February 2018

N othing ever stays the same – it’s a cliché but it definitely applies to the MOT. In the last few years, changes to the running of the test by the DVSA has meant garages have needed to adjust to a number of new demands. We are now heading into the final months of the second full year of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) Annual Training regime for MOT testers and it’s clear that the new system is now well established. Terry Gibson, head of member services at the Independent Garage Association (IGA) said: “The vast majority of testers have a good understanding of the DVSA’s requirements and are aware of the consequences of failing to comply. The DVSA have been very clear that there will be no extension at the end of this training year and testers who have not completed their training, taken the online assessment and logged their result on the MOT Testing service by the 31 March 2018 deadline will be suspended from testing.” “The need for testers to complete a minimum of three hours of training per year (16 hours over a five year period) has given training providers the opportunity to offer a variety of delivery models for training from the increasingly popular and inexpensive printed workbook, which allows testers to work at their own pace, to classroom sessions where training takes place in the morning and the assessment is taken in the afternoon. In the latter instance a tester can be fully compliant in a day.” Trends The IGA has seen a continuation of the trend that started in the first year of testers leaving their training and assessment until the last moment. “For TAs, the pass mark is almost certain to rise in the coming years,“ observed Terry, “this will become a problem for those who continue to delay as there will be less time to review, revise and re-sit the online assessment for testers who do not pass first time. “At the moment, the relatively low bar that testers need to leap has not posed a great problem for most testers. This has been especially true in the first two years where the syllabus content centres on the physical issues of roadworthiness testing which are fully familiar to the majority of experienced testers. In contrast, the proposed syllabus for 2018/19 will require a comprehensive understanding of the revised Inspection Manual (in draft at the time of writing) which comes into force on 20 May 2018.” Testers who are not also the Authorised Examiner at a VTS should also bear in mind that the syllabus includes a need to understand the Test Quality Information provided by the MOT Testing Service, as well as a need to be familiar with the principles of Data Protection. “This Data Protection element of the training is of timely importance,” said Terry, “as there are significant changes in this arena brought about by the implementation of the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which are in force from 25 May 2018. For some testers, this will be a new and very different subject area and may present challenges.” He added: “Because the changes will affect every tester, on every MOT test carried out – and will do so by the end of May, the IGA is advising all testers to consider their 2018/19 Annual Training early, not late in the coming training year.“ www.aftermarketonline.net 44 AFTERMARKET FEBRUARY 2018 MOT www.aftermarketonline.net MOT 2018 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW It’s all happening with the MOT at present as we discuss ongoing changes to the test and how garages should prepare Above: The MOT doesn’t stay parked for long