Become An Instructor

How to become a Driving Instructor – where do I begin?
Since the 1st May 2009 anyone wishing to give driving tuition for reward must be registered with the Road Safety Authority. A person who wishes to become an ADI must in the first place satisfy the Registrar that s/he is a person of good repute and in particular meet the following requirements: -

You must be tax compliant and in possession of a current Tax Clearance certificate if you are self-employed.
Hold a full valid driving licence for a minimum of 2 years for the category in which you wish to give instruction.
Be properly insured for the purpose of carrying out driving instruction and that the vehicle is road worthy, properly maintained and in full compliance with the road traffic act.
You must not have a conviction or charges for any serious offence.

There are two possible ways of How To Become A Driving Instructor :-

Undergo the three stage RSA qualification process, or
Demonstrate that your existing qualifications/experience are adequate to meet the RSA ADI standard.

What if I already have an existing Driving Instructor qualification?
Anyone who wishes to have their driving instruction qualification assessed must have achieved a minimum standard in relation to each stage. You may seek exemption for all or for individual stages of the examination. Ultimately it will be a matter for the individual Driving Instructor seeking recognition to demonstrate that s/he meets the ADI standard by submitting a portfolio of existing qualifications. The qualifications required by the RSA are available on their website and their link is on the bottom of this page. When the Registrar is satisfied that a qualification/experience is at least equal to that of the RSA ADI standard then the Registrar can allow an exemption from either all or part of the three stage qualification process.

Is the Driving Instructor test difficult?
There are 3 stages in the Driving Instructor test:
Stage One – Is the Theory Test – this involves 80 multiple choice questions.
Stage Two – This is the Driving Test – and lasts approximately 70-90mins. Testing your own driving ability.
Stage Three – This is the final test and can only be taken after successfully completing stage One and Two. The Instruction Ability Test is divided into 2 half hour tests. The examiner will take on two different roles in which you will be assessed on how you handle yourself. There are 16 core competencies, which must be achieved for you to successfully complete the stage 3 test.

Where can I find the Questions for the theory test exam?
The theory test questions are not made available as an ADI will receive an educational qualification once registered. In order to pass the theory test you will need to study the recommended reading material.

What material do I need on How To Become A Driving Instructor?
The study material required to prepare for the three stages of the Driving Instructor qualification recommended by the RSA are on the list reading list below.

The Rules of the Road (RSA), (ISBN 0755775198)
Driving Manual relevant to your license category (UK Driving Standards Agency), (ISBN 9780115528170)
The Driving Instructors Handbook, latest Edition John Miller and Margaret Stacey, (ISBN 074944746X)
Standard Procedures for the Driving Test (RSA),
* Marking Guidelines for the Driving Test (RSA),*
Ricability Book on Vehicle Controls for Adapted Vehicles*
Preparing for your Driving Test (RSA),*
Official Driving Theory Test Book, latest Edition (RSA).
Approved Driving Instructor booklet*
In the Driving Instructor application pack In addition to the above reading list you should familiarise yourself with the contents of the Learner-Driving Test Report Form. You can find this form on the test report page on ldrivers.ie.

How much do the 3 Driving Instructors tests cost?
The fee for each phase of the application process including re-test if you fail any particular test are as follows:

ADI test fees
	€
Part 1 (Theory Test)	150
Part 2 (Driving Test)	200 (per driving test)
Part 3 (Instruction Ability Test)	200
Trainee Licence	100
Check – Test	Free Of Charge

Registration (initial and every two years)

250

Once you qualify and are registered on the RSA website the cost of renewal will be (currently) €250 every two years. All fees will be subject to review and may be altered from time to time.

Where can I sit the tests?
The theory test (part 1) and any check test you are required to undergo will be carried out locally. However the driving test (part 2) and the instruction ability test (part 3) will only be available at the following locations: – Athlone, Cork, Dundalk, Finglas, Galway, Kilkenny, Letterkenny, Limerick, Mullingar, Rathgar, Sligo, Tralee and Waterford. Category D is available in all the above centres with the exception of Rathgar. Category EC will only be available at the following locations: – Limerick, Sligo, Finglas, Waterford.

Who will conduct the testing of Driving Instructors?
The RSA staff carrying out the qualifying tests are known as Driving Instructor Examiners and are working full time in this unit. All the examiners are very highly qualified and very approachable.

Who tests the testers?
The ADI(approved Driving Instructor) Examiners are under the direction and control of the Chief ADI Examiner. The ADI Examiners have gone through extensive training and have achieved an independent accreditation from Waterford Institute of Technology, a level 6 HETAC Award.

Full Permit
Application forms for the full permit and an Information pack are available on the RSA/ADI webpage or from the ADI Unit. Once the full permit application is received the ADI Unit will contact the applicant with regard to arranging the three stage tests. We recommend that you allow up to 3 months from start to completion of the 3 stage examinations not including time to re-sit a failed exam.

Vetting- How To Become A Driving Instructor
A garda vetting form must be completed with your initial application when applying to become an ADI. Upon satisfactory vetting your will be be contacted to sit your stage 1 theory test.

Where can I get a vetting form?
Vetting forms are not available to download and are only available through the ADI Unit. When a person applies for the full permit or they have gained exemptions will then be vetted.

!After you have successfully the driving test (part 2) you may apply for a Trainee Licence or temporary permit, subject to the conditions of that scheme namely:

You have not previously held a Trainee Licence?

That the applicant has an RSA Registered Driving Instructor to sponsor and supervise his/her training under the scheme. This last for approximately 6 months
That the supervising Driving Instructor will keep a good record of training given under their supervision
The Trainee Licence is only given to allow an applicant ADI to develop their teaching skills in preparation for the instructional ability (part 3) test.
The sponsoring Driving Instructor may only have one trainee under their supervision for the duration of the licence/permit.
A minimum of 20% of the training given by a Trainee Licence holder must be under the direct supervision of the sponsoring Driving Instructor.
The Trainee Licence must be clearly on display in the vehicle during the training sessions, whether or not the trainee is supervised at all times
The RSA can cancel a Trainee Licence/permit if it is satisfied that one or more of the conditions are not being met.
At the end of the six month period of the Trainee Licence, it must be returned together with the training record to the RSA ADI Unit.

How many tests will I have to sit to instruct in all categories?
Each part of the testing process will be geared to allow for registration across whichever categories a driving instructor wishes to be registered for. There will be one theory test, a possible four driving tests depending on categories applied for and one instructional ability test .

Can I do all the tests on the same day?
No, You will not be able to do this. The stage 2 and stage 3 exams will be very draining on you, and if you were to fail stage two then you could not conduct the stage three exam anyway. This would leave the Examiner with a free slot, which could have been given to someone else.

What if I have to cancel my test?
If you wish to cancel your test you must give 10 working days notice otherwise the fee is forfeit for that stage of the examination process. A limit of two cancellations applies to each examination process.

Can I cancel on the day of the exam due to sickness?
You will have to inform the ADI Unit immediately and you will forfeit the fee for that stage of the process unless you can provide a medical cert.

Do I have to register as an ADI (approved Driving Instructors) every year?
No, the normal period of registration is two years provided all is in order with your application.

Can I re-sit a failed exam with a different examiner?
Yes there should be no problem with having a different Examiner.

Can I advertise that I am RSA Approved?
Once you have passed the three stage exams or gained exemptions and are registered as an Driving Instructor with the RSA, you can then advertise that you are RSA approved. People who hold a temporary permit must use the word TEMPORARY in any advertisement and the use of the RSA or ADI logo is not prohibited.

Do I have to pay for a repeat exam?
Yes the full fee is payable each time you apply for any stage of the examination.

Do I need local knowledge of the driving routes?
No, The Examiner will direct you around the areas s/he wishes to cover during either test.

Do I ask an examiner to see their licence on the stage 3 exam?
No, you can take it that all RSA ADI Examiners are fully qualified to drive every category of the vehicles being used in their tests. In their role as a learner driver, you may if you wish refer to his or her ‘Provisional Licence’ or ‘Learners Permit’

Do I have to sit a check test for every category?
No, only one ‘Check test’ will be required, the specific category will be determined by the RSA.

When I apply for multiple categories of ADI membership, do I have to undergo a Stage 3 teaching ability test in each category?
No, only one teaching (Stage 3) test will be required.

If I have any further queries on How To Become A Driving Instructor where should I contact?
If you have any further queries relating to ADI structure please email adi@rsa.ie and a response will issue to you.
The contact details for the RSA ADI Unit are as follows ADI Unit
RSA Fax: 096-25007 Ph. 096-25252 Website: www.rsa.ie Email: adi@rsa.ie