The DVSA have introduced with immediate effect changes to how driving instructors are assessed in an effort to reduce the demand for driving tests.
Driving instructors will now have driving test result statistics closely monitored by the DVSA in order to identify driving instructors who are repeatedly presenting pupils for driving tests at a standard that the DVSA believe should NOT have been presented for the test. They are monitoring the number of driving faults per test, the average number of serious faults per test, the percentage of tests where the examiner had to intervene on the test to keep things safe, and lastly the overall 12-month pass rate.
By introducing this change (effective from 16/08/2021), the DVSA are making direct connections between driving test outcomes and the suitability of the driving instructor who presents pupils to take driving tests. This change does not affect in any way the option for the public to continue taking driving tests in their personal cars.
The implication of this action is that the DVSA will quickly identify driving instructors who present pupils for driving tests too soon, and by taking action against those instructors, (and the mere threat of taking action against those instructors), it will mean that driving instructors, in general, will be cautious as to when they allow pupils to go to test. The resulting action against those instructors is a DVSA assessment called a ‘Standards Check’ which does have the potential for resulting in the instructor being withdrawn from the driving instructor register i.e. unable to continue working.
Owner of BIG TOM Driving School has responded to this latest change and expands on the practical implications this has for learner drivers. This can be viewed within the BIG TOM Help Centre (access link is at the bottom of the website).
