Good driving instructors are always in demand. Look at the roads in town centres across the country at any time of the day and you'll see scores of tentatively driven hatchbacks emblazoned with L plates and the name of a local driving school.
So if you want to be your own boss and you pride yourself on your motoring skills, you might consider setting up a business as a driving instructor. However, it’s not simply a case of attaching the L plates to your car and offering your services to the learner drivers in your area. You have to go through a rigorous qualifying process before you can go into business as a driving instructor (it’s illegal to charge a fee to teach someone to drive if you’re not qualified).
To become an advanced driving instructor (ADI), you need to pass a three-stage test. But first you need to meet the necessary criteria and be accepted by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to begin the qualifying process.
To be an ADI you need to be 21 or older. You also need to have had your full licence for at least three years. However, you can usually apply to start the qualifying process six months before the third anniversary of getting your full licence because it will take at least six months to qualify as an ADI.
You also need to get a criminal record check from a company called TMG CRB, which provides criminal record check services for the DVSA. For more information, visit: https://www.gov.uk/criminal-record-check-become-driving-instructor.
When you have your criminal record disclosure, you can apply to become an ADI. You can do it online here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-to-become-a-driving-instructor. If your application is accepted by the DVSA, you can begin the qualifying process.
You’ll obviously need training to pass the three-stage ADI test. Although there is no statutory scheme governing the training of driving instructors, DVSA administers the voluntary Official Register of Driving Instructor Training (ORDIT). You can search for the training organisations on ORDIT here: https://www.gov.uk/driving-instructor-training.
As well as the fees for your training, you’ll need to pay for the three separate parts of the ADI test. The ADI part 1 test costs £90 and parts 2 and 3 cost £111 each.
ADI part 1 is a theory test, involving multiple-choice questions and a hazard perception test. If you pass, you have two years in which to qualify as an ADI.
So the next step is the ADI part 2 test, which assesses your driving ability. It’s similar in format to the ordinary driving test but it takes an hour and the standards are obviously higher.
If you pass you can book your ADI part 3 test. Alternatively, you can apply for a trainee driving instructor licence, which allows you to charge for lessons for six months while training for part 3. (A trainee driving instructor licence costs £140.)
You can take part 2 again if you fail at either your first or second attempt, but if you fail a third time you’ll need to pass part 1 again (and you need to wait two years from when you first passed it).
Part 3 of the ADI test assesses your ability to instruct. You are required to give practical instruction to an examiner while they play the part of a learner. At the end you are graded from 1 (extremely poor and dangerous) to 6 (very high). To pass, you need to score a grade of at least 4 (satisfactory).
If you do pass, you need to apply for your ADI badge within 12 months, or you’ll need to take all three parts again. Entry to the ADI register costs £300.
You can retake part 3 if you fail at your first or second attempt, but if you fail a third time you need to take parts 1 and 2 again, waiting at least 2 years from when you originally passed part 1.
Once you are a qualified ADI, you can either start out on your own or join a driving school franchise. Either way, you’ll be self-employed. Look into all the options and decide which is best for you.