Pull up just past a parked car, then reverse back to park neatly behind it, within about two car lengths. Keep checking your mirrors and blind spots as you go.

In a car park, either reverse into a bay and drive out, or drive into a bay and reverse out. The examiner tells you which one to do.

Pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for about two car lengths, then move off and rejoin the traffic when it is safe.

For learners

The driving test, step by step

On the day, the practical test always follows the same running order. Once you know every stage and what the examiner is actually looking for, most of the nerves go away. Here is the whole test, minute by minute, from the moment you meet your examiner to the result.

The test at a glance

~40

Minutes on the day

About 35 of them are actual driving; the rest is checks and paperwork.

Parts to the test

Eyesight, safety questions, general driving, one manoeuvre, and independent driving.

Driving faults allowed

Plus zero serious or dangerous faults. See our marking page.

1 in 7

Chance of an emergency stop

Picked at random, so always be ready for one.

Good to know before you start

Your instructor can come along, sit in on the test, and stay for the feedback at the end - many learners find that calming.

The examiner sits in the front passenger seat to observe. They are not there to catch you out, and only step in if it is needed for safety.

Your test, minute by minute

1
At the test centre
Meet your examiner
You wait in the test centre until the examiner calls your name. They will check a few details and walk you out to the car.
2
Documents
Licence check
Show your photocard driving licence. No licence means no test, and you lose the fee. You will also confirm the car is insured for the test and that you live in the UK.
3
Eyesight
Read a number plate
Outside, you read a number plate from 20 metres (20.5 metres for an older-style plate). Wear your glasses or lenses if you need them, and keep them on for the whole test.
Fail this and the test ends before you even get in the car, marked as a serious fault. Pace out 20 metres with your instructor beforehand so you know how far it is.
4
Tell me
One safety question, at the car
Engine off, the examiner asks one "tell me" question. You explain in words how you would carry out a safety check, such as checking the brakes or tyres.
5
Get set
Cockpit checks, then move off
Doors, seat, mirrors and seatbelt, then move off safely when the road is clear. This is your chance to settle before the drive.
6
General driving
Normal driving, around 35 minutes
You drive a mix of roads and conditions - junctions, roundabouts, crossings, changing speed limits - but never a motorway. Expect a few normal stops, at least one hill start, and moving off from behind a parked car and at an angle.
7
Show me
One safety question, on the move
While you are driving, the examiner asks one "show me" question. You demonstrate a control, such as washing the windscreen, without taking your attention off the road.
Get a show me or tell me question wrong and it is only one driving fault. It can never fail you on its own.
8
Manoeuvre
One reversing exercise
The examiner chooses one of three exercises for you: a parallel park, a bay park, or pulling up on the right and reversing. You only do one.
9
Independent driving
20 to 35 minutes on your own
You drive without step-by-step directions, following either a sat nav the examiner sets up, or the traffic signs. The examiner tells you which, and you cannot use your own sat nav. It is about driving well, not perfect navigation.
A wrong turn is not a fault. The examiner simply helps you get back on route, so stay calm and keep driving normally.
10
Maybe
A possible emergency stop
In roughly one test in seven, the examiner asks you to pull over and perform a controlled emergency stop. They signal it clearly first and check the road behind is safe.
11
The result
You find out straight away
Back at the test centre, the examiner tells you whether you passed and talks you through any faults you made. This is the moment to invite your instructor to listen in.
12
After
Pass, or book a resit
Pass and you get a pass certificate and can drive straight away, with your full licence usually sent to you automatically. If it did not go your way this time, you can book another test for a date at least 10 working days later.

The three manoeuvres

You do just one reversing manoeuvre, and the examiner chooses which. All three are judged on smooth control and good all-round observation, not on being millimetre-perfect.

Parallel park: Pull up just past a parked car, then reverse back to park neatly behind it, within about two car lengths. Keep checking your mirrors and blind spots as you go.
Bay park: In a car park, either reverse into a bay and drive out, or drive into a bay and reverse out. The examiner tells you which one to do.
Pull up on the right: Pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for about two car lengths, then move off and rejoin the traffic when it is safe.

A study tool some learners like

Plenty of learners like to rehearse the routine before test day. The free Driving Test Voice Guide UK app reads each stage of the practical test aloud, drills the show me, tell me questions with pictures and model answers, and works offline in more than 20 languages.

It is a third-party app, not made by or affiliated with the DVSA, and we are not sponsored.