The ADI Part 3 test is the instructional ability test and the final stage of qualifying as a driving instructor. An examiner observes you delivering a real 45-minute lesson and grades you on 17 competencies, each scored 0 to 3 for a total out of 51. You need 31 to pass (Grade B); 43 or more is a Grade A. Score 7 or fewer on risk management and you fail automatically.
This guide explains the format, breaks down all 17 competencies across the three assessed areas, and shows exactly how the scoring and the auto-fail work so you know what the examiner is looking for.
What does the ADI Part 3 test involve?
Part 3 is a live lesson observed by a DVSA examiner. There is no role-play any more: you teach a genuine pupil, who can be a learner driver of any level or a full-licence holder, while the examiner sits in the back and watches how you teach.
The lesson lasts around 45 minutes. Before it starts, you and your pupil agree what the lesson will cover, and the examiner expects the content to suit that pupil’s actual ability and needs. You teach as you normally would; the examiner does not interrupt unless safety requires it. Afterwards they grade you against the competency framework, give you your result and grade on the day, and talk through how you did. It is the same format qualified instructors face at every standards check, so what you learn here lasts your whole career.
How is the ADI Part 3 test scored?
You are marked on 17 individual competencies, each scored from 0 to 3, giving a maximum possible score of 51. Your total determines your result and grade.
| Score | Result | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 43 to 51 | Pass | Grade A |
| 31 to 42 | Pass | Grade B |
| 0 to 30 | Fail | None |
| Risk management 7 or below | Automatic fail | None |
A 0 to 3 mark on each competency reflects how consistently and effectively you demonstrated it: 0 means it was not shown at all (or a fault was not addressed), rising to 3 for a competency demonstrated to a high, consistent standard throughout the lesson. Both Grade A and Grade B let you register as an ADI; Grade A simply reflects a stronger performance.
What is the risk-management auto-fail?
This is the single most important rule in Part 3. Regardless of your overall total, if you score 7 or fewer across the five risk-management competencies, you fail the test outright.
The logic is simple: a driving instructor’s first job is to keep the lesson safe. You can plan beautifully and use every teaching technique in the book, but if you let the pupil drive into avoidable danger without intervening, you are not yet safe to teach unsupervised. In practice this means always being aware of what is happening around the car, giving timely and appropriate instructions or physical intervention, and never letting the pupil take on more than they can safely handle. Many Part 3 failures come down to this section, so treat risk management as your non-negotiable priority throughout the lesson.
What are the 17 competencies?
The 17 competencies are grouped under three headings: lesson planning (4 competencies), risk management (5 competencies) and teaching and learning strategies (8 competencies). Together they add up to the 51 marks. Here is how they break down.
| Area | Competencies | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Lesson planning | 4 | 12 |
| Risk management | 5 | 15 |
| Teaching and learning strategies | 8 | 24 |
| Total | 17 | 51 |
Lesson planning (4 competencies)
This area assesses how well you set the lesson up for the pupil in front of you. The examiner looks at whether:
- you identified the pupil’s learning goals and needs;
- the agreed lesson structure was suited to those needs and to their experience;
- the practice was suitably challenging (neither too easy nor beyond them); and
- you adapted the plan to the pupil’s development during the lesson.
Good planning is pupil-led, not a fixed script. A lesson pitched at the wrong level, or one you refuse to adjust when the pupil struggles or races ahead, scores poorly here.
Risk management (5 competencies)
This is the safety-critical area with the auto-fail attached. The examiner assesses whether:
- you ensured the pupil fully understood how responsibility for risk would be shared;
- you were aware of the surroundings and the pupil’s actions throughout;
- your directions and instructions were timely and given clearly;
- you gave sufficient and appropriate feedback on any risk or fault; and
- you kept the vehicle and everyone around it safe at all times.
Timely intervention (verbal or physical) at the right moment is what the examiner wants to see. Keep at least 8 marks here to stay clear of the auto-fail, and treat safety as the priority whenever it competes with anything else.
Teaching and learning strategies (8 competencies)
This is the largest area, worth 24 marks, and it is where great instructors distinguish themselves. It covers how effectively you actually teach. The examiner looks at whether:
- the teaching and learning style suited the pupil’s needs and learning goals;
- the pupil was encouraged to analyse problems and take responsibility for their learning;
- opportunities to give feedback were used well throughout;
- the technical information you gave was accurate and appropriate;
- your questioning and feedback checked and confirmed the pupil’s understanding;
- feedback was timely and encouraging;
- you responded to the pupil’s development needs as they arose; and
- you managed the lesson and the time in the pupil’s interest.
This area rewards client-centred teaching: drawing understanding out of the pupil through questions and reflection rather than lecturing them. For more on what that means in practice, see our guides to client-centred learning and teaching nervous pupils.
How can you prepare for the ADI Part 3 test?
The best preparation is deliberate practice teaching against the exact framework the examiner uses, ideally with feedback from a qualified trainer. Because Part 3 and the standards check share the same 17 competencies, everything you build here pays off for years.
A few things consistently help:
- Teach real, varied pupils. Practise with learners at different stages, not just confident ones, so you can show you adapt your plan and teaching.
- Rehearse the marking. Score your own mock lessons competency by competency, or use our standards check grader tool, which walks through the same framework so you learn where you gain and lose marks.
- Master risk management first. Because of the auto-fail, safe, timely intervention has to be second nature before anything else.
- Practise client-centred questioning. Drawing answers from the pupil, rather than telling them, is what lifts you from Grade B to Grade A.
Part 3 sits within the wider qualifying route; if you are just starting out, read our pillar guide to becoming a driving instructor for the full picture, and consider whether a trainee licence would give you the real teaching hours that make Part 3 far easier to pass. When you qualify and start teaching for real, Passly handles the diary, bookings and pupil records so you can focus on the teaching.
