Big Day

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 09 April 2008 23:03:04

Every now and again, driving instructors have to undergo a "check test". This is where a senior examiner sits in the back of the car and observes the instructor delivering a lesson. Then, the examiner awards the instructor with a grade. The grades are marked from 1 to 6, with 6 being the highest (only 8% of ADIs acheive grade 6) and 1 is so bad that the instructor is in serious danger of losing his/her licence. Anything above a 4 is acceptable.

I have mine tomorrow (Thursday). This will be my first check test and, surprisingly, I'm feeling quite relaxed about it. This is totally different from the final qualifying exam, which was an examiner in role play. In this exam I have some control over the situation. I am taking one of my own pupils (one who I happen to get on very well with, which helps) and I choose the subject and select the route we drive on. I've been having some sessions with the same guy who trained me for my Part 3 exam, the outcome of which have been very positive. I'm well prepared and feeling confident, but even so, I'll be glad when it's over and done with.

I think I've finally managed to quit smoking. It's now been just over 4 weeks since my last cigarette. I've done this before, of course, but usually by this stage I've scrounged the occasional cigarette from friends, or had a cvigar in the pub or possibly even sneaked out to buy a packet of 10 Silk Cut on the grounds that that doesn't really count as Silk Cut aren't real fags anyway. If I can get through the test tomorrow without succumbing to the weed, then I reckon I really will have cracked it this time!

There may be big changes ahead with my career. I've pretty much decided what to do next, but tomorrows result will be the final clincher. It's all rather exciting, but at the same time a bit scary, but more about that later.