The 17 competencies / Risk management / Competency 8
ADI Part 3 interventions: timely and appropriate
The form asks: Were interventions timely and appropriate?
Step in at the right moment, by the right amount. DVSA marks failure both ways: leaving the pupil to flounder, and taking over when they were coping. On the move, staying quiet and relaxed counts as coaching too.
What earns marks
- Interventions that support learning and safety
- Letting the pupil handle what they can
- Taking control when they're clearly out of their depth
What loses marks
- Ignoring a developing situation
- Taking over unnecessarily
- Constant or distracting intervention
- Undermining the pupil's confidence
The common mistake: Using the dual brake for comfort rather than need. Earlier, lighter input almost always beats late, hard input.
Go deeper
Chapter 10 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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