Practical Test Day
The car practical driving test
On the day of your test you need to arrive promptly, 5-10 minutes before your test time. Don’t be late as you only have a 5 minute window. Any later and the examiner can refuse to take you. There are toilet facilities, allow time if you need to use them. The examiner will call your name and will ask you to read and sign the declaration on your actual test sheet. The examiner will check your Provisional Licence (Photo ID and Counterpart). You will then make your way to the car. Before you enter the car the examiner will ask you to read a number plate at a distance of approx 20.5m (67 feet). Your test begins at this point. You will be asked one show and one tell question. Don’t worry if you cannot answer it, you can only get a Driving Fault (Minor) for this. The driving part of your test will last about 40 minutes. Throughout the test your examiner will be looking for an overall safe and confident standard of driving, including when you are carrying out the set exercises. The driving test is straightforward and has been designed to see if you can drive safely and that you know the Highway Code and can demonstrate this throughout your driving.
Vehicles you cannot use for the Practical Test
If you plan to use your own vehicle on the day of your practical driving test, there are some vehicles that cannot be used for safety reasons.
You’ll need to check that a recall or safety notice does not affect the vehicle.
Taking someone with you on your driving test
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) encourages you to take someone with you on your driving test. This will usually be the person who has taught you to drive, but it could be a relative or a friend. They must be over 16 years old and cannot take any part in the test.
The person who goes with you will be able to see how you perform during the test. To get the most benefit from this, it would be sensible to ask your instructor to go with you. They can then give you advice on how to improve your driving, whether you pass or fail.
Eyesight check
The test will include an eyesight check. If you fail this, your test will not continue. The eyesight test requires you to read a number plate that is a certain distance away.
Vehicle safety questions
You will be asked two vehicle safety check questions. These are basic safety checks that a driver should carry out to ensure the vehicle is safe for use. Although some checks may involve the candidate in opening the bonnet to identify where fluid levels would be checked, pupils will not be asked to touch a hot engine or physically check fluid levels.
As vehicle technology advances, more and more vehicles are being equipped with electronic diagnostic systems, which inform the driver of the state of the engine fluid levels and tyre pressures. It will be acceptable for a candidate to refer to the vehicle information system (if fitted) when answering questions on fluid levels or tyre pressures.
You can find source material in the DSA publications - ’The official guide to Driving – The Essential Skills’ and ‘The official DSA guide to learning to drive’. Advice and information on how to carry out vehicle safety checks can also be found in the manufacturer’s handbook.
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.
Driving ability
You will then be examined on your general driving, on one reversing exercise and a 10 minute independent drive.
The 10 minute independent drive.
This will consist of either following driections sign boards or following a diagram or a combination of both. This is no different to what you have practised with your instructor during your lessons.
The reversing exercises will be chosen from:
- reversing around a corner
- turning in the road
- reverse parking – parallel or bay
You may also be asked to carry out an emergency stop exercise.
During the driving test the examiner will give you directions which you should follow. Test routes are designed to be as uniform as possible and will include a range of typical road and traffic conditions.
Throughout the test you should drive in the way your instructor has taught you. If you make a mistake, don’t worry about it as it might be a less serious driving fault and may not affect your result. The examiner will be looking for an overall safe standard of driving.
You can make up to 15 driving faults and still pass the test. 16 or more faults results in failure. If you commit one serious or dangerous fault you will fail the test. If at any time your examiner considers you to be a danger to other road users your test will be stopped.
After the practical test
When the driving test has ended, you can call your instructor over if they didn’t go with you on your test. This is so they can listen to the result and feedback with you. The examiner will tell you whether you passed or failed and will explain how you did during the test.
If you pass…
If you pass and have a photocard driving licence issued after 1 March 2004 the examiner will ask you if you want your full driving licence issued to you automatically.
If you want to use this service, the examiner will take your old licence off you, scan the details and send them electronically to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). You will then be given a pass certificate to prove you passed your test. DVLA will then send you your new full licence by post within four weeks of you passing your practical test.
If you pass your test but do not want to use this automatic service, or have a licence issued before 1 March 2004, you will be given a pass certificate by the examiner. On the back of the pass certificate it tells you what you need to do next. This involves sending your licence and appropriate fee to DVLA who will then check your application and issue you with a new full licence.
If you fail…
If you fail the test the examiner will give you some feedback to help prepare yourself for your next test. Your driving report form will also show you where you made any mistakes. You can take another practical test 10 working days after your car or motorcycle test.