Part 1 is the theory test, booked as one sitting with two components: multiple-choice questions and hazard perception. A pass needs at least 85 out of 100 overall, at least 20 out of 25 in each of the four question bands, and at least 57 out of 75 on hazard perception. Part 2 is the test of driving ability, around an hour long, covering an eyesight check, five show me, tell me vehicle safety questions, general driving, two manoeuvres and roughly 20 minutes of independent driving. It is passed with no more than six driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults. Part 3 is the test of instructional ability, where the examiner watches about 45 minutes of real teaching with the pupil driving for about 40 of them. Fees listed on GOV.UK in September 2026 are £81 for Part 1 and £111 each for Parts 2 and 3.
The clock starts at the Part 1 pass. Parts 2 and 3 must both be passed within two years of that date, or the candidate goes back to Part 1 and begins again. Part 2 and Part 3 allow three attempts each. A third Part 2 failure sends the candidate back to Part 1, with a two-year wait from the original Part 1 pass before Part 1 can be retaken. A third Part 3 failure means paid tuition stops immediately, any trainee licence becomes invalid, and Parts 1 and 2 must both be passed again under that same two-year wait. Once all three tests are passed, registration has to be applied for within 12 months. The first ADI certificate costs £300 and registration runs four years, with renewal at £300 and a fresh DBS check (GOV.UK, September 2026).
Passing Part 2 opens two routes to Part 3. A candidate can keep training with an ADI without charging for lessons, or apply for a trainee licence, which costs £140, runs for six months and requires at least 40 hours of instruction from a qualified ADI beforehand, at least 10 of them in a car (GOV.UK, September 2026). A trainee licence holder may charge for lessons. Part 3 needs a genuine pupil: a partly trained learner, a fully trained learner or a full licence holder. A partly trained learner should be able to drive for 40 minutes without frequently stopping. The pupil cannot be an ADI or another candidate preparing for Part 3, and the test is cancelled with no refund if the wrong pupil turns up.
Part 3 is marked on 17 competencies grouped into lesson planning, risk management, and teaching and learning strategies. Each scores 0 to 3, giving a total out of 51: 43 to 51 is Grade A, 31 to 42 is Grade B, and 30 or below is a fail. A score of 7 or less in risk management fails the test whatever the total reaches. Qualified instructors meet that same form again at the standards check, usually every four years, and DVSA may call one sooner on the strength of pupils' test results. The grade boundaries and the risk management rule are identical. Three failed standards checks mean removal from the register and a return to the qualifying tests.
If your school trains PDIs or takes on recently qualified instructors, the diary has to hold more than pupil bookings. Look for an instructor record that stores the ADI or trainee licence number together with its expiry date and warns you in advance, because a trainee licence ends at six months and an ADI certificate at four years. Check whether a pupil can be flagged as suitable for a Part 3 test, meaning a learner who can drive 40 minutes without frequently stopping. If you charge for instructor training, test that ADI-to-PDI training hours can be booked and invoiced as a lesson type separate from pupil tuition, with a running total against the 40-hour requirement. Check whether lesson records can be structured under the three Part 3 categories: lesson planning, risk management, and teaching and learning strategies. Franchise billing should also allow different rates for a PDI on a trainee licence and a full ADI. Finally, look at per-instructor pass-rate reporting, since DVSA can trigger a standards check from pupils' test results.
All figures come from GOV.UK guidance on the ADI part 1, part 2 and part 3 tests, the trainee instructor licence and the ADI standards check, checked on 6 September 2026; fees and rules are set by DVSA and can change at short notice, so confirm current amounts before relying on them.