Standards Check tips for experienced instructors
The biggest risk for a qualified instructor isn't skill, it's habit. Years of teaching can wear the client-centred parts of a lesson down to a routine.
Four areas to refresh
- Learning goals: don't assume you know the pupil's goal.
- Sharing risk: the conversation can't be skipped because you've had it before.
- Directions: habitual commentary creeps in over time.
- Technical accuracy: Highway Code changes since you qualified.
Choose a pupil with something to work on
A pupil who needs very little gives you few chances to show adapting, intervening or feedback, and those are where the marks are. Take the free engagement call DVSA offers too.
Want the full picture? The 17 Competencies explains every competency on the form, with a rehearsal drill for each. Or score your last lesson free.
Sources: Examiner guidance section 4. Last checked October 2026.
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