You're supposed to take an MPU (Medical Examination Test) and aren't initially enthusiastic about it, because almost all of us are familiar with the bad reputation and myths surrounding ruthless MPU assessors. But what's behind it? Is the MPU really a horror story, and what's the truth behind the myths about arbitrary assessments in psychological interviews? Does everyone really fail the first time?
We want to shed light on this topic and can draw on the extensive experience of our traffic psychologists, some of whom have also served as MPU assessors for TÜV (Technical Inspection Association). Based on a negative experience report, the official assessment criteria of the DGVP & DGVM (German Association for Psychological and Psychosomatic Medicine), and the expertise of our psychologists, we would like to offer you, in this third part of our four-part series, an insight into the evaluation and analysis of information presented in the psychological assessment interview.
We claim that a MPU consulting offers you the opportunity to MPU Passing the MPU (Medical-Psychological Assessment) on the first attempt and even gaining something positive from the experience is possible if you are open to it. In this series, we aim to shed some light on the complex processes involved in an MPU from the perspective of the assessors and the driver's license authority.
In which second part In our series, we focused on the hypotheses and questions posed in an MPU. We discovered that every MPU is based on a question from the driver's license office, which the examiners must answer. For this purpose, hypotheses are formed that build on one another in order to ultimately answer the driver's license office's question. These questions and hypotheses are not arbitrarily determined by the examiners, but are individually selected from existing and validated questions/hypotheses. Based on these hypotheses and questions, the examiners in your MPU should determine whether you have passed the MPU or not.
Today we focus on the evaluation and analysis of information in the psychological interview.
How do the examiners go about this? What do they look for? How much room is there really for human error and confusion? To make this clear, we'll use the negative experience report of Johann L. (name changed for privacy reasons) as a guide.
Experience report from Johann L.: “I didn’t actually do anything wrong and still failed the MPU, even though I said everything I had to say.”
Johann had to undergo a medical-psychological assessment (MPU) because he attracted attention during a traffic stop and THC and elevated levels of carboxylic acids were detected in his system. Drug MPU was his only way to get his driver's license back. Unfortunately, Johann failed his first MPU test.
Johann L. reports:
"I'm a social worker and work with young people from troubled neighborhoods. It can sometimes be very stressful and nerve-wracking. I love my job and the kids, but when I have a weekend off, I smoke a joint or two to unwind and take a more relaxed approach to all the problems I face in my job. I work in a big city, so I mostly take the subway. One weekend, however, I went to a lake with friends, and because my friend had been drinking a lot of beer, I drove us back. We were stopped by the police, and I wasn't really worried about it at all; after all, I hadn't been drinking or smoking weed that day. Anyway, the officer still asked me to take a drug test. Probably because my friend in the passenger seat was tipsy. In any case, they detected THC in my blood, as well as an elevated carboxylic acid level, even though I hadn't consumed anything for 48 hours. I was then ordered to take a drug MPU, which I did. I actually didn't want to do it because I had gotten into a fight with one of my problem children on the day of my MPU. I also failed and was really angry. I didn't understand why. I had researched online beforehand what the examiners wanted to hear, and I said everything I wanted. My examiner seemed totally annoyed and raised her eyebrows once or twice. I have no idea what her problem was."
There are three possible reasons for a drug MPU due to cannabis consumption:
- Active THC detection in the blood, which indicates that cannabis consumption occurred recently. Proceedings will be initiated against you if you exceed the limit of one nanogram and are therefore deemed unfit to drive.
- Passive detection, which is determined by elevated carboxylic acid levels, indicates that you are a regular or occasional cannabis user. Saliva and hair samples can detect these levels even many days after actual consumption.
- An MPU can also be ordered if you are caught using drugs outside of traffic – for example, if you are dealing drugs or have had a physical altercation in which you were caught under the influence of psychoactive substances.
Many people do not know that THC can be released into the body several days after the actual consumption of cannabis. detectable Elevated carboxylic acid levels can also be detected in regular consumers, even if they have not consumed anything for a long time or only consume very little.
And that is exactly what happened to Johann L. While Johann's friend may have Alcohol MPU avoided, an increased carboxylic acid level and residual THC in Johann's blood led to a positive drug test, which is why he was ordered to undergo a drug MPU.
The incident of a positive drug test, even though the person concerned may not have consumed anything for a while, occurs more often than one might think. Effects of alcohol is quite familiar to most of us by now. We know roughly when we have too much blood alcohol and can anticipate whether a traffic stop could have dramatic consequences. With cannabis, the phenomenon of slow degradation in the blood is not yet as widely understood as the intoxicating effects of alcohol. In addition, due to the habituation effect of cannabis consumption, at some point you can no longer determine for yourself whether you are still medically under the influence of the drug, because it is not as obvious as with alcohol. The rule that even moderate and long-term consumption, during which someone may not even appear "high," still requires an MPU (medical driving test), is not arbitrarily established, but has a well-founded reason:
An MPU is ordered in all cases to clarify the extent to which your behavior or your addiction and consumption behavior affects you as a participant in road traffic.
"When I failed the first time, I was annoyed that I hadn't done the MPU consultation. It wasn't until after my MPU consultation that I realized that my regular cannabis use might not be a suitable stress reliever."
Johann L. rarely drives and is dedicated to helping children and young people in need. He describes himself as very conscientious, and he's not wrong. Nevertheless, he failed his first MPU test and initially had little understanding of why.
Because he didn't want to fail again and couldn't understand the reason for his failure, he turned to us and, after receiving MPU advice from our trained traffic psychologists, passed the second MPU with flying colors.
But why did Johann L. fail his MPU? What insights did he gain from the consultation?
We would like to clarify this, among other things, using the assessment criteria of the DGVP & DGVM.
The evaluation of the MPU – a trusting atmosphere is desired
The evaluation of the information and content in the MPU formally includes the following components: relevant biographical data, medical findings, test results, data from the driving history, and the content and findings from the psychological interview. The assessor is responsible for evaluating this information in the assessment and evaluation process.
The assessors are trained in the psychological interview and encouraged to make this potentially stressful situation as bearable as possible. They are aware that you may be anxious about the interview and that the asymmetrical relationship between the "applicant" and the "decision-maker" can lead to tension and potential conflict during the interview. The assessors are trained to communicate in a spirit of mutual understanding and to help alleviate any anxiety you may have.
Accusatory attitudes or moralizing on the part of the experts are explicitly discouraged and, in fact, are specifically addressed and "discouraged" during their training. The atmosphere of the "hierarchy" should be mitigated, if possible, and not reinforced by negative stimuli. The experts generally want to establish a trusting atmosphere for the discussion with you – this is important, among other things, so that you can and are willing to open up and the experts can evaluate your statements in a goal-oriented manner.
From the examiners' perspective, an "interrogation" atmosphere, such as is so often encountered in negative test reports, should be strictly avoided. The examiners are certainly capable of mitigating external influences that negatively impact your performance during the exam (such as a traumatic experience at work) in their evaluation. Showing weakness is therefore not a disadvantage; it can demonstrate to the examiner that you are dealing with your situation thoughtfully and honestly.
The psychological examination interview
The assessors often divide the interview into four phases: the preparation phase, the implementation phase, and the evaluation and feedback phase.
During the preparation phase, you will be more or less told why you should take an MPU, as well as why and what the examiner is doing during the interview. During the implementation phase, you will be asked several questions, discussing your criminal history, the underlying issues, your motives, and any changes.
From an expert’s perspective, such questions might look like this:
- Is the client self-critical about his misconduct?
- Are the client’s statements credible?
- Does the client tend to give socially desirable answers without the expressed attitudes being anchored in behavior?
These are just three examples of the many questions, aspects and hypotheses that the reviewers must consider through their questions.
In Johann's first MPU (Medical-Psychological Assessment) test, the assessor answered the first question with "No." Although Johann is generally a conscientious and sociable person, he didn't demonstrate any self-critical insight into why he had to undergo the MPU in his first test. After all, he wasn't "high." The second question is meant to address so-called Hypothesis 0 (The information provided is not credible). If the assessor deems the client's statements not credible because, for example, they suggest untruths, which can be determined through prior review of the file, then the client will fail the MPU. Similarly, Johann's memorized answers could lead to failing the MPU and would result in an unsatisfactory answer to question number three.
During the evaluation phase, the assessors should pay particular attention to whether your statements and explanations can be judged truthfully and authentically. During the feedback phase, you will usually be informed verbally of your pass or fail, and perhaps also briefly explained.
In our personal consultation with Johann, we were able to clarify why long-term cannabis use is also a reason for an MPU. Johann was able to reflect critically on his regular cannabis use and understood why an MPU was indeed appropriate even under these circumstances.
The fact that Johann repeated so-called clichés he had previously picked up from the internet was another reason for his failure. Examiners know very well when you're just repeating clichés to say what the examiner wants to hear. No matter how well you act, if you don't actually show genuine insight, chances are your examiner will notice.
Nevertheless, individual statements, such as a previously researched and memorized answer, cannot fundamentally determine whether you pass or fail the MPU. If the examiner notices that you are saying something memorized, they will address it openly and ask further questions. The examiners assess the overall picture, and honesty plays a major role.
In his second MPU, Johann L. successfully demonstrated that he recognized that his regular cannabis use was a problem. His willingness to communicate openly during the MPU counseling sessions enabled him to independently reflect on many areas of his life over the long term and became more receptive to exploring the causes of his drug use. As a social worker, he wants to set a good example for his clients and make them understand the importance of openly communicating about problems and conflicts. He therefore decided to demonstrate abstinence for 12 months. As additional measures, he has found other outlets for stress relief through exercise and meditation, instead of his previous cannabis use. This fundamental change in his everyday life and his new stress management approach have helped him progress personally and professionally. He has also been able to demonstrate and teach some of his clients other methods for replacing negative behavioral patterns and dealing with stress positively and efficiently.
Sport can also help improve the cognitive performance of “Quitting smokers”, which has often been affected by regular cannabis use. Likewise, Cannabidiols, the non-psychoactive components of the cannabis plant, facilitate the path to abstinence.
The conclusion: Evaluation of information and findings – the reality
The examiners at your MPU have the task of evaluating whether you pose a threat to yourself or other people on the road.
In addition to the Part 1 assessment criteria for the report and the Part 2 Having examined the hypotheses and questions discussed, we have now turned our attention to the evaluation and analysis of information in the psychological interview.
Here, too, there are guidelines that further limit and guide the examiners in their evaluations and assessments during the MPU. These guidelines are to be applied by the assessors and serve as a means of ensuring a transparent and well-founded assessment of each MPU. Furthermore, your assessors are encouraged to create a trusting and fear-free atmosphere with you during the interview, without making you feel humiliated or lectured. Making you feel like you're being "hierarchized" during the interview is not desirable. Quite the opposite: the examiners are even intended to reduce your fears and tensions.
In our confidential consultations, our goal is to help you pass the MPU test on the first attempt. We offer insights and experience from our traffic psychologists so that you can approach your MPU test confident and prepared.
We can also offer you MPU-relevant approaches to regulate your cannabis or alcohol consumption and can advise you on abstinence.
If you are open with your counselor, you may even experience positive changes in your personal life as a result of the insights we develop together with you during the MPU consultation.
Book your free initial consultation now.
