For learners
How you're marked (and why people fail)
Test faults sound scary, but the system is simple once it clicks. There are three kinds of fault, one clear pass mark, and one sheet the examiner fills in. Here is exactly how you are marked, every skill you are judged on, and the mistakes that fail the most people, so you know precisely what to practise.
01
The pass mark
15
Driving faults allowed
16th driving fault = fail
And zero serious or dangerous faults: a single one of either fails the whole test, however well everything else went.
The pass rule, in one line
You pass with 15 or fewer driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults. That is the whole rule.
02
The three kinds of fault
Driving fault
Up to 15 allowedA mistake that is not dangerous on its own, like a slightly late mirror check or stalling once at a quiet junction. Collect too many and they add up to a fail.
Serious fault
Instant failSomething with the potential to be dangerous, like pulling out at a junction so another driver has to brake. A single one fails the test.
Dangerous fault
Instant failActual danger to you, the examiner, other people or property, often where the examiner has to step in, like driving through a red light. One is an instant fail.
Repeated minors can add up
The same small mistake made over and over can be upgraded to a serious fault. So a habit you would get away with once - say, never quite checking a blind spot - can still fail you if it keeps happening.
03
How the examiner marks it: the DL25
The examiner records everything live on the DL25, the official driving test report. It lists every skill you are judged on. Beside each one are two circles - S for serious and D for dangerous - and a space to tally driving faults as they happen.
At the end they add up your driving faults, mark the result, and note whether the examiner had to take action. You get a copy to keep, and the fault descriptions written on it are your exact map of what to work on.
04
The faults that fail the most people
It is almost always looking and planning, not car control
These are the DVSA's official top 10 reasons learners failed in Great Britain, from April 2024 to March 2025. Notice how many are about observation. Ineffective observation was a factor in 47% of all road collisions in 2023.
- 01
Observation at junctions
Not making effective observations before moving into a new road.
- 02
Mirrors when changing direction
Not checking mirrors carefully before signalling, changing direction or speed.
- 03
Moving off safely
Not moving off safely from the side of the road, or on a slope.
- 04
Positioning when turning right
Not positioning the car close enough to the centre of the road when turning right at junctions.
- 05
Response to traffic lights
Not acting correctly at traffic lights, or not checking the road is clear before going.
- 06
Control of the steering
Not keeping smooth, accurate control of the steering.
- 07
Response to road markings
Not understanding or reacting correctly to road markings.
- 08
Response to traffic signs
Not understanding or reacting correctly to traffic signs.
- 09
Positioning in normal driving
Not positioning the car correctly for the intended route.
- 10
Use of speed
Not driving at a speed where you can stop safely within the distance you can see to be clear.
05
Everything you're marked on
The DL25 has around 40 boxes the examiner can mark, grouped under the headings below. A driving fault is a tick in a box; a serious or dangerous fault is circled S or D against the exact skill. This is the whole set, so almost anything you do on the road lands somewhere here.
Use of mirrors
3Positioning
2Response to signs / signals
5Progress
2Awareness on the road
606
After the test
- Pass or fail, the examiner offers to talk you through the faults on your report. It is the most useful feedback you will get, so listen even if you passed - and invite your instructor in.
- A pass gives you a pass certificate, and you can usually have your full licence updated automatically. You can drive straight away.
- A fail is not wasted. The marked report shows exactly what to practise, and you can book another test for a date at least 10 working days later.
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