Test Information

The Practical Test

When the time to take your practical test comes round it is recommended that you get a good night’s sleep and have a good breakfast.

You should ensure that you have the following documentation with you:

• Your test appointment card
• Your driving licence
• Some other form of photographic ID

If you intend to take the test in your own car it is essential that the test vehicle meets the requirements. You must make sure that the car you intend to drive is

• Legally roadworthy and has a current MOT certificate, if it's over 3 years old
• Fully covered by insurance for its present use and for you to drive.

The examiner will ask you to sign a declaration that your insurance is in order. The test will not be conducted if you are unable/unwilling to do so. Your vehicle should also display

• A valid tax disc (unless exempt)
• L plates (or D plates, if in Wales) displayed to the front and rear.

Your car must also have

• A fully functional seat belt fitted to the front passenger seat
• A head restraint fitted to the front passenger seat
• An additional interior rear-view mirror suitable for use by the examiner

Specially adapted vehicles may be exempt from these requirements.

If your car does not comply with these regulations

• Your test will be cancelled
• You may lose your fee.

The driving test is straightforward. It is designed to see if you can

• Drive safely
• Know the Highway Code and can demonstrate this through your driving

Test routes are designed to

• Be as uniform as possible
• Include a range of typical road and traffic conditions

You will be

• Given directions in good time
• Asked to carry out set exercises

The driving test lasts approximately 38 / 40 minutes (Extended tests will last about 70 minutes).

Your examiner wants you to do well and will try to put you at your ease. She or he won’t say very much while you are driving, though, because it might put you off. Drive in the way that you have been taught. If you make a mistake, don’t worry. It might be a minor mistake and may not affect your result. Your examiner will be looking for an overall safe standard. You won’t fail for one minor mistake. Apart from general driving, your test will include some special exercises - you’ll be asked to carry out two of the following

• Reversing around a corner
• Turning in the road
• Reverse parking

You may also be asked to carry out an emergency stop exercise.

If at any time during your test your examiner considers you to be a danger to other road users they will end the test. Examiners do not have a quota for test passes or fails. If you demonstrate the standard required you will pass your test. You can request that a friend or your instructor be present, but they must not interfere in any way.

You should bring an interpreter with you if you need one, but you must not use an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) for that purpose. Your interpreter must be 16 years or over and wear suitable seat restraints where they are available.

At the end of the test

Straight after the exam the examiner will tell you whether you've passed or failed.

If you have passed

The examiner will ask for your driving licence and give you a pass certificate.
You then need to send this certificate to the DVLA and apply for a full licence. (There is a time limit so it’s best to do this straight away – don’t put your pass certificate in the drawer and forget about it !!)

If you do not claim your test pass within 2 years of the date of your test, the entitlement conveyed by the test pass will be lost and you will have to pass a further driving test (theory and practical) for that category of vehicle if you wish to have it included on your driving licence. The examiner will also give you a copy of your driving test report.

This will show any faults you made during the test. It is worthwhile carefully considering these and working to improve on them.

The current charge for conversion of a provisional licence to a full licence is £12.00.

If sadly, you fail

You'll be given a printed explanation of all areas shown on the driving test report. The examiner will also spend a few moments explaining why you failed. This will help you in overcoming any weaknesses that have been identified during the test. You can reapply straight away but you must wait at least 10 working days before you retake. Even if you have passed you will be driven home from the Test Centre - your concentration will not be at its best so it’s best to sit back and enjoy your pass.

Show Me/Tell Me

With effect from 1 September 2003, there is a new addition to the Practical Driving Test called Show Me/ Tell Me. Before getting into the car at the start of the Test, the examiner will ask the candidate two questions relating to vehicle safety and maintenance.

These oral questions are intended to ensure that drivers know how to check their vehicle is safe for use. While candidates will be expected to open the car’s bonnet, they won’t be expected to have the knowledge of a garage mechanic.

Candidates will be asked two questions, one ‘show me’ and one ‘tell me’.

One or both questions answered incorrectly will result in one driving fault being recorded before the candidate has even got into the driving seat.

The areas to be covered by this new part of the Test can be summarised under 4 sections.

• Under the bonnet
• How to open the bonnet, lift it and secure it
• How to check the oil level against the minimum / maximum markers
• How to check the engine coolant level
• How to check the windscreen washer reservoir level
• How to check the hydraulic brake fluid reservoir level
• Inside the car
• How to check that the power assisted steering is working before starting a journey
• How to check the parking brake for excessive wear
• How to check the horn is working
• How to check the brakes are working before starting a journey
• Lights
• How to check the direction indicators are working
• How to check the brake lights are working
• How to check that the headlights and tail lights are working
• Tyres
• Where to find information on recommended tyre pressures
• How to check tyre pressures
• How to check tread depth on tyres

How to check that the general condition of the tyres is roadworthy

The Theory Test

You will be asked to answer 35 multiple choice questions, followed by a test of your hazard perception skills. You will need to pass both parts of the theory test at the same sitting to obtain your theory test pass certificate.

Why has the test changed?

Each year around 3,400 people are killed on Britain's roads. New drivers take much longer to recognise hazardous situations than more experienced drivers, and many driving test candidates have poor scanning and anticipation skills. These skills are vital for safe driving. By introducing the new hazard perception part to the test, it is hoped to encourage more drivers to develop hazard perception skills while they are still learning to drive.

What is the multiple-choice part of the test?

This part consists of 35 multiple-choice questions covering a wide range of driving topics. By touching the screen, you select an answer, or answers, from the selection shown. To pass you must answer 30 or more questions correctly in 40 minutes. You have the option of working through a practice session lasting up to 15 minutes to get used to the system before starting the actual test.

How does the hazard perception part work?

After a break of up to three minutes, the hazard perception part will start. You will be shown a tutorial video first. This uses sample footage with a sound track (headphones supplied), which will explain how to complete this part of the test. You may repeat the tutorial once more if you wish. The test consists of 14 video clips, each lasting about one minute. The clips feature various types of hazards, such as vehicles, pedestrians and road conditions. You should respond by pressing a mouse button as soon as you see a hazard developing that may result in the driver having to take some action, such as changing speed or direction. The earlier the developing hazard is spotted, and a response made, the higher the score. Candidates can score up to five marks on each hazard and the test contains 15 scoreable hazards. The pass mark for this part of the test is 44 out of 75 for car drivers and motorcycle riders.

How do candidates with special needs sit the test?

Candidates who have special needs, which are not met by any of the facilities listed below, may apply to have longer than the standard time of 40 minutes to take the multiple-choice part. Such requests should be made when booking the test.
Facilities for candidates with special needs include:

• For car and motorcycle candidates, using a headset to listen to the test being read in one of 20 other languages. This will help candidates who do not understand or read English, or who wish to take the test in their first language. These languages are Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Dari, Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Kashmiri, Kurdish, Mirpuri, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Pushto, Spanish, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu and Welsh.
• For all candidates, using a headset to listen to the test being read in English. This helps those with dyslexia and other reading difficulties.
• An on-screen video of the test being signed in British Sign Language for car and motorcycle candidates who are deaf or have other hearing difficulties.

Preparing for the new theory test

It is strongly recommended that all candidates prepare thoroughly for the theory test. To help prepare I recommend The Highway Code and other relevant books from the DSA Essential Skills series and Know Your Traffic Signs book. These are available from most large bookstores. The official theory test books and CD-ROMs contain the multiple-choice questions. The CD-ROMs show screens similar to those used in the multiple choice part of the test and information about hazard perception.

There are a number of books you will need for your driving lessons. The following is a selection of the available books.

	The Highway Code	This contains much of the information you need for the theory test and to help you with your practical lessons.
	The Official Driving Test	This is published by the DSA and sets out the syllabus for learning to drive.
	Driving - The Essential Skills	This is a comprehensive instruction book covering everything you need to know to drive to DSA standard.
	Know Your Traffic Signs	All the signs you need to, and ought to know and will come across.