DOCUMENTS TO BRING TO YOUR PRACTICAL DRIVING TEST.
Your theory test pass certificate (or confirmation) if you are not exempt
Both parts of your photo card licence.
If you do not bring the right documents, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) may refuse to carry out the test and you

may lose your fee. If you have an old-style paper licence, you must take your signed driving licence and you must also

bring a valid passport.

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Eyesight Test
The examiner will ask you to read the number plate on a parked vehicle to test your eyesight. If you fail the check, your

driving test won’t continue. Distance requirement is 20 metres for vehicles displaying the new-style number plate,

20.5 metres for vehicles displaying old-style number plates.

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Vehicle safety questions
You’ll be asked two vehicle safety questions. These are also known as the ‘show me, tell me’ questions.
The examiner will ask you one ‘show me’ question, where you’ll have to show them how you’d carry out a vehicle safety check. You’ll also be asked one ‘tell me’ question, where you’ll have to explain to the examiner how you’d carry out the check. If you give the wrong answer for one or both questions, you’ll be marked with one driving fault.

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The driving ability part of your driving test

The driving part of your test will last approximately 40 minutes. Throughout the test your examiner will be looking for an overall safe standard of driving.
During your test the examiner will give you directions which you should follow. You’ll drive in various road and traffic conditions. You should drive in the way your instructor has trained you.
It should include, normal stops, an angle start (pulling out from behind a parked vehicle), a hill start. ​

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

 

Reversing your vehicle safely - You’ll have to show how well you can reverse your vehicle. The examiner will ask you to do ONE of the following exercises ​

​reversing around a corner, turning in the road or reverse parking - either into a parking bay, or parallel parking at the side of the road.

 

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Independent driving section of the driving test
Your driving test will include around ten minutes of independent driving. This is designed to assess your ability to drive safely while making decisions independently.​

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Don’t worry if you make a mistake - it might be a less serious driving fault and might not affect your result.

You’ll pass your test if you make: 15 or less driving faults - no serious or dangerous faults

There are three types of faults that can be marked:
• a dangerous fault - involves actual danger to you, the examiner, the public or property 
• a serious fault - could potentially be dangerous
• a driving fault - not potentially dangerous, but if you make the same fault throughout your test it could become a serious fault.

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If you pass your test the examiner will give you a pass certificate. They will also ask you if you want your full licence to be sent to you automatically. Once you have passed you test you can start driving straight away - you don’t need to wait for your full licence.

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The driving test is straightforward and has been designed to see if you: Can drive safely and know                                        and can demonstrate this through your driving