Preparing for the check test.
Targeted refresher prep for registered ADIs facing a check test — demonstrate all 16 core competencies naturally, not artificially.
The check test assesses the same standard as Stage 3 — 16 core plus at least 5 non-core competencies, demonstrated naturally in a real lesson. Whether your notification has just arrived or you are preparing a re-test after a failure, the plan is the same: read the official guide and report form, keep the logbook straight, and practise natural teaching under observation. The self-assessment and interactive checklist below track your prep.
A refresher you run yourself.
No courses, no bookings — structured self-preparation with free materials.
This page is a self-serve refresher for registered ADIs who have received an RSA check test notification — or who have failed one and need to prepare for the re-test. The competency standard is the same as the Stage 3 teaching ability test, but the setting is different: you are assessed during a normal lesson with a real pupil.
The focus throughout is demonstrating your competencies naturally rather than performing artificially for the examiner — over-planning and artificial delivery are among the most common reasons ADIs fail. The self-assessment below helps you find the gaps in your practice; the checklist, the free Stage 3 guides and the question bank close them.
What the check test assesses.
A normal lesson, observed — marked against the Stage 3 competency standard.
The examiner sits in the rear seat and observes how you deliver a real lesson to your pupil. You must demonstrate all 16 core competencies and at least 5 non-core competencies during the observed lesson. For a full explanation of what the check test involves — the four levels, the competency list and the two-year cycle — see our dedicated information page.
Logistics you need to know
Arrival.
Be on time, with a suitable car and a pupil who holds a valid learner permit.
Late arrival.
Reportedly rescheduled within 10 days rather than failed — but contact the RSA immediately.
Pupil no-show.
The examiner substitutes as the pupil and provides a scenario for you to work with.
Lesson delivery.
You deliver the pre-planned lesson for that pupil — the examiner verifies the plan against your logbook.
Vehicle requirements.
The car must be clean, with rear seating available for up to two RSA staff.
Notice.
The RSA gives at least 28 days’ notice; once notified, complete the test within the window given.
Check test readiness self-assessment.
Answer five quick questions to gauge how prepared you are.
1. Can you name all 16 core competencies?
2. Do you regularly review the RSA Guide to the Check Test?
3. Could you deliver a natural lesson while being observed?
4. Is your lesson logbook up to date?
5. Do you plan each lesson in advance?
The eight-step preparation checklist.
Work through it before your check test date — your progress saves in this browser.
0 of 8 done
1. Read the RSA Guide to the Check Test. Download and study the official guide — it sets out the assessment criteria and the 16 core competencies you will be marked on.
2. Study the Stage 3 test report form. The check test is scored to the same standard — knowing the marking scheme tells you exactly what is being assessed.
3. Review all 16 core competencies. Make sure you can name and demonstrate each one — the full list is on the check test page.
4. Practise natural demonstration in real lessons. Use your daily lessons to show the competencies naturally — not a rehearsed performance for the day. See our guide on taking a coaching approach.
5. Bring the lesson logbook up to date. The examiner checks it to confirm the observed lesson was planned in advance for that pupil.
6. Brief your pupil. A valid learner permit, a heads-up that an examiner will observe from the rear seat — and reassurance that they are not the one being assessed.
7. Check the car. Clean, legal, and with clear rear seating for up to two RSA staff.
8. Close any remaining gaps. Scored under five on the self-assessment, or feel the theory has drifted? Refresh recent Rules of the Road changes, EDT updates and test procedures with the question bank and the free Stage 3 guides.
Why ADIs fail the check test.
Five failure modes — almost never a knowledge problem, almost always a habits problem.
The failure mode
Over-planning: trying to demonstrate every competency at once instead of teaching the pupil in front of you.
Performing: a rehearsed, artificial lesson that looks nothing like your normal teaching.
Competency blind spots: not actually knowing the 16 core areas being marked.
Structure decay: objectives and wrap-ups quietly faded over years of habit.
Theory drift: rules and syllabi moved on while the diary was full.
The fix
One lesson, one objective. The competencies show themselves when the teaching is real.
The examiner wants your Tuesday-afternoon lesson done well — practise being observed, not being different.
Read the official guide and self-mark a real lesson against it before the RSA does.
Restore the Stage 3 discipline — baseline, objective, delivery, measured close.
A weekly pass through the question bank keeps the knowledge current without study sessions.
Most of these pitfalls stem from over-preparation, not under-preparation.
For the habits behind them, see our guides on common instructor mistakes and how to be a great driving instructor.
Spot the mistake.
Five real lesson situations — pick what the marked competencies actually reward. Answer each one, then see your result with the reasoning.
Quick questions
The most common reasons are over-planning (trying to demonstrate everything at once), conducting the lesson artificially instead of naturally, poor understanding of which competencies are being assessed, and teaching that has drifted below the Stage 3 standard. Working the checklist above and self-marking a real lesson against the official guide addresses all four.
Same competency standard, different pupil: Stage 3 uses an examiner role-playing a learner; the check test observes a normal lesson with your real pupil in your everyday teaching environment.
The examiner substitutes as the pupil and provides a scenario, and the test goes ahead — which is exactly why natural instruction in any situation, not a rehearsed lesson, is the preparation.
Re-tests are reportedly scheduled around six to eight weeks out, so time is limited. Start the day the result arrives: review the examiner’s feedback — it names your syllabus — then target those specific areas with deliberate practice inside your normal lessons.
As soon as the RSA notification lands — you get at least 28 days’ notice. The sooner you start, the more time you have to close gaps: a fortnight of deliberate practice inside your normal lessons is usually enough.
Structure comes back fast.
A fortnight of deliberate practice and a weekly pass through the bank — that’s the whole refresher.
Not affiliated with the RSA