Information on the test changes

Received today from the DVSA:

 

As we gear up for the changes to the driving test on Monday 4 December 2017, we want to give you some more detailed information so you know what your pupils can expect.

We’re now starting to train our driving examiners on the changes to the test – including the new instructions they’ll give to your pupils.

I want to share these with you, along with some short videos showing some of the changes in action.

Pre-briefing at the start of the test

Here’s the new explanation that driving examiners will give at the start of the test.

The test will last about 38 to 40 minutes and will include about 20 minutes of independent driving and various roads and traffic conditions. I will ask you to complete one manoeuvre and we may carry out an emergency stop. The sort of things you’ve been practising with your instructor or accompanying driver.

The ‘tell me’ safety question

This question will still be asked at the test centre, before your pupil starts driving. Here’s the new explanation that will be used.

Now I’d like to ask you one question about your vehicle and other matters relating to vehicle safety. The second question will be a ‘show me’ question on the move.

If you’d like to make yourself comfortable in your car now please, I will join you in a moment.

The full set of possible ‘tell me’ questions is on GOV.UK.

I want to emphasise that your pupil will still need to open the bonnet if they’re asked question 12, 13 or 14.

In September, we’ll publish a video about the ‘tell me’ questions so your pupils know:

The ‘show me’ safety question

This question will be asked while your pupil is driving.

It can be asked at any time during the test, including during the independent driving part.

The examiner will ask the question in a location which gives your pupil enough chance to demonstrate the safety check. Here’s the instruction they’ll give.

When it’s safe, could you show me…

This video shows a couple of examples.

If your pupil isn’t sure how to do it, the examiner will ask them to pull in when it’s safe and appropriate, and then ask them to find the control.

The examiner will be able to ask any of your pupils with special needs to pull in before asking the question, so they can explain what they need to do.

We’ll publish a video about the ‘show me’ questions in September, too.

Independent driving

The examiner will ask your pupil to pull over before starting the independent driving part of the test. At this point, the examiner will select and start the route, if it’s using a sat nav.

Here’s the instruction that examiners will give when using a sat nav.

Shortly I’d like you to drive for some distance independently. I’d like you to follow a series of directions from the sat nav please. Continue to follow the sat nav until I tell you otherwise. Drive on when you’re ready.

Remember, 1 in 5 tests will be following traffic signs, and not directions from a sat nav. The instruction given for these will be as follows.

Shortly, I’d like you to drive for some distance independently. I’d like you to follow the traffic signs for [location] please. Continue to follow the signs until I tell you otherwise. Drive on when you’re ready.

Pull up on the right and reverse

Here’s the instruction that examiners will give to your pupil while they’re driving (they won’t pull over first to give the instruction).

Pull up on the right when it is safe to do so, please.

I’d now like you to reverse back for about 2 car lengths, keeping reasonably close to the kerb.

If another vehicle pulls up behind the car and stops your pupil from reversing back, the manoeuvre won’t be completed. The examiner will ask your pupil to drive on, and another exercise will be carried out later in the test.

If a vehicle pulls up in front, the exercise will continue.

This video shows an example of the manoeuvre being carried out.

Parking in a bay

The examiner will ask your pupil to park in a bay. They’ll ask them to either:

Here’s the instruction they’ll give to drive forward into a parking bay.

I’d like you to drive forward into a convenient parking bay finishing within the lines, either to the left or the right (if the car park allows it).

Now, I’d like you to reverse out either to the left or the right (if the car park allows it).

Your pupil doesn’t need to park in a bay where there are vehicles in adjacent bays.

Your pupil can’t drive through a first parking bay, and then park in a bay directly in front of that. When they reverse out, they can’t go into any bays behind them.

This video shows an example of the manoeuvre being carried out.

The time the test takes

As we mentioned in our original announcement back in April 2017, the length of the test won’t change as a result of the changes. We’ve designed it to fit into the current appointment time.

If you took part in the trials of the test, you might have noticed it took a couple of minutes longer than the current test. However, we expect that to reduce as examiners become more familiar with the process. We’ll also be using a different sat nav to the trial, and dash-mats, which should speed up fitting the sat nav.

We’ll keep a close eye on this and carry out a timing study in March 2018, once the new test has had time to settle in.

More information

Do take a look back at the previous posts for more information about the changes – the links are at the end of this post.

If you have a question about how the test will work that isn’t answered there, leave a comment here so we can get back to you.

 

The ADINJC is supporting Learner Driver Week in association with Young Marmalade

Our mission at Learner Driver Week is to educate, inspire, empower, and champion the 7.8 million provisional licence holders in the UK: guiding them on their journey to test success and a lifetime of safe driving.

Young Marmalade is also running Driving Instructor of the Year 2017 as part of the week.

Fancy winning an Amazon Echo? Ask your pupils to nominate you:

https://www.learnerdriverweek.co.uk/

 

 

The DVSA have published it’s first Annual Review  covering  2016/17  it sets out some of the work they’ll be doing in 2017/18.

They’ve also published an Annual Report and Accounts 2016/17 setting out what they have achieved in the year.

The points of interest from both documents are:

“For qualified ADIs we’ll increase the overall number of standards checks we carry out, targeting poor performance and those ADIs who haven’t yet undergone a new standards check.”

 We’ll continue to use intelligence and disruptive operations to target fraudsters and other law-breakers. Our 3 units – intelligence, criminal analysis and strategic traffic management – will identify high-risk vehicle operators and MOT garages, and illegal driving instructors. The information our units gather will tell us what illegal activity is occurring, and where we need to target our enforcement to take non-compliant individuals and operators off the road.”
“Demand for car practical tests has been increasing, leading to a significant rise in waiting times. Reducing waiting times has therefore been a priority for the Agency throughout the year. Although the challenging target to reduce the average waiting time for the whole year to 7.4 weeks was not achieved, the Agency successfully reduced the in-month average waiting time to 6.0 weeks in March 2017. “
The DVSA has announced changes this week to the “Find your Nearest Facility” this includes options to link to your website as well as displaying your Standards check grade and score.

Your views on this are important to us in order that we can fully represent our membership.

Do you find any value in being on FYN? And if so will you be adding your grade and score?

At the last Association meeting, there was a discussion regarding the publication of pass rates – and if – at some point in the future – the DVSA  moves towards publication of ADI pass rates, whether ADIs should protest by removing their badge when pupils are attending for test.

The meeting was divided on the issue, but we would like to have your view on whether you feel pass rates should be published, and if not whether you would support such a protest.

We would be grateful if you would take a few minutes to complete this survey.

Making the driving test more reflective of real life driving

Read here about how and why the new driving test is more reflective of real life driving.

Find out how the reversing manoeuvres are being changed and which satnav will be used in the test starting on December 4th 2017

Click here for the blog by Neil Wilson 

The ADINJC is delighted to announce that Smart Driving is to become a sponsor.  We have always had a close relationship with Smart Driving and are delighted to take this to another level.

John Farlam fo Smart Driving said today –

“SmartDriving are happy to announce that we will be joining the sponsors of ADINJC from July 2017.

I created SmartDriving in 2001 and operated successfully as a one-man business servicing the needs of instructors nationwide until around 2007 when I teamed up with Graham Lucas, we later brought in Adam Bragg to complete the management team and have since gone from strength-to-strength to reach our current position as the UK’s leading ADI training provider.

Many ADINJC members will know me from my presentations at ADINJC conferences and will have met Graham and Adam at our conference trade stands. We are strong supporters of ADINJC because we believe that the team offer an independent voice to instructors – not available from any other organisation. We value the work that all of the ADINJC volunteers do to help instructors directly and the work that they do to help the industry as a whole via their work with the DVSA and NASP.
We have always supported the ADINJC and have been thinking about coming on board as sponsors for quite a while – the decision was finally made this year during the ‘battle’ with the DVSA over the new ADI qualification process. While it was always going to be an unwinnable battle we were so impressed with the huge amount of time and effort put in by the ADINJC team we felt that the time was right to offer sponsorship in addition to moral support.

We hope that along with the other sponsors our support will help the ADINJC to grow and prosper – helping and supporting even more instructors with all aspects of their business and work.

Interesting DVSA sats

Car pass rates vary between men and women and type of test. Overall, women have a higher pass rate in the theory test, whilst men have a higher rate of success in the practical test. THEORY Males: 47% PRACTICAL 51% THEORY Females 51% PRACTICAL 44%

As of March 2017 there were:

39, 413 ADIs on the register which is down 1,2% compared to March 2016 and down 15.4% compared to March 2012. 2,442 approved CBT motorcycle instructors.

Recent Standards Check statistics March 2017: 30.7% High Standard 68% Sufficient and 1.3% fail. Statistics refer to ADIs who have taken a SC since it was introduced on April 7th 2014.

(Their wording not mine on the grades!)

The year is passing by so fast only 3 months to go till our annual conference. There are only 38 tickets left to purchase at our early bird discount of £53 for members and £63 for non-members.

Speakers so far:

DVSA “team” confirmed so far, Mark Magee and John Sheridan.

Sue Baker

Nick Croft

Elizabeth Box

Updates from Speed of Sight our charity for 2018


 Example of the scam email…!

Parking ticket scam alert!

 Our Chairman and a member have both this weekend received an email containing the above.  It looks very realistic and very similar to UKPC’s website!

However, we have been advised by the Head of Operations at the BPA that this is not genuine.  We are informed that PCNs will NEVER be transmitted by email as there is NO database which links vehicle registration marks with email addresses.

We are told that UKPC are doing all that they can to put a stop to this but there is little that can be done when they target people through their personal emails.  I guess we have to put it down to modern life and be super-vigilant!

We noticed that it carried DMUK’s logo on the bottom.  As you know DMUK is our current nominated charity, so we have alerted them and they have reported it.

NASP has produced a report of the recent meeting with DVSA.  It has also produced a list of FAQs relating to the new ADI Part 3 examination.

Please click here for the NASP/DVSA report.

Please click here for the FAQs on the new Part 3.