Your Complete Guide
The UK driving test is designed to assess your ability to drive safely and confidently on the road, so understanding the different stages of the driving test is crucial for anyone looking to embark on their journey towards becoming a licenced driver. So let’s explore the various stages of the practical driving test and discuss how working with a trusted provider of driving lessons in Sudbury can help you to prepare effectively.
Practical Driving Test
Once you have successfully passed your theory test, you can move on to the practical driving test. This will assess your actual driving skills and your ability to apply the knowledge you gained during your theory test to a variety of real-life situations. The practical driving test is made up of several stages, which are as follows:
- Eyesight Check: The examiner will take you outside and ask you to read a number plate from 20 metres away (or 20.5 metres if it’s an old-style number plate). You must be able to do this for the test to proceed.
- Show Me, Tell Me Questions: The examiner will ask you a ‘tell me’ safety check question before you set off. The ‘show me’ question will be asked once you are actually driving, and this could be at any point in the test.
- General Driving Ability: The examiner will direct you out of the test centre and take you on a test route. This will contain a variety of road types and traffic conditions and will last around 40 minutes. The examiner might ask you to demonstrate an emergency stop during this part of the test. 1 in 3 candidates are asked, so you must know how to perform one. Don’t worry – you will be given some warning prior to the examiner asking you to do so.
- Reversing Manoeuvres: Everyone’s favourite part of the test! You will be asked to carry out one of the following: parallel parking, forward or reverse bay parking, or pulling up on the right. You will only have to carry out one of these.
- Independent Driving: This stage will last around 20 minutes. You will be asked to drive whilst following directions from a sat nav, or 1 in 5 learners will be asked to follow the traffic signs for a certain location instead. Both of these will follow a route pre-determined by your examiner.
Why Choose Us?
Here at Nayland Driving School, we have guided so many learner drivers to success. Our instructors know what is asked of learners during their tests and will cover all stages at length with you. They can even take you out on a mock driving test so that you know how the real thing will be carried out. We have a great first-time pass rate, so you couldn’t be in safer hands.
Want to find out more? Get in touch to book your first driving lesson today!
