What to Expect at Your Driving Test

Arrive 10 minutes early. The examiner will confirm your identity using your provisional licence (both parts if photocard). Bring your theory test pass certificate if it was issued before December 2023.

Before getting in the car, you'll be asked to read a standard number plate at 20 metres. If you cannot do this with glasses or contact lenses, your test ends immediately. Wear your corrective lenses if you need them.

Two vehicle safety questions: one you answer verbally ("tell me") and one you physically demonstrate ("show me"). Common examples: checking tyre tread, windscreen washer fluid level, operating the horn. One wrong answer = one minor fault.

The examiner will give directions as you drive through a pre-set route around the test centre. They will not tell you if you make a mistake. Drive as you have been taught — check mirrors, signal early, position correctly, and maintain appropriate speed.

You'll be asked to drive independently for around 20 minutes following either a sat-nav (most centres) or road signs. The examiner won't give directions during this section. If you make a wrong turn, that's fine — just continue safely. They're testing how you drive, not navigation.

You'll be asked to perform one of the following: parallel park, park in a bay (drive in and reverse out, or reverse in and drive out), or pull up on the right-hand side of the road and reverse. The examiner is looking for accuracy and observation.

After parking at the test centre, the examiner will give you your result. If you pass, you'll surrender your provisional licence. If you fail, you'll receive a DL25 form showing every fault marked — this is your roadmap for what to work on.