DVSA’s MOT Training, Education and Skills Support (MTESS) team is currently developing nationally recognised qualifications that will professionalise the roles of MOT managers and testers.
The aim is to modernise the way in which MOT manager and tester training is carried out, to better meet the needs of our customers.
The qualifications will ensure MOT managers and testers are kept up to date through continuing professional development that they will complete every year.
What will this look like?
We’re working with the Sector Skills Council for the automotive retail industry, awarding organisations and representatives from the MOT trade to create national standards.
These standards will be the platform for a national qualification and successful candidates will be issued with a Certificate of Successful Completion.
DVSA Examiners will follow up with a visit to make sure quality standards are being met. The candidate will then be issued a Certificate of Competence.
What about refresher training?
Currently, qualified MOT testers are expected to carry out 2 days of refresher training every 5 years.
Under the new scheme, MOT testers will have to complete at least 3 hours of refresher training every year.
This change will:
- professionalise the roles of MOT managers and testers: A nationally recognised qualification and the confidence that comes from continuing professional development will create a more professional role for MOT testers and AEs
- provide flexible learning for candidates: Training providers can offer a wide variety of courses, from intensive week long classroom-based training to part-time or online training spread over several weeks or months
- improve productivity: Candidates will have a wider variety of options for course delivery, so they can spend less time on training away from their work
- provide a more modern approach to training requested by industry: In recent DVSA customer satisfaction surveys, testers have indicated that they would like a more varied and modern approach to training
28 comments
Comment by Edward posted on
Up to &150 a year to keep testing who is going to pay that,the company that you work for or the tester.Think again a lot for testers are going to stop testing.
Comment by Jeff posted on
The fact is that DVSA being a governmental body have the power to fix the price of tests. If this was done I don't believe it would play into the hands of the big companies, but it would stop customers going to the cheapest garage. Therefore we would all gain a loyal customer base as it was before cut prices came into play. Then we could be paid more for the responsibility and pressure of being a tester.
Comment by PAUL posted on
Hi this is what you do spend up to £ 40,000 installing m.o.t equipment, pass you exams, become a N T, think that everything is going fine then bang its all taken away by someone who does not know anything about cars, vans , motorbikes or hgv, can I claim from the government for these losses no, is it the uk government or is it a European directive.
Comment by darren hulyer posted on
i think mot stations should all have one set price. cheaper mots gets customers through door & garages shaft them on repair bills. i also think online refreshers courses or even on site asessments to test each & every individual tester for competenance . as a ae i have found some testers just havent got the knowledge . as other comments state where or how do nt get to test.
Comment by PAUL posted on
if the price is fixed its well known that big private companies would come in and shut down small companies like they have done in europe
Comment by Ray posted on
I fully agree with all the comments made already regarding a fixed and realistic set fee.
Unfortunately what ever common sense remarks are made by the more experienced of us it will all be largely ignored as the decisions have already been made as to what is going to happen in the mot scheme. The whole scheme has been for sometime geared towards mot testing for idiots.The training and overseeing of mot testers and testing is now quite quickly being taken away from those that have the knowledge and experience to do the job and will be given to other peripheral organisations that must be rubbing there hands together with financial delight. Why? Well of course the whole thing comes down to the same old thing......finance. Government spending cuts, managing budgets more efficiently etc etc and it is all being done under the wonderful heading of mot modernisation which should read "crucification". More time will soon be spent worshipping a new computer system that was implemented without being perfected at the busiest time of the year, then subsequently when the new training and standards are introduced more time wasted and devoted to those than actually doing the job we should ultimately be doing.My confidence in the whole thing has declined to this rant, what a shame after 47 years in the trade 25years as a tester and very nearly 1500 tests in the last 12months.I used to really respect the various mot organisations over the years but the present form gets a big vote of no confidence from me.
Comment by Stephen posted on
As a tester of 23 years I too agree with the comments made by everyone above.
1. Yes fixing the fee, would be a first step in creating a more honest industry.
2. At least for years apprenticeship served, before any tester should be put forward to become a tester, how the hell can you teach, corrosion accessment on the likes of brake pipes in a weeks course.
3. These new MOT certificates totally devalue the importance of the MOT Tester. Most of our customers can't read the advisories as the letter font is too small.
Comment by David posted on
Will testers who have been testing a lot of years be given this professional qaulification through grandfarther rights?
Comment by Richard posted on
too right, ive been a mechanic since early 70s and becme an mot tester in 1988. Letteing some one do 2 week corse or even an exam at work become a tester is wrong!
Cars need to be checked correctly to make sure thay are safe and give joe bloggs a smart card after 2 weeks in a class room is mad. Im sure there are some great testers that come out of corses but im also sure the odd muppet has got through too.
What happened to time searved?
Comment by Stephen Bernard posted on
In order to be able to get on the MOT NT course the potential tester must have a minimum Level 3 NVQ/SVQ Automotive qualification and a minimum 4 years full time current experience working on the class of vehicle they want to test.
Comment by Richard posted on
We should welcome training being flexible once you are a tester, getting to be a tester should be 3/4 year of relevant experience with support from your sponsoring employer and a weeks course highlighting the knowledge they already have and how to use it to test a vehicle which is sometimes lowering of expectations!. Test price as previously noted should be fixed as it is the same standard so all must be taking a reasonably similar time to complete plus we fought so hard to get a reasonable fee for many years only now to be allowing silly enticement costings to sucker customers to testing centres ( larger companies usually) who usually have ways of making up the lower fee !! Moving towards the IMI looking after testers and testing is not a bad idea and the DVSA being a policing body in the background. Being more professional is a must for us all.
Comment by Matters of Testing posted on
Hi all,
Thanks for your comments and feedback.
Our proposal doesn’t reduce the pre-requirement standards for initial tester training, or the amount of training required to become a tester.
DVSA will still sign testers off as competent and the ‘demo test’ will remain in place.
The current refresher training every 5 years will be replaced by annual continuous professional development; at least 3 hours each year. Although you can do more if you want to.
You’ll also be able to complete online modules if you prefer, so you wouldn’t necessarily have to take time out of the workshop to travel.
You can email any further comments to MTESS@vosa.gov.uk
Comment by Daniel Booth posted on
Will there be a cost to this extra training do we think, as if there is, I can imagine some workshops struggling to make payments? As it stands the NT course is free for new prospective testers and so are the mandatory refresher sessions. Yet, with the state of the current economic situation I cannot imagine these training modules being government funded.
Comment by Gordon Crichton posted on
First of all the stupid idea of 4 2 2 testing was blown out the water,thankfully,then these "improvements" appear . As a tester/technician for nearly 40 years I'm glad I'm only 2 years away from retirement !!
Comment by andy oshaughnessy posted on
why can't we have more on line training, and sit any exams on line and perhaps a major exam at an office or local mot station. all dvsa training sites seems to be a long drive this is not good for a training course.
the M.O.T price should be the same at every station as should the standard of test.
It is true that some of the new testers are lacking practical skills they don't seem to have had any mechanical expierence. I had a sad experience the other day of a friend who's CORSA FAILED ON EXCESSIVE PLAY ON N/S/F TOP SUSPENSION MOUNTING. I am an m.o.t tester, and I hold C&G also hnd in motor engineering it was only when i insisted that he read the original VT40 AND i asked for an appeal form THAT THEY OFFERED A REFUND.
Comment by shaun posted on
yes and now these NO EXPERIANCE testers dont even get a vt40 so no information is provided for them!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Adrian posted on
3 hours training..... It will end up being a full day wasted, great. If it was a full day then at least the day is spent training not messing around before the 3hours then not having enough time left in the day to start any worth while job... Whee do these guys hey their ideas? Kelloggs packet springs to mind.
Quality ?.
Comment by Mark. posted on
How can you talk about the professionalism of anything where you let people charge whatever they want for the service.As a governing body you are allowing the MOT test to become devalued by letting more and more garages offer a quicker cut price service.That is not what the MOT is for.Unify the price and implement it quickly to stop the imminent decline in the quality of MOT services on offer!!!!
Comment by Peter Hedges posted on
It is about time all mot's had one price in every station and that 3hours training per year will be of no use unless done at station
Comment by sg mot centre posted on
well said , its ajoke how people can just set up in a town and slash the price by 50 per cent and put others out of buisiness
Comment by Mr Jackson posted on
Exactly Brian ... Be loads of idiots becoming testers...sounds like trouble to me...
Comment by Paul posted on
Is this going to be practical or theory, who will assess the practical and will it be an open book test. What is the pre entry requirement?
Comment by Chris posted on
Great training on site I can see work giving me time for that. Better to do it away from work so you can spend the time on the training you need. And is this going to be another excuse to say your not qualified to do your job unless you spend all this money on getting a certificate ie another form if imi. How many different certificates will I need to actually say I'm good enough I only have all my nvq's btec imi that I have to resist every couple of years and about 19 years of experience.
Comment by Bryn posted on
I agree with Brian where I work 3 people have become testers that don't even know how to test a light bulb never lone a modern motor vehicle.
The reason they can get to be testers is because VOSA did away with their exam for non qualified people. One of the people that have now become a tester failed the VOSA exam miserably on 2 occasions, but then the company was allowed to do its own in house exam and bingo everybody passes. What an absolute joke becoming a tester is today. I had a phone call off one of the testers the other day asking what he should do as he could not turn one of the rear wheels he did not have the sense to know that the brake was binding or how to fail it, it makes me wish I could remove them from testing.
If it wasn't so serious it would be funny.
Comment by Wayne posted on
I agree with you Brian shouldn't be allowed
Comment by Tony posted on
DVSA should hang their heads in shame. The mot isn't worth the paper it's written on. Mind you,DVSA won't be coming to visit,it will be REMIT or some other trade body.
Comment by Brian posted on
So anyone with a weeks training can become a tester!!!!
Isn't it bad enough there are people getting on who wouldn't know a ball joint fron a ball cock.
Making the mot more rubbish.
Should not accept anyone without at least 4 years practical and be able to show to Vosa that they can do it.
Comment by PAUL posted on
I agree, we were once known for having the best tradesmen in the world, but the government devalued all trades. one prime minister said we want to be known as a national of blue collar works and not a nation of tradesmen. I have spent 40 years learning my trade and I continue to learn each day, so how can someone with very little knowledge gained in a short time understand fully what he or she is doing or is it just a case of just tyre kicking.