Instructor Examination

To complete your Instructor traning you need to be tested after you complete your IDC, You will only be allowed to take these exams once your IDC has been passed succesfully, these tests or examinations are needed so that you can certify as an OWSI. The exam is a right of passage for PADI Instructors and is known as the Instructor Examination (IE).

The purpose of the IE is to evaluate your knowledge and skills in order to make sure they are sufficient to earn a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor certification. It is an evaluation program that tests your teaching ability, dive theory knowledge, water-skills, understanding of the PADI System and attitude and professionalism. The IE is a standardized evaluation conducted by Instructor Examiners who work for the various PADI Offices.

The IE is run by professional PADI Instructor Examiners from the local PADI Regional Headquarters, which goes a long way to ensure that your Instructor assessments are correct and without bias.

You will be tested both on your dive theory and knowledge as well as your personal dive skills and teaching presentations and these will occour in a classroom type environment, additionally these exams take place in both confined (pool) and open water (normally the beach if local dive conditions allow) environments. Confined water environments for the PADI IE is normally restricted to swimming pools to aid administration and logistics.

To pass the IE and to get certified as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor you have to succesfully meet the standards in every section of the Instructor Examination or IE. If you fail at your first attempt at the IE you will be permitted to take a second IE. Your second IE is not allowed to be taken within 5 days of the first and if you wait longer than 1 year after the first one you will need to either take a full IDC again or apply to PADI.

Areas that you will be evaluated on:

Dive Theory Classroom Exams

• Physics
• General Skills & Environment
• RDP – Recreational Dive Planner
• Physiology
• Equipment

PADI Classroom Exams

• PADI Standards & Procedures

Classroom Presentations

• Knowledge Development Teaching Presentation

Pool / Confined Water Teaching Presentations

• Confined Water Presentations (1 random skills)
• Confined Water Skills (5 random skills)

Open Water Presentations

• Open Water Teaching Presentation (2 random skills)
• Rescue Exercise 7 Demonstration

Your application fee for the PADI Instructor Examination are never included in your IDC course or package price, and need to be paid at the IE to PADI.

Once you have passed your IDC you will be invited to take your IE, this is normaly taken the weekend straight after your IDC finishes. You will be given a standard set of instructions like this.

This information is intended to assist IE Candidates in their preparation for their IE with information on venues, times and date. Make sure you read it carefully. If you have any questions in regard to the IE we suggest you contact your Course Director in the first instance or alternatively Instructor Development at PADI

Be sure and bring to the Orientation all materials necessary to participate in the IE. Additional information of venues and scheduling will be provided at this time.

Entry to the IE

If you are taking the full IE, your PADI Examiner needs three documents related to you. These include:

• An Instructor Certificate of Completion filled out and signed by a PADI Course Director. This form documents your completion of the IDC or OWSI programme. Please note that the hologram shipped with your PADI Instructor PADI Guide to Teaching should be affixed to this form. Failure to do so may delay the processing of your IDC and IE paperwork.
• Your completed IE Enrolment Form with payment details attached. The IE fee is payable by cheque, credit card or bank draft to the PADI Examiner at the IE. Please note it is our policy not to accept cash or EFTPOS. All cheques and bank drafts should be made payable to PADI Asia Pacific.
• A copy of an approved medical form. This form must be signed by a physician indicating that you have been examined and declared unconditionally fit to dive within a year of the IE’s final day. Without an approved medical form, you will not be allowed to participate in the confined or open water components of the IE.

Your Course Director may have:

• Given these documents to you with instructions to bring to the IE Orientation and Registration.

or

• Made other arrangements to ensure they are available at the Orientation and Registration session.

Your Course Director will be able to tell you which option they have chosen. However regardless of which option these are required items and must be handed to the Examiner at the IE Orientation and Registration. Failure to do so may result in your not being able to take the IE.

Resitting your IE

If you are resitting one or two segments of the IE, the examiner will need the following:

• The Certificate of Participation from your previous IE.
• Completed IE Enrolment form with payment details attached. The cost is made per segment payable by cheque, credit card or bank draft to the PADI Examiner at the IE. All cheques or bank drafts should be made payable to PADI. Please note it is our policy not to accept cash or EFTPOS.
• If you are resitting either the confined or open water portion of the IE, a copy of an approved medical form. This form must be signed by a physician indicating that you have been examined and declared unconditionally fit to dive within 12 months of the IE’s final day.

If this is your 3rd IE, you are required to provide your 3rd IE remediation document, signed off by a valid PADI Course Director.

Confined Water Logistics

The confined water portion of the IE will be held at a local pool / confined water area. All cylinders should have boots to minimise risk of damage to pool surrounds otherwise access may be denied.

Open Water Logistics

The open water site for the IE will be announced at the Orientation.