In the first article in this series I considered the roles of the instructor, examiner and pupil with regard to the Check Test. In this article I will look at the actual test appointment and offer some simple, common sense ideas to help you survive it.

Pre-test queries

Where was your last Check Test? My guess is that it was at a local test centre; however, having said this I occasionally get messages from panic-stricken instructors who have been summoned to a centre which is outside their normal working area. Now, although I'm always happy to help, I'm amazed that instructors contact me. Surely, the person you should be speaking to is your Supervising Examiner!

It is in your own interests to build up a working relationship with your SE; not least because it's much easier to relax in the car with someone you know (and love!) rather than with some demonic monster you have learned about during hushed conversations in test centre waiting rooms. But before you rush to the phone for a chat it's a good idea to do a bit of homework. With anything up to 400 instructors to look after, your SE will not be impressed if you ring to ask whether or not you should operate the windscreen wipers for your pupil if it rains during the Check Test! Keep your calls limited to information that can't be gleaned from other sources such as books, ADI organisations, magazines or even me!

Options

The preferred option for Check Test is a 'normal' lesson with a pupil, although you can opt for a role-play test where the examiner plays the part of the pupil and chooses the lesson subject (around 1% of instructors have opted for role-play). Whichever form of test you choose, you will be expected to give a 'normal sixty minute lesson'.

It's unlikely that you will be meeting your pupil at the test centre ­ the chances are that it will be a home pick-up. Bearing in mind that the examiner wants to see a complete lesson - that is, a lesson with a distinct start, middle and end - it may not be such a good idea to start your lesson when you pick your pupil up.

I normally suggest that pupils should be picked up about twenty minutes or so before the appointment and chauffeured to the test centre. The benefits of this include the fact that the examiner will see a full lesson and both you and your pupil will have less time to worry about the test. On arrival at the centre, you will go in to meet the examiner.

Conduct

The ADI code of conduct states that 'The instructor will, at all times, behave in a professional manner towards clients' and that 'Clients will be treated with respect and consideration'. This brings me to my next point: what does your pupil do when you arrive at the test centre? I remember reading some guidance notes published by an ADI organisation stating that you should leave the pupil in the car when you go in to meet the examiner. I can only surmise that this advice is offered because Check Test guidelines state that 'direct communication between the SE and the pupil should be avoided'. However, I'm absolutely certain that avoiding direct contact doesn't mean ignoring common courtesy ­ if it does, perhaps it's time for the DSA to revise their guidelines and to bring their standards up to those expected from instructors!

Thinking back to the ADI Code of Conduct, how professional is it to leave your customer alone in the car at any time? Especially if the car keys are still in the ignition! Furthermore, what about respect and consideration? How would you feel sitting alone in a car for anything up to ten minutes while your instructor, who has probably reassured you by saying something less than useful like "Don't worry, it will soon be over" disappears to meet the examiner. It makes more sense and is probably better for everyone if you take your pupil in to meet the SE ­ the whole meeting process will be more normal and as a result your pupil is likely to be more relaxed (and easier to teach).

After the initial introductions, it's a good idea to give the SE an overview of your pupil's history and the intended lesson. I used to type up a short 'word picture' for the examiner, with key points outlining any relevant information (I say used to, my last Check Test was so long ago, I think that the DSA have forgotten me!) With the introductions out of the way, it's time to get down to business.

The examiner will sit in the back of the car; the position you take will depend on your pupil's driving standard and the location of the test-centre; if necessary you will have to drive the car to a suitable starting point. If this is the case you can use this short journey to begin your recap of the last lesson or to demonstrate some of the topics that are relevant to the pupil's driving and the lesson that you are about to deliver.

Starting the lesson

Start your lesson with an interactive recap that provides a link between the previous lesson and this one. Simply spending a couple of minutes summarising the previous lesson for the examiner's benefit is not enough. If you are not normally in the habit of starting your lessons with a recap, expect to get (and deserve!) a grade four, or lower. Three or four minutes will often be enough for the initial recap; you then need to outline the plan for your lesson and make sure that your pupil is happy with it. Before starting the 'warm-up' drive, tell your pupil what you aim to achieve, how it will be achieved and where you intend to go in order to achieve it.

Because they are not driving regularly, learner drivers will always need a few minutes to 'warm up'. With the examiner sitting in the back this will be an especially important part of the lesson. It's during this warm-up drive that you might discover the person driving the car seems to have lost all of the skills you have so painstakingly worked to build up over the last few weeks! This is why you must be prepared to give extra help and reassurance.

Make sure that you deal with the way that your pupil is driving on the day rather than the way you think that he or she should be driving. Sitting there thinking something like "On no! What a nightmare . . . he could do this perfectly well last week" and doing nothing to sort out the problem doesn't help your pupil, and certainly won't help your grade.

After five or ten minutes spend a few minutes reviewing the initial drive ­ this will help your pupil to settle down. Give positive feedback and explain how further improvements can be gained. Be prepared to change your entire lesson plan at this stage if necessary!

Development

With the lesson between ten and fifteen minutes old, it's now time to start teaching something new, or to begin a remedial session on a problem from last lesson.

Start by discussing the subject, drawing on the pupil's current knowledge; next, practise, first with full talk-through and then with questions or prompts. Finally (if appropriate) allow your pupil to have a go without assistance.

Finish this part of the lesson by spending a couple of minutes discussing the subject that you have just been practising ­ this 'mini' recap will help your learner to assimilate any new information. The whole of the 'development phase' should take around 30 minutes.

On the drive back to the test centre, reinforce improvements from the earlier warm-up drive and continue the development of new material (if appropriate).

Finishing Off

Finish your lesson positively, with a recap session covering the key learning points, the areas for improvement and a plan for the next lesson; this is also a good time to complete the pupil's record sheet.

The same rules apply here as with your recap at the start of the lesson, i.e. make the recap interactive and seek agreement with your pupil (especially concerning what is written in the records).

You can contact John Farlam by:
email: John@smartdriving.co.uk
and/or get free driving, training and business advice by visiting:
www.smartdriving.co.uk