Full Membership Assessment Explained

The assessment process has been designed by highly qualified and experienced DSA approved (now DVSA) examiners. The assessment process is challenging and achievable. It’s been designed by chauffeurs for chauffeurs. It's relevant to your daily role and gives you the opportunity to showcase your chauffeur skills against a benchmark standard.

The GoPC assessors have all been specifically trained for this process and also hold IAM Roadsmart, and or RoSPA Gold/Police advanced driving qualifications.

Assessment locations

The Guild has regional locations available for assessment days, however, the assessors are more than happy to travel to you to run an assessment day. Successful assessment days recently have been run in Liverpool, Doncaster, Exeter and Manchester. This benefits those operators who wish to put one or more of their drivers through the process.

Vehicle

If you have access to your own chauffeur vehicle you should use it. Your vehicle must be roadworthy, immaculately presented and legal for you to drive it. No vehicle displaying a cockpit warning light or illegal number plates will be allowed to continue through the process.

Documentation and ID checks

On the assessment days, documentation and online DVLA checks will be completed. Photocard driving licence and local authority licensing paperwork will be required on the assessment day. If you’re new and venturing into the chauffeur industry then just your driving licence will be required. Please contact us prior to the event if you need access to a chauffeur car which can be provided subject to certain insurance requirements.

First aid certification

It is a requisite of membership that the candidate possesses a 1st Aid certificate. You are welcome to choose your own training provider The GoPC can provide a subsidised first aid course run in association with Red-2-Medical. We normally run the 1st Aid course as part of the assessment weekend. This quality course offers fantastic quality and value.

Highway Code

This is a 20 question multi-choice question paper which requires an 80% pass rate. This knowledge check has been designed to be achievable. It is recommended that you research and complete the many free online questions available on the internet. As professional chauffeurs, it is strongly recommended that you buy and read through the latest highway code. We have been running assessment days since 2017 years and the Highway Code paper is passed by the majority of candidates. Please let the team know if you have additional requirements with regards to this paper such as reading and writing differences. We can help.

Route planning exercise (RPE)

Prior to the assessment, you will receive a pack containing details of a task that you’ll be required to complete on the day. The task replicates what happens daily in the chauffeur industry. It’s a new booking with a Chief Executive of a large company. The task is designed to highlight your skills as a chauffeur. You will be expected to read the task requirements prior to attending the assessment day. The pack will inform you of the RPE elements required for the day, you will be required to show your written plan of your Route at the start of the exercise. You will need to prepare and plan for the RPE, which is another important part of the assessment day.

Practical driving assessment

Your driving will be assessed and detailed feedback will be given after your drive. This feedback should be viewed as essential continued personal development. There is no such thing as a perfect drive. We can all reflect on daily driving situations and improve. The practical assessment will introduce incidents into the assessment which mirrors your everyday job. The assessment is designed to challenge you, not fail you. The role play assessment is typical of daily chauffeur work up and down the country. The assessors are looking for you to provide a normal safe and systematic everyday chauffeur drive. RoSPA and IAM driving qualifications are desirable but not essential.

Dress code

We would expect as current or aspiring chauffeurs that your dress will be a smart suit, shirt and tie with smart shoes. Our members are telling us that dress code remains an important issue. It gives confidence to other licensed operators and event organisers who may be looking to place work that our smartness and personal grooming is consistent across the UK.

Interested?

Any questions please contact the Guild on the contact page. We will be delighted to assist you in passing the assessment process to achieve the GoPC lapel pin.