ADI Part 3 FAULTS method
Pass part 3 using the FAULTS method
The FAULTS Method can boost your ADI Part 3 performance because it gives you a clear structure for dealing with mistakes rather than simply spotting them and moving on. Find it, Analyse it, Understand it, Learn from it, Try it again and Support encourages you to identify what happened, establish why it happened and then choose an appropriate teaching strategy.
This can help demonstrate important Part 3 skills such as adapting the lesson, analysing problems, managing risk and helping the pupil understand how to improve.
FAULTS method for part 3
Most importantly, FAULTS keeps the focus on pupil improvement rather than fault finding. Once you've dealt with a problem, you give the pupil another suitable opportunity to try again and adjust the level of support according to what they need — fully guided, prompted or independent.
That creates a clear learning cycle: spot the problem → understand the cause → provide a solution → practice → assess the improvement. On Part 3, that's far more powerful than simply telling a pupil what they did wrong.
F = FIND IT
F – Find It
Before you can teach anything, you have to recognise what has actually gone wrong.
Spot the fault, but don’t simply react to the obvious symptom. Was the approach to the junction too fast? Were mirrors missed? Was the gap unsafe? Identify the specific fault and decide whether it needs dealing with immediately.
A = Analyse It
A – Analyse It
Once you have found the fault, work out why it happened. This is where KUSC becomes valuable: Knowledge, Understanding, Skill and Confidence.
A pupil approaching a junction too quickly might not know the correct routine, might understand it but lack the skill to judge speed, or might simply be overconfident.
Different causes require different solutions.
U = Understand It
U – Understand It
The pupil needs to understand what actually happened, not merely be told they were wrong.
Help them connect their actions with the outcome: “Because we carried too much speed into the junction, what happened to the time you had available to observe?”
Good understanding gives the pupil something they can apply next time.
L = Learn from It
L – Learn From It
Now turn the mistake into learning. What needs to change on the next attempt? It might be braking earlier, improving observations, changing the timing of a mirror check or using a particular reference point.
The pupil should leave the discussion knowing what they are going to do differently, rather than simply knowing what they did wrong.
T = Try It Again
T – Try It Again
This is one of the most important parts of the method. Give the pupil another opportunity to practice the corrected behaviour.
If they approached one junction too quickly, finding another suitable junction allows them to demonstrate that they can apply what they have just learned.
Finding and discussing a fault isn't enough; improvement needs an opportunity to happen.
S = Support
S – Support
Decide how much help the pupil needs for the next attempt.
They may need a fully guided approach with detailed instruction, a prompted attempt with carefully timed questions, or they may be ready to try independently.
Support should be based on the pupil's needs rather than automatically repeating the same level of instruction.