Test criteria IAM.

[WhoseGeneration]

Re the 'obsessive approach', a larger part of my job is understanding precisely what people are saying and what they mean. It's also one of the gifts which comes with dyslexia. You should see how long it takes me to reply to these postings. All part of life's rich tap-estuary... Now there's a clue....

Yup, with elements of autism and OCD, which I well understand.
That drive for perfection but others can't appreciate it, leaving one perplexed.
Age provides a more mellow, or, perhaps, stuff em, approach.
It's why, as often expressed here, those in charge adopt the dealing with the lowest common denominator way with respect to laws to attempt to modify behaviour.
The sad thing is that those in charge don't seek to raise standards.

[Kimosabe]

Haha - good luck Kimosabe. I love the contrast between two of your posts - I remember the first one I read, which basically said "why should I use this silly System thing, when I have my own that works for me?" and this latest which says "I'm quite proud of how I've switched my driving to use the silly System thing, but my stupid friend didn't notice!"

Sadly, the only people who do notice (without prompting) are all AD geeks like you are rapidly becoming. It seems you've got the bug. Good luck in your test - I'm sure you don't need it.

Glad you're also following my progress so closely. I was driving well before but now that I've added some slightly different ways of doing things or changed a few minor techniques, I'm an 'advanced driver'. As you rightly say, nobody really cares how I drive but me and its all through self motivation and an obsession to get whatever I'm learning right, according to those who are teaching me.

To call asking for marking and test criteria obsessive, is missing the point. I now have both the IAM and RoSPA marking sheets for my region and I was given both of them without asking, by both of my observers and after being told that the criteria would help me to understand what is expected of me. The irony! I maintain that they should be readily available and if not already, nationally standardised. Marks and percentages matter because without them, how can anyone be standardised, judged or compared? If you're suggesting that sometimes being focussed on something (an exam) equates to an OCD or mild Autism, not only is that wildly incorrect but by that estimation find me someone who isn't.

Those in charge are those who don't appear to be in charge, it's just that they too often don't know it.

[GJD]

I now have both the IAM and RoSPA marking sheets for my region and I was given both of them without asking, by both of my observers and after being told that the criteria would help me to understand what is expected of me. The irony!

I can imagine

I maintain that they should be readily available and if not already, nationally standardised. Marks and percentages matter because without them, how can anyone be standardised, judged or compared?

I think a couple of other posters made important points:

Re - subjective marking. Some tasks simply lend themselves to a holistic assessment more than an analytical one.

and

I agree that there is no fixed notion of what constitutes a first, except scoring mostly 1s and a few 2s in the IAM test. http://www.iam.org.uk/drivers/f1rst

It's quite likely that this is backwards, i.e. the sheet is filled with 1s because the drive matched the expected standard for a First.

Personally I'm quite happy with assessment of that nature but I can understand that others might not be. I'm not sure what the answer is though when that is the nature of the assessment. It's perfectly possible to maintain some standardisation of Examiners' subjective judgement but there's still the problem of communicating the standard to a candidate who wants to know what it is. Written descriptions of driving standards are fraught with difficulty: I think they tend to only be meaningful to people already familiar with what it is the author is trying to describe.

[dombooth]

Best of luck bud, dont forget to include any and all audi drivers in your commentary as being plonkers unless proved otherwise

Hijinx - you missed the BMW and Merc drivers out.

Dom

[Hiijinx]

Best of luck bud, dont forget to include any and all audi drivers in your commentary as being plonkers unless proved otherwise

Hijinx - you missed the BMW and Merc drivers out.

Dom

But ofcourse! Well for a more in depth lit, at the risk of insulting someone, i also include the following to my commentaries:

Old vauxhall vectra/astras - the poor mans bmw. Have yet to see one who isnt an idiot.
Old fiestas around p-s reg, mostly purple
Rose colored honda jazz
Anything with an argos exhaust
Dice/trees on mirrors
Baby on board signs
Dented bumpers/doors
People who own white cars and don't wash them
One hand on wheel at 12 oclock, other resting on door
Short people ( no offense but i am nervous when I cannot see their head above the wheel!)
People with hats not in open tops, often mentioned
Anyone on a weekend, driving to "unfamiliar" places
Near garden centres
French cars, keep well back for when they break down
RObin reliants- enough said
Personalised plates not including hpc
Full cars of young drivers
Men in people carriers
Van shaped cars, citroen kangaroo thingy
Peope who drive with right hand on roof of car
Anyone with a "sporty" car who doesn't use both hands on wheel....

And breath....

[hir]

.

Kimosabe, nice post.

... and went self-employed.

It's the only way to retain one's sanity these days. The next stage is the realisation that you have become unemployable, in the sense that there is no way you could ever work for (note: that's for, not with) anyone else ever again. That's when you know you're actually sane.

I also drove with an AD Atheist today and he's still not convinced that my driving has altered that much but I'm inclined to disagree.

Just ignore the ignoramous . Seriously though, the most significant change/improvement/difference in your level of driving skill will be taking place inside your head, and that will be invisible to your unconvinced friend. An obvious example will be that you will now be seeing, and mentally dealing with, hazards long before you were seeing and dealing with them previously. For the casual onlooker this is not easily discernible. My favourite passenger comment is... this car has a lovely smooth ride, doesn't it? I'm always tempted to say... well, yes, but I can also drive it un-smoothly. But I never do; I just agree with them.

Thanks for all the support.

You're welcome.

Re the 'obsessive approach', a larger part of my job is understanding precisely what people are saying and what they mean. It's also one of the gifts which comes with dyslexia. You should see how long it takes me to reply to these postings. All part of life's rich tap-estuary... Now there's a clue....

Keep posting, please.

[GJD]

Dented bumpers/doors
People who own white cars and don't wash them
French cars, keep well back for when they break down

Oooh! I would have scored three points with my previous car - didn't realise I was causing so much concern.

[Ancient]

People with hats not in open tops, often mentioned
Anyone on a weekend, driving to "unfamiliar" places
Near garden centres
And breath....

Sorry but I simply don't like leaving bits of my hair on the roof-linings!

The "unfamiliar" places I sometimes drive to at weekends include garden centres! I do try to avoid them (which is why they are "unfamiliar" ...)

[dombooth]

Personalised plates not including hpc

I only scored one point.

Although I think my personal plate suits me perfectly.

Dom

[fungus]

But ofcourse! Well for a more in depth lit, at the risk of insulting someone, i also include the following to my commentaries:

Old vauxhall vectra/astras - the poor mans bmw. Have yet to see one who isnt an idiot.
Old fiestas around p-s reg, mostly purple
Rose colored honda jazz
Anything with an argos exhaust
Dice/trees on mirrors
Baby on board signs
Dented bumpers/doors
People who own white cars and don't wash them
One hand on wheel at 12 oclock, other resting on door
Short people ( no offense but i am nervous when I cannot see their head above the wheel!)
People with hats not in open tops, often mentioned
Anyone on a weekend, driving to "unfamiliar" places
Near garden centres
French cars, keep well back for when they break down
RObin reliants- enough said
Personalised plates not including hpc
Full cars of young drivers
Men in people carriers
Van shaped cars, citroen kangaroo thingy
Peope who drive with right hand on roof of car
Anyone with a "sporty" car who doesn't use both hands on wheel....

And breath.... [/quote]

You left out Little princess on board

[Kimosabe]

Again, thanks to all for posting their comments on this thread. Each and every one is appreciated. It appears to be upto me to declare open season on everything which get's in our way on the road.

Once I have passed on Sunday, if it's still pertinent, I'll let you all in on something which has supported much of my determination to find out the marking criteria for the tests.

It's eyes down for a full house in the spare time i'll have for the next couple of days. Thanks to all who have helped me to understand all of this outside of the text in a book. It may not seem like it to some but I have spent more time driving some very decent and experienced folk around in my car in the last few weeks than I have writing on this forum. I've also had the greatest pleasure in being out in the sticks while Springtime gives way to Summer (technically speaking). Wish me luck and I hope to meet you all out there sometime.

So without further ado, I hereby declare Open season on faffy drivers! (where's the rabbit in the headlights emoticon?)

Kimosabe

[Kimosabe]

IAM Test result: pass

If associate who hasn't yet passed needs to ask me questions about anything related to the IAM test, please PM me.

[fungus]

Well done.

[Kimosabe]

Well done.

Thanks Nigel. It went really well. Glad to have it under my belt. And now for some slipangle-ology

[Hiijinx]

You'll have to share this slipangleology when we next meet, would like to hear it explained properly.