New MOT Testing Guide published

At long last DVSA have this morning issued Special Notice 3 – 2017 entitled, “Revision of the MOT Testing Guide 6th edition”.

This is long overdue, the old Guide still referring to the old Atos computer system, and DVSA’s own training provisions, both now long gone. The main changes are under the following headings:

Terminology: VOSA is now DVSA, Nominated Testers are now just “Testers”, and MOT Computerisation is now just – “The MOT Testing Service”.

Training: The changes here reflect the fact that all MOT Training is now supplied commercially, the provisions for Annual Training and Assessment, other training issues, and specifically the removal of the NTTA test for new Testers without appropriate qualifications.

Demonstration Tests: Here there is a significant change. Rather than the Vehicle Examiner either passing or failing a newly ‘qualified’ Tester when performing a demonstration Test, the Tester will be scored on ‘minor’ and ‘major’ errors. Any major error is a failure, as are more than 6 minor errors across the whole demonstration Test. There’s also a limit to the number of minor errors section by section.

Contingency Testing: In effect the changes here reflect the differences between the old and the current computer system should there be a systemic problem rendering it impossible to use the MOT Service.

Quality management processes: The changes here are very detailed and will need to be scrutinised to fully understand the new provisions. See next and future editons of MOT Testing magazine.

Role changes of MOT Security Cards: This explains the use of the new security card and how role changes are effected.

VTS IT equipment: Equipment specification and AE responsibility to supply and maintain it.

MOT Status and History checks: New online criteria.

Contact points: A new MOT Testing Service help desk.

Removal of some sections of the Guide: Section A and Appendix 10 removed.

Notes: The key areas of significance for AEs and Testers are the changes to the Demonstration Test, and regarding Quality Management processes. We’ll be covering the changes in more detail in the next edition of MOT Testing magazine.