Practical Driving Test

Your practical driving test will start with an eyesight check and usually 2 safety questions about your vehicle. You will then start your practical driving test which will include some specific manoeuvres.

 

What the practical driving test entails

The driving part of your test will last about 40 minutes. Throughout the test your 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 results in failure). However, if you commit one serious or dangerous fault you will fail the test.

 

The driving test is straightforward and has been designed to see if you:

• can drive safely
• know The Highway Code and can demonstrate this through your driving

 

What's included in the eyesight and safety check part of the test

The eyesight test will ensure you can read a number plate from a certain distance. Use of corrective lenses (glasses/contact lenses) is permitted.

 

The vehicle safety check will include 1 'show me' and 1 'tell me' question. These will relate to the actual vehicle and comprise of something like "Identify where the windscreen washer reservoir is and tell me how you would check the windscreen washer level." plus "Show me how you would check that the direction indicators are working."

 

What's included in the driving part of the test

Apart from general forward maneouvres, there are 2 reversing exercises which will be chosen from:

• reverse parking
• reversing around a corner
• turning in the road