Practical Test
Pass Your Practical Driving Test with Ultra Drive
Your instructor will cover all the necessary steps to help you pass your test soon as possible. We cover the national syllabus to ensure you are fully prepared to be a safe, confident, responsible and independent driver. The instructor will make sure you are fully prepared for the test ahead.
Booking your test: Please ensure you only use the government website to do this, there are many scammers and third parties out there who charge a premium for something you can do for free. Click Here. Through the official DVSA site you can change or cancel your test up to 3 working days before your test without loss of fee. Some of these other organisations that popup on google searches will not allow you to do this or have any resolutions for you if you cannot go ahead with the planned date.
Moving your test date: Work with your instructor and you maybe ready before the big day, your instructor will have the latest news and tips on how to change your test or swap it reliably to move your date forward. The basic way is just checking on the DVSA website for cancellations. But unfortunately in the current climate it’s not enough to change your dates on some occasions. Your instructor will know what apps or sites to use to get the job done, reliably and without issues.
What Does The Practical Test Entail
The driving test lasts for 40 minutes and covers routes based around your test centre. Your instructor will make sure you have covered sufficient routes and areas to pass your test. First there will be an;
Eyetest: You will be required to read a numberplate of a vehicle you are not familiar with from a distance of 20 metres. Not being able to read the number plate at the required distance will result in the distance being measured out accurately by another examiner before you being allowed to try a second time. Failing to read it on a second attempt will result in a serious fault being recorded and the test terminated. The eyesight check is the first thing that your instructor will do with you on your first lesson, so please make sure if you wear glasses or contact lenses bring them with you on your first and every driving lesson.
Show me/tell me questions: Instead of being asked two safety questions at the start of the test, you will now be asked one simple 'tell me' safety question at the start of the test. These include how to check that the vehicle lights are working and how they are operated, how to open the bonnet and check the engine fluid levels, and how to operate and check various other items and controls on the vehicle. You will also be asked another 'show me' question during some point of the drive, such as 'when safe to do so, show me how you clean your front windscreen using your screen washer'. This can happen at any point during the test. You will receive a driver fault mark for each question answered incorrectly. Do not worry your instructor will advise you to revise the questions here and also quiz you beforehand to make sure you are well prepped. The instructor will also go through all the features if your car and ‘under the bonnet’ revising to ensure you are fully prepared.
Manoeuvre: During the driving test the examiner will ask you to perform one of the following exercises:
- Forward bay parking and then reverse out.
- Reverse bay parking in and driving out.
- Pull up on the right and reverse for 2 car lengths, then rejoin the traffic.
- Parallel park at the side of the road behind a parked vehicle
For these exercises you will be required to carry out effective observations and deliver smooth and a safe operation of the controls. You need to make sure everyone around you are safe, through planning and risk assessment.
Emergency Stop: Also 1 in 3 candidates may be asked to perform an emergency stop. Your instructor will professionally prepare you for this like all the other manoeuvres above.
Independent Driving: You will be required to follow directions from a Sat Nav unit for around 20 minutes. The examiner will provide this unit and take it with them when they leave. Your instructor also has the same unit and will fully prepare you for this. If you are not sure of the instruction being given by the device you will be able to ask the examiner for help. This is not a test of your navigation skills, if you do not follow the exact route you will not receive a fault mark providing you are safe in the route you take. The device will help with directions to get you back on route. Only 4 out of 5 Tests use the Sat Nav, so you may be the 1 that doesn’t get to do this on their test.