Driving Instructor Training Course

Part 1 – Theory

Working at home with the AA's workbooks and manuals you'll progress through the course and arrange the test when you're ready. There is also a hazard perception test in part 1, in which you'll need to identify hazards in video clips.

For part 1 of your AA training, you'll receive five hours of 1-to-1 training with an AA driving instructor trainer.

Part 2 – Driving ability

This module consists of practical driving sessions and is designed to bring your personal standard of driving up to the standard required by the DSA (Driver Vehicle Testing Agency – DVTA – in Northern Ireland). Again you'll train with one of our driving instructor trainers on a 1-to-1 basis, who will prepare you for a one-hour practical test of your driving ability.

For this part of the test, you'll demonstrate a high level of driving technique, anticipation and consideration of other road users. This module of our course comes with 15 hours of 1-to-1 training.

Part 3 – Instructional ability

In this part of the test, you'll need to demonstrate that you can teach others. In two half-hour sessions the examiner acts as a pupil in a role-play situation. For this module, you'll receive 40 hours of 1-to-1 training with your AA driving instructor trainer.

After passing all three parts of the DSA/DVTA test, you'll be awarded a green badge indicating that you're a fully qualified instructor.

Some driving schools use instructors with a pink badge, which means that they've only passed parts one and two of the tests. The AA only uses fully qualified instructors who have passed all three parts – who are holders of the green badge.