Driving Instructor Training: The Complete Guide

Driving instructors are responsible for teaching people how to drive safely. They help new drivers to develop their skills, and build them up to a level that they need to reach to pass their driving test. If you are someone who loves helping people, preventing accidents on the road and driving, this could be the perfect job for you. In this blog, we’ll take you through the driving instructor training process, to show you how to become a driving instructor.  

What qualities do you need to start driving instructor training?

• As with any teaching job, you’ll need to have great patience and people skills.
• You will need to remain calm under pressure, and must be able to take a clear and methodical approach to teaching.
• The ability to give constructive advice to your students is of paramount importance.

Driving Instructor Training Application

The first thing you will need to do in order to become a driving instructor, is to register with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). In order to register, you will need to meet the following eligibility criteria:   -You must be aged 21 or older. -You must have held a valid driving license for the past 3 years. -You must complete various criminal record and motoring offence checks. After registering with the DVSA, you will need to enrol yourself on a driving instructor course. These courses are run by specialists driving schools, who train potential instructors up before their final ADI examinations. The cost and length of these courses will depend upon the provider. You can find an official list of training providers at ORDIT.  

ADI Exam

Following your driving instructor training, you will need to pass a three stage Approved Driving Instructor Exam (ADI). You must pass all 3 stages of the assessment in order to qualify. The stages are as follows:

• A computer based assessment, which will test you on your knowledge of hazards and driving theory.
• A practical examination of your driving skills.
• A practical examination of your teaching skills.

You will need to pass each stage before moving onto the next one. You will have 3 attempts to pass the latter two exams, and must complete them both within 2 years of passing the first exam.

Post ADI

After passing the first two parts of the ADI examination, you can apply to join the training instructor licensing programme. This will provide you with experience in supervised driving instructor training. After picking up your trainee license, it will be valid for 6 months. Once all three parts of the ADI exam have been passed, you can then join the ADI register. This will provide you with a registration certificate that can be placed in your car, to signify that you are a qualified driving instructor.

Further Training

When qualified as an ADI, you will need to keep your skills up to date. In order to do this, you will need to pass ADI standards checks at least once every four years. The grade categories for these standards checks are as follows:

• Fail. If you score between 0-30 you will have failed the test, and will need to retake it. If you fail to pass within 3 attempts then you will be required to re-qualify as a driving instructor, by taking all of the ADI examinations again.
• Grade B. If you score 31-42, you can remain on the ADI register. Although ideally you should be aiming higher.
• Grade A. If you score 43-51 you will remain on the ADI register and will be classified as a high standard instructor.

For a detailed and comprehensive overview of the entire Driving Instructor Training Qualification Process, please purchase our guide on How To Become A Driving Instructor.