"I would be ready for a retest to be honest as the tester at Gillingham said nobody with a kit car ever passes first time"
This is something the kit car world will have to get used to. The way the IVA is implemented is slightly different to the SVA as the SVA was only intended as a temporary measure.
The IVA will be 'tinkered' with, and updated by the VOSA on a regular basis keeping it up to date (closing loopholes etc), as is the case with the whole vehicle type approval.
For this reason it will be unlikely that anyone building a one off or kit car will pass first time and that needs to be taken into account at the begining of the build.
We see from Ash's experience that there is information the testers have in their manuals and training which seems not to be available to the general public.
(i.e. I cannot find anything in the IVA manual about the required E marking of the side indicators - yet Ash recieved a fail and an explaination of why they failed).
And we also see differences between the way the same tests in the SVA and IVA are carried out - as in Ash's mirrors!
In my opinion it is essential for each of us who goes through the IVA test to report on our experiences so as to give those who follow the greatest chance of getting through but all who 'take the test' will need to prepare for that first failure
BV.