Calling all Cardington assesed DAS Instructors!

Hi Folks

I've been instructing CBT and part 2's since 2001 and in 2006 i decided to go down to Cardington and try my CBT assesment and hopefully DAS to follow. Everything was going swimmingly and i would have / should have passed had it not been for a stupid mistake out on the road. For those of you who know the route as you turn left out of the training centre, you'll come to a dodgy junction where we were asked to take the examiner left. As its mostly blind to the right i decided to get him to look for his traffic coming from the right last (correct i know) but he had started to move off to the left while looking right - Doh!

Anyway, im going down at the beggining of Feb and really hope to pass both CBT and DAS assesments - especially as its a journey of over 500 miles each way for me!.........AGAIN! Esp. if i have to go all the way down AGAIN for a half day DAS!

I am now feeeling more prepared for it and will continue to study and read up before i go down including a week of mock instruction / supervision the week before by way of help from the many DAS instructor at the school i work for.

What im asking though is -

Are there any instructors on this site who have been through this and can offer any general advice for me please? For both CBT AND DAS as obviously DAS is an unknown quantity to me as i never got that far I feel reasonalbly confident with the CBT assesment and the use of key phrases, visual aids and the use of the DSA's publications but my main fears are -

I waffle to much!! Too much talking and not enough structure

And also............

Im not very good (and never have been) under 'exam' conditions.

Can anybody who's been through it (preferably recently), give any usefull help and advice in general for the time im down there.

Im annoyed as i missed out on getting accomodation there at the training centre as this was a major boon when i was down before - much more relaxed as i had no travelling to do before hand. As it stands, im booked into the Hilton in Luton as a friend who works there and has got me 3 nights including brekkie for £75!! Good and bad though - id far rather be at the training centre.

Anyway..................

Any help / advice would be great.

Thanks very much

Dave

Dave

I work in that industry; but not an instructor.

Have many friends who are fully qualified examiners /instructors and may be in a position to advise

What exactally are you wanting?

NA1959 said:

Dave

I work in that industry; but not an instructor.

Have many friends who are fully qualified examiners /instructors and may be in a position to advise

What exactally are you wanting?

Click to expand...

It would take an age to ask for specifics and im fairly comfortable with most of the ins and outs but its just some general advice / pointers from folks who think that what they did helped?

Make sense?!

From all the boys that I speak with, do not let the DSA guy's get under your skin

Some are quite warped and old school, others are fine!

Just down to being sure of your ability and get on with it.

Mate of mine did a 20 day course to be failed in the morning of the last day.

He gave up and has gone down another work path. But that was a one off!

Good luck you will get throught it!

I passed my cardington CBT test in 2004, I was convinced I'd failed the first day but passed fine. It's quite hard to offer advice as each instructor there is different, just teach to the ability they say they are at the beginning of the day. I went to Germany with the Army shortly after passing mine and since I didn't get a ticket they say I've now got to do it all again, so no doubt I'll be on here asking how yours went and any advice you can give

You could give my next door neighbour a ring. Safe Rider Training on 01609 780448. Excellent rider trainer to advanced level, passed first time at Cardington. Genuinely nice guy who would be pleased to speak with you about it. His name is Pete.

Turraloon,

I have no experience as an motorcylce instructor but am a DSA ADI(Car) - so you have my greatest sympathies!

As NA1959 says, don't let the buggers get on top of you.

They are looking for control on the test as well as instruction, ensure you identify each and every 'mistake' as it occurs. Don't let the bugger carry on until you have had some positive result on your part regarding the error. If necessary (as far as car tuition goes) you would be expected to pull over and stop to get some acknowledgment of error from the Student - if you couldn't rectify on the move.

If you let the 'mistake' go, then I guarantee the Examiner is going to cane you for it. A proportional response is required...but, if they keep playing up...grab them by the bollocks as soon as they step out of line. Ive seen Senior DSA Examiners pull some right stunts to see if you're paying attention and have the balls to pull them up over it.

Waffling? Yes, it's hard not to on the Exam. I wouldn't be too concerned about that as long as you get your key points accross. The Examiners know how bloody stressful it is having to deal with them and usually will cut you a generous amount of slack regarding communication...providing, as I say, you get the key points across.

Remember: Identify and gain acknowledgement of the fault. Find the cause of the fault. Rectify the fault.

Everything else is secondary.

Good luck!

PS:
"As its mostly blind to the right i decided to get him to look for his traffic coming from the right last (correct i know) but he had started to move off to the left while looking right - Doh!"

I think I've just realised what he's done...he's done exactly what you told him to do...to the letter. Classic devilment! If you tell the Examiner to do something, he will do exactly what you tell him. With cars, the classic on moving off is telling him to steer right - away from the kerb - he will. Straight for the other side of the road. When you tell him to steer left, he'll head straight back for the kerb on your side of the road.

Lesson: make sure you tell them to do exactly what you want them to. They will do literally what you tell them.

A conversation regarding the Examiner looking right would probably go something like this:

"When you pulled out of the last junction, why were you still looking to your right as you pulled out?"

"Errr, because you told me to look right. You never said I should then look in the direction of travel as I pulled out"


I'lll stop waffling now.

Dave,

I did my Cardington some time back, but have (and still use) a set of notes as memory joggers. If you pm me an email address I will send them to you. Have a good read, hopefully they will be of use. I know they work ok as to date I have a 100% DAS pass rate.

Phil

I know the junction as it's only a couple of miles from me, and I can understand the "trap" he laid. I used to know the 500 mile trip you mention too because 20 odd years ago I half lived in Strichen - say hello to the north for me!

Hi,

When you are at Cardington say what you mean and mean what you say.

I've done a few bits up there so I know how you feel. Just be as positive as you can and go there to pass.

Have faith

Regards

Chod

I did mine back in the 90's when it first came in (in fact we had to pay a fortune which was reimbursed a couple of years later due to some change in the law!?!) It's all about demonstrating confidence and control, difficult I know - it's an exam, these are examiners examiners and all that, but drop into the roll play straight away, that guy on a bike is a student who needs your help and guidance, teach like you always do (hopefully happy, smiling, confident,firm instructions and reassuring) The technical side is as it should be, I would imagine your skill levels are up to it or you wouldn't be going for it. One last tip, if you use one of their bikes( if that's still an option) check your fuel tap is on - they turn them off when your not there and then 100 meters on the ride off you're trying to discreetly fiddle with it and keep up - and you know he's watching in his mirror!

though i'm not even in the same country,
so i've not had to do U.K. A.D.I / D.A.S.....

i am familiar with the set up and have had to jump through Very Similar hoops in the past.

Great Advice here in the replies

all i can add is -
Waffle;

ohh boy - meet yer brother! - i'm as bad
best way i heard to combat that is focus on

What?
Why?
How?

What is the trainee doing wrong?

Why are they doing it?

so...
How do i fix it?

it's blunt and to the point and got me to do likewise.

hope that is some use.

you know your stuff / you'll do grand.

Good Luck.

Hi Phil (fatnfast)

Would it be possible to all so have a set of your notes, as i am about to move ito this line of work and any information would be a great help.

Cheers

Peter

Here we go again then! Back down to Cardington tommorow for the course on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - lets hope for no snow this time and 1150 miles not wasted!

I did mine when it first came out. The examiner pretended to be a pupil on a BMW tourer who'd only ever ridden it on his 10 foot long drive. I saw another examiner deliberately drop his bike off to one side of us.

I made the bloke sit on the bike with the engine off, gave him the brake talk and pushed him myself whilst getting him to practice.

The day carried on like that really, I was given cards each with a scenario on it and had to deal with them one after another.

Oh also, me and one other instructor went out with the examiner (he was on the same BMW tourer) and I had to wait whilst the other instructor had to teach u-turns.

The examiner started the u-turn (right opposite a bus shelter) and ran wide, mounted the low kerb, went round the back of the bus stop and back into the road. I swear my chin hit the floor, the poor welsh lad was speechless.

Every time an exercise was finished the instructor would turn his back and speak into a tape recorder, which is a bit alarming until you realise it doesn't mean you've upset him, he's just making his notes for the final report.

*UPDATE!*

I passed CBT assesment on the 27th and 28th and had DAS assesment on the 29th and i passed it too - both with flying colours!

Thanks for all the words of advice and support.

congratulations mate
i remember doing mine about eight years ago when i was back in leeds,
was a bit apprehensive about it but got through.
its all down to the preperation and yeah they'll do everything you ask 'em to, but so will your future students !!!
my most vivid memory of cardington was watching the other trainee 'instructor' doing hill starts, all was fine, perfect explanation and a good response from the 'student' who performed the manouver to the letter, thats when said instructor realised he hadn't told him where to pull over/wait for him! (daft T@@T had his radios unplugged) we found the exeminer 1 1/2 hours later having his lunch!
as with your future career, just cover your ass and we all make mistakes!
now currently enjoying the fruits of my 'card' instructing on the isle of man, only had the cbt regs here for the past six years and out of eight cbt instructors only two of us are cardington trained

Well done chap, get out there and spread the Gospel according to DVLA!

Congratulations !

Well done on the Cardington bit - it's a great feeling - of relief

It has to be the most fantastic job ever, to be given a total novice and have/him her ride a motorcycle and watch their excitement and elation as they realise their dream. Job satisfaction by the bucket load!