Well I suppose the first hurdle that one has to overcome is the passing of the 3 part stage DSA exam. What could be the trouble with that I hear you ask? Maybe the fact that the ads do not tell you that the pass rate is quite low. The pass rates for each of the three parts of the examination in 2006/2007 were:
Theory test (part 1): 49%
Test of driving ability (part 2): 45%
Test of instructional ability (part 3): 28%
So basically if 100 people attempt Stage 3 on average only 28 will be successful. That equates to less than a third. This is a large piece of information that the ads do not inform you.
To examine how this figure is so low one must look at how the required elements of driving instruction is taught traditionally. Many of the advertised Driving Instructor Colleges give an intensive course over a period of weeks to teach all the required practices that a potential Driving Instructor will need. Many people have come to realise that this is a very optimistic proposal.
If you add to the lack of time that is available to learn the elements of driving instruction then the fact that the Instructor Colleges charge anywhere from £2000 for the education without guaranties of success it is easy to see the potential pitfalls that the eager trainee driving instructor may encounter.
Another spanner in the works when to comes to becoming a driving instructor is that there are only 3 failed attempts allowed for stage 3 before which a candidate must wait a further 2 years to be eligible to reapply. When you take into account the very low pass rate for Stage 3 and the restriction on the number of attempts it makes it fairly imperative that Stage 3 is given all the correct preparation that is possible to help maximise the chance of success in the exam.
So what is best practice when it comes to preparing for this stage of the exam to become a driving instructor? Well the first thing is to realise that it is very difficult to pass it with 2 weeks in class education. In fact, it is nigh on impossible. Learning how to instruct is a learning process that takes time. Thankfully this process can be speeded up with the correct educational materials and a good Instructor. Asking driving Instructors in the business already in your area will gleam some good recommendations in respect to a good local Instructor. Whilst it is not an absolute essential that they are ORDIT registered it is essential that they have experience teaching fellow instructors. As regards educational materials then there is a large supply of books that can help but what can be more effective is watching the learning take place in a video.
Combining the good instructor, books and videos will help greatly to a person’s success when it comes to stage 3 in their quest to become a driving instructor. After success in that endeavour then there is the small matter of getting a car, advertising, equipment, teaching aids, advertising, book keeping, advertising, and even more advertising and then finally you will be able to achieve the estimated earnings that are advertised in the media.
