Standards check
Know before DVSA does
DVSA watches four numbers from your pupils' tests. Hit three and you get a letter asking you to book a standards check. Lesson Diary works those numbers out from the results you record, and tells you how much room you have.
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Part of Driving instructor software and Driving instructor diary
Four numbers, one letter
Over a rolling 12 months DVSA looks at your average driving faults, your average serious faults, how often the examiner had to take physical action, and your pass rate. Most instructors only find out where they stand when the letter arrives. You can see it every time you record a test.
A plain verdict
"1 of 4 triggers hit. You are clear." Green, amber or red, with the reason underneath.
How much room you have
"2 more fails in a row would take it to 55% or below." Each number tells you what would tip it.
When it changes
The window rolls. We show the date your oldest tests drop out and what your verdict becomes after that.
Missing results, flagged
A pupil closed as passed with no test on file, or a test with no faults recorded. We list them so your numbers match what DVSA sees.
The letter should never be a surprise
Record a test result the way you already do. The four DVSA numbers update on the spot.
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Each number against its trigger
A dial for each of the four, with DVSA's line marked on it, so you can see how close you are without doing sums.
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Which way it's heading
A 12-month chart of each number as DVSA would have read it at the end of every month.
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The tests behind it
Tap a number to see which pupils' tests are pulling it up or down, and at which centre.
0 of 4 triggers hit. You're clear.
DVSA asks for a standards check at 3.
Driving faults
trigger 6
On track
Serious faults
trigger 0.55
Getting close
Physical action
trigger 10%
On track
Pass rate
trigger 55%
Getting close
Pass rate, last 12 months
One more fail would take your pass rate to 55% or below.
How test tracking compares
Most instructor apps record a pass or a fail and stop there. Lesson Diary turns those results into the four numbers DVSA uses.
See the full comparisonCommon questions
- Where do the trigger points come from?
- DVSA publishes them on GOV.UK: an average of 6 or more driving faults, 0.55 or more serious faults, physical action on 10% or more of tests, and a pass rate of 55% or lower. Three or more and DVSA writes to you.
- Does DVSA share my figures with Lesson Diary?
- No. The numbers come from the test results you record in the app, so record every test, including the fails.
- What do I need to record?
- The outcome, the fault counts from the test sheet, and whether the examiner took verbal or physical action. It takes about as long as reading the sheet.
- Is it on the free plan?
- No. It is part of the paid subscription. You can check your figures by hand with the free standards check triggers calculator.
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