The California Driver - Performance Evaluation Project - An Evaluation of an Anew Driver Licensing Road Test

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa

A report evaluates a prototype licensing road test designed to improve driver competency in California. The study is Stage 3 of a four-stage project and assesses reliability, validity, and difficulty of the Driving Performance Evaluation (DPE) through on-road testing in six DMV field offices. DPE scoring uses standardized criteria with observed maneuvers at planned locations and times. Results show DPE is more difficult but more psychometrically robust and valid than the current test, with stronger interrater and interroute reliability and evidence of construct validity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages87

Reading Time3 h 39 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

Executive Summary

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Table of Contents

Introduction

Methods

Results

STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES THE CALIFORNIA DRIVER PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PROJECT: AN EVALUATION OF ANEW DRIVER LICENSING ROAD TEST By Robert A. Hagge June 1994 Research and Development Branch Licensing Operations Division California Department of Motor Vehicles RSS-94-150 © California Department of Motor Vehicles, 1994 PREFACE This report presents findings of an evaluation of a prototype drive test that was piloted in six California Department of Motor Vehicles field offices. The study represents the third stage in a four-stage project to develop an improved competency-based drive test for possible statewide implementation. The present report is being issued as an internal monograph of the Department of Motor Vehicles' Research and Development Section rather than an official report of the State of California. The findings and opinions may therefore not represent the views and policies of the State of California. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction • In 1990 the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) initiated a program to increase the level of driving competency of the California driver population. A key element of this program involves the development and implementation of an improved drive test. • The present study evaluated the reliability and validity of a prototype on-road test that has been named the Driving Performance Evaluation (DPE) . The study constitutes Stage 3 of a four-stage project that is in progress. • The DPE differs from the current drive test in several important respects. For example, it is 5-10 minutes longer, includes freeway driving, and uses standardized scoring criteria in which maneuvers are observed and scored only at specific preplanned places and times during the test. Methods • Three groups of subjects—novice original license applicants, limited-term renewal applicants, and experienced good-driver volunteers—were administered the DPE in six DMV field offices from December through February 1993. • Each DPE was scored by two drive test examiners—one in the front seat and the other in the back seat. The DPE included two parallel sets of maneuver items that were considered as two routes for the purpose of computing interroute reliability. • Scores on the DPE and individual maneuvers were analyzed to evaluate the reliability, validity, and difficulty level of the test. • Scores on a subset of DPE maneuvers were analyzed to simulate test statistics for a modified DPE to be piloted in 30 field offices in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties from July 1994 through June 1995 (Stage 4 of the drive test project) . Results • The DPE was somewhat more difficult than the current drive test. Of original applicant subjects, 48% failed the DPE. This is somewhat higher than the 44% failure rate obtained for the current drive test in Stage 1 of the project. (The latter rate was believed to be inflated by examiner's knowledge that they were involved ina study and the fact that they were given refresher training in current drive test scoring criteria prior to the study. Before the Stage 1 study, the fail rate for the six offices was only 33%.) • The DPE had an interrater reliability of .84 based on pass/fail scores for all original applicant subjects. For originals who were not automatically disqualified due to a serious error, the DPE had a .81 interrater reliability, a .83 interroute reliability, and a .78 net reliability. The current drive test was far less reliable, with coefficients of .69,.66, and .60 on the same three reliability measures, respectively. • The DPE administered in the study was a valid test. The experienced good-driver volunteer group performed significantly better on the DPE than did the novice original driver group. The fail rates and average scores (number of errors) for these two groups were 5% vs. 48% and 10.6 vs. 15.8, respectively. • The simulated shorter version of the DPE was passed by 83% of th

FAQs

What is the purpose of the California DMV Driving Performance Evaluation (DPE)?

It is a prototype on-road test created to increase driving competency by providing standardized, observable, competency-based scoring during a licensing road test.

How was the DPE study conducted?

Three subject groups were administered the DPE in six DMV field offices from December through February 1993. Each DPE was scored by two examiners, one in the front seat and one in the back seat.

What were the main findings about difficulty and reliability?

The DPE was somewhat more difficult than the current drive test, but it showed superior psychometric performance, including stronger interrater reliability and improved reliability metrics compared with the current test.

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa