Observer on test - one year on
This time last year, DSA launched a campaign to encourage more people to take an observer with them on their practical car test. Although this is something that had always been encouraged, DSA decided to take a much more proactive approach in promoting it.


Examiners started asking candidates if they would like an observer - usually the person who had taught them to drive - to sit in the back seat during the test and listen to the feedback at the end.


Since April last year, when the campaign kicked off, the number of candidates who take someone with them on test has gradually increased, from just four per cent at the time to over 20 per cent today.


"It's good to see that more candidates are asking their driving instructor to accompany them on test," says DSA's chief driving examiner, Trevor Wedge.


"If the candidate fails the test, the instructor will have witnessed the drive and heard the examiner's feedback fi rst hand. This means they can discuss it with the candidate afterwards and work on particular areas of weakness in future lessons.


"But even if the candidate passes, the instructor can still give useful feedback about how to further improve their driving."


ADI
"I don’t mind sitting in the back of a test if my pupil asks me to. It gives me a chance to see how they drive with someone else sitting in the front and how the examiners do their job."


Candidate
"I found it a lot easier having someone in the back with me, it made me feel a lot calmer, but I guess everyone is different."


Are you an ADI?
What do you think about being an observer on test? Email us with your views and experiences at pressoffice@dsa.gsi.gov.uk.

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