Your test day

Every part of the practical test, in the order it happens. The Test Day fee with TF Driving is £120, including use of the car.

Arriving
We arrive ten minutes early. That gives you time to settle before you begin, and takes away any worry about being late and missing the test.
What to bring
The examiner meets you in the waiting room and asks to see your provisional licence. Without it you cannot take the test. It is a good idea to bring your booking confirmation, and your theory test pass certificate if you have it, in case there is a query with your booking.
Eyesight check
You will be asked to read a number plate from 20 metres away.
Show me, tell me
At the start of the test you are asked one of 14 'tell me' questions, where you explain how you would carry out a safety check. During the drive you are asked one of 7 'show me' questions, where you show how you would do it. A wrong answer is one minor fault, so learn all 21 and start the test with a confident answer.
The drive
The test lasts around 40 minutes. If the examiner wants you to turn left or right they will tell you. If you reach a junction and have been given no direction, follow the road ahead. Around one in three tests includes a controlled stop.
Independent driving
For about 20 minutes you will follow either road signs or directions from a sat nav. If you forget which way to go, ask the examiner to remind you. What matters is that you keep driving safely, even if you go the wrong way.
A reversing manoeuvre
The examiner picks one: parallel park, park on the right and reverse two car lengths, reverse into a parking bay, or drive forward into a bay and reverse out. Before your test we make sure you are confident in all of them. Take your time and keep your observations going so you always know what is happening around the car.
The controlled stop
If it is part of your test, the examiner explains it first. You drive on and build up speed as normal. They check it is safe, then raise a hand and say stop. You stop the car as quickly as you safely can, as if it were an emergency.
The result
At the end the examiner tells you whether you have passed and explains any serious faults. To pass you need no serious or dangerous faults, and no more than 15 minor driving faults. When you pass, the examiner can take your provisional licence and have your full licence posted to you, or you can keep it and apply yourself.

Test rules change from time to time. The definitive version is always on gov.uk.

Why people fail, according to the DVSA

The DVSA publishes the faults that fail the most tests. Junction observations and mirror checks are regulars. Read the list, then tell Titus which ones worry you.

The DVSA’s top test faults (gov.uk)

Practise show me, tell me