your practical driving test explained

I will pick you up at the agreed time, usually around 2 hours before your test. This gives you the chance to ‘warm up’ and get any last minute queries answered. 

Make sure to have your provisional drivers licence with you.

*( Your test will be cancelled and you will lose your money and appointment if you go to test centre without your original photo licence, copy is not accepted).  

A copy of your theory test pass certificate. 

I would also recommend taking your booking details (Appointment confirmation email) with you (hard or soft copy).

You will have this option to ask your examiner that your instructor sits in the back during your test to observe your driving, your examiner will ask you at the beginning of your test and you need to confirm it.

There are 5 parts to the driving test and you’ll drive for around 40 minutes.

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

Before you can start the driving test you must demonstrate that your eyesight is good enough to be able to drive safely. You do this by reading  a parked vehicle's number plate  from a minimum distance of 20.5 metres (approximately 67 feet or 5 car lengths). 

You must wear glasses or contact lenses every time you drive if you need them to meet the ‘standards of vision for driving’. 

If you can’t, you’ll fail your driving test and the test won’t continue. DVLA will be told and your licence will be revoked.  If you decide to wear contact lenses make sure you are comfortable with your.

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, examiner may ask you to open the bonnet on your own for tell me question.

‘show me’ question while you’re driving

You’ll drive in various road and traffic conditions,(urban roads, big roundabouts, mini roundabouts, country roads, dual carriageway) but not on motorways.

the examiner will give you directions that you should follow.

You’ll be asked to pull over and pull away few times during your test, including: normal stops at the side of the road, pulling out from behind a parked vehicle and a hill start.

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

The examiner will ask you to do just 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 re-join the traffic

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

• Directions from a Satellite navigator (They’ll set the sat nav up for you. You cannot use your own sat nav.)
• Traffic signs

The examiner will tell you which (sat nav or signs) you have to follow.

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.

* The examiner will not give you a fault for taking a wrong turning. (Except if you turn into Motorway)They’ll help you get back on the route if you do.

** If you take a wrong turn or exit, then examiner will redirect you to drive back to your original test route.

*** Occasionally examiner may ask you to turn around (by doing U-TURN or 3 POINT TURN) if you are off your test route. You will not fail if you do a mistake during 3 point turn.

There are 3 types of faults you may make during your test and examiner records:

• a dangerous fault (Known as major) - this involves actual causing danger to you, examiner, public or property
• a serious fault (Known as major) - something potentially dangerous
• a driving fault (Known as minor)- this is not potentially dangerous, but if you keep making the same fault, it could become a serious fault

You’ll pass your driving test if you make:

• no more than 15 driving faults (sometimes called ‘minors’)
• no serious or dangerous faults (sometimes called ‘majors’)

If you pass your test

The examiner will tell you what minor faults you have made, then sign and give you a pass certificate and ask you if you want your full licence to be sent to you automatically - (give the examiner your provisional licence if you want to do this)

* If your current address is not same as your licence and need to be changed keep your provisional licence and send it to DVLA by yourself, in this case you can change your address in the same time using form D1 by post or online. (You can get this from a local post office)

If you do not pass

The examiner will tell you what faults you made.

You have to book another test and pay again. You can book a test in the same day as you failed,but you have to choose a date at least 10 working days away.