Examination Procedures, Documentation and Record-Keeping
Examination Procedures, Documentation and Record-Keeping
This domain tests the administrative discipline that makes an examination defensible: correct identity, correct test sequence, calibrated equipment, complete records and clear communication.
Procedure
- Before testing, confirm the vehicle identity (chassis/VIN, registration mark, engine number where applicable), the appointment, the vehicle category and the documents presented.
- Present the vehicle in a safe condition: engine off unless running is required, transmission in neutral or park, wheels chocked or secured, keys controlled.
- Follow the approved sequence so that one test does not invalidate another, for example brake testing before a road test and emission testing at operating temperature.
- Use equipment within its calibration validity. Record the equipment identifier and result, not just pass.
- Inform the owner or representative of the result and defects in plain language. Give the defect notice and explain the re-examination route.
Documentation and records
- The examination record must be contemporaneous, legible, signed or authenticated and dated. It should identify the examiner, vehicle, test method, measurements, defects and outcome.
- Defect notices must map to the actual finding; avoid vague wording such as bad brakes. State component, condition, measurement and standard.
- A pass certificate or result should not be issued until all required tests are complete and recorded.
- Corrections must be made by a documented amendment, not by overwriting or destroying the original. Retain records for the required period and protect personal data.
Worked example
After a vehicle has been passed and the owner has left, the examiner realises the brake test printout belongs to a different vehicle. Reasoning: the record is now inaccurate and the pass is unsafe. The examiner must not quietly substitute the printout. The correct action is to report the error immediately, recall the vehicle for re-examination, quarantine or correct the record with an audit trail, and notify the supervisor. The integrity of the record matters as much as the mechanical result.
Traps that cost marks
- Recording a result before the test is complete or before the equipment has stabilised.
- Misspelling or transposing a VIN; identity errors invalidate the record.
- Using a stamp or signature on a blank form.
- Failing to record advisory defects because the vehicle passed anyway.
- Writing opinions such as owner careless instead of facts such as offside front tyre 1.2 mm at three points.