You’ll pass your practical test if you make:

– 15 or fewer driving faults
– No serious or dangerous faults

Once the driving test has ended, the examiner will ask whether you want to call your instructor over. The examiner will then tell you whether you passed or fail your test and give you some feedback on how you did during the test.

There are 3 types of faults that could be marked during your test:

-A dangerous fault – this would involve actual danger to you, the examiner, the public or property
– A serious fault – this could potentially become dangerous
– A driving fault – this is not potentially dangerous, but if you make the same fault throughout your test it could become a serious fault

If you pass your test, the examiner will give you a pass certificate and will immediately take your provisional licence to get your full licence sent out to you automatically. You do not need to wait for your full licence to arrive before driving; you can drive straight after passing your test.

If you don’t pass, you will have to wait another 10 working days before you can take another test.

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Good luck from Britannia!

Radical plans to change the driving test have been put on hold by the government. The Green Paper which outlines the stricter rules for young drivers was meant to be released last year. It introduced the idea of a 12-month probationary licence which amongst other restrictions included a curfew between 10pm and 5am unless someone over 30 was in the car. It also advised that learners be tested on motorway driving.

Critics of the delay says that reforms should be top priority as these changes are imperative for the safety of new drivers and then learner drivers need a minimum number of hours behind the wheel.

Some young drivers thought the plans were however too restrictive – the extra number of hours needed before the practical test could be difficult to fund by younger drivers. This could lead to an even greater rise in the number of people leaving learning to drive to later.

Many driving instructors and motoring groups believe that some restriction on young driver should be welcomed but the ones proposed are impractical – additional training on the motorways are important but radical restrictions would not help young drivers.

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In June 2011, the then DSA (now DVSA) introduced independent driving into the practical test and it is less daunting than what most learners think.

It only makes up 10 minutes of the test and is not a test of orientation and navigation. Rather, it is a test of the ability to make your own decisions, in particular, deciding when it is safe and appropriate to ask for confirmation of where you’re going.

The learner will have to drive independently by following traffic signs, a series of directions or a combination of both. If the independent drive consists of a series of verbal directions, the examiner will show you a diagram to illustrate.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t remember every direction, or if you go the wrong way. The examiner will confirm the directions if you ask for a reminder of them. If you go the wrong way, don’t worry, the examiner will help you get back on the route and your test result won’t be affected unless you make a driving fault.

Where there are poor or obscured traffic signs, the examiner will give you directions; you won’t need to have a detailed knowledge of the area.

So, the independent driving is actually quite easy and not something to dread!

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One of the first decisions to make before starting lessons is whether to learn on a manual or automatic.

It is perceived easier to learn on an automatic car due to the lack of a clutch and gears. However, you must bear in mind that all the other complexities, apart from the clutch and gears, in driving still exist in an automatic. So, it is true that learning in an automatic is easier due to the absence of gears but everything else still remains the same.

The only downside to passing in an automatic is that it restricts you to only driving in an automatic car and you would need to take another practical test in order to be able to drive a manual car. Fortunately, more and more cars are automatic and so the availability of automatic cars is much higher than previously. So a lot of motorists are now finding no need to be able to drive in a manual car as automatic cars are more readily available.

Passing in a manual car entitles you to drive in both an automatic and manual car with no need for a further practical test. If you are looking to passing your test quickly, you may want to consider intensive driving courses which can see you taking your practical test within 2 weeks.

If you can’t make up your mind, it is best to take an introductory lesson on a manual car and an automatic car and see which one you prefer to learn on.

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