Driving Instructor Training Pink Badge or not

  • Added:
    Jan 10, 2013
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You have at this stage taken and passed Part 1 and Part 2 of the driving instructor training program and so your full attention turns to Part 3.

From experience I know the thought of the part 3 assessment is a daunting one. You have this dream of becoming a driving instructor, self-employed, all the freedom you desire, never having to answer to anyone again and being able to have whatever time off you like. It’s now within touching distance.

But, then you remember the part 3. You have 3 attempts to pass it so at this stage try not to get too uptight about it. Before you are able to enter yourself into this test you must complete a number of compulsory training hours with a fully licenced instructor trainer. The test consists of 2 role-plays so your training with mostly consist of different role-play scenarios.

Once you have completed your first set of training hours you become allegeable to apply for a ‘Pink Badge.’ This is a ‘trainee driving instructor’ licence and allows you to legally teach for payment and essentially ‘become’ a driving instructor. You can join a driving school and buy into a franchise or if you have your own tuition vehicle, start under your own steam.

You may wish not to do so and to just go for the test once you have complete all you training hours and feel ready to give it a go, entering yourself into the test.

Both have their pros and cons.

I personally opted for the pink badge and immediately entered the industry. This badge has a life span of one year by which time you must have passed your part 3 exam to be able to continue teaching. This one year however, can be extended by another, for a ‘good reason.’ A good reason can be as little as having failed your first two attempts at the part 3 and thus requiring more training hours.

The great advantage with the pink badge is the fact you will get real lesson time with real learner drivers, rather than just your trainer pretending. Role-play is good but nothing can replace the experience gained from actually teaching a real person with real problems to solve.

You also the have unlimited training time as long as you have the drivers to teach. The potential disadvantage is you may start to get into teaching habits that won’t help you in your assessment.

Teaching in reality can be quite different to teaching as you need to be in your assessment. Every instructor will develop their own style, most just as effective but not necessarily what you examiner will be looking for. If you go out on a pink badge you must be very focused on the reason you’re doing it and stick rigidly to the teaching style you have been taught. Do this and you will find your time on the pink badge invaluable.

The most common reason then for not going out with a pink badge is peoples fear of getting into bad habits, and it’s a valid one. I know instructors who have passed well enough both ways. More of them however did go for the pink badge option and this is the option I would highly recommend.

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Jason Vines Vines Driving School Dedicated to Professionalism and Improving Road Safety Driving Lessons Sutton Driving Lessons in Sutton


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