Instructor Examinations Conducted by Traffic Violator Schools  PDF Version

Issue Date: October 2, 2006

New Information

Effective October 1, 2006, the Department of Motor Vehicle's (DMV) will no longer administer the written examination for Traffic Violator School (TVS) instructors at the field offices. The exam will be administered to prospective instructors by the TVS owner, operator, or designated representative.

Completing and Mailing Applications

An application for TVS instructor is valid for 12 months from the application date. The TVS owner or operator must certify under penalty of perjury on the Application for Instructor's License Traffic Violator School (OL 710) that an instructor has passed the written exam. Specific instructions for completing and mailing the completed application to the Occupational Licensing (OL) Unit in Sacramento are included on the checklist.

To expedite the issuance of the instructor license, mail completed applications with the fee(s) directly to the OL Unit at:

Issuance of Licenses/Temporary Permits

TVS instructor licenses or temporary permits will be issued within 10 business days after receipt of completed applications. The license or temporary permit will only be issued by the OL Unit in Sacramento. If you do not receive a temporary license or permit and the applicant has not received notification from the OL Unit that he or she is not qualified, the employer should contact the OL Unit at (916) 229-3127.

Incomplete Applications

All incomplete TVS instructor applications held by TVS field offices will be forwarded to the OL Unit after September 30, 2006. For assistance in completing an incomplete application, the TVS owner, operator, or designated representative must contact the OL Unit at (916) 229-3127.

Written Examinations

The OL Unit will automatically mail an initial supply of 20 exams to each Traffic Violator School. The exam consists of 50 questions. A perforated answer sheet is attached to each exam and must be removed by the owner, operator, or designated representative prior to administering the exam.

• An applicant has 45 minutes to complete the exam.
• A passing score is 40 or more correct answers.
• The exam administrator must use the corresponding answer strip and mark any incorrect answers when correcting the exam.
• The exam administrator must collect the exam once the applicant has completed the exam process.
• All completed written exams and corresponding answer strips must be retained by the TVS for three years.

The exam questions and answers are solely for use by the TVS owner, operator, or designated representative in administering the exam and must not be distributed or shared with any other person. The TVS owner, operator, or designated representative must take reasonable precautions to secure the exam questions and answers and shall not allow the questions or answers to be copied or reproduced in any manner.

Review Process/Reexaminations

Applicants are eligible to review the written exam after it has been corrected.

• The exam administrator must be present during the review process.
• The exam must be collected once the applicant has completed the review process.
• Although current exams state a waiting period of one week is required, a waiting period is no longer required before a reexamination can be administered. Exams will reflect this change once current inventory is exhausted.
• There is no limitation on the number of exams that can be administered to a candidate. After three unsuccessful attempts, the test administrator should encourage the applicant to study before any future attempts.

Ordering Written Examinations

Requests will only be accepted on the authorized form. Submit reorder requests using the attached Traffic Violator School Instructor Written Test Order Form (OL 856) which must be signed and submitted by the TVS owner. The OL 856 is available online or upon request from the OL Unit in Sacramento. DMV field offices will not stock the OL 856.

There is a limit of 20 exams per request. Orders will be shipped within four to six weeks of the request date to the TVS address of record by courier service. Someone must be present to receive and sign for the shipment. The TVS owner must take reasonable precautions to secure the exams received.

Requests may be submitted by mail to:

Background

Currently, applicants for TVS instructor license must take the written exam at designated DMV field offices. Regulations were amended in June 2006 to allow Traffic Violator Schools to administer the TVS instructor exam. Additional information regarding TVS requirements and fees can be found online in the Traffic Violator School Program Handbook at www.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/ol/tvschool.htm.

Distribution

Notification that this memo is available online at www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/olin/olin.htm was made via e-mail alert in October 2006 to Traffic Violator Schools.

Contact

Direct any questions you may have to the Occupational Licensing Unit at (916) 229-3127.

MARY GARCIA, Chief
Occupational Licensing

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