You can score well across your whole Part 3 and still fail.
If you score 7 or less out of 15 in the risk management section, it’s a fail, whatever your total. And if the examiner has to stop the lesson because of a safety risk, that’s a fail too.
So it’s worth understanding exactly what the examiner is looking for.
The five things being marked
The risk management section is made up of five questions:
1. Did you make sure your pupil fully understood how the responsibility for risk would be shared?
2. Were your directions and instructions clear and given in good time?
3. Were you aware of the surroundings and your pupil’s actions?
4. Was any verbal or physical intervention timely and appropriate?
5. Did you give enough feedback to help your pupil understand any safety critical incidents?
Each one is scored from 0 to 3. Here’s where I see PDIs lose marks.
Sharing responsibility isn’t a line you say once
Most PDIs say something like “if anything happens, I’ll help you” at the start of the lesson and think that’s it covered. It isn’t.
Your pupil needs to know what you’ll do, what they’re expected to do, and how you’ll let them know if you’re stepping in. That depends on the pupil and the lesson. A pupil on their first roundabout lesson needs a different agreement to one who’s nearly test ready.
And if the lesson changes, the agreement should change too.
Late directions
A direction given too late puts your pupil under pressure and takes away their thinking time. If they’re rushing a decision because you spoke late, that’s a risk you created.
Give directions early, clearly, and in a way your pupil understands. If they’re struggling, slow your directions down rather than speeding them up.
Watching the pupil, not just the road
You need to see what’s ahead, but you also need to see what your pupil is doing. Where are they looking? Are they checking their mirrors? What are their feet doing?
If you’re only watching the road, you’ll spot a problem when it’s already happening rather than before it starts.
Stepping in too early or too late
Some PDIs step in at the slightest thing and never let the pupil take responsibility. Others leave it far too late. Both cost marks.
The aim is to step in at the right time, with the right level of help. Often a verbal prompt is enough. If you do use the dual controls, your pupil should understand why.
Not talking about it afterwards
This is the one I see most. Something happens, the PDI deals with it, and the lesson carries on as if nothing happened.
If there’s been a safety critical moment, find somewhere safe to stop and talk about it. What happened? Why? What would your pupil do differently next time? That conversation is where the learning happens, and it’s what the examiner wants to see.
How to improve it
Ask your trainer to watch you specifically for risk management. Not the whole lesson, just this. Where are you giving directions? When are you stepping in? Are you talking it through afterwards?
If you record your lessons for review, make sure you have your pupil’s written consent first. That’s a requirement under the new code of practice.
How I can help
Risk management is one of the areas I work on most with PDIs, because it’s where so many fail. I offer in car training in and around Yorkshire, and online training for PDIs anywhere in the country.
If you want to talk through where you are with your training, drop me an email.
Mick