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Immediately! Send off to the DSA for the starter pack (ADI 14). Once received, complete the criminal records check form and send it to the appropriate address as soon as possible. With the starter pack you may also receive the ADI Part 1 Theory Test Question Bank, which contains all the questions for the Part 1 test. On the test you will be asked to answer 100 questions taken from this question bank. The withdrawl of this question bank is currently being considered. Please do not learn these questions and answers ‘parrot fashion.’ If you are going to become an instructor you will need an in-depth knowledge of your trade. You will have questions, easy and difficult, fired at you by your clients. If they are to have any faith in you, you must know the answers. Once you consider that you have a good understanding of the subject, then use the question bank as a mock test. Answer, say, 50 at a time. If this ‘mock test’ highlights problems in specific areas, then concentrate on those questions. Do not be fooled if you did well in certain fields as a direct result of guesswork. You may not be so lucky on the day. Make sure you know your subject inside out. Most candidates should be able to study for Part 1 on their own, but if you feel that you would benefit from professional advice, you might consider attending a short course designed to help you with this test. Please note that courses can be expensive, so be wary of Part 1 courses that last longer than one day. Remember, before you sign anything investigate carefully what you are committing yourself to. Ask the questions!
The Part 1 test
Once you have prepared yourself thoroughly by studying each topic at a time, say over a three to four week period, you should be ready to book your test. Part 1 tests are carried out at your local theory test centres – the same centres where learner drivers attend for their theory tests. Currently, there is no limit to the number of attempts you can take but, obviously, each attempt will cost you more money, so it is good to go to the test confident and well prepared.
Choosing a trainer
You will be informed of your result at the end of the Part 1 theory test. If you have passed, you will be given a form which will enable you to apply for the Part 2 driving test. This is when you will need to obtain assistance from a professional instructor who undertakes ADI training. It would be beneficial if you know an ADI who can recommend a local trainer to you. Another way would be to visit your local driving test centre, wait until all the candidates have left for the test, introduce yourself to the ADIs and ask if anyone can recommend a local trainer. If they do recommend one, you should gently probe as to why they think this trainer is good. If you do not feel you can do this, then use Yellow Pages, Google or any other suitable directory. Ring the local driving schools, explain what you want and see what they can advise.
Driving lessons
Once you have signed on with a trainer, they should take you out on driving lessons on a regular basis. You will no doubt be very surprised about the amount of driving faults that are pointed out to you. (Nearly everyone has a rather optimistic view of their driving abilities!) Do not be alarmed about this – it’s just a matter of re-educating yourself and your driving reflexes. Take note of what your instructor tells you about where the problems lie and try to pre-empt them when you are driving. In other words, think before you do it: do not keep making the same mistakes. The quicker you can get the problems sorted, the cheaper it should be for you. Make a list of your faults at the end of every session. Consult the list between driving lessons and before you go out on your own to practise.
Practise, practise, practise
Between training sessions, get out in your car and practise, practise, practise. Remember everything your instructor has spoken about (consult the list) and work on those problem areas. Remember, you must drive in a particular style and at an advanced standard. Consider joining the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) or the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). You will receive invaluable free training in advanced driving. You may even consider, if time allows, doing one of these courses before you even get anywhere near the Part 2 training stage. Part 2 training is likely to take about 20–30 hours. You will need this time to shake the bad driving habits out of your system. (As mentioned before, you will most likely have far more than you realised.) You will also need time to understand and practise the driving style and skills required for this rigorous test. The Part 2 driving test requires that you demonstrate to the examiner a broad spectrum of skills, from carrying out very frequent mirror checks, to carrying out reverse manoeuvres accurately and safely – and the first time! It is important that your trainer gives you periodic mock tests to measure your progress and to prepare you for the big day.