Driving tests have 5 parts…Let’s see what those are!
Eyesight test
You’ll have to read a number plate.
They will ask you to read a car registration from a distance of 20 metres. You’ll fail your driving test if you fail the eyesight check. The test will end.
Vehicle Safety Questions
You will have to answer 2 vehicle safety questions
You’ll be asked 2 vehicle safety questions known as the “show me, tell me questions”.
1 ‘TELL ME’ question at the start of your test, before you start driving
AND
1 ‘SHOW ME’ question while you’re driving
General Driving Ability
You will drive in various road and traffic conditions.
You will drive on various roads, but not on motorways. The examiner will give you directions that you should follow.
You’ll be asked to pull up on the left and move off during your test 3 times; 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 (‘controlled stop’); 1 in 3 UK test includes this.
Reversing Your Vehicle
The examiner will ask you to do ONE of the following exercises.
Reverse parking on the road, also known as ‘parallel parking’
Reverse or forward park in a parking bay
Pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for around 2 car lengths, and rejoin the traffic
Independent Driving
You’ll have to drive for 20 minutes independently.
The examiner will ask you to follow either:
directions from a satellite navigation
traffic signs
The examiner will tell you which you have to follow. They’ll set their satnav up for you. You cannot use your own sat nav. If there’s no traffic sign at your next junction or you cannot see a traffic sign (for example, because it’s covered by trees), the examiner will give you directions until you can see the next one. The independent driving is the first 20 mins of your 40 mins test.