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Manoeuvres

All Driving Test Manoeuvres Explained

The examiner will choose one manoeuvre from four options. Know all of them so you're ready for any choice.

8 min read

Since December 2017, there are four possible manoeuvres on the UK driving test: reverse bay parking, forward bay parking, parallel parking, and pulling up on the right. You'll be asked to do exactly one. You won't know in advance which one it will be.

The Full Guide

Drive past the target bay, reverse in, drive out. Used in car parks at the test centre or during the route. Assessment: accuracy (within lines, reasonably straight), observations throughout, appropriate speed. This is the most common manoeuvre chosen by examiners.

Common Faults

Rushing — all manoeuvres should be done slowly
Not observing properly during reversal — pedestrians appear from nowhere in car parks
Losing parallel accuracy — finishing at a steep angle or over a line
Mounting the kerb during any manoeuvre
Not checking blind spots before moving off after the manoeuvre

What the Examiner Looks For

Controlled speed — slow throughout
Constant observation: mirrors, blind spots, windows
Reasonable accuracy — within lines, close to kerb
Appropriate response if a hazard appears mid-manoeuvre (pause, wait)
Safe move-off from the manoeuvre position

Quick Tips

1Practise all four with your instructor — don't skip any of them
2Slow is always better for manoeuvres — speed is never rewarded
3If you lose your position, one correction is fine — don't panic
4Car parks are pedestrian environments — treat them that way

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Bay Parking: Forward and Reverse Explained

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Parallel Parking Step by Step

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