Your complete guide to understanding, preparing for, and excelling in your ADI Standards Check. Achieve Grade A performance with confidence.
The ADI Standards Check is the ongoing quality assurance assessment that replaced the old Check Test system. It's designed to evaluate your ability to deliver client-centred, effective driving instruction and ensure you maintain professional teaching standards throughout your career.
Unlike a pass/fail test, the Standards Check uses a grading system (A, B, or Fail) based on your performance across 17 competencies. Each ADI must complete a Standards Check once every four years, with the assessment lasting approximately 60 minutes.
The examiner observes you giving an actual lesson to one of your regular pupils
The lesson should be tailored to your pupil's individual needs and learning style
Constructive feedback helps you continuously improve your teaching methods
Each ADI is assessed once every four years to ensure ongoing quality standards are maintained.
The Standards Check uses a competency-based grading system. Here's how your performance translates into grades.
Outstanding instructional ability. You demonstrate a high level of competence across all areas, with client-centred teaching approaches.
Good competence demonstrated. You meet the required standards but have room for development in some areas.
Requires significant development. You'll receive targeted support and must retake the assessment within a specified period.
Each of the 17 competencies is scored from 0-3:
Your Standards Check assesses three main categories, broken down into 17 individual competencies.
Setting clear, achievable goals
Identifying learning goals, structuring the lesson effectively, and ensuring it meets the pupil's needs
Setting SMART objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound
Accurately assessing current ability and adapting lesson content appropriately
Choosing appropriate roads and environments that support learning objectives
Linking previous learning and setting context for the current lesson
Ensuring safety throughout the lesson
Ensuring pupil identifies and responds to hazards appropriately
Taking appropriate action when necessary to maintain safety
Ensuring safe and effective use of vehicle controls
Demonstrating overall awareness and responsibility for safety
Effective communication and instruction
Clear, effective verbal and non-verbal communication
Using Q&A to check understanding and encourage thinking
Providing constructive, balanced feedback that motivates
Helping pupil understand their performance and areas for improvement
Encouraging self-analysis and independent decision-making
Adapting your approach to the pupil's learning preferences
Identifying and addressing faults or misconceptions
Reviewing learning, consolidating knowledge, and planning next steps
Success in your Standards Check comes from consistent, high-quality teaching. Here's how to prepare effectively.
Arrange mock Standards Checks with experienced trainers to simulate the real assessment and receive feedback.
With pupil consent, record lessons to analyse your teaching style, communication, and areas for improvement.
Familiarise yourself with the National Standard for Driver and Rider Training and ADI14 marking sheet.
After each lesson, reflect on what went well and what could be improved. Keep a teaching journal.
Learn from others' experiences. Here are the most common errors that can lower your score.
Talking too much and not allowing the pupil to take responsibility for their learning. The lesson should be client-centred, not instructor-centred.
Choosing routes that don't provide appropriate learning opportunities or challenge for the pupil's current ability level.
Setting unclear or unmeasurable learning objectives. Goals should be specific, relevant, and agreed upon with the pupil.
Waiting too long to intervene in potentially dangerous situations. Risk management should be proactive, not reactive.
Focusing excessively on faults without balanced praise. Feedback should be constructive, encouraging, and motivational.
Failing to recap learning or plan future development. Always conclude with a clear summary and next steps.
The DVSA will send you a letter giving you at least 3 working days' notice before your Standards Check. However, this is the minimum notice period. In practice, you'll often receive more notice. The letter will specify the date, time, and location where the examiner will meet you.
Yes, you select the pupil for your Standards Check. Choose someone who genuinely needs instruction (not test-ready), you've worked with before and know well, is comfortable being observed, will benefit from the lesson being assessed, and is at an appropriate skill level to demonstrate your teaching ability.
If you score below 31 points (fail grade), you'll receive detailed feedback on areas needing improvement, a re-test within a specified timeframe (usually within a few months), and the opportunity to undertake additional training. Consecutive fails can result in your ADI registration being removed.
No, the examiner acts as a silent observer throughout the lesson. They won't interrupt your teaching or communicate with your pupil. The only exception would be in an emergency situation where immediate intervention is necessary for safety.
Yes, at the end of the assessment, the examiner will conduct a debrief where they'll go through your performance on each competency and give you your overall grade. You'll receive the completed ADI 14 form showing your scores for all 17 competencies, along with written feedback.
At DriveThruL, we're committed to helping our instructors achieve and maintain the highest professional standards.
Practice assessments with experienced trainers
Regular professional development workshops
Personalised guidance from Grade A instructors
Access to lesson plans, guides, and best practices
Whether you're preparing for your first Standards Check or looking to improve your grade, DriveThruL is here to support you every step of the way.