Driving examiner (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, driving examiners are civil servants employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in Great Britain and by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) in Northern Ireland for the purpose of conducting the practical element of driving tests.
Outside the military, haulage and private bus companies who employ delegated examiners who test their own drivers, driving examiners are the only people who are authorised to conduct driving tests and issue the certificate required for obtaining a full driving licence in the UK. Driving examiners do not conduct the theory tests as these take place in an office environment, supervised by administrative staff.
Organisation
There are over 1,600 driving examiners in the UK, working at over 400 test centres.
Driving examiners may be full or part-time, conducting anything from 35 tests a week (full-time) down to 14 tests a week (the current part-time minimum). Overtime is available when there is demand, which is more or less constant in all but the quietest of locations.
Not counting trainees, there are three grades of driving examiner - Driving Examiner (DE), Local Driving Test Manager (LDTM) and Area Operations Manager (AOM). Test centres are grouped into sectors and headed by a LDTM. The AOM's head large geographical areas of test centres.
There is also one Chief Examiner for the whole country, although the chief examiner is not also the head of the DVSA, as there are also several layers of non-examiner management and executive staff employed there.
Vehicles tested
All driving examiners start as (only) car examiners, since car tests represent by far and away the highest demand.
The most common additional vehicle tested for is the motorcycle, the current motorcycle test involves off road testing so candidates normally have to go to a purpose built testing centre (this is under review). The DVSA tests for every vehicle that a licence can be issued for, however, so examiners exist to cover everything from the moped to large goods vehicles.
Special tests
Beyond what are known as the "L" tests (ordinary driving tests for any given vehicle), driving examiners also conduct various special tests including the extended driving test for banned drivers to re-qualify, the various tests required for Approved Driving Instructors to qualify as such, and the extended test required for prospective examiners.
Recruitment, selection and training
The DVSA recruits driving examiners by national campaign as and when it needs more.[1]
A prospective driving examiner must have held a full car licence for more than four years with no more than three penalty points on it at the time of application. If he or she is successful at the application form stage he will be asked to take an online situational judgement test, if successful here he will be invited to take the theory/hazard perception test, if successful at this stage, there is a competency based interview. The theory/hazard perception test is the same as the one taken by learner car drivers except that the pass marks are much higher.
If the would-be examiner passes all of the above he will be invited to take a special driving test. The special driving test involves a drive over a specially chosen route of about 20 to 25 miles. It will usually involve both urban and rural areas and will include driving on a dual carriageway. Candidates are expected to drive at a speed consistent with the road and traffic conditions and without committing any serious faults. Although not part of the 'L' test, there is a requirement to use arm signals. If he passes and if there is a vacant post in a location he is able to work at, then only at this stage will he be employed and sent on the four week training course in the DVSA's training and development centre in Cardington. After that he will be given the rank of DE and assigned to a test centre.
See also
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
- United Kingdom driving test
- Public and Commercial Services Union