introduced changes as to when you might be called for standards check. Although this has caused an uproar among ADIs it really isn’t so different to what has gone before. The DVSA have always had a system in place that allowed them to call in ADIs for a standards check if it was felt that their performance was substantially under par or they were presenting candidates for test that were a danger to themselves, the examiner or other road users. The change announced is a formalisation of this process. There is nothing to fear for the average or above average ADI, this is targeted at the below average ADI and as you can see from the example report, you have to be consistently underperforming to be called for a standards check. This is, I believe, because of the low standard of candidate presented by a significant minority within the industry

You will normally get one standards check in every badge cycle (4 years) but, you may get one sooner, if, in a rolling 12-month period (12 months back from today) you trigger the criteria.

Trigger criteria:

• average number of driving faults per test (5 or more)
• average number of serious faults per test (0.5 or more)
• percentage of tests where the driving examiner had to take physical action in the interests of public safety (10% or higher)
• overall pass rate over the rolling 12 months (55% or lower)

In this example a Standards check would NOT be triggered because only 1 of the 4 triggers (driving examiners taking physical action) has been met

You took your pupils for 30 tests throughout the last 12 months

Across all 30 tests, your pupils made a combined total of 130 driving faults. This is an average of 4.83 per test (130 ÷ 30)

Across all 30 tests, your pupils made a combined total of 14 serious driving faults. This is an average of 0.47 per test (14 ÷ 30)

Across all 30 tests, driving examiners had to take physical action in 5 tests. This is 16.67% of tests (5 ÷ 30, multiplied by 100)

In total, 18 of the 30 tests were passes and 12 were fails. This is a pass rate of 60% (18 ÷ 30, multiplied by 100)

You will not need to take a standards check

In this example a standards check WOULD be triggered because all 4 of the triggers have been met.

 You took your pupils for 20 tests throughout the last 12 months.

Across all 20 tests, your pupils made a combined total of 120 driving faults. This is an average of 6 per test (120 ÷ 20).

Across all 20 tests, your pupils made a combined total of 12 serious driving faults. This is an average of 0.6 per test (12 ÷ 20).

Across all 20 tests, driving examiners had to take physical action in 4 tests. This is 20% of tests (4 ÷ 20, multiplied by 100).

In total, 8 of the 20 tests were passes and 12 were fails. This is a pass rate of 40% (8 ÷ 20, multiplied by 100).

The indicators will only be used if you bring 5 or more pupils for driving tests in a 12-month period.

If you bring fewer than 5 pupils, or you do not teach learners, you will still have to attend a  standards check once during each 4-year period you’re registered as an ADI.

The DVSA will contact you (normally via email) to tell you when you have to book yours.

If called for a standards check the examiner will call you to arrange a date and time for a 30-minute phone call.

This appointment is voluntary and will take place about 8 weeks before your standards check.

If you refuse the offer of a phone appointment

You will not be sent your ADI driver test analysis report if you refuse the appointment.

You will still need to take your standards check, but DVSA will not contact you again to offer support.

During the phone appointment

During the 30-minute call, the examiner will talk to you about:

• your ADI driver test analysis report
• where you can get further support and guidance (they will advise approaching an ORDIT registered training establishment or trainer)
• what will happen when you take your standards check

They cannot give you any technical training during the call.

The examiner will email a summary of the discussion to you. This will include links to guidance or information you should read before your standards check.

Getting a copy of your ADI driver test analysis report if you’ve not been asked to book a standards check

If you have not been asked to book a standards check, you can still request a copy of your report.

It can take several weeks to get your report. This is because DVSA prioritises sending reports to ADIs who have been asked to book a standards check.

Email DVSA to request your report. You need to include your:

• ADI personal reference number (PRN)
• date of birth
• postcode

ADI driver test analysis reports
adi.enforcement.analysis.request@dvsa.gov.uk