Core Competencies, what are they? And are they important to a successful Part 3 test or on a driving lesson?
What is meant by the word 'core'? Well to break it down, it simply means 'basic or fundamental. 'Competencies' is the skill that you want your learner to perform.
Core Competencies are the most important areas when giving a lesson or your Part 3 test. To do well at your test, you will need to show the Supervising Examiner (SE) that you can Identify any faults they will make, you will then need to analyses the fault, and find out why the SE made the fault, and then rectify the fault, by suggesting or demonstrating how they can correct the fault.
The core comps are really easy, if you understand that there are only so many faults that the SE/Pupil can make for each subject but when they say you need to identify the fault they mean what caused the problem NOT what the problem was
Identifying the faults:
To be able to identify a fault, you need to know what they should be doing correctly. Anything that they deviate from the correct procedure, will be be wrong, and you'll need to correct them on the fault.
One of the most common faults a trainee ADI makes, is not looking at the learner or SE very often. You'll need to keep watching them like a hawk. It's no good you looking at the road, when you should be watching them. Maybe that's the time when they've made a mistake, such as not checking their mirrors at the correct time, or maybe they have coasted to a junction.
Any faults that the SE makes on your Part 3 test, will only relate to the PST that you have been given, unlike a real learner driver.
As a trainee ADI, you can practice this technique with your trainer, or if you have a 'buddy' You can also practice identifying faults when your a passenger in other cars. (I wouldn't suggest you tell the driver though!)
Once you've identified the fault, you'll need to analyse the fault.
Analysing faults
What do we mean by analysing faults? Well, you'll need to know why the SE or learner made the fault.
We can find out by using a Question and and Answer (Q &A) technique*, using either 'open' or 'closed' questions to find out the true cause.
For example: If the SE (or learner driver) is approaching a junction too fast, it could be for a number of reasons:
- they didn't realize how fast they were approaching;
- they didn't slow down sufficiently;
- they didn't see the junction ahead, until it was very close;
- they were thinking of something else at the time;
- or another reason.
So you must use some detective skills so you can find out exactly which of those faults was the correct one. this is where you'll need to show your Q & A skills to establish the reason.
Rectifying faults
Once you've found out why the SE (or learner driver) made that mistake, you can then suggest ways to overcome the fault so that they won't do it again.
Amongst your arsenal of methods to solve the problem, would be the Q & A session, or you could explain the correct method; finally you could give a demonstration. There are no hard an fast rules as to which one to use, as it really depends on the role of the SE during the Pre-Set-Test. For example: If they play the role of a non-responding learner, then doing Q & A probably would not work, whereas, if the SE played the part of an outgoing person that would respond well to Q & A. That could be the best method to use.
Stating "You cut the corner" will not help the pupil improve
REMEMBER - SAYING WHAT WENT WRONG WILL NOT CORRECT THE PUPILS MISTAKE - Use Q&A/talk them through or try to identify the fault by WATCHING the SE/pupil to see why they made the mistake will help
* You can find out more info on Q & A techniques here
