Every year, MOT testers do over 30 million MOT tests across Great Britain. We all have a part to play in maintaining and improving the standards of those tests - whether it’s DVSA, MOT managers, MOT testers, or trade associations.
DVSA’s priority is to help everyone keep their vehicle safe to drive. Making sure every MOT test is done to the right standard is one of the ways we can do that.
A new risk rating system
Like everything that involves people, things can sometimes go wrong with MOT tests. A defect might be missed, or it might be given the wrong defect category. And of course we do know that sometimes things aren’t done right on purpose.
So we’ve improved our system that helps us spot the risk of these types of things happening regularly.
We’ll assess every vehicle testing station (VTS) to consider its potential risk of non-compliance with the MOT testing service requirements, using a revised approach to risk rating.
A VTS rating is calculated from the testers who are testing at the VTS and any previous site review and disciplinary cases for that site. A tester’s rating is calculated by analysing MOT data held within the MOT testing service computer system such as:
- the time taken to complete tests
- how many tests a tester carries out
- the results of tests
The detail of how that will be calculated will change over time as we identify new trends and work to make sure poor testers can’t manipulate the data to make themselves appear good.
So, in this new system, every tester and testing station will now have an individual risk rating. This will:
- make it easy for you to know when you should look into something
- allow us to support you if you need help
It also means we can target our enforcement action at the minority of testers and testing stations who are either persistently poor-performing or deliberately not following the standards.
How the system works
There are 3 risk ratings in the system - they’re the same for testers and testing stations.
Like the previous rating, we’ve used the red, amber and green colour system for the ratings. But the names of the ratings aren’t what’s important - it’s what you need to do that really matters.
The table below shows what this system means for testers.
Risk rating |
Type of risk |
What to do |
Red |
Higher risk | You must look into the reasons you’re rated as higher risk, and make sure you’re testing to the right standard and following all the right processes. |
Amber |
Medium risk | You should look into the reasons you’re rated as a medium risk, and check you’re testing to the right standard and following all the right processes. |
Green |
Lower risk | You should still check you’re testing to the right standard and following all the right processes. |
The rating is worked out from a number of different factors - MOT special notice 12-18 tells you more about how it works, so I won’t repeat that here.
But I do want to be clear that if your risk rating is red or amber, it does not necessarily mean you’re doing anything wrong. It means there are things you need to look into to satisfy yourself that you’re testing to the right standard.
And as an MOT tester, your risk rating only appears to you and DVSA. Nobody else can see it, including your boss.
We’ve also made MOT test quality information available in the MOT testing service. This is data about the MOT tests you’ve carried out. You should use as a starting point to monitor your testing standards. You can also view your test logs.
We know all this data can be a bit daunting, so we recently published guidance to help you access, use and interpret MOT test quality information.
Management approach
As an MOT manager it’s important you understand what is expected of you, and you’ll already find guidance about this in the MOT testing guide.
Also, the following 5 points cover important areas that should help you make sure your garage is well run:
1. Management control
It is essential that the authorised examiner designated manager (AEDM) has management control of what happens in an MOT garage – as they have the day-to-day management responsibility on behalf of the authorised examiner (AE).
2. Premises and equipment
There are set down standards for premises and equipment. An AEDM is responsible for ensuring that those standards are met at all times – and there needs to be some systems in place for doing so.
3. Test standards
Make sure everyone has access to important information about processes and procedures, and regularly uses test logs and test quality information. And of course, this includes having an approach to the quality assurance of testers, as set out in the MOT testing guide.
4. Staffing and training
The AEDM needs to have good policies and procedures for employing staff, there also needs to be systems in place to ensure testers are completing in year training and passing their annual assessment on time.
5. General approach
Whilst the details of the management systems that a garage has are important, the culture that is nurtured is equally important, and consistently good quality MOT testing cannot be achieved without it.
Of course, culture is much harder to measure and to judge than some of the clear rules that we have, but it's still important.
We should strive for a clear positive quality culture – doing the job (MOT testing) right, is part of how the garage works.
What we’ll do next
As with every change we make, we’ll keep checking that it’s working the way it’s intended, and will make any tweaks that are needed.
We’re going to publish improved guidance for MOT managers about managing the quality of MOT testing. This will expand on some of the points I’ve touched on in this blog post, and replace the existing risk reduction guide.
I want to finish as I started - with that big number.
Every year, you’re doing over 30 million MOT tests. They play a vital part in making our roads safe. Together, we can make sure every single MOT test is done to the right standard, helping everyone stay safe on Britain’s roads.
Find out more about using MOT test quality information, which includes the average age of vehicle tested, your failure rate, your site’s failure rate, the national failure rate, and component failure rates.
152 comments
Comment by DAZ posted on
We all know that the tester rating is here to stay if we like it or not . There is not enough data streams used to make the rating fair for everybody . The dvsa should have used the testers own data from the previous months as a baseline figure. This would be set when the rating came into force. Then if in a following month when the TQI data was worked out there was a jump in a figure for eg- if your failure rate jumped from your baseline figure which is 25% to 40% on a certain month then your rating would go up and then the AE would have to look into why this was the case and then put an explanation on the system to say they have looked into the reason why.
Comment by Martin posted on
Has the thought crossed your mind that NT's might start adjusting test results to fit in with the "national average" thereby having exactly the opposite effect from what you are trying to achieve ?
Nobody wants the finger pointed but that is what you are doing and it will make unscrupulous testers harder to find because believe it or not people aren't stupid.
Comment by Oliver FURNISS posted on
I think this is spot on!
Comment by jooles posted on
totally agree with martin ,this is why you should not have made the ratings viewable, if this exercise was to only catch those that are not testing correctly, how are you going to make this possible now ?????????
Comment by AP posted on
DVSA - where are the VSI updates promised 2 years ago? I could not reply to that thread but here was an answer from yourselves: "Hello Neil,
We're currently finalising requirements and development on this and will start testing how it works in March. All things going well, we will look to make the first cut of this information available to everyone towards the end of April 2017 "
With the age of vehicles reducing we need specific info on things like roller brake testing, EPB systems etc. You said you were going to provide this information:
- whether a vehicle can be roller brake tested
- how to test electro mechanical parking brake systems
- anti-lock braking system lamp operation
- adaptive air suspension
- tyre pressure monitoring systems
- original fitment of CATs and DPFs
Where is it?
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi
There is a certain amount of VSI already in the system, where we recognise a complexity in testing. This has been in place since March 2017. We recognise that this does need constant updates, and we continue to update where possible.
Comment by AP posted on
There is a very small amount, re weight etc. What about the categories mentioned specifically by yourselves (in my previous comment). When is this going to be provided?
Comment by Rui Neves posted on
Regarding diesel emission testing, we follow DVSA guidelines .
You must test vehicles to the manufacturer's plate value (when present), or a new lower default limit for newer vehicles .
In most cases this is not working .
When we fail a vehicle because it has not passed the manufacturer's plate value, the customer takes the vehicle away , when the vehicle comes back for a retest guess what , the manufacture' s limit sticker has been removed or scratched out , so now it gets retested as presented to the default limits.
After contacting the DVSA I was told to test vehicle as presented ( ie if no plate value present use default limits.)
Can't the DVSA put the manufacture's plate value on the inspection sheet next to the engine size box.
This loophole needs no be addressed ASAP.
Comment by DJ posted on
If the vehicle was presented at your VTS for the original test then you already have evidence what the limits were tested at from the previous emissions printout. If the value has been erased from the vehicle use the information you already have and test to those limits. Hope this helps
Comment by jooles posted on
over all the years I have been testing I have put up with all the changes dvsa have implemented as I always thought they may be for the better,but this change is effecting us testers on a personal level, so when did the dvsa as an organisation turn into a Dictatorship,,you really do need to start listening ,,after all it,s us that are keeping the roads safe and remember unlike your organisation we do not get awards for it,,, we don't even get a thank you ,,,,
Comment by marcus paton posted on
right on jooles completly agree i do 4 times the amount of tests than the national average and get penillised for it im the only tester in my building have a 70% fail rate brakes and suspension high fail rate and go home thinking im being penillised for doing my job honestly the are going to scare testers into passing things that should be failed to keep the risk level down.
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi Marcus
As explained earlier in these replies, it is not our intention to scare or penalise you. Carry on testing as you are. If you have a high failure rate, it could be down to a number of things such as high/low volume of tests, age of vehicles, test quality information, event history and so on. It is a combination of things that apply.
Comment by mark posted on
so why bother with the ratings
Comment by steve posted on
It would be nice to know each month WHY our RAG score has changed so we may be able to see where things need looking at . I have gone from green to amber and I can see no reason why ! MY averages are always on par with the national averages and still are ? All I can see is that my average time has gone up .
Comment by marcus paton posted on
hi julia yes i do get where you are coming from but if im doing 3x the amount of test than the national average my fail rate or pass rate would be 3x the nation average why is the dvsa not recognising this they just mark us as red because national average is low im an honest tester and as many have said might be unemployable at another garage because of this i just dont think its right to be punished for this or doing there job properly
Comment by castrolrob posted on
just came back from holiday which has changed me from amber to red(!)regarding the ratings not neccesarily reflecting badly on your testing standards could I refer you to the information at the start of this very blog that states red is higher risk?your departments words not ours.....
Comment by Oliver FURNISS posted on
I completely agree I've just opened an mot station but I've been testing 4 years now. Like you say it's like being penalised I've got 80% fail rate on bulbs, but what else are you meant to do. It seems it's quite a common issue being so strict. More in-house qcs then something to submit on the system to bring the tester back up. Obviously hard if your on your own but if you catch my drift!
Comment by Stephen Ball posted on
It's ok for DVSA to monitor us NT's for how long we take on a test, however have they considered how long it actualy takes to test a diesel. I myself spend upto 10/15mins to get the engine oil to 80deg and above especially in this cold weather and it's likely to get colder.
So why not allow us some time when diesel testing, or do we just do them as a PRS..
Please reply
Comment by markt posted on
hi...
arent diesel temp limits set to 60 degrees ? when measuring via the obd port or even oil temp measurement probe ?
our bosch machine has had this limit for quite a while.might be worth getting in touch with youre manufacturer or calibration company.
Comment by Nigel posted on
Its been 80 for a long time even though smoke meters say 60 .60 is the minimum. It says it must be 80 or normal engine temp but a minimum of 60
Comment by markt posted on
reply to previous comment
have a read of special notice 5 - 2013.
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi Stephen
We're not particularly concerned about the time it takes to do the test, within reason.
What we're looking at are things like how long it takes to do the test as long as all the testable items are correctly checked.
We only monitor test times to check that tests aren’t being carried out obviously too quickly, which would suggest they are not being carried out correctly.
Comment by Cancunia posted on
DVSA where is the Change Log for the MOT Inspection Manual?
It's great that changes can be made to an online document, but readers need to know what's changed & when. Is there a change log to go with the document?
Thanks
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi
The information is in the last point under section 2 of this special notice: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mot-special-notice-11-18-changes-to-mot-inspection-manuals-and-defects/mot-special-notice-11-18-changes-to-mot-inspection-manuals-and-defects
Under the title - After the manuals are updated.
2. Select (+ show all updates) at the bottom of the manual’s contents page.
Comment by Mike Williams posted on
Diesel Emission failures up 448%, Petrol Emission failures also up by nearly 100%,
But the overall failure rates have remained steady. How does that work???
Comment by Harry posted on
Where do I find my rating?
Other testers on here, seam to know there's
Comment by 1892 posted on
Just click on "your profile" and it Is in the top left hand side mate. Just underneath the garages rating
Comment by Kaisersoseh posted on
Just a thought- It seems to me the use of red and amber and green is the problem (where red naturally appears 'bad'). We all have different circumstances that produce a wide range of percentage results and hence colour ratings. Why not use another rating system that gives an indication of where each tester is on the scale, but does not discriminate by use of colour. Why not use a system that does not suggest poor performance (like red does), for example you could use BNA, ANA and WNA for below, above and within National Average.
Comment by Lloyd posted on
agree witht this 100%. The colour rating is the issue here
Comment by simon r posted on
If a classic (MOT exempt) vehicle is presented for an MOT test at the choice of the owner and then subsequently fails the test, is the owner legally allowed to drive the vehicle or does it have to pass a retest before being driven on the road again?
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi Simon
Your vehicle must be roadworthy whether it is MOT exempt or not. If an owner has taken a vehicle in for an MOT and then it fails, the owner will need to get the items the vehicle failed on fixed.
There's no requirement for a retest if the vehicle is MOT exempt. But, again, it must be in a roadworthy condition to drive on the road.
Comment by Harry posted on
I have just read the GOV.UK News story improving air quality.
What I don't get, or maybe I am missing something? It says petrol vehicles failing the emission test has increased from 292,468 in 2017 to 505,468 in 2018, since the MOT introduced stricter emission rules.
What part of the MOT emission test changed, for testing petrol vehicle's? I thought the petrol catalyst limits stayed the same.
Is some one manipulating the figures. To make them look good?
Comment by mark posted on
on the mil light which doesnt affect emissions at all but the dvsa implemented regardless
Comment by mark posted on
i see dvsa have released new emissions data they seem very pleased with themselves about 445% increase on diesel failures no thought what soever about the poor owners of these vehicles which they where advised to buy from so called governments now probally have no car to drive
Comment by Daz posted on
Thanks DVSA for thanking us testers for failing all the petrol and diesel vehicles with the new standards that came in since May. The press release says that its one of DVSAs priority’s. The whole of the uk can breath easier while us testers who failed them get penalised for doing so because we don’t do the testing to the national average. The last bit was missing from the press release.
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi Daz
We aren't penalising testers for failing vehicle MOTs. We're looking at changes from the norm.
Comment by Daz posted on
Julia the point is for some garages the national average is not normal but the system does not take account of the bigger picture .my fear is that when testers become aware of what the tqi mean they will do all they can to keep to the national average. I am red on my rating and it will not stop me testing as I do now. I have no fear of dvsa coming to the garage I work at but others may change how they test
Comment by jooles posted on
so going by all the comments posted it looks like nobody has a good word to say about this rating system ,so why carry on with it or at least give us the vote on it ,arfter all its us it effects not anybody sat behind a desk at dvsa,,,
Comment by Graham posted on
I posted this in another blog but it didnt get approved so ill try again. You say choose a memorable password. The problem is it changes every 80 days. I started testing at 21, if i retire at 67 that means i will have had to change my MEMORABLE password 210 times, plus add some numbers and an upper case letter. I dont have to do this with my bank (which would need to be more secure). This is why people sometimes write them down. What about keeping the same long password, but ask for the 3rd, 5th and 6th, number for example, and change each time (like my bank does)
Comment by Mike C posted on
All this making sure that the MOT tester is trained and complying with the rules why don't your enforcement staff have to have annual training assessments and pass a exam it seems a bit one sided that you are not assessed ,how do you know they are up to the job unless they are assessed I myself as a MOT tester and AE have been repairing and testing cars for over 35 years and generally seen more vehicles than most of examiners yet I have to have annual site assessment checked by a independent trade association have a person from another garage or trade body to carry out a check to see if we are testing correctly every two months what do you to prove you and your examiners are up to the job
Comment by Neset Ceri posted on
RAG rating is a total joke. So the DVSA computer program analyze the figures and award me a rating ! "MOT testers whose information greatly varies from the average will get a higher rating" I take it higher rating means Red !! Few weeks ago I tested in Ford dealership the vehicles were all Fords under 10 years old , regularly serviced they were all pre MOTed after servicing, so %99 of Pass %1 PRS ( headlight adjustment) Fallowing week I tested in a Independent garage full of old cars , %20 pass % 80 fail.National average ?? So ..can we compare the ratings between say North Middlesbrough and Windsor !! Come on DVSA ...don't fix it if it is not broken. If you want to justify your salaries do something more useful
Comment by Mike posted on
I'm part time working for an agency covering mot testers on Saturdays usually working 2/3 days a month at different sites each time each month doing about 15-20 mots a month. I received my risk rating, Red!
Now my agency want screenshots of my monthly ratings and reasons why it is red, I carry out tests to what I believe to be the correct standard but am being told that now my red risk rating will leave a footprint at green rated garages affecting there rating so it is unlikely these garages will want me there again, meaning basically I'm out of work... What cars turn up is out of my control, if it has an item that does not meet the mot pass criteria then i must fail it, am I supposed to just pass or fail cars for the sake of my risk rating rather than there condition...
I struggle to see how such a broad scope of data with so many variables can be simply plonked into one generalisation that penalises anyone wavering off the "average" line.
This rating scheme seems unjustified and will damage reputations to the extent i can imagine more testers will say enough is enough and stop doing them altogether.
Comment by jooles posted on
spot on mike ,I think the dvsa should get ready for the claims of loss of earnings coming there way ,,because I think agency testers are going to be hit hard if they carry on with this system,,,
Comment by Jim posted on
Quote; "DVSA’s priority is to help everyone keep their vehicle safe to drive. Making sure every MOT test is done to the right standard is one of the ways we can do that."
Why does the DVSA also prioritize that members of the general public maintain the basics on their own vehicles better, lights, washers & wipers etc. THEY are ultimately responsible in keeping their own vehicles safe.
That would help to bring the failure rates down. Easier to pick on MOT Testers as usual.
Comment by CMG posted on
Why as a member of the public can I not see MOT station ratings ?
Surely this would enable me to make an informed choice on where I take my car ?
Comment by ds posted on
Enter latest V5C number
11 digits from the vehicle log book
Comment by CMG posted on
Sorry what I mean is the rating of an MOT station, not the car.
Comment by jooles posted on
in my opinion it,s the quality of the testers that make a good mot testing station ,the problem with this new rating system is us testers are just a statistic ,so if we no longer fall into the national average we are penalised ,then fall into a red category ,so then the garage may get a warning against them ,people then don't use that garage ,then I am out of a job through no fault of my own,,,,this industry is struggling getting mot testers so why would any organisation that's supposed to be working on are behalf demonise us ,,,,,,,,I doubt this will be published along with all my other posts on this subject,,
Comment by david b posted on
if i were you cmg- id use google reviews of the garages and use other peoples experience to help you decide where best to take your car for an honest mot.
Comment by Gary posted on
I've been testing for 10 years now, and since the release of test quality information I have seen that I am consistently higher than national average for corrosion and suspension and brake related items. I test an average of 150 cars a month and am only 2% higher than average failure rate.
The national average isn't really relevant in the north of scotland where cars are far more affected by the weather. Also only around 10% of MOT's are carried out in scotland. What I would like to see is a local average as it would be far more relevant.
Comment by Chris posted on
The changes made to the mot testing system over the last few years have been rather disappointing to say the least..
This feels like another excuse to cut costs, monitoring testers from a desk rather than visiting garages, building relationships, providing advice and guidance face to face. For the sake of road safety we must work together on this, listen to both sides, act on the honest feedback received from testers and going forward I hope to see less complicating and more simplifying of the test and system, there is so much that can be done to make it better, clearer and more effective while still upholding it's high standard.
These are my thoughts.
Comment by GEOFF posted on
FAST FIT TYRE AND BRAKE CENTERS SEEM TO HAVE A LOT HIGHER FAIL RATE ON TYRES AND BRAKES HAVE YOU LOOKED INTO THIS AS IT WILL MAKE YOUR % RATES LOOK LOW ON THESE ITEMS. can we have spell checker on the system i am dyslexic and under the equality act 2010 this is classed as a disability.please read how to avoid dyslexia discrimination in the workplace .you are required to make suitabal adjustments if people with dyslexia require it and i do thanks (this has taken me a long time to write please read it thanks)
Comment by marcus paton posted on
just looked at mines and its red work in aberdeen do about 170 tests a month on all ages of cars 70%fail rate have dvsa seen the state of aberdeen roads and people hear don,t seem to worry about there cars and will only do basics to keep them on the road,i also do a lot of fleet motors that are used for site work,so how can they work this from the national average i think they need to re-think this before they start judging testers ability,s at doing there job.
Comment by martin posted on
I've been testing to long to worry about if im in the green blue orange or what ever colour it is this week if your testing to the standards there's nothing to worry about let dvsa worry about there own problems
Comment by Mark posted on
I do think we should be allowed too see why we are red or amber. how can we see what is what. what % is high or low 5% out 10% out?
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi Mark
The reason why you are in a particular colour band is likely to be as a result of a number of different things. This could be because you test a lot of new/old vehicles or you have a particularly high or low pass/fail rate at your garage. It may be quite usual to have a high pass rate as you generally test new vehicles. Just because you're in a particular rating doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. We are looking for changes from the norm for you and/or your testing station. Your rating is likely to change from month to month. You also need to look at thing like test logs and test quality information reports. Look also at your Event history which you can access from your home profile page.
Comment by Wayne posted on
This system is very floored as I work in a small family run mot station and all we do is mot I test cars of the average age of 12 years old and I’m in red because my fail rate is high and I test a lot of cars every month where as in a dealer ship or higher wage area they will test 3-5 year old cars the system can’t work as the national average doesn’t reflect I believe and area average would work better but i disagree with this system it’s more stress for the tester!
Comment by PAUL posted on
It seems to me, that we will have a higher risk rating for just doing our job correctly! I am way above national average on brakes (bike tests) , what do I do, pass vehicles that I know should be failed!! Don't think so. Bad idea I think.
Comment by richard posted on
why are we been bullied in our work place by these changes?As a AE, day to day running of a testing station is is quite difficult most days. Why should we worry what type of vehicle comes for a MOT test next just in case its a fail,pass,to old or to new because it might be different to the national average? We should be concentrating on the job in hand which at the moment is quite challenging with all the recent changes to test a vehicle and not worry about the stats.Slow down the pace DVSA
Comment by Paul posted on
Quote from 'MOT TESTING publication' ..
70% of the score comes from Tester performance. Obviously the Test Quality Information (TQI) pro-vides current details but the MTS system can also highlight:
• When entering brake readings the system knows when a re-entry has been made (ie altering a pass / fail to suit needs).
• On retests of measurable item, the MTS system will highlight items with a time limit after which that item can’t be re-Tested.
Comment by Stephen Ball posted on
I have read most of the comments and I can see why your panicking over the risk points system.
Just do the MOT your asked to do, the points system might not be you but the garage you work for. ie : viewing area, rest room, tea machine waiting area and so on. I've been testing for over 35 years now and have seen classic cars historic cars and now newer cars as I work at a dealership,, The newer cars still fail.
Yes were in the green but could be higher.
Keep testing people. that's all we can do.
Comment by A. JONES. posted on
Ok so let me understand this correctly we are told we are being risk rated on our mot stats ? But on our recent annual test there is a question on what to do when looking at our stats . Now then the correct answer is to pay attention to the stats but not to fail/pass a vehicle to alter the results of your stats , and this is from the test I might add , but now you are telling us if our stats are different from the national average that we will get a higher/lower risk assessment ! so on one hand your saying they are just a guide and on the other you are going to label a tester with a higher risk rating just for testing what he has in front of him . GENIUS !
Comment by Patrick Stradling AE & NT posted on
I believe that the mot fee is the root cause of the problem, after all it is a mandatory test, for which a fixed fee should apply every motorist would then know what they are getting, when you look at it, its just over £1 a week... not a lot in terms of road safety!
It really annoys me when people phone me and the first thing they ask is “how much do you charge for an mot “ after I tell them and explain that I only do mot’s and that I’m looking to pass their vehicle rather than looking for work that’s unnecessary,some book in but most say “oh I can get it done for £20 at qwik fit”.
You really need to sort this out dvsa
Comment by mark posted on
as you said in your column the big number it the physical side of the mot that keeps road safe and not all these stats time for a rethink dvsa
Comment by jooles posted on
as an independent mot tester I travel to various different sites on a weekly basis ,I am very concerned that if my standing turns from green to red for no fault of my own I could well be out of a job if the garage I am visiting wants to see my rating ,,,and really they have every right if they want to keep a green rating ,,,could somebody from dvsa answer are questions as this is a major concern to testers
Comment by Christopher Price (DVSA) posted on
Hi Jooles
Thanks for your comments. If you continue to test as you do now I see no reason why you should move to amber or red, but as an independent tester I can see why you are concerned.
You are right - when you start work at a new testing station you may be asked your rating and if this is amber or red this could lead to a difficult conversation. What we are trying to achieve by risk rating testers is for them to be aware of how they test. As as you are a key part of the MOT, it may lead to a conversation with the site manager or AEDM to understand your rating, and in most cases things will be fine. If, for example, in a particular month most of the vehicles you tested pass then this could lead to a higher rating as this is different from the norm - next month when the results are a mixture or pass and fail then the rating will change again.
If a tester always passes vehicles because they are serviced first and the vehicles are generally new then this may mean they are rated as red, however when DVSA looks at this and talks to the tester, we, like the tester, will understand that this is normal for them and not high risk at all. The risk here is low and we'll be able focus our resources elsewhere.
Its important to remember that ratings can and should fluctuate each month to reflect the type of testing you are doing, having a dynamic system like this not only makes it more effective but allows you to quickly see changes you have made.
So just to reiterate, being red or amber doesn't necessarily mean you are doing anything wrong.
Comment by jooles posted on
thank you for your reply ,that has answered a few concerns I have had ,but lets hope I don't get any of those awkward conversations with clients,,,
Comment by Martin posted on
So why have it then ? if red and amber don't mean anything is amiss but can affect your ability to find work then it is flawed.
Most employers won't get past the red/amber part before dismissing a job application which means your system could mean discrimination on the open labour market which I believe is illegal.
Comment by Christopher Price (DVSA) posted on
Hi Martin
Thanks for your comments.
Not all testing is carried out to the correct standard, we know that some vehicles get the wrong result when they are tested, this might be by mistake or in some cases deliberate, risk rating allows us to highlight the testers that are getting things wrong and help them, so we need a system that helps us to identify those individuals.
Like we have said in other posts it may well mean the tester is not doing anything wrong it’s just that they test in a particular way that is different to the norm.
We did consider not revealing the tester score, however we felt it better to let testers know so they can improve if needed, this is the reason why only the tester can see their score. Agree some employers may ask your risk rating, and I would hope they don't base employment solely on that as that is not what it is designed for, however when asked the question you need to be able to show steps you have taken to reduce your risk, this could be extra training or even the fact that you are applying for a new job can show that you are open to change and improve.
Comment by jooles posted on
could you read andys post as it sounds like he is a employer and says he would not employ a tester with a amber or red rating ,to then keep his station compliant ,,now I am very concerned arfter reading his post, how many more employers will be thinking the same ,,
Comment by 2002 posted on
When you say we as testers can see our score so we can see where we need to improve? or be trained ? is this to be added or do you just mean green amber or red . if it is the latter how do we know why we are say now in green but suddenly go to red the next month and also make the test station risk score change. I can see a lot of station owners not being happy if you are the tester make a station come out of green maybe .
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi
The score refers to the bands red, amber and green.
Your rating is likely to fluctuate each month to reflect the type of testing you are doing and you can see this quickly.
What we are trying to achieve by risk rating is for testers to be aware of how they test. Being red or amber doesn't necessarily mean you are doing anything wrong but highlights what is different from the norm for the tester. This may be influenced by a number of things such as the volume of tests you do, the time taken to carry out tests and failure rates.
Comment by Martin posted on
It seems tester discrimination WILL be a problem ! perhaps you should address this before it costs people their livelihood.
It could work the other way with testers not wanting to work for an amber/red vts because it could affect their employment prospects at a later date with other vts.
Comment by Les posted on
Having been a tester for 46 years, I never thought I would see the day when I am penalized because I am testing older vehicles and therefore more failures something must be wrong somewhere.
Comment by Christopher Price (DVSA) posted on
Hi Les
Thanks for your comments, testing older vehicles is fine and we do not penalise testers for doing so. If you test older vehicles you probably will have a higher failure rate and that alone is not a cause for concern.
Comment by Barry from MOT Juice posted on
Given that we are in a modern age, where data is king, you can understand why DVSA are using data to measure performance. ( that coupled to Govt cut backs and less DVSA staff in the field )
Many test stations have not seen a Vehicle Examiner for many many years and the consensus seems to be that they are not expecting to see one soon.
As the DVSA can now use our data to decide who to visit then it is clear that whether we like this new process or not we are going to have to be aware of it and make sure that we all keep our own house in order.
My understanding is that DVSA are sensible enough to realise that a bad TQI percentage may not automatically mean a bad tester, they do appreciate that we all test different cars presented in differing states of repair, the task for us is to be aware of the data and be sure that when a VE arrives for a site review we have a clear management process that we can show to a VE that tracks our internal audit and works to resolve any problems.
I am pretty sure that whatever we all think about this new process we are going to have to evolve our own process and work with this to protect our own businesses and our livelihoods.
Comment by dave bs posted on
I disagreed about being relaxed, not expecting a VE if one has not been for a while, I am in the firm belief a VE could walk in at any moment on any day, that alone keeps myself and other people I work with on the ball
Comment by bert posted on
so if you work at a garage and you are the main MOT tester as thats what you are employed as, you will be marked down because you are doing more tests than the average, where as other garages may employ 4-5 testers and split the work load, doesn't sound very fair to me
Comment by Gary posted on
Most of my customers come in for mot and service together.mot test results vary a lot if you service before mot or mot before service, if you mot before service dvsa are getting a more accurate indication of the state of vehicles on our roads. if you mot before service your failure rate will be much higher.
Comment by Jack Jones posted on
What steps are being taken to identify mot testers that are deliberatly failing vehicles as dangerous faults, so that they can get additional work?
What can vehicle owners do when they consider the mot tester has falsly failed their vehicle? This should be clearly displayed in all mot test centers..
Are you keeing / monitoring data on the increase of mot failers due to"Dangerious" faults?
Comment by Andy posted on
As an AE with overall responsibility on making sure the vts is being run to the highest standards I feel that the NT risk assessment should be available to me as well, not just the nt and dvsa.
This is vital information in the running of a fully compliant testing station and making sure we only employ the best testers.
Regular QC’s and spot checks help maintain the standards to a certain degree ,test logs and test quality reports are a great asset but this does not replace the human thoughts of our DVSA inspectors
Comment by martin posted on
The system is flawed and shouldn't be relied on as an indicator of a tester's ability's.
Close scrutiny and your own QC checks is the only reliable way.
Comment by daz posted on
hi martin my rating is red i am the aedm at my site.I carry out most of the testing at the site the main one being tests failed is below national average..My tests per month is 3 times the national average but only a few of the test quality info catagaries are above national average.
just seems the testers scoring needs a bit more work.
Comment by Bob posted on
It is due to data protection laws. You could make it a condition of employment that they show their rating. If they are unwilling then there must be a problem or they are trying to hide something.
Comment by jooles posted on
this is why it is a major concern to my self going to different sites every week ,may be different for testers who are employed full time ,,but say for no fault of mine I have a red rating go to a garage on the Monday morning and be told I cannot test there because of my rating ,now who is going to pay my bills when I don't get payed ,,or should I say who do I sue for loss of earnings ,,,going to get interesting in the next few months,,,,
Comment by Gary mond posted on
DVSA need to concentrate more on testing quality then anything else. It is clearly known many garages are passing cars without even checking them therefore DVSA needs to emphasise and catch these culprits. Standard of testing needs to be fair this can only happen with more inspectors visiting regularly. DVSA are cutting costs by reducing staff and putting more workload on inspectors furthermore other schemes are put in place to cover the real reasons.
Comment by Richard posted on
I’m in the red but I have no idea why. I test mainly new vehicles with an average age of 4 year old, my failure rate is low but that’s because I work in a main dealer and do the work needed before I mot the car. It’s caused me a lot of worry today not knowing why I’m in the red.
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi Richard
Christopher Price's reply above might help you.
Comment by James. NT AE posted on
And also what of the vehicles in hand, a test is on the vehicle more than the tester, we are a people that only test to what we are presented. Surely if you work in an average garage with no dealership symbol above your front door, you could be presented with all manor of failures. Does that make you a bad tester if each one takes an hour and fails on multipul items? Or a good tester for doing your job? I used to think we would decide that, clearly not.
Comment by Malcolm posted on
how often will the 'risk status' be updated?
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi Malcolm
Both tester and testing station risk ratings are updated every month.
Comment by dave bs posted on
will there be so sort of way we as tested can find out what the criteria is for the risk assessment, how are we supposed to know, if we don't know what we are trying to aim for, as from a tester point of view, I can only test what is presented and do my job to the best of my abilities, I'm not got to change to get a green box on a screen, I cannot help it if I fail more vehicles than average, if they do not meet the standard to pass, the vts I work at like 90% are not testing to get extra work, but are doing honest tests. if feel this new system will punish a lot of honest testers
Comment by jooles posted on
so this is the only reply we get to all are concerns,,,
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi Jooles
You will see a reply from Christopher Price of DVSA above.
Comment by fed up honest tester posted on
amber simply because i test more trade ins and more cars than the other testers..another tester has an average test time of 24 mins but is green..bottom line is going to be lets keep it in the green lads and keep dvsa happy...good idea on paper..not so in reality...sorry
Comment by Richard posted on
Having spoke to a few different testers those that work in independent test sites are for the most part falling in to the Amber or red categorys through no fault of their own, some feel as though they are being penalised for working somewhere that deals with older vehicles. Whereas those that work in a dealers for example are falling more in to the green because of the age of vehicle tested. I feel the rating system needs a bit of a rethink
Comment by Barry from MOT Juice posted on
We have a similar situation with one of our ramps that tests mostly cars from a local car supermarket that are all fully prepared and serviced before sale, we only mot them the day they are sold, so looking at our own stats we have only failed 2 of their cars this year ( out of around 40 a week ) , this means our tester on that bay has bad TQI for not enough fails. Nothing wrong with his testing procedure, but now each month we review his TQI and record reasons why we are away from the national average.
Comment by Steven Poultney posted on
I write, bewildered and disappointed at the discovery today that I am graded as an "Amber" tester. I've always worked hard to test according to the Regulations and the Methods of Inspection. I test independently at two separate Test Stations in deeply rural Dorset. The average age of the vehicles I test is higher than the norm at 12-13 years, average mileages tend to be high due to the geography of the county.
I would like to know please, what deviation from the average triggers an "Amber" light and what should I be doing about it?
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi Steven
It sounds like you're doing everything correctly so you shouldn't worry and a particular rating doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong.
The reason why you are in a particular colour band is likely to be as a result of a number of different things. This could be because you test a lot of new/old vehicles or you have a particularly high or low pass/fail rate at your garage. We are looking for changes from the norm for you and/or your testing station. Your rating is likely to change from month to month. You also need to look at thing like test logs and test quality information reports. Look also at your Event history which you can access from your home profile page.
Comment by Alastair posted on
As an independent testing station that does not carry out repairs (located in a less affluent area of the country) we test significantly more vehicles than the national average and as such we have a high failure rate due to older vehicles being presented that generally are not well maintained and in poor condition and as such increase our failure rate (60%+). I am struggling to understand the reasoning in classing a conscientious NT who performs a lot of tests to a high standard, who, due to the local demographic and quality of vehicles presented is rated as Amber. It makes no sense as it appears that the tester is being penalised or put under suspicion because he or she is testing exactly as the DVSA requires but due to the quality and age of vehicles being presented is deemed to be failing in some way? Looking at the test quality information reveals nothing that would help to change this as the failure rates for some specific items are going to appear higher than average due to the higher quantity of tests being performed. More clarification is required as to how the rating is calculated, this system as is will lead to a lot of disalussioned testers who cannot understand the reason for their rating when they are seemingly doing everything right??
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi Alastair
You are correct in testing the way DVSA requires and that testing different types of vehicles may affect the rating you are in. We're looking for significant differences from the norm, so if you carry on testing the way you are, you won't be under any suspicion. Various factors will affect a risk rating category such as breaks in testing, volume of tests carried out, time taken to carry out tests and amount of failures, for example.
You can discuss your rating when a vehicle examiner visits you next.
Comment by Grdon posted on
Couldn't agree more with Martin, I would have to assume that rfr's with regards corrosion. for example would wildly differ between north west of Scotland and south east Engerlung So how does national average have any bearing
Comment by castrolrob posted on
im rated amber so I have to assume no of tests and my 60% fail rate are the governing factors,test time is 5 mins off average so that shouldn't be it either.our fail rate and thruput aint changed in 30 years,perhaps moving the garage from luton could be the solution?all averages with the exception of emissions/lights at(or in some cases well below)national average,any suggestions on how I get into the green gratefully accepted
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi
You recently posted a comment as follows: 'if a headlamp adjuster switch is removed for retest is it a pass/fail/advise what?'
You would ‘pass and advise’.
Comment by castrolrob posted on
halleluuha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!6mnths after I first asked the question I finally have an answer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!a little late but I can always ring up the guys who by now will have scrapped the motors concerned and tell em its all ok now.i first asked this prior to the new system going live to avoid being in this position in the first place.....
Comment by peter posted on
i agree with Martin, i work a long day and often on older vehicles so i get through quite a few MOT,S some day,s, it seems as before because i do a lot of older vehicles i am penalized .why should the age of a car make any difference to a risk assessment ??.
Comment by DARREN posted on
I have been testing for some years now and not really a great fan of this national average because you never know from one day to the next what is going to come through those doors ,surely if yr local DVSA rep is happy with yr testing standard then surely why would we be penalized for what we do
Comment by Jay posted on
It would be helpful to actually see the reasons as to why we are classed as red or amber. Its all good saying we need to look in to it so that we can improve, but that is hard to do when there is no information as to what the reasoning is as individuals.
Comment by Dave posted on
Mot fee needs to be enforced. So that there are no cheep mot,s ever test station must charge full free at all times and same for retest fees.
Comment by Iain posted on
In order for there to be an average there needs to be 2 extremes with an average being in the middle, so unless we all become employed in the same MOT station and MOT the same type of car then this system is unfair. I think it could potentially cause stress to MOT testers who by no fault of their own cannot meet the national average....Poor idea DVSA
Comment by richard posted on
Just checked my national average for testing in a particular month & its way above the national average for that month,as I mostly do MOT's , what risk rating will that show?
Comment by mercedes posted on
a little bit off help on what we are doing wrong and how too improve our selfs would be helpful but when we ask you get no responce you think that this would better than punishing us if someone tells me this is wrong but if you do it this way this is right you pay attention too good advice
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi
We're not out to punish staff. We're asking you to look at how you test and how that could be different from the norm. If you are in an amber or red category, you might want to look at how you or your garage is testing, whether you test mainly old/new vehicles, length of time of test, test quality information reports and event history, for example. The main purpose of risk rating is to allow DVSA to help garages that need our assistance. For example, just because you test a lot of old vehicles which may take longer to do, this doesn't mean that it's a problem and will be taken into account by your vehicle examiner.
Comment by Martin posted on
We can only test what comes through the door. In an ideal world the VTS would filter out any vehicles that could cause a problem to your grading system (because that's how it comes across) ie too old/too new.
Ideally relocate to a middle income area so we are not troubled by ancient mondeo's / sprinters with moon mileage or everyone's nemesis a rusty Transit.
Then when everyone is in the green all testing is done correctly isn't it.
Smoke and mirrors ...
Comment by Julia (DVSA) posted on
Hi Martin
Risk rating is a tool to help DVSA to target our resource where it is most needed.
We're not encouraging all testers to change how they work. You should test what is presented to you and give the appropriate result. If a tester is red or amber but they are content they are doing the job right then they do not need to change and the DVSA vehicle examiner will establish whether the risk score is correct or not. However some testers who are red or amber may want to look at their test quality information and test logs to work out why they are high risk and adapt how they test to reduce this.
Comment by Martin posted on
(First sentence)
We're not encouraging all testers to change how they work.
However some testers who are red or amber may want to look at their test quality information and test logs to work out why they are high risk and adapt how they test to reduce this. (last sentence)
Contradictory and exactly what you say you are not influencing.
Comment by Andy posted on
You stress the importance of the correct approach which is very important. However my average age of vehicles is several years higher than the national average ( many it must be said are 1 step away from the scrapyard) and the failure rate is high, Much higher the national average. Day in day out i test vehicles properly and now i find myself classed as red. Very disappointing and almost counter-productive to decent testing. I will continue to test as per the manual but feel i'm being punished for doing a decent job.
Comment by Martin posted on
It would help if you highlighted where we are allegedly deviating from what you class as normal.
MOT rfr's are influenced geographically as well as by the individual NT.
Somebody who does nothing except mot testing with a higher than "normal" age of vehicle is going to be more at risk of dropping into amber through no fault of his own.
Comment by dave bs posted on
agreed. the way it looks like this has been decided on, will affect those who may do mainly older vehicles, and possibly show them in a bad light through no fault of there own, these new risk assessment ways are a real concern
Comment by Craig Wilson posted on
I used to work in a dealership only doing mots , now work in a small garage doing mots Dealership fail rate approx 15-20% independant approx 65-70% most cars tested are from trade approx 85% . very few cars are checked before comeing in for mot + a lot of cars are not fit to be on the road . Personally i would say a much higher quality of test is done in the small garages . I have seen mots done in 10 mins in dealerships and not even hitting mot ramps , checked on 2 poster quick brake test emission + out the door mostly due to Techs trying to make bonus. So in my opinion hoe can you compare quality of testing useing this information