Theory Test

What to take to your test

You must take your UK photocard driving licence to your test.

If you have a licence from Northern Ireland, bring the photocard and paper counterpart licence.

Your test will be cancelled and you will not get your money back if you do not take the right things with you.

Wearing a face covering at your test

You must wear a face covering at your test. If you do not wear one, you must have a good reason, for example:

you have a physical or mental illness, impairment or disability
wearing it would cause you severe distress

Wearing glasses does not count as a good reason.

You need to say why you cannot wear a face covering when you book your test. If you do not, and you come to your test without a face covering, your test will be cancelled.

If you’ve already booked your test and did not say that you cannot wear a face covering, contact DVSA.

What happens on the test

The multi-choice part of the test consists of 50 questions based on the Highway code and road safety concerns. The pass rate is 43 and you will be allowed 57 minutes to complete the test.

The cost is £30.00. This won't be refunded if you fail.

Check this link for the latest information: https://www.gov.uk/theory-test

Happy studying guys!

Hazard Perception Test

Before you start the hazard perception test, you’ll be shown a video about how it works.

You’ll then watch 14 video clips. The clips:

feature everyday road scenes
contain at least one ‘developing hazard’ - but one of the clips features 2 developing hazards

You get points for spotting the developing hazards as soon as they start to happen.

The pass rate is 44 from a maximum score of 75. To pass the theory test you must pass both parts - the multi-choice questions and the hazard perception test - otherwise you will fail and will have retake both parts at a later date.

Check this link for the latest information: https://www.gov.uk/theory-test

Practical Driving Test

What to take to your test

Because of coronavirus (COVID-19) driving tests are not currently taking place in England. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will contact you if your test is affected.

You must take:

your UK driving licence
your theory test pass certificate, if you have it
a face covering, unless you have a good reason not to wear one
a car - most people use their driving instructor’s, but you can use your own car if it meets the rules

Your test will be cancelled and you will not get your money back if you do not take the right things with you.

When you must not come to your test

You must not come for your driving test if:

you or someone you live with has coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms
you’ve been told by the NHS Test and Trace service that you’ve been in contact with a person who has coronavirus

If you recently entered the UK

If you’ve entered the UK in the last 14 days you must not come for your test, unless you:

arrived from a country on the ‘travel corridor’ list
belong to one of the groups who do not have to self-isolate

Find out about the rules for returning to the UK.

Wearing a face covering

You must bring and wear a face covering for your test, unless you have a good reason not to. Good reasons are things like:

having a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability
wearing it would cause you severe distress

You need to say if you have a good reason not to wear a face covering when you book your test.

Your test will be cancelled if you come for your test without a face covering and you did not say that you could not wear one when you booked it.

You can take it off during your test if you need to avoid harm or injury.

Because of coronavirus the car you use must have the windows open throughout the test. Wear clothing suitable for the weather.

Your driving licence

You need to apply for a replacement driving licence if you lose yours before your test. This could take up to 15 days to arrive.

Rearrange your test if you do not get the new licence in enough time.

If you do not have a photocard licence

Bring a valid passport and your paper licence.

If you have a licence from Northern Ireland

Bring the Northern Ireland photocard and paper counterpart.

If you’ve lost your theory test certificate

You do not need to get a replacement theory test certificate. Your driving examiner will check that you’ve passed your theory test before your driving test starts.

What happens during the test

There are 5 parts to the driving test:

an eyesight check
‘show me, tell me’ vehicle safety questions
general driving ability
reversing your vehicle
independent driving

The test is the same for both manual and automatic cars.

How long the test lasts

You’ll drive for around 40 minutes.

You’ll drive for around 70 minutes if you’re taking an extended driving test because you’ve been banned from driving.

Eyesight check

You’ll have to read a number plate from a distance of:

20 metres for vehicles with a new-style number plate
20.5 metres for vehicles with an old-style number plate

New-style number plates start with 2 letters followed by 2 numbers, such as AB51 ABC.

You’ll fail your driving test if you fail the eyesight check. The test will end.

‘Show me, tell me’ questions

You’ll be asked 2 vehicle safety questions known as the ‘show me, tell me’ questions.

You’ll be asked the:

‘tell me’ question at the start of your test, before you start driving
‘show me’ question while you’re driving

Your general driving ability

You’ll drive in various road and traffic conditions, but not on motorways.

The examiner will give you directions that you should follow. Driving test routes are not published, so you cannot check them before your test.

Pulling over at the side of the road!

You’ll be asked to pull over and pull away during your test, including:

normal stops at the side of the road
pulling out from behind a parked vehicle
a hill start

You might also be asked to carry out an emergency stop.

Reversing your vehicle

The examiner will ask you to do one of the following exercises:

parallel park at the side of the road
park in a parking bay - either by driving in and reversing out, or reversing in and driving out (the examiner will tell you which you have to do)
pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for around 2 car lengths, and rejoin the traffic

Independent driving

You’ll have to drive for about 20 minutes by following either:

directions from a sat nav
traffic signs

The examiner will tell you which you have to follow.

They’ll set the sat nav up for you. You cannot use your own sat nav.

If you cannot see traffic signs

If you cannot see a traffic sign (for example, because it’s covered by trees), the examiner will give you directions until you can see the next one.

Going off the route

The examiner will not give you a fault for taking a wrong turning.

They’ll help you get back on the route if you do.

If you make mistakes during your test

You can carry on if you make a mistake. It might not affect your test result if it’s not serious.

Your driving examiner will direct you back to the driving test centre if the mistake you made means you’ve failed. The test will end early.

Other people at your test

Your driving examiner’s supervisor might sit in on your test to watch your examiner’s performance. If you refuse, your test can be cancelled and you’ll have to book another test and pay again.