The 17 competencies / Lesson planning / Competency 3
ADI Part 3 practice areas: choosing the right route
The form asks: Were the practice areas suitable?
Your route should give the pupil plenty of chances to work on the goal, with challenge but inside their competence zone. Push them too far and they spend the lesson surviving, with no room left to learn.
What earns marks
- Plenty of opportunities to practise the agreed goal
- Challenging but realistic for the pupil's ability and confidence
- Focused on the agreed plan
What loses marks
- Taking the pupil outside their competence zone
- Exposing them to risks they can't manage
The common mistake: Driving 15 minutes to reach the practice area. Recce two or three suitable areas near the test centre, at the time of day of your test.
Go deeper
Chapter 5 of The 17 Competencies covers this competency in full: what a low and high score look like, common mistakes, and a rehearsal drill for your real lessons. Or score your last lesson on all 17 competencies, free.
Based on DVSA's guidance for examiners (section 3.24) and the Part 3 report form. Applies to Part 3 and the Standards Check.
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