What to expect on your driving test
The practical driving test lasts about 40 minutes and around half of the people who take it fail. The format has been the same since 2017, the examiners follow the same marking sheet everywhere, and DVSA publishes the reasons people fail. So there is very little on the day that should come as a surprise. This is what happens, in order.
Before you set off
Documents. You need your provisional photocard licence. The examiner will also ask for your theory test pass certificate number, though they can usually look it up if you have forgotten the paper. Bring both anyway. Without the licence the test does not happen and you lose the fee.
The car. If you are using an instructor’s car, this is handled. If you are using your own, or a parent’s, it must be taxed, insured for you to drive on a test, have a current MOT if it is over three years old, have L plates front and back, a passenger seatbelt and head restraint, an extra interior mirror for the examiner, and no warning lights on the dashboard. The tyres need at least 1.6mm of tread with no damage; our tread depth guide shows the 20p check. Some models are not permitted for test because of restricted rear visibility; DVSA publishes the list. Cars with a space-saver spare fitted are refused.
Eyesight check. In the car park you read a number plate from 20 metres. Fail this and the test ends there, so if you wear glasses to drive, wear them.
Tell me question. Before you move off, the examiner asks one “tell me” question about a vehicle safety check. Our show me, tell me guide lists all 21 questions and the answers.
The drive
You will drive for around 35 minutes on a mix of roads chosen to include town streets, faster roads, and, where the centre has one nearby, a dual carriageway. Motorways are not included.
Independent driving. For about 20 minutes, the examiner stops giving turn-by-turn directions and you follow either a sat nav (in about four out of five tests) or traffic signs to a destination. The sat nav is the examiner’s, already set up; you do not touch it. Going the wrong way is not a fault. Doing something unsafe while correcting the mistake is.
Show me question. At some point while driving, the examiner asks you to demonstrate a control, such as washing the windscreen or switching on the demister. Keep your eyes on the road while you do it.
One manoeuvre. You will be asked to do one of four:
- Parallel park at the side of the road.
- Park in a bay, either driving in and reversing out, or reversing in and driving out. The examiner decides which.
- Pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse about two car lengths, then rejoin traffic.
- An emergency stop, which is done in about a third of tests and is in addition to the manoeuvre above, not instead of it.
Turning in the road and reversing round a corner were dropped from the test in 2017. Instructors still teach them because they are useful.
Normal stops. You will be asked to pull up at the side of the road and move off again several times, including at least once on a hill and once from behind a parked car. These are where a lot of minor faults are picked up, usually for observation.
How the test is marked
The examiner records three kinds of fault. A driving fault, often called a minor, is a mistake that does not create danger: a late mirror check, a slightly wide turn. You can have up to 15 of these and still pass. A serious fault is one that could have caused danger, or the same driving fault repeated so often it shows a pattern. A dangerous fault is one that caused actual danger to you, the examiner, or anyone else. One serious or dangerous fault is a fail.
DVSA’s published reasons for failing have been stable for years. The top five are: observation at junctions; use of mirrors when changing direction; response to traffic lights; control of steering; and moving off safely. Four of those five are about looking. That is worth dwelling on. Most people who fail can drive the car; they fail because the examiner cannot see them checking.
Speed is a two-way fault. Exceeding the limit is serious. Driving well below it for no reason, on a clear road, is also marked, and repeated hesitation at junctions where it was safe to go is one of the more common serious faults.
Practical advice
Book the test for a time of day you have practised at, and if the centre offers it, a weekday morning. Traffic is lighter and the examiners’ first tests of the day are rarely delayed.
Take a lesson in the hour before the test. Almost every instructor recommends it, and it costs less than a retake.
In the car, talk to the examiner if it helps you settle; they do not mind. Do not apologise for mistakes or ask whether you have failed. Examiners are not allowed to tell you until the end, and a candidate who thinks they have failed drives worse.
If you stall, restart and carry on. When you take a wrong turn, carry on. If you have to abandon a manoeuvre because a car has stopped behind you, tell the examiner and they will find another place. None of those is a fail.
Where you take the test matters more than most people think. Pass rates at the busiest urban centres run around 34%; small-town centres run above 60%. That reflects road complexity, not examiner mood, so moving centres only helps if you can practise on the new routes. Our guide to pass rates by test centre sets out the DVSA numbers.
After the test
The examiner gives you the result in the car, with a short debrief. If you pass, you can hand over your provisional licence and DVSA sends the full one, or keep it and apply yourself. You can drive immediately, once you are insured for it, and our guide to what happens after you pass covers that afternoon. If you fail, you can rebook after ten working days, and the fault sheet you are given is the syllabus for the next few lessons.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a driving test?
About 40 minutes of driving, plus around ten minutes at the start for the eyesight check and paperwork. Allow an hour.
Can I use my own car for the test?
Yes, if it meets the requirements above and you are insured to drive it for a test. Check the policy; some insurers exclude tests.
How many minors can I get?
Fifteen driving faults. A sixteenth is a fail, as is any serious or dangerous fault.
Do I have to use a sat nav?
No. About one test in five uses road signs for the independent driving section instead. You do not get to choose.
Can my instructor sit in on the test?
Yes, in the back seat, if you want them there. They cannot speak. You can also ask for them to listen to the debrief at the end, which is usually worth doing whatever the result.
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