The Practical Driving Test

Unlike many other exams which are based on percentage scores for passes and failures, The Driving Test is a criterion based test designed to highlight any serious weakness in your ability as a driver. It is a test of your aptitude to drive independently with less then 15 driver faults and zero serious or dangerous faults during a 40 minute independent drive.

The Driving Standards Agency goes to great lengths to ensure that the driving test standard is uniform throughout the country and that the test is delivered impartially.

The Examiner  

In order to make it as a driving test examiner, all candidates have to go through a tough selection process which requires them to not only demonstrate their technical expertise in assessing driving standards but also their people handling skills. After passing the selection process, examiners under go rigours training before they are allowed to test anyone. In order to maintain consistency and impartiality examiners are closely monitored for their performance through data analysis supervision and customer feedback.

Test Routes

Test routes are specifically chosen to scrutinise the candidate’s ability to handle various types of road situations and to demonstrate their knowledge of rules and regulations on the road. The routes will consist of driving on low speed as well high-speed roads and will include busy and town or city centre driving. During the route you will also be required to undertake and display your competence in conducting two set manoeuvres from the following four and may additionally require you to demonstrate  conducting an emergency stop.

• Reverse parking behind a parked car or into a parking bay.
• Reversing round a corner to either the left or right.
• Turn in the road.

Taking the driving test

Taking the driving test is a nerve-wracking experience for most learner drivers and best way to overcome these nerves is to prepare well before you take the test. The more you know and the better prepared you are for your test, the better the chance of passing since you can focus on your driving as opposed to your nerves.

Attending the test

Prior to attending the test it is sensible to book a driving lesson before your test. The length of your lesson will depend on the distance you and your instructor have to travel in order to reach the test centre, normally it is about an hour.

Before leaving your home ensure that you have all the necessary documents with you, you will need to produce your valid provisional driving licence including the paper counter part if you have the modern photo licence, or an authorised ID such as your passport with the old style licence. If you are not able to produce these documents to the Examiner you test will be terminated and you will lose your fees. In both cases you should take your Theory Pass Certificate and the letter of appointment, although these are strictly not necessary but are handy in case of an administrative error.  In order to avoid any last minute glitches ask your instructor to check your papers before you leave for the test.

When attending for the test, you are required to provide a suitable road worthy car which is properly insured and taxed. If the examiner notices any faults which are safety related then the test will be terminated and you will forfeit your fees. So in order to avoid financial loss and disappointment, make sure that you have inspected your car thoroughly and there are no obvious defects.

Arrange to arrive at the Test Centre at least ten minutes before the test appointment time, as parking spaces may not be readily available and you may want time to refresh yourself. Driving Standards Agency is very particular about time keeping and if you arrive more then two minutes after your appointed time, it is highly likely that you will not be taken out on the test.

The waiting room

Test Centres waiting room is like any other place of professional practice. As well as you and your instructor there will be other candidates along with their instructors who will also be waiting for their respective examiners, therefore you will need to wait until your allocated examiner enters the room and calls your name and asks you for your documents. He will also ask you to read and sign a residency and insurance declaration on the test report form.

After the formalities have been completed you will be asked to lead the way to your vehicle.  As you walk out of the office the examiner will introduce him/herself to you and will ask you as to how you would like to be addressed, he will also want to know where you are parked so he can stop you and ask you to read a number plate .

Eyesight

As you walk towards your car you will be asked to read a number plate at approximate distance 20.5 metres. If you wear glasses and you need to use them to read the number plate, then they must be wear them  all the way through the test.

Vehicle Safety questions

When you reach your car, the examiner will now ask you two questions related to your understanding of vehicle safety. If you get one or both wrong you will be marked one minor fault. These questions are to do with general maintenance (level checks tyre pressures etc) and should be carried out on the car regularly by the person responsible- the driver. (For further information on show me tell me questions click here)

Vehicle entry Precautions

Before you start insure that you have conducted your cockpit drill and you are comfortably seated.

You are now ready to start driving

When you’re both in the car, the examiner will explain the directional instructions to you : " I would like you to follow the road ahead, unless traffic signs direct you otherwise, or I ask you to turn, which I will do in good time. - Move off when you are ready please ".

Whilst you are driving The Examiner will take you through a preset route, as you carry out the scheduled tasks the examiner will observe your actions and reactions to the prevailing road situation. What he is looking for is that you are able to drive without compromising the safety of all road users including your own. If you can demonstrate that you have thorough understanding of what is going on around and you are conducting the road procedures in a safe and responsible manner, then there is no reason why you would not pass your test.

Test routes are designed to last for approximately 35 minutes and at the end of it you will be brought back to the centre and informed of the result. If you have passed, The Examiner will take your old provisional licence, write you a pass certificate and leave the car to finish his paper work and prepare for the next test. If you have been unsuccessful he will explain the reasons for your failure before he departs.

How the driver errors are graded

Many people take their driving test with very little idea of what is going to happen or what is required of them. You don’t have to be a perfect driver to pass, you only need to prove that you are a safe, courteous driver who can apply the rules of the road in a responsible manner.

At the onset of the test The Examiner assumes that you are a perfect driver and will start the test with a blank DL25 (report form) your task is to keep it as clean as possible. So in essence when you first set off for your test, you have actually achieved the pass standard.

As the drive unfolds, the error marks you accumulate will dictate if you pass or fail. In other words, you don't have to do anything spectacular to pass you simply have to ensure that you concentrate on being a safe driver.

Although the following analogy does not strictly confirm to the DSA criteria, it is a good way of understanding the grading of the errors.  For example, if the various errors are compared to a perfect driver, then minor imperfections which have no implications to safety would be not be worthy of marking. Anything that has safety imprecations in the examiners opinion will be marked down as a driving error which is not bad enough to result in failure, just by itself. The DSA allow you to make 15 of these errors before they class the overall standard as unworthy of a pass. Once the standard has dropped below this level safety is no longer completely predictable and as a consequence you will fail your test.

If the standard of your drive falls below the Examiners comfort level on even just one occasion the test will be failed. The fault will be marked as serious.

If you commit a dangerous fault that requires physical intervention from the examiner, this generally implies that you have lost partial or total control over your vehicle and it is only because of the examiners intervention and grace of god that you have not been involved in an accident.

If your driving is well below the standard expected of a normal driver the examiner has the option to stop the test in the interest of public safety and walk back to the test centre, he also has the option of suing you if you cause him or her any injury.

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