Practical Test

The Driving Standards Agency practical driving test will last approximately 38-40 minutes, and will be conducted by a Driving Standards Agency Examiner. The examiner will test your ability to drive in various different road conditions, in town, on major roads, and your ability to carry out two of the driving manoeuvres you will have been taught by your instructor. The emergency stop manoeuvre will be conducted in approximately 1 in 3 tests.

The test will start and end from the local driving test centre.
The examiners are there to help you, so they will try their best to help you feel relaxed. If you are not sure of an instruction you are welcome to politely ask the examiner to repeat it.

At the start of the test you will be required to read a number plate from approximately 20.5 metres.
You will then be asked two safety questions, one 'show me' and one 'tell me' question. These questions will be regarding general safety issues you will need to know to be able to safely maintain your vehicle. Your instructor will have taken the time during your lessons to fully prepare you for this part of the test as well as your driving ability.

If you answer one of these two safety questions incorrectly it will result in a driving fault being recorded on your marking sheet.

An example of two such questions is as follows:
Show me how you would check that the direction indicators are working ?
Tell me how you would check that the brakes are working before starting a journey ?

You will fail the test if you commit more than 15 driving faults, or if you commit one serious fault or one dangerous fault.

When you have completed the test and arrived back at the test centre the examiner will inform you of the result of your test, and will then offer you a full debrief of the marking sheet they have completed for your test. Your instructor is allowed to listen in on this debrief provided you authorise this, and this can prove useful so that they know what areas you have problems with.

If you are unsuccessful at your first attempt, you can apply for another test immediately, but unfortunately there is a compulsory ten working day wait between practical tests.