The Missing Permit and the Test Sign-Off
At 09:10 on a Monday, a learner arrives for a two-hour lesson. He is ten minutes late and says he left his learner permit at home; he shows a phone photo of it. The instructor's ADI packet shows the learner has completed 12 lessons and is booked for a practical test on Friday. The learner asks the instructor to mark the lesson as completed and test-ready because he needs the sign-off. The instructor also notices that the permit in the photo appears to have expired three days earlier. The learner says he has a renewal appointment on Tuesday and asks to drive anyway because the route is quiet. The instructor has a gap in bookings and could fit in an extra lesson on Wednesday.
1. Should the instructor proceed with the driving lesson? Explain.
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No. The learner must hold a valid permit and have it with him when driving. A phone photo does not prove the permit is valid, and the photo appears to show it expired three days ago. If the permit is expired, the learner is unlicensed and the instructor's insurance may be invalid. The quiet route and the 12 completed lessons do not change that. The instructor should not let the learner drive, even for a short assessment. He can use the time for a non-driving discussion of the test route, cockpit drill or hazard perception, but he must not record it as a driving lesson. The learner should renew the permit before any further driving.
2. How should the instructor handle the packet and the request for test-ready sign-off?
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The packet is a record of what actually happened. He should write that the lesson did not proceed because a valid permit was not produced, and note the learner's renewal appointment. He must not mark the lesson as completed, and must not sign the learner off as test-ready. Sign-off is a judgement about competence and eligibility, not a favour to unlock a test. The learner has not driven for several days and has an expired permit, so there is no evidence for a Friday test. The instructor should explain that the test may need to be postponed until the permit is valid and at least one satisfactory lesson has been completed. If the learner pressures him, he should keep the wording factual.
3. What should happen on Wednesday if the learner renews on Tuesday?
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A Wednesday lesson can go ahead only if the learner brings the renewed permit and the instructor checks the expiry date before the drive. The instructor should not pre-fill the record. The lesson should start with a short document check and a low-risk drive, because there has been a break. The Friday test should be reviewed after that lesson, not promised in advance. If the renewal is delayed, the lesson should be cancelled again and the test moved. The instructor should avoid taking cash for a lesson that depends on a document the learner may not have.