Practical Test | Pauls Driving School

Paul's Driving School

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency practical driving test will last approximately 38-40 minutes, and will be conducted by a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Examiner. The examiner will test your ability to drive on various different road conditions, in town, on major roads, and your ability to carry out one of the driving manoeuvres you will have been taught by your instructor. The emergency stop manoeuvre will be conducted in approximately 1 in 3 tests.

The test will start and end from the local driving test centre.

The examiners are there as observers, they will try their best to help you feel relaxed. If you are not sure of an instruction or didn’t hear what they said, you are welcome to politely ask the examiner to repeat it.

At the start of the test, you will be required to read a number plate from 20.5 metres.

Prior to leaving the test centre car park you will then be asked a 'tell me' question. These questions will be regarding general safety issues that you will need to know to be able to safely maintain your vehicle. Your instructor will have taken the time during your lessons to fully prepare you for this part of the test as well as your driving ability. Whilst you are driving during the test the examiner will later on ask you a ‘show me’ question.

If you answer one or both of these two safety questions incorrectly it will result in 1 driving fault being recorded on your marking sheet.

An example of two such questions is as follows:

Show me how you would switch on the rear fog light(s) and explain when you would use it/them

Tell me how you would know if there was a problem with your anti-lock braking system (ABS)

You will fail the test if you commit more than 15 driving faults, or if you commit one serious fault or one dangerous fault.

When you have completed the test and arrived back at the test centre the examiner will inform you of the result, and they will then offer you a full debrief of the marking sheet that they have completed during your test. Your instructor is allowed to listen in on this debrief provided you authorise this, as this can prove useful so that they know what areas you have had problems with during the test.

If you are unsuccessful at your first attempt, you can apply for another test immediately, but unfortunately there is a compulsory wait period between practical tests, details of which can be found on the gov.uk website.

Practical Test