Practical Test information from Bradleys School of Motoring

About the Practical Driving Test

The first thing to do is this:

Check your driving instructors availability

During the summer months particularly driving instructors diarys tend to get full very quickly. Always talk to your driving instructor about their availability then try and get a test date that suits both of you.

Once you have passed your theory test you can set about getting ready for your driving test. The driving test itself is an assessment of your ability to control a car in a series of different situations as well as some understanding of the basic workings of the car itself. The test itself is carried out by a DSA examiner - your driivng instructor has no influence over the test once it starts.

You wil be asked to peform two or more manoeuvres such as a turn in the road or reverse round a corner as well as drive on various road types and in road situations. As you approach your test date your Bradleys driving instructor will start to take you out around the test areas on your driving lessons to get you familiar with what you are likely to experience on your driving test. You will also get 'mock exams' that will help you gain experience of what it will be like on the driving test itself.

The important thing to remember about the driving test is simply this:

Practice really does make perfect

It sounds like an obvious statement, but you will be surprised how many people ask how many hours it takes to 'pass my driving test'. The short answer is this: the more hours you do the better your chance. The DSA themselves quote that 40 hours of driving lessons PLUS around the same in private practice (such as your own or you parents car) gives you around a 42% chance of passing. By any standards that is a low figure, and in some test centres that number is even lower (28% or so).

Think of it like this. One hour with a professional driving instructor is worth around 2 - 3 hours in the car with your parents or friends. Your driving instructor knows what to look for in your driving, has the benefits of dual controls and training and can work with you on areas you are not confident with.

I have seen driving schools that guarantee a pass - how?

The driving test itself is independantly marked. No-one, anywhere, can guarantee you a pass. The decision is the DSA examiners and not the driving schools. If that were the case every single school would 'guarantee' a pass. The best they can do is say 'keep taking lessons with us and you will eventually pass' - but then any driving school could say that too.

How does the Driving Test work?

The test itself is around 45 minutes long and can be split into two sections:

Section One: Show Me Tell Me is around 5 minutes. After reading the number plate to check you eyesight is OK the examiner will as you some basic questions that may require you to demonstrate certain things on the car (such as 'show me how you would check your headlights'). Your Bradleys driving instructor can give you a sheet with these questions and the answers on it.

Section Two: Driving The Car is around 40 minutes. It's not enough just to drive the car. You must demonstrate that you are in control of the car and that you are aware of other road users, the rules of the road and can perform manoeuvres under control. You will be marked as you go around on things such as observations, use of mirrors, obeying road signs, interacting with other road users, etc.

Important things to remember are:

Never give up - what you see as being a really bad thing you have done might only be a minor fault to the examiner. You're under pressure and things can seem a lot worse than they really are!!

Ignore the examiner writing - he might not actually be marking anything on the sheet. Don't let yourself get distracted else you will end up making mistakes.

At the end of the test the examiner will tell you whether you have passed or failed. In either case they will make sure to explain to you what you have done right and wrong throughout the test and it is important to pay attention to this. Your driving instructor may come to the car and listen to what they have to say.

I have a driving test booked but am not learing with Bradleys driving school - can you help?

This depends on when and where your driving test is. If your test date is within less than a week then the short answer is: No. We will not allow a car to go out with a pupil who we have not had time to assess. We ask for a minimum of 5 lessons before the test date to assess you driving and also to give the driving instructor some chance of being able to work with you to give you a decent chance of passing. As always we reserve the right to refuse to take you to a test if we feel that you are not at a sufficient standard.

If you do have a practical test date and it is one or more weeks away then we may be able to help. The best thing to do is to contact the office and we will see if we can help you. Please bear in mind that there may be a small premium charged for this service due to the short notice given to the driving instructor.