The arithmetic
Every competency is scored 0 to 3. Seventeen of them makes 51.
| Total score | Grade | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 30 | Fail | Performance is unsatisfactory |
| 31 to 42 | Grade B | You stay on, or join, the ADI register |
| 43 to 51 | Grade A | A high standard of instruction |
Your total does not save you from either of these. Scoring 7 or less across the five risk management competencies fails you outright, and so does the examiner stopping the lesson because you have put yourself or someone else in danger. The guidance is blunt about the second one: fail in the basic responsibility for safety at any point and you fail the test.
Start here
All seventeen, grouped as the examiner groups them, with DVSA's own list of what shows competence and what shows a lack of it on each one.
Read itA full handbook to the standards check and part 3, competency by competency, with a self-assessment you can score yourself against before the day. It is not finished, so there is nothing to buy yet and no list to join.
Common questions
What is Driving Answers?
An independent UK resource for driving instructors and trainee instructors, covering the ADI standards check and the part 3 test. Everything on it is traced back to DVSA's published guidance, with the date it was checked.
What score do you need to pass the ADI standards check?
You need 31 or more out of 51. A score of 0 to 30 is a fail, 31 to 42 is a grade B and 43 to 51 is a grade A. Both grade A and grade B keep you on the ADI register.
What automatically fails the ADI standards check?
Two things, whatever your total. Scoring 7 or less across the five risk management competencies, or the examiner stopping the lesson because you have put yourself or someone else in danger.
Is the part 3 test marked the same way as the standards check?
Yes. Both use the same 17 competencies, the same 0 to 3 scoring and the same grade boundaries. Part 3 decides whether you join the ADI register, the standards check whether you stay on it.
Do you sell training?
No. We do not run courses and we are not a training provider, so we have nothing to sell you on the back of a bad result. That is the whole point of the site.