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Test prep

The two tests, without the mystique

Both tests are completely predictable. Everything below is published by the DVSA — there is no trick to any of it, which is exactly why it is worth reading before you spend money on lessons.

Theory test

Book it early. People lose months here.

You cannot book a practical test without a theory pass, and the pass only lasts two years. The most common avoidable delay in learning to drive is reaching practical standard with no theory pass in hand.

multiple-choice questions

You need 43 right. 57 minutes.

hazard-perception clips

15 scorable hazards, 75 out of 100 to pass.

£23

to sit it

Paid to the DVSA on GOV.UK. Never more, anywhere.

2 years

how long the pass lasts

Let it expire and you sit it again. People do.

Book it on GOV.UK and nowhere else. Copycat sites charge a fee on top of the £23 for doing nothing. The official practice material — the Highway Code, the DVSA question bank and the official hazard-perception clips — is the material the test is actually drawn from; third-party apps are a convenience, not a substitute.

Practical test

Forty minutes, and you are allowed to make mistakes

Fifteen driving faults are permitted. People fail believing a wobble is fatal, then drive the rest of the test as if they have already lost.

≈40 min

of driving

Plus the eyesight check and vehicle-safety questions.

driving faults allowed

One serious or dangerous fault is a fail, however well the rest went.

20 min

independent driving

Sat nav, or traffic signs for about one test in five.

1 in 7

get the emergency stop

Which means assume you will.

The four manoeuvres

You get one of these, chosen by the examiner.

Parallel park

At the kerb, behind a parked car. Judged on control, accuracy and observation — not on getting it right first time, as long as you correct it safely.

Bay park

Forward or reverse, usually at the test centre. Reverse in, drive out is the common one; some centres use a supermarket car park.

Pull up on the right

Pull up on the right-hand kerb, reverse about two car lengths, rejoin the traffic. The one people have never practised.

Controlled stop

The emergency stop. Roughly one test in seven, on a quiet road, on the examiner's signal. Stop promptly, under control, without locking up.

Vehicle safety questions

“Tell me” — before you drive

One of these at the start of the test, answered standing still. You describe the check; you do not have to perform it.

How would you check that the brakes are working before starting a journey?
Tell me how you would check that the headlights and tail lights are working.
Tell me how you would know if there was a problem with your anti-lock braking system.
Tell me how you would check the tyres to ensure they have sufficient tread depth and that their general condition is safe to use on the road.
Tell me how you would check the direction indicators are working.
Tell me how you would check the brake lights are working on this car.
Tell me how you would check the power-assisted steering is working before starting a journey.
Tell me how you would check that the horn is working.
Identify where the windscreen washer reservoir is and tell me how you would check the washer level.
Tell me how you would check the oil level and how you would top it up.
Tell me how you would check the engine coolant level and how you would top it up.
Tell me how you would check the brake-fluid level.
Tell me how you would check that the head restraint is correctly adjusted.
Open the bonnet and tell me how you would check the engine has sufficient oil.

Vehicle safety questions

“Show me” — while driving

One of these while you are moving. The examiner is checking you can work the car's controls without taking your attention off the road.

Show me how you would clean the windscreen using the windscreen washer and wipers.
Show me how you would clean the rear windscreen using the washer and wipers.
Show me how you would set the rear demister to clear the windows.
Show me how you would demist the front windscreen.
Show me how you would switch on your dipped headlights.
Show me how you would operate the horn.
Show me how you would open and close a side window.

Worth knowing: getting one of these wrong is a single driving fault. It is not a fail, and it is not worth the panic people spend on it. The full official list is on GOV.UK and has a few more than are printed here.

Test day

What to take, and what not to

Your provisional licence

The card. Not a photo of it, not the paper counterpart.

Your theory pass certificate number

Have it on your phone. The centre can usually look it up, but do not rely on that.

Glasses or contacts

If you need them to read a plate at 20 metres, you need them for the test.

A car that passes the rules

Taxed, insured for the test, roadworthy, no warning lights, L plates front and rear, an extra interior mirror for the examiner. Mine has all of this.

Something to eat beforehand

Taking a driving test on an empty stomach at 8:10am is a self-inflicted handicap.

Nothing else

No lucky charm, no energy drink, no last-minute theory revision in the waiting room. It does not help.

If you fail

You can rebook after ten working days. Ask the examiner to run through the sheet with you — they will, and it is the most useful ten minutes of the day. Then bring the sheet to the next lesson. Nearly everyone who fails does so on one or two repeatable faults, which is a fixable problem, not a verdict on whether you can drive.

If you pass

The examiner takes your provisional and the full licence arrives in the post. You can drive straight away, alone, legally, and that is the most dangerous fortnight of your driving life — new drivers' crash risk is at its highest in the first six months. Consider Pass Plus, and do not put four friends in the car on day one.

Questions about the tests

The ones that come up most

When should I take my theory test?

Early, and certainly before you are anywhere near test standard. The theory pass lasts two years and the practical test cannot be booked without it — people routinely reach practical standard and then lose six weeks waiting for a theory slot. Book it once you have had three or four lessons.

How long is the wait for a practical test?

It varies constantly by centre and is the single biggest cause of delay in learning to drive. Check the live availability on GOV.UK rather than trusting anything a website tells you, including this one. Book as soon as you have the theory pass and we will work towards the date; moving a test is easier than finding one.

What happens if I fail?

You can rebook after 10 working days. We go through the examiner's sheet together, work the faults specifically, and I will tell you honestly whether the next date should be the earliest available or three weeks later. Most people who fail, fail on one or two repeatable things, not on everything.

What is Pass Plus and is it worth it?

A six-hour DVSA post-test course covering town, rural roads, dual carriageways, motorways, night and bad weather. It is genuinely useful — rural roads and night driving are where new drivers come unstuck, and neither is tested. Whether it saves you money depends entirely on your insurer: some discount for it, many have stopped. Get the quote in writing first.

Can I take motorway lessons before I pass?

Yes, since 2018, with an approved instructor in a dual-control car. It is optional, it is not tested, and it is one of the best two hours you can spend. Learning the M60 for the first time alone, after you pass, is the worse version of this.

Next step

Want a mock test before the real one?

Ninety minutes, marked to the real sheet, on real routes, in silence. Most people find out something they did not know about their driving.

Send an enquiry Call 07000 000000

No charge for the first call, and no sales pitch on it. If I am not the right instructor for you I will say so.