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United Kingdom · Theory test

The Part 3 driving instructor test of teaching ability

In Part 3 of the approved driving instructor (ADI) tests, a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) examiner watches you give a real pupil a client-centred driving lesson of about 45 minutes. It’s the last of the three qualifying tests, and you can book it once you’ve passed Part 2. The examiner scores 17 competences from 0 to 3 against the national standard for driver and rider training. A total of 31 to 51 passes the Part 3 driving instructor test, unless you score 7 or less on risk management.

  • 17Competences the examiner scores
  • 31Lowest passing score, out of 51
  • About 45 minutesLength of the lesson you give
Where to study

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What happens during the lesson

  • At the start, agree the lesson’s goals and how you’ll share risk with your pupil, in no more than 3 minutes
  • Your pupil drives for about 40 minutes
  • You can recap a manoeuvre from an earlier lesson, but you can’t spend the whole lesson on one
  • You can stop safely to give feedback straight away
  • At the end, give your pupil no more than 3 minutes to reflect on how they did

Afterwards the examiner talks through your performance and gives your result, and you get your grade and the completed report form by email.

How is the Part 3 driving instructor test scored?

The 17 competences sit in 3 groups on the ADI Part 3 report form, and each one scores 0 (no evidence) to 3 (shown in all elements).

GroupCompetencesMost points
Lesson planning412
Risk management515
Teaching and learning strategies824

A total of 0 to 30 is a fail. 31 to 42 is grade B, and 43 to 51 is grade A, a high standard of instruction. Both grades let you join the ADI register. You fail automatically with 7 or less in risk management, or if the examiner stops the lesson because you put yourself or someone else in danger.

Your pupil and your car

Bring a pupil, a suitable car and your trainee licence, or your UK driving licence or passport if you don’t have one. Your pupil can be a partly trained learner, a fully trained learner or a full licence holder, but not an ADI or someone preparing for Part 3. A partly trained learner should be able to drive for 40 minutes without frequent stops.

The car rules are much the same as for Part 2, with two additions: L plates (or D plates in Wales) front and back if your pupil is a learner, and three full-size rear seats. Part 3’s guide bans soft-top convertibles, and only a licensed taxi driver can use a certificate of compliance in place of an MOT.

The car rules for Part 2 →

The trainee driving instructor licence

A trainee licence lets you charge for lessons for 6 months while you get ready for Part 3. You can apply after passing Part 2 if you passed Part 1 within the last 2 years and you’ve had at least 40 hours of training from a qualified ADI, at least 10 of them in a car, recorded on form ADI 21T. Its fee is in the table on the booking page.

When you apply, you choose one of two options, and you can’t switch later: be supervised by your sponsoring ADI for 20% of your lessons, or do at least 20 hours of extra training within 3 months and before you book Part 3, at least a quarter of it in the car. On the extra training option, if you fail Part 3, or don’t book it within 3 months of getting the licence, you do 5 more hours of training first.

Display the licence on the nearside edge of the windscreen during lessons. You can only teach through the training establishment named on it, so you can’t set up on your own, and your adverts must call you a ‘trainee driving instructor’.

Driving instructor test fees →

If you don’t pass Part 3

You can retake it after a first or second fail. The law sets the deadline: regulation 3 of the Motor Cars (Driving Instruction) Regulations 2005 says you must apply to take Part 3 within 2 years of passing Part 1, and pass it within 3 attempts. GOV.UK’s Part 3 guide and the ADI register guide say the same, as booking Part 3 within those 2 years. The Part 1 guide puts it more strictly, as qualifying within 2 years. A third fail means you must stop giving paid lessons straight away, your trainee licence stops being valid, and you have to pass Parts 1 and 2 again, no sooner than 2 years after your first Part 1 pass.

After you pass: the register and standards checks

Apply for your first ADI certificate, also called the badge, within 12 months of passing Part 3, or you have to pass all 3 tests again. Registration lasts 4 years, and you renew it with a new criminal record check each time.

Once you’re on the register, DVSA writes to you when it’s time for an ADI standards check, usually every 4 years. It works like Part 3, with a lesson of about 45 minutes, the same 17 competences and the same score bands. The standards check replaced the old ADI check test on 7 April 2014. Fail it 3 times and you’re removed from the register.

As an ADI you can book theory tests for your pupils, but only learners can book their own car driving tests.

Booking a car driving test →
Sources: GOV.UK · DVSA on GOV.UK · legislation.gov.uk and 6 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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