Testing your driving ability
The driving part of the test to assess if you are safe to let on the roads is called the practical test, and it lasts in the region of 40 minutes in total. The purpose is to assess if you can drive to a sufficient and safe enough standard in order to be able to be ready to drive independently, in the view of the examiner. A range of manoeuvres that you perform are also assessed which helps to see your control of the vehicle and arrangement of the space around your car - for instance when performing reversing etc.
If you are having lessons with a driving school, then they will ensure that the vehicle you use is one that can be used in a driving test, but if you are not and are using your own vehicle then you need to ensure that it is one that can be used in a driving test: there is a list of makes and models that you can't use on the DirectGov website here:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/LearnerAndNewDrivers/PracticalTest/DG_173040
Many people get very nervous when it comes to the practical test, and some people are shaking so much before they get in the car, and others are unable to keep their food down the morning before! Whilst people get nervous for the theory test too, for some reason the practical test seems to bring out even more nerves in people.
To some extent this is because you can't control other road users and what they do, and we've all heard stories of people who are really unlucky when confronted with some very awkward situation whilst on their driving test that, in normal road conditions they would not have come across and therefore would not have had that opportunity to fail their test.
Also of course you might panic about your ability to control the car and whether you are ready for the test, but remember that your driving instructor would not have recommended you take the test now if they did not think that you had a good chance of passing if you drive to your ability.
Related Articles...
Risks when driving: bright or low sun
When the sun is low and bright, it can be very hard indeed to drive. This is because we may have to squint and the bright light can make it hard to pick out objects and to see, sometimes right in...
The Advanced Driving Test
There are advantages to continuing to study driving by means of a course like the advanced driving test, because it will help to give you the chance to develop your skills even further than you had...
Vehicle Test Certificate Explained
The MOT test is no doubt something you have heard of before, but you don't pay that much interest to what it actually is before you are a car driver and faced with the prospect of requiring such a...
Ways to drive in a greener way
There are several methods that you can employ to ensure that you drive in a green way. The advantages of this are that you consume less fuel pro rata so it is good for your bank balance too, and...
How to help yourself stay safe whilst driving
It is a sad fact, but a fact nonetheless, that there are very rare occasions on which you can just get unlucky and be involved in an accident, whether minor or major, that you are powerful to do...
How to book your driving theory test
There is now an online booking system in place that will allow you to book a driving theory test online.
There are also other ways to book a driving theory test: over the phone and you can...
Some common engine faults
It is beyond the scope of the articles here to go into detail about how the engine works and what the various parts of it are. For the theory test you won't need to know a great detail about the...
What causes accidents: junctions
An alarmingly high proportion of accidents happen in and around junctions.
This is because of the combination of busy roads, traffic that can be nose to tail and people crossing all sorts of...
What happens after the practical test
At the end of the test, you may have had your driving instructor in the back but taking no part in the test. If not, you can call them over before you receive the feedback and result to your...
Test your Driving Theory
Want to test your driving theory knowledge? We have all the multiple choice revision questions for car drivers together with a range of hazard perception clips.
With our unique feedback and...
Back to home page of driving theory test questions
