Agree the lesson
At the beginning, discuss the lesson goals and how responsibility for risk will be managed with your pupil.
ADI STANDARDS CHECK
Prepare for your Standards Check without putting on a show.
Your Standards Check is an assessment of the teaching you deliver every day. Marcus can help you understand what the examiner is looking for, identify where marks may be slipping away and prepare with confidence.
STANDARDS CHECK AT A GLANCE
45
Approx. 45-minute lesson
17
Competencies assessed
0–3
Score for each competency
51
Maximum possible score
WHAT IS A STANDARDS CHECK?
Your everyday teaching under the microscope.
A DVSA examiner observes you giving a normal client-centred driving lesson to one of your pupils.
They are looking for evidence that your lesson planning, risk management and teaching strategies meet the national standard for driver and rider training.
This is not about creating a special performance for the examiner. A strong Standards Check should look like good-quality teaching with a pupil you understand.
Ask Marcus about Standards Check training →
WHAT HAPPENS ON THE DAY?
One lesson. About 45 minutes.
The examiner observes how the lesson develops from the initial agreement through to the pupil's reflection at the end.
Teach your pupil
Your pupil should drive for around 40 minutes, giving the examiner enough evidence to assess your teaching.
Adapt as necessary
The lesson should respond to what the pupil actually does rather than following a rigid plan regardless of their performance.
Manage risk
You remain responsible for safety while allowing the pupil an appropriate level of responsibility and independence.
Encourage reflection
At the end of the lesson, give your pupil the opportunity to reflect on their performance and consider their next steps.
Competencies assessed
Evidence from the whole lesson is used to score the 17 competencies on the Standards Check report form.
HOW YOU ARE ASSESSED
Three areas. Seventeen competencies.
The same areas of competence used for ADI Part 3 form the basis of the Standards Check assessment.
Lesson Planning
Does the lesson reflect the pupil's needs, experience and goals, and is it adapted when circumstances change?
Risk Management
Are risks recognised and managed effectively, while helping the pupil understand and take appropriate responsibility for safety?
Teaching & Learning Strategies
Is your communication, questioning, feedback and level of support appropriate for the pupil and helping genuine learning take place?
Want to understand all 17 competencies?
We have a separate guide explaining what each competency means and how the areas link together.
Explore the 17 competencies →
CHOOSING YOUR PUPIL
Choose a pupil you genuinely teach.
Your pupil can be partly trained, fully trained or already hold a full driving licence.
The important thing is that the lesson gives you the opportunity to demonstrate real teaching and that the pupil is capable of driving for the required period.
Your pupil cannot be another ADI or someone preparing to take their own ADI Part 3 test.
Discuss Your Standards Check
THINK ABOUT
1
What does this pupil need?
Choose a lesson with genuine learning goals, not a subject selected simply because it looks impressive.
2
Can they drive continuously?
The lesson needs enough driving time for the examiner to observe your teaching properly.
3
Do you know the pupil?
Understanding their previous experience, ability and needs helps you plan and adapt naturally.
4
Is there room for learning?
The examiner needs to see how you help the pupil develop, not just watch an already perfect drive.
WHERE MARKS CAN DISAPPEAR
Good instructors can still leave evidence on the table.
Standards Check training is often less about changing everything you do and more about identifying habits that reduce the evidence the examiner can see.
Instructor-led lessons
Giving all the answers yourself can reduce the pupil's involvement in decision-making and problem-solving.
Weak lesson goals
If the goal is vague or imposed by the instructor, it becomes harder to show that the rest of the lesson is genuinely tailored to the pupil.
Missing opportunities
Useful learning moments can pass without being explored because the instructor is focused on getting through the planned route or subject.
Too much talking
Continuous explanation can overload the pupil and leave little room for them to think, analyse or take responsibility.
Late risk management
Recognising risk early gives you more options. Waiting until intervention becomes urgent can affect several competencies.
Performing for the examiner
Trying to force questions, coaching techniques or commentary into the lesson can make otherwise good teaching feel unnatural.
STANDARDS CHECK RESULTS
How the scores become your grade.
Each of the 17 competencies is scored from 0 to 3, giving a maximum overall score of 51.
Your total determines the grade unless an automatic fail applies because of Risk Management or because the examiner has had to stop the lesson for safety.
YOUR RESULT
0–30
Fail
The required instructional standard has not been demonstrated.
31–42
Grade B
A passing result and you remain on the ADI register.
43–51
Grade A
A passing result showing a high standard of instruction.
!
Automatic fail
A Risk Management score of 7 or less, or the examiner stopping the lesson because somebody has been put in danger.
STANDARDS CHECK GUIDE
The questions ADIs usually want answered.
A Standards Check is not about putting on a special lesson for the examiner. It is an assessment of how effectively you plan, manage risk and help a real pupil learn.
What triggers an ADI Standards Check?
Most ADIs will have a Standards Check during each four-year registration period.
DVSA also monitors your pupils' practical driving test results. If you reach the trigger level for three or more of the four performance indicators, DVSA can ask you to take a Standards Check.
See the DVSA trigger points explained →What happens during a Standards Check?
A DVSA examiner observes you giving a normal client-centred lesson to one of your pupils for around 45 minutes.
The lesson goals and risk management should be agreed at the start, your pupil should drive for around 40 minutes, and the end of the lesson should include an opportunity for the pupil to reflect on their performance.
Afterwards, the examiner discusses the lesson with you and gives you your result.
How is a Standards Check marked?
The examiner scores 17 competencies across three categories: Lesson Planning, Risk Management and Teaching & Learning Skills.
Each competency is scored from 0 to 3, giving a maximum overall score of 51.
Understand the 17 competencies →What is the Standards Check pass mark?
You need an overall score of at least 31 out of 51 to pass.
A score of 31–42 gives you Grade B, while 43–51 gives you Grade A.
Your overall total is not the only consideration, because the Risk Management category also has its own automatic-fail rule.
What causes an automatic fail?
You automatically fail if you score 7 or less in Risk Management.
You will also automatically fail if the examiner has to stop the lesson because your actions or instruction have put somebody in danger.
Good teaching therefore always has to sit alongside effective awareness and management of risk.
How do I choose the right pupil?
Your pupil can be a partly trained learner, a fully trained learner or a full licence holder.
Choose somebody you genuinely teach and whose needs give you the opportunity to deliver a useful, realistic lesson.
A partly trained learner should be capable of driving for around 40 minutes without needing frequent stops. Your pupil cannot be another ADI or somebody preparing to take their own ADI Part 3 test.
Do I need to use coaching and open questions?
No. Client-centred teaching does not mean spending the lesson asking open questions.
Coaching is one useful tool, but DVSA examiner guidance makes clear that it does not replace good instruction. Direct instruction can be entirely appropriate when that is what the pupil needs.
The important skill is choosing the right teaching approach at the right time for the pupil in front of you.
What is the difference between Grade A and Grade B?
Both are passing Standards Check results.
A score of 31–42 is Grade B and means you have demonstrated the required standard to remain on the ADI register.
A score of 43–51 is Grade A and indicates that you have demonstrated a high standard of instruction.
What happens if I fail my Standards Check?
If your first Standards Check is unsuccessful, you can have up to two further attempts.
Use the report and examiner feedback to identify where evidence was weak rather than simply repeating the same lesson with a few cosmetic changes.
If you fail three Standards Checks, DVSA will remove you from the ADI register. To rejoin, you would need to retake the ADI qualifying tests.
What pupil test results does DVSA monitor?
DVSA looks at your pupils' driving test performance over a rolling 12-month period and monitors four indicators:
- Average driving faults per test
- Average serious faults per test
- Tests where the examiner had to take physical action
- Your overall pupil pass rate
The current trigger levels are 6 or more average driving faults, 0.55 or more average serious faults, physical intervention on 10% or more of tests, and a pass rate of 55% or lower.
Reaching three or more of those trigger points can result in DVSA asking you to take a Standards Check.
Read our full guide to Standards Check trigger points →
STANDARDS CHECK TRAINING
Work on your teaching, not a rehearsed lesson.
If you have been teaching for years, you do not need somebody telling you how to be a beginner instructor again.
Marcus can observe your teaching, identify where strong work may not be producing enough evidence and help you refine areas that could affect your Standards Check score.
Honest assessment
Find out where your current teaching sits before deciding what
actually needs work.
Competency-focused feedback
Understand how your everyday teaching relates directly to the
17 areas the examiner assesses.
Practical changes
Work on adjustments you can use with real pupils rather than
tricks reserved for Standards Check day.
IF YOUR CHECK DOESN'T GO TO PLAN
Don’t waste the next attempt.
If you fail a Standards Check, you can have up to two further attempts.
After an unsuccessful check, the useful question is not simply “How do I get more points?” It is why the examiner saw insufficient evidence and what needs to change in your everyday teaching.
If an ADI fails three Standards Checks, DVSA says they will be removed from the ADI register.
Talk to Marcus after an unsuccessful check →
STANDARDS CHECK COMING UP?
Let’s look at your teaching before the examiner does.
Whether your check is approaching, you want an independent assessment or you are preparing after an unsuccessful attempt, speak to Marcus about Standards Check training.