The Practical Test

If you have passed your theory test, the last step to gaining a full driving license is the driving practical test. The purpose of the practical Driving Test is to find out whether you can drive safely, without supervision, on the roads. All examiners are trained to carry out the test to the same standard, they do not have pass or fail quotas. So long as you demonstrate the standard required you will pass your driving test.

What You Must Take to Your Test

You must take:

your UK driving licence.
your theory test pass certificate, if you have it.
a car – most people use their driving instructor’s car, but you can use your own car if it meets the rules.

Your test will be cancelled and you will not get your money back if you do not take the right things with you.

Your Driving Licence

You need to apply for a replacement driving licence if you lose yours before your test. This could take up to 15 days to arrive. Rearrange your test if you do not get the new licence in enough time. If you do not have a photocard licence Bring a valid passport and your paper licence. If you have a licence from Northern Ireland, bring the Northern Ireland photocard and paper counterpart.

If you’ve lost your theory test certificate...

You do not need to get a replacement theory test certificate. Your driving examiner will check that you’ve passed your theory test before your driving test starts.

What happens during the test

There are 5 parts to the driving test:

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

The test is the same for both manual and automatic cars.

How long the test lasts

You’ll drive for around 40 minutes. You’ll drive for around 70 minutes if you’re taking an extended driving test because you’ve been banned from driving.

Eyesight check

You’ll have to read a number plate from a distance of:

20 metres for vehicles with a new-style number plate
20.5 metres for vehicles with an old-style number plate
New-style number plates start with 2 letters followed by 2 numbers, such as AB51 ABC.

You’ll fail your driving test if you fail the eyesight check. The test will end.

‘Show me, tell me’ questions

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
‘show me’ question while you’re driving

Your general driving ability

You’ll drive in various road and traffic conditions, but not on motorways. The examiner will give you directions that you should follow. Driving test routes are not published, so you cannot check them before your test.

Pulling over at the side of the road

You’ll be asked to pull over and pull away during your test, including:

normal stops at the side of the road
pulling out from behind a parked vehicle
a hill start

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

Reversing your vehicle

Independent driving

Going off the route

If you make mistakes during your test

Other people at your test

Driving test faults and your result

Pass mark

If you pass your test

The examiner will:

tell you what faults you made, if any
give you a pass certificate
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

Apply for your full driving licence within 2 years of passing your test if you do not want to get your licence automatically.

When you can start driving

You can start driving straight away when you’ve passed your test. You do not need to wait for your full licence to arrive. Contact DVLA if your full licence has not arrived 3 weeks after you applied for it.

If you do not pass

The examiner will tell you what faults you made. You have to book another test and pay again. You have to choose a date at least 10 working days away.

Appeal your driving test

You can appeal your driving test if you can prove that your driving examiner did not follow the law. Read the guidance on appealing your driving test to check if your examiner followed the law. If you have proof they did not follow the law you can complain to the Driver and Vehicle and Standards Agency (DVSA) If DVSA agrees with your complaint, your test result cannot be changed but you might get a refund or a free retest. If DVSA does not agree with your complaint you may be able to appeal to a court instead.

Appeal your driving test to a court

You can appeal if you can prove that your examiner did not follow the law when they carried out your test. Your test result cannot be changed, but you might get a refund or a free retest if your appeal is successful.

You might have to pay significant legal costs if your appeal is unsuccessful.

You’ll need to appeal within:

6 months of your driving test in England and Wales
21 days of your driving test in Scotland

If your test is cancelled or there’s bad weather

Your driving test can be cancelled or stopped because of bad weather, problems with your car, or for other reasons.

Bad weather

Driving tests are not carried out in dangerous weather conditions, such as when the roads are icy or if there’s flooding, thick fog, or high winds. Call your test centre if there are any of these conditions on the day of your test. The phone number for the test centre is on your booking confirmation email.

If your test cannot go-ahead

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will:

automatically book the next available date for your test
send you the details within 3 working days – it can take up to 7 days if there’s a long period of bad weather

You can change the date you’re given if it’s not suitable. You cannot claim any out-of-pocket expenses if your test is cancelled because of bad weather.

Problems with you or your car

You’ll have to book another test and pay again if your test cannot be completed because of a problem with:

you, for example, if you feel unwell while taking your test
your car, for example, if it breaks down during the test or does not meet the rules to be used

If your test is cancelled for another reason

Sometimes DVSA has to cancel tests for other reasons, for example, if the examiner is unwell. You’ll be sent a new date for your test if this happens. You can change the date if it’s not suitable. You can apply for a refund of out-of-pocket expenses if DVSA cancels your test at short notice.

If you have a disability, health condition, or learning difficulty

When you book your driving test you should say if you have a:

disability
health condition
learning difficulty

You’ll still have to drive to the same standard to pass, but the examiner can make adjustments for your situation.

You have a disability

You’ll have time with the examiner once you start the test to talk about:

your disability
any adaptations fitted to your car

They might also agree for you to have more time for instructions and directions during your test.

You’re deaf or have a hearing impairment

The examiner will use written notes at the start of the test to explain what will happen. If you lip-read, they’ll also look at you so you can lip-read what they’re saying. The examiner will usually give you directions as hand signals. These will be explained to you before your test starts.

Using a sign language interpreter

You can take a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter with you. They must be at least 16 years old. Your driving instructor can be your interpreter. You need to arrange your own interpreter and pay any fees that they charge. You can claim the cost back after your test.

You’re pregnant

You can take a driving test at any stage of your pregnancy. However, you must be able and willing to do an emergency stop. You have reading difficulties When you do the eyesight check at the start of the driving test, you can write down the number plate instead of reading it out loud.

You have learning difficulties

The examiner will make adjustments for the independent driving part of the test if you have learning difficulties. They might ask if you’d prefer to follow traffic signs instead of directions from a sat nav.

Using your own car for your test

You can take your driving test in your own car rather than your driving instructor’s if it meets certain rules. Your test will be cancelled and you’ll have to pay again if your car does not meet the rules.

Rules about the car

Your car must:

be taxed
be insured for a driving test (check with your insurance company)
be roadworthy and have a current MOT (if it’s over 3 years old)
have no warning lights showing, for example, the airbag warning light
have no tyre damage and the legal tread depth on each tyre – you cannot have a space-saver spare tyre fitted
be smoke-free – this means you cannot smoke in it just before or during the test
be able to reach at least 62mph and have an mph speedometer
have 4 wheels and a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of no more than 3,500 kg

The MAM is the limit on how much the car can weigh when it’s loaded. It’ll be in the car’s handbook.

Things that must be fitted

The car must have:

an extra interior mirror for the examiner
L-plates (‘L’ or ‘D’ plates in Wales) on the front and rear
a passenger seatbelt for the examiner and a proper passenger head restraint (not a slip-on type)

Dashcams and other cameras

You can use a camera fitted for insurance purposes, as long as it:

faces outside of the car and does not film the inside
does not record audio from inside the car

Vehicle features

You can use a car with:

an electronic parking brake
hill-start assist

Manual and automatic cars

You can take the test in a:

manual car – these have 3 pedals
automatic or semi-automatic car – these have 2 pedals

If you take your test in a semi-automatic car you’ll only be able to drive automatic and semi-automatic cars once you’ve passed your test.

Hire cars

You can take your test in a hire car if it’s fitted with dual controls and meets all the other rules.