Step 4: Taking Your Practical Driving Test
Your driving instructor will tell you when you are ready to take a
practical driving test. This will be when you are able to drive consistently well with confidence and without assistance and guidance from your driving instructor.
**Remember you will also need to have already passed the Theory Test.
On the day of your test you will arrive early at your local DSA test centre, and wait in the waiting room. An examiner will come out of his/her office and call out your name.
Once called they will ask to see your Provisional Licence
photo card and counterpart along with your theory certificate. Next you will walk out of the test centre and be asked to read a number plate at a minimum distance at 20.5 metres (about 67 feet). If you need glassed or contact lenses to read the number plate, that is fine. However, you must wear them during the test and whenever you drive.
At your vehicle the examiner will ask you two "Show Me Tell Me Questions". Once these are answered the practical side of the test will begin. The driving test will last for about 40 minutes. On your test you will be asked to do two
manoeuvres and other driving exercises.
Your examiner expects you to drive safely and competently in road and traffic conditions. You will be given directions clearly and in good time. He / she will assess any errors you make and, depending on their degree of seriousness, record them on the driving test report form (DL25). You will fail your test if you commit a serious or dangerous fault. You will also fail if you commit more than a fixed number of driving faults (previously known as minor faults).
The criteria the examiner will use are as follows:
DRIVING FAULT - Less serious, but has been assessed as such because of circumstances at that particular time. An accumulation of driving faults may result in a fail. Accumulating more than 15 driving faults will result in a fail.
SERIOUS FAULT - Recorded when a potentionally dangerous incident has occurred or a habitual driving fault indicates a serious weakness in a candidates driving.
DANGEROUS FAULT - Recorded when a fault is assessed as having caused actual danger during the driving test.
To book a Practical Driving Test call 0870 01 01 372 or click on the
DSA logo below.
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