What to expect on your driving test

The long months of preparation and waiting are over – it’s now your chance to shine! Knowing what to expect on your practical driving test will help with controlling your nerves – a large part of which is a fear of the unknown.

So, here’s what to expect on the day of your test.

Before You Leave

Your driving instructor will pick you up as normal, usually in plenty of time for your test, check you have brought your provisional licence with you, and take you for a warm-up drive. This is a chance to set your driving position up so you’re comfortable, have one more practice of the reversing manoeuvres, and run through the ‘tell me’ questions.

Arriving at the Test Centre

You should aim to arrive at the test centre about 10 minutes before your test time. Try not to arrive earlier than this, as test centre parking areas can get busy with candidates beginning and ending their tests.

Find the waiting room and the loo, and then sit with your instructor to wait for the examiner. Depending on the size of the test centre, there will be other candidates waiting – and going through exactly the same emotions as you.

Meeting the Examiner

Examiners will normally enter the room and call each candidate’s name. When your name is called, have your provisional licence ready, as the examiner will need to see this first. You will then be asked to read and sign an insurance and residency declaration on the examiner’s iPad. The examiner will then compare you to your photo displayed on their iPad.

The examiner will ask if you would like anyone to accompany you on your test.
If you’d like your instructor to sit in the back during the test, say yes.
If you’d prefer they do not sit in, but still want them present for the feedback, say yes when asked about the debrief.
It’s important your instructor knows what faults, if any, you had during the test.

Eyesight Test and Safety Question

You’ll then be asked to lead the way to your car. Once outside, you will be asked to read the registration number of a nearby vehicle, to show your eyesight fits the legal requirements. If you can’t read the licence plate, then this will be recorded as a fail and the test terminated. If you have dyslexia, the British Dyslexia Association has some useful advice.

The examiner will now need to check your test car is roadworthy and safe. They will ask you to sit in the car while they carry out a brief visual inspection of the vehicle. After this, they may ask you to open the bonnet for the first safety question (‘Tell me…’).

You should be familiar with the:

Oil dipstick
Brake fluid reservoir
Coolant header tank

If you are not asked to open the bonnet, the first safety question will be asked when you and the examiner are sitting in the car.

The Examiner’s Briefing

The examiner will also tell you about the test. This is a sample of what they may say:

“The test will include independent driving, various roads and traffic conditions. I will ask you two safety questions, one of which will be during the drive. I will ask you to complete one reverse manoeuvre and we may carry out an emergency stop.

Throughout the drive, follow the road ahead unless traffic signs direct you otherwise. When I want you to turn left or right, I will tell you in plenty of time.”

Independent Drive

For about 20 minutes of the test, you will follow directions from the examiner’s satnav, or follow road signs towards a destination given to you by the examiner. The independent drive can start at any time during the test, even right at the beginning.

Try not to use the satnav’s speed limit function as it may not be accurate. After the independent drive is complete, the examiner will ask you to pull over on the side of the road and then advise you they will give you directions from then on.

Where Will I Go?

Your test route depends on a number of factors – traffic and roadworks, time of day, the number of candidates taking the test at the same time as you. If you’ve prepared well, then there should be no surprises.

The test route will include:

Dual carriageways
Rural roads
Busy junctions and residential areas
Pedestrian crossings, crossroads and traffic lights
Meeting situations and roundabouts

The whole point of the test is to see how safely you drive in a variety of road and traffic situations.

Stopping on the Left

You will be asked to stop on the left in a safe place several times. The examiner may tell you specifically where to pull up, or leave it to you to find a suitable location.

Remember SCALP – it needs to be a Safe, Convenient And Legal Place!

You can expect to stop on the left for:

Normal stops
Angled start (pulling away from a space with a vehicle in front of you)
Hill start
Reverse parallel park on the road
Emergency stop briefing

Reverse Manoeuvre and Emergency Stop

The examiner will ask you to perform a randomly selected manoeuvre. The reverse bay park could take place right at the end of the test, back at the test centre.

One in seven tests will include an emergency stop. The examiner will ask you to pull over on the left, then explain the signal they will give.

Examiner’s iPad

You may notice the examiner using their iPad during the test – this is not necessarily to record faults you have made. They need to record that they have asked you to perform various elements of the test, such as stopping safely, moving off at an angle or on a hill, and the reversing manoeuvre.

Try not to focus on what they are doing, and instead concentrate on your planning and awareness of the road.

Breaking the Ice

Examiners know you are nervous – it would be unnatural if you weren’t! They will put you at ease with a little social chit-chat, but if you’d rather not talk, they won’t be in any way offended.

Feel free to tell them about what you are doing during the drive – it often helps when negotiating tricky situations to talk yourself through out loud. Examiners are often helpful, but they won’t be able to answer specific questions about what you should do during the test – always do what you think is safe.

‘Show me’ on the move safety question

During the drive, the examiner will ask you to show them how you operate a control within the vehicle. You should be able to do this with minimal distraction away from your driving. Maintaining control of the vehicle is important, as you will not get more than a driving fault (minor) if you don’t know where the control is, or press the wrong button. If you lose control of your steering, for example, while looking for the control, then you’ll risk a serious or dangerous fault.

Going the wrong way

This happens fairly frequently, and won’t result in you failing the test, unless you commit a serious or dangerous fault as a result. For example, if you find yourself in the wrong lane of a roundabout, and it’s safest to leave at the wrong exit, then don’t worry. The examiner will get you back on route without drama. You may incur a driving fault if you’ve gone the wrong way because you’ve not reacted to a sign or road marking, but in a lot of cases, going the wrong way on its own during your test will not result in a fault.

Time Flies

You may not realise how fast time feels like it’s passed on your test – most candidates can’t believe how quickly they return to the test centre. All tests must last at least 30 minutes, and it is more likely yours will last 40–45 minutes. If you’ve been affected by traffic on the test, then it may last a little longer.

The Result

When you’ve returned to the test centre, the examiner will ask you to switch off the engine. Make sure your driving instructor can hear the examiner’s feedback by opening your door. If it is raining, your instructor will sit in the back seat.

You are allowed to accumulate up to 15 driving faults (‘minors’) during the test. If the examiner records 16 or more, then you unfortunately will not pass. Any serious or dangerous faults (‘majors’) will result in a failed test.

The examiner will tell you whether you have passed or been unsuccessful. Regardless of the result, they may give you some advice based on whatever faults they have recorded. In the event of a fail, they will usually give feedback on the serious or dangerous faults only. It is important you listen to the examiner’s feedback, and not interrupt or argue with them. This is a learning opportunity, even if you’ve passed.

If you pass, the examiner will:

Complete your pass certificate
Ask if you’d like them to automatically issue your new full licence
Take your provisional licence (if yes) and destroy it
Your new licence will arrive at your home address usually within 10 working days.

Driving Home

Regardless of the result, it is a good idea to let your instructor drive you home. You will be feeling a mix of emotions, depending on whether you’ve passed or not, and it is probably not a good idea to drive afterwards!

Conclusion

Hopefully, knowing what to expect on the day of your test will make it seem slightly less daunting. Remember to focus on your driving and don’t get distracted.

Good luck!