For your test date, make sure you rest well, bring your provisional licence. DVSA says to bring theory test pass certificate, but they never ask for it and to be fair, if you don’t pass your theory test, the system would not let you book your driving test.

It’s perfectly normal to be nervous. Why wouldn’t you! There will be a stranger sitting in the car next to you, watching you while you’re driving.

Use the adrenaline to sharpen your focus!

Due to Covid, you will have to wear a mask during your test.

And your driving instructor will have to ensure the car is nice and clean for the test.

Bellow, I have written a guide of what happens on your driving test date. It is based on y experience with the driving tests.

And these are:

1. You are allowed to arrive 10 prior to your driving test. Once arrived at the test centre, you reverse into the allocated bay for the Driving Test Candidates.

2. Fully open both front door for ventilation.

3. Take an opportunity to use test centre toilet facilities.

4. The examiners will come out and call your name. Your driving instructor will walk away and leave you with the examiner to get on with your driving test.

5. The examiner will walk around and check the vehicle make sure the tyres don’t have any cuts or bulges.

6. The examiner then will ask you to read a number plate – you will have to be able to read a number plate from 20.5 metres distance.

If you happen to fail to read number plate, you won’t be allowed to continue with your test.

Therefore, if need be, visit your local optician.

7. The examiner will ask you to get in the car. You will be asked to sign a declaration.

8. You will be asked to answer one ‘Tell Me’ question.

If you answer it, it’s great. If not, you will get a driver fault.

9. You will be asked to start the car and leave the test centre.

Be aware, that due to covid, if you fail the test, you will be directed back to test centre. That’s due to reducing unnecessary time spent in the car.

Keep your focus on the whole time upto they point when you are back at the test centre, and you are asked to switch off the engine.

Many students fail the test just yards away from the centre. They assume they have passed and then they relax and loose their focus.

10. Part of the test is called ‘Independent Driving’. It should last for about 20 min which is half of your driving test.

Most of the time, the minute the examiners get in the car, they put their sat nav on. So the independent part of your test could start at the very beginning of your test.

Some of my students said that they either drove for over twenty minutes.

11. During your test, while you are actually driving, you will be asked to

do/answer one ‘Show Me’ question.

Crucial point here is to ensure you check the mirrors first to see what’s happening around your car.

You will be asked this question as you are dealing with some kind of situation or you are about to approach junction or a busy roundabout.

It’s ok to do so, because the examiner will ask you ‘When is safe to do so…’. The key point is to choose a SAFE moment to answer this question.

If you happen to fail to answer the question, you may get a driver fault. But be careful with this part of your test because by choosing the wrong timing, you could create a serious or dangerous situation.

You can tell the examiner that you will, for example, finish dealing with the situation, and then answer the ‘Show Me’ question.

12. Manoeuvres – for the exam, you will have to prepare 4 manoeuvres:

* parallel parking

* forward bay parking

* reverse bay parking

* stopping on the right side of the road

You will be asked to do one of these four manoeuvres.

You are allowed to try to fix your manoeuvre if you are noticing that is not going well.

You will get driver fault for trying to fix it.

If you fail the manoeuvre, you fail the whole driving test.

So choose lesser of the evil – it’s better to get a driver fault than fail the whole exam.

You are allowed maximum of fifteen driver faults.

13. You may be asked to perform an ‘ Emergency Stop’. Not every driving test candidate gets to do this – only 1 in 3 candidates actually gets asked to do this.

14. The rest of the test is following the examiner’s instructions.

At the beginning of the test, they usually say ‘Follow the road ahead, unless I or the road signs tells otherwise’.

15. Once you are back to the test centre, the examiner will give you a debrief which is basically a summary of your test.

You will be asked if you would like your driving instructor to be part of the debrief and you want to say yes.

Here, you will also get the outcome of your test. I hope is the positive one!

You will also receive an email with your driving test report.

Good luck!