The Dreaded Theory Test

Are you planning to start driving? Are you looking forward to getting behind the wheel and passing your test, and finally removing those ‘L’ plates for good? First things first; before you become a full time professional driver, you’re going to have to learn the theory. And that includes passing the theory test.

To start yourself on the way towards this, you will first need a Provisional licence. This is only valid from your 17^th birthday onwards, although you can apply for it three months in advance. From this point you will be able to book driving lessons and take your Theory Test. Many people think of the Theory test as being less important than the practical driving test; however it is necessary to pass the Theory before you will be allowed to apply for the Practical Driving test.

To give you a little information on this, the Theory test is comprised of two parts: The Theory Test, and the Hazard perception Test. Here we will go into detail on the first part:

The Theory test takes place on a computer screen, and consists of 50 questions – however don’t worry about your spelling, grammar or punctuation – they are all multiple choice questions. You will be shown a short tutorial to ensure you understand what to do and given a few practice questions to prepare yourself.

Each question will have a driving related query, and a list of potential answers, of which one or more may be correct – you will be advised how many correct answers are available in each question. You will have 57 minutes to complete all 50 questions – a little over a minute for each question. A successful Theory test will have a minimum of 43 correct answers, which equates to 86%.

If you are unsure of a question, we would advise you to “Flag” the question and move on, and return to it later.  You will be shown how to “Flag” an answer in the tutorial. You will also be able to review your answers in a variety of ways – you can review all answers, all flagged answers, and all incomplete answers (i.e. which questions have not had enough answers selected).

Always ensure that there are 50 complete questions- if there are less, use the review feature to find the incomplete question, and do your best to answer it. An incomplete answer will be marked as incorrect, so if you have absolutely no idea, you might as well take a guess!

Try to relax. Don’t worry about failing, it is not the end of the world, however you will have to pay for your re-take, which will become available three days after your failed attempt.

Most importantly, ensure you have revised properly for your Theory test. A little preparation goes a long way… so good luck!

Stay tuned for next time… The Dreaded Theory Test- Part 2: The Hazard Perception Test!