How to pass your standards check test

More standards check guidance

If you're a driving instructor with a question about running a business, tax, mindfulness, training or anything else, you're in the right place. Find out how to get in touch with them through ADI Network.

How to Get Expert Help with Your Business

Thanks to ADI Network's partnership with Intelligent Instructor+, you've got the knowledge of experts in ADI training, mindfulness, accountancy and more at your fingertips — and they're ready to answer any questions you have.

We have a host of talent with different specialist areas who are ready to answer your burning questions - all for free when you join ADI Network.

Tommy Sandu is our expert in Business Advice. He runs Smart Learner Driving School, a hugely successful, and award-winning driving school in the Midlands. 

Tommy is highly respected within the industry, with fresh ideas and innovative ways of engaging with both learners and instructors. A regular presenter of webinars and conferences. His knowledge will help you make your business more efficient and successful.

Ray Seagrave is our expert in Training. As an advocate for coaching and client-centred learning, Ray is an industry award-winning trainer and public speaker. 

A Grade A (51/51) ORDIT Instructor trainer and Grade A ADI, his passion is helping ADIs and PDIs develop their client-centred teaching and coaching skills to deliver the national driver and rider standards around safe driving for life.

Ruedi Preiss is our expert in Electric Vehicles. He's a passionate ADI who runs a driving school that has been an early adopter of electric vehicles. He often shares his experience with others, and is very passionate about the future of the driving tuition industry.

San Harper is our expert in Mindfulness. She is a well-respected mindfulness expert, well known for her knowledge and experience. An ADI for 18 years, San is now of a Grade A standard and is a qualified fleet trainer.

Having been a former taxi assessor for the Blue Lamp Trust and a former trainer for speed awareness courses on behalf of Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership, San Harper is the calmest person behind the wheel!

Andrew Drewary is one of our experts in Road Safety. He's a multi-award-winning road safety specialist and collision/incident investigator with 23 years of experience. Andrew has managed the investigation and analysis process for over 40,000 road traffic collisions.

His specialist areas are in: Collision and incident investigations, driver and management training, policy writing and public speaking.

Charlotte Le Maire is another expert in Road Safety. She's a motor criminal and regulatory lawyer and barrister and is frequently instructed to provide critical advice in the immediate aftermath of a serious/fatal incident.

Charlotte's specialist areas are in: Defending drivers and employers after serious or fatal road collisions and incidents, driver and management training, policy writing and public speaking.

Amy Hartley is our expert in Tax & Accountancy. She joined FBTC Accountancy Services in 2011 since then she has helped driving instructors through all phases of their business, ensuring guidance and support when needed.

If you're a driving instructor looking to improve your pass rate, you should consider switching from a teaching style of instruction to coaching. Find out how to get started and why it's important on ADI Network.

Coaching vs Instructing

You've probably heard of the latest trend in the driving tuition industry: coaching rather than instructing. It might sound confusing given that you're a driving instructor, but it's more than just a buzz word that will disappear faster than it arrived.

The word 'instruct' usually means the act of telling someone else what to do. Think back to your time in education, and you'll remember your teachers telling you what you need to know. All you had to do was take notes and remember what you were being told.

Now you're no longer in school, do you know what equation to use to work out the radius of a circle? For most people, the answer will be no. One of the core reasons for that is because everyone has a different learning style, and instruction doesn't really take that into consideration.

It's easy to zone out or struggle to pick up skills that are just being told to you, and a lot of people struggle with learning something new until they apply it themselves.

Coaching is more of a collaborative effort between yourself and the learner. You're still sharing your knowledge and taking on a mentor position, but there are a few key differences.

To be an effective coach, you should focus on asking questions to allow the learner to reach the answer themselves. It's also important to listen, reflect and paraphrase to show you understand and to make sure you're on the same page with the learner.

A regular contributor to ADI Network, Ray Seagrave is a national award winning driving instructor, who has since moved on to ADI training.

He has 25 years of experience in of working in senior business marketing management positions, which has developed his skills around building rapport with clients. He is also qualified as a Fleet Driver Metrics Coach and accelerate instructor trainer and teaching ADIs 'Coaching for Driver Development' all over the Midlands.

Ray has a passion for personal development, improving driver safety and the development of the driver training industry, which shines through in the work that he does with Intelligent Instructor & ADI Network.

Learn more about coaching

Coaching vs Instructing: The Difference

If you're a driving instructor looking to improve your career and business skills, look no further. Discover how ADI Network's free webinars from industry experts will help.

Driving Instructor Webinars

As we all know, driving instructors tend to work for themselves, and spend most of their time delivering lessons with customers.

Unlike most jobs, driving instructors don't get much chance to spend time with their colleagues, which is a vital way to learn and develop.

The nature of work as a driving instructor means you can sometimes be left feeling isolated and unsupported. You want to develop your career — but how? Let us answer that for you.

ADI Network has partnered with Intelligent Instructor+ to bring you tonnes of video and written content about every aspect of being a driving instructor.

If that wasn't good enough, members of ADI Network get free access to monthly webinars from experts across the industry.

From mindfulness to lesson planning, standards check tests and business advice, there's something for everyone no matter your experience level.

Self-Care and Setting Boundaries by San Harper

More webinars are announced every month, so keep an eye on your inbox and the app to find out what you'll be learning next.

Can't make it to the webinar? Don't worry — you can catch up on all webinars for free on the ADI Network app.

What webinars are available?

Learn at Home from Industry Experts

Time for your standards check test? Don't let nerves get the best of you. ADI Network is home to lots of articles and videos on how to pass, all from industry experts.

How to Pass Your Standards Check Test

It's not just learner drivers who need to take tests. As you'll know, driving instructors are regularly tested to make sure they're still teaching to an appropriate standard.

Taking a standards check test can be nerve-wracking for even the most experienced instructor. ADI Network has a host of videos and articles that are designed to help you achieve that Grade A.

Leading the way in our standards check content is Tom Stenson, the head of training for the ADIJNC. In his webinar, which is available now on the ADI Network app, he talks about how asking Three Simple Questions can revolutionise your teaching strategy and help you ace standards check tests.

2. The 3 key questions that lie at the heart of our training.

3. How to implement these 3 into every lesson.

5. How these will help you improve and develop.

Tom Stenson isn't the only person who has plenty of tips for you. ADI Network has plenty of resources from Ray Seagrave and SmartDriving, including:

What Happens on the Day of Your Standards Check Test

Explain and Demonstrate Skills & Techniques