The Practical Driving Test

The Prctical Driving Test assesses your ability to drive safely.

The Test does not have to be fault free, although this is what you should be aiming for.

There are 3 types of faults:

• a DANGEROUS fault - this involves actual danger to you, the examiner, the public or property.
• a SERIOUS fault - a serious fault - something potentially dangerous.
• a DRIVING (sometimes called a MINOR) fault - this is not potentially dangerous, but if you keep making the same fault, it could become a serious fault.

PASS

You will pass your test if you make no more than 15 driving faults (sometimes called MINORS) and no serious or dangerous faults (sometimes called MAJORS).

If you pass your test the examiner will:

• tell you what faults you made, if any
• give you a pass certificate
• ask you if you want your full licence to be sent to you automatically - give the examiner your provisional licence if you want to do this. You must apply for your full driving licence within 2 years of passing your test if you do not want to get your licence automatically.

You can start driving straight away when you’ve passed your test. You do not need to wait for your full licence to arrive.

FAIL

You will not pass your practical driving test if you make more than 15 minor driving faults or have any serious or dangerous faults.

The examiner will - tell you what faults you made.

You will have to book another test and pay again. You have to choose a date at least 10 working days away.

CANCELLATION BY DVSA

Scheduled Driving Tests may be cancelled at short notice by DVSA - this is totally beyond our control, and the DVSA usually contact you using the details you provided when booking the test - please make sure these are up to date and checked regularly. As the DVSA do not contact us directly we rely on you passing on details of the cancellation.

The DVSA will then notify you of a new test date - usually within a few days of the cancelled date. Let us know the new date as soon as possible in order that we can clear our diary to accommodate this. In some circumstances you are able to claim expenses for a cancelled test - see the DVSA site for more details.

We give priority to Driving Tests, so if you are scheduled for a routine lesson at the time of a test please re-arrange your lesson with us to allow the test to take place - remember you may be in exactly the same situation for your own test!