Practical Test
When the day of your test arrives, you will require enough time to drive to the test centre (usually in your instructor's car), mix up as many differing road conditions, and practice each of the required manoeuvres. Due to the limited choice in test centres this will require a minimum lesson time of one and a half hours. At the start of the test, the examiner will ask if you wish your instructor to be present during the test and for the post-test debrief.
The test will on average take forty minutes and require the candidate to demonstrate to the examiner:
- They can drive in a safe manner
- Can apply the Highway Code - learnt for the Theory Test - to their driving
- Are able to complete two reversing manoeuvres (these are selected by the examiner) in a safe and controlled manner. In addition to these the examiner may ask you to carry out the emergency stop exercise, in controlled conditions.
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Independent Driving:
From October 2010, a new section, called 'independent driving' will be included in the practical driving test to assess how a person can demonstrate their ability to make decisions when following a destination drive to reflect a more 'real-life' situation.
This will involve the candidate being instructed to follow signs and directions for a particular destination for a period of about ten minutes. Before this section of the test begins, the examiner will explain what will be expected of the candidate and if necessary may display a diagram of the direction to be followed. If unsure of the directions, the candidate will be allowed to ask for a reminder, which the examiner will confirm. Should the candidate deviate from the route or take a wrong turning, the result of the test will not be affected unless a driving fault is committed. The examiner will assist in returning to the desired route; where some road signs are partially or fully obscured the candidate will be directed accordingly by the examiner.
To be successful in the Practical Test you are allowed no more than 15 driving faults on your Driving Test Report sheet. More than 15 faults or one serious or dangerous fault recorded will result in an unsuccessful test. In the event of being unsuccessful you will be given feedback from the examiner so that you and your instructor can work on the areas of your driving that need addressing.
