Getting a Driving Licence in the UK

Posted on May 23rd, 2010 by admin, under Advice for Learner Drivers, Driving Test.

I guess one of the things lots of young people want to get out of their 17th birthday is to start learning how to drive. Our post will brief 17-year-olds and anyone wanting to get a full driving licence on what they need to do to make it happen.

Provisional Licence

For starters, you need to apply for a provisional licence. You are not allowed to take driving lessons until your provisional licence has been accepted and in your possession. Application process is easy. You simply need to fill out a driving licence application from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and pay a provisional licence fee of £ 50. Provisional licence, however, puts drivers under certain restrictions.

1. You must clearly display L-plates on the front and rear of your car.
2. You can’t drive a car alone. Learner driver must be supervised by a full driving licence holder aged at least 21.
3. Learner drivers are not allowed to use motorways.

Driving test

If you are not the Queen, who’s not required to have a driving licence in order to drive a car, you will have to pass the UK driving test before you can get your desired full driving licence. Worried about deteriorating road safety, Driving Standard Agency (DSA) continues its efforts to improve the ways learner drivers are tested. We have seen some changes introduced over the past several years and further revisions are on the way. Below we will try to clarify the driving test process and new DSA requirements. The driving test currently consists of two basic parts: theory test and practical driving test.

Theory Test

Your theory test will include two parts: multiple-choice questions test and hazards perception test. These are not separate parts. If you pass one and fail the other, that means you’ve screwed up the whole test and you will have to start again. A fee to take the theory test is £31. If you fail the test, you lose your money with it.

During the multiple-choice part you will be asked 50 questions in 57 minutes, which makes about one minute per question. To pass the test, you need to have 43 right answers. Since last September, DSA introduced one case study-style question to this part. There is nothing new about case studies as you’ve had plenty of them at school. The hazard perception tests starts a few minutes after multiple choice questions part. You will be shown 14 driving episodes with developing hazards. You task will be to identify the hazard as soon as possible. The highest score you can get for each hazard is five. The pass mark is 50 out of 75.

Practical Driving Test

Once you’ve passed theory test you are allowed to take practical driving test that is also made up of two parts. Before you can do that, you need to complete your driving lessons schedule and pay a fee of £62 (weekday fee). The first part of driving test was introduced in 2003 and is called show me/tell me. Your examiner will ask you some maintenance related questions. It is called show me/tell me because you will be challenged with one “show me” question and one “tell me” question. For example, your examiner may ask you to show him where to check oil level and then ask to tell him how to change a tyre. If you fail to answer either one or both questions, this would count as 1 driving fault. After show me/tell me challenge you will proceed to your practical driving test. What happens during the test? Your examiner will give you directions which you should follow. You driving will demonstrate to the examiner how safe you are on the road and how well you can read the road signs. You’ll be also asked to perform manoeuvres including reversing around the corner, turning in the road and reverse parking. A candidate is allowed to make no more than 15 driving faults while the test lasts 40 minutes. Here is important update for those are only planning to get their driving licence. As part of Learning to Drive Programme initiated by DSA, from October 2010, a new part will be introduced to the practical driving test, Assessment of Competence to Drive Independently. During this part, the candidates will be driving on their own without directions from examiner. DSA says the new part will not add extra time to the test.

This post covers basic steps you need to take to get your full driving licence in the UK. Follow updates on the blog to get some useful advice on how to deal with your theory and practical tests and ensure your first pass.

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