Practical Driving Test Explained: What Happens in 2026

The UK practical driving test lasts around 35 minutes and has four parts: an eyesight check, two "show me, tell me" vehicle safety questions, general driving that includes 20 to 35 minutes of independent driving, and one reversing manoeuvre. You pass with 15 or fewer driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults. It costs £62 on a weekday or £75 in the evening, at weekends and on bank holidays (as of October 2026).

Knowing exactly what happens takes a lot of the fear out of it. Here's the test from start to finish.

What to take to your driving test

• A car. Most people use their instructor's car. You can use your own if it meets the rules (see below).
• Your UK driving licence. If you don't have a photocard licence, bring a valid passport and your paper licence.
• Your theory test certificate only if you took your theory test in Northern Ireland. Otherwise, the examiner checks your pass electronically.

If you don't bring the right things, the test is cancelled and you lose your fee.

The 4 parts of the driving test

1. Eyesight check

Before you get in the car, you read a number plate from 20 metres (or 20.5 metres for an old-style plate). If you can't, you fail and the test ends there.

2. Show me, tell me questions

You'll be asked two vehicle safety questions:

• a "tell me" question at the start, before you drive, such as explaining how you'd check that the brakes are working or that the tyres have enough tread
• a "show me" question while you're driving, such as showing how you'd wash the windscreen or switch on the rear demister

Getting one or both wrong is one driving fault. But if you lose control of the car while doing the "show me" task and your driving becomes dangerous or potentially dangerous, you fail. Practise the controls until you can find them without looking down for long.

3. General driving and independent driving

You'll drive on a range of roads and in different traffic conditions, but not on motorways. During this part you'll be asked to:

• pull over at the side of the road
• pull out from behind a parked vehicle
• do a hill start
• possibly do an emergency stop

You'll also drive independently for 20 to 35 minutes, following directions from a sat nav, traffic signs or both. The examiner sets up the sat nav; you can't use your own. If you go the wrong way, you won't get a fault for that, and the examiner will help you back on route. Test routes are not published.

4. Reversing manoeuvre

You'll be asked to do one of these:

• parallel park at the side of the road
• park in a bay, either driving in and reversing out or reversing in and driving out
• pull up on the right, reverse around 2 car lengths and rejoin the traffic

The show me, tell me questions: full list of topics

DVSA publishes the full list, so there are no surprises. These are the topics, in our own words; check the official GOV.UK list for the exact wording.

"Tell me" topics (asked before you drive)

1. How you'd check the brakes are working before a journey
2. Where to find the correct tyre pressures and how to check them
3. How to adjust the head restraint correctly
4. How to check tyre tread depth and general tyre condition
5. How to check the headlights and tail lights are working
6. How you'd know there was a problem with the anti-lock braking system (ABS)
7. How to check the direction indicators
8. How to check the brake lights
9. How to check the power-assisted steering before a journey
10. How to switch on the rear fog lights and when to use them
11. How to switch from dipped headlights to main beam
12. How to check the engine oil level (bonnet)
13. How to check the engine coolant level (bonnet)
14. How to check the brake fluid level (bonnet)

"Show me" tasks (done while driving, when safe)

1. Wash and clean the rear windscreen
2. Wash and clean the front windscreen
3. Switch on your dipped headlights
4. Set the rear demister
5. Operate the horn
6. Demist the front windscreen
7. Open and close a side window

Our guide to car maintenance basics explains how to do the "tell me" checks for real.

How faults are marked

The examiner records three types of fault:

Repeating the same minor fault can turn it into a serious fault, so a pattern of the same mistake matters more than one slip. If you make a mistake, carry on; it may not affect your result. The examiner only stops the test early if your driving is a danger to others.

To see which faults trip people up most, read the most common reasons for failing the driving test.

Using your own car for the test

Your car must, among other things:

• be taxed, roadworthy and insured for a driving test
• have a current MOT if it's over 3 years old
• have no warning lights showing (such as the airbag light) and tyres with legal tread and no damage
• have an extra interior rear-view mirror for the examiner, plus a passenger seatbelt and a proper head restraint
• display L plates (or D plates in Wales) front and back
• be able to reach at least 62 mph and have an mph speedometer

Dashcams are only allowed if they face outwards and don't record audio inside the car. Self-parking features can't be used.

Who can come with you

The examiner will ask if you want someone (usually your instructor) to sit in the back during the test and/or be with you for the result. They must be over 16 and can't take part. An examiner's supervisor may also sit in to check the examiner's performance.

If you have a disability, health condition or learning difficulty

Tell DVSA when you book. You still have to drive to the same standard, but the examiner can make adjustments. For example:

• If you have a disability, you'll have time to talk to the examiner about it and any adaptations to your car, and they may allow more time for instructions.
• If you're deaf or hard of hearing, the examiner can use written notes and hand signals, and you can bring a British Sign Language interpreter (aged 16 or over).
• If you have reading difficulties, you can write down the number plate in the eyesight check instead of reading it aloud.
• If you have learning difficulties, the examiner can adjust independent driving, for example by letting you follow traffic signs instead of a sat nav.

Test day: a simple timeline

1. Warm-up lesson with your instructor so you're settled in the car.
2. Arrive at the test centre a few minutes early with your licence.
3. Meet the examiner, who checks your licence and walks with you to the car.
4. Eyesight check, then the "tell me" question.
5. Around 35 minutes of driving, including the "show me" task, independent driving and one manoeuvre.
6. Result and feedback back at the test centre, with your instructor present if you want.

After the test

• If you pass: the examiner tells you about any faults and gives you a pass certificate. You can hand over your provisional licence so your full licence is sent automatically, and you can drive straight away. See after you pass your driving test.
• If you don't pass: the examiner explains what went wrong. You can book another test at least 10 working days later and pay again.

Summary

The practical test is around 35 minutes of normal driving with a few set tasks: eyesight check, two vehicle safety questions, independent driving and one reversing manoeuvre. Keep minors to 15 or fewer, avoid any serious or dangerous fault, and keep driving calmly even after a mistake.

Practise with Co-Drive

Co-Drive is an iOS app that helps you rehearse the practical test: show me/tell me practice, step-by-step manoeuvres including parallel parking and pulling up on the right, independent driving tips and a full mock drive marked the GB way (up to 15 driving faults, no serious or dangerous ones). It's not affiliated with the DVSA and doesn't replace lessons with an instructor. Find out more.