LEARNING TO DRIVE:THEORY TEST
We will book this test for you. The current test fee is £28.50 and test slots are available generally up to 6pm in the evening and on Saturdays. Not all test centres open every day. The waiting time for a test is normally 2 to 3 weeks.
You must pass the Theory Test before you can book a Driving Test, but not before you have lessons. We strongly encourage you to have some driving lessons before taking your Theory Test for two reasons, firstly, the practical experience and teaching will help you to pass the Theory Test and secondly, when we come to book your Driving Test we know that you are already partly trained and can accept an early test date.
The Theory Test replaces the Highway Code questions that pupils were asked at the end of the Driving Test, but is also far more in depth.
There are two parts to the test:
- Multiple Choice Questions.
- Hazard Perception.
Both parts are conducted on a computer.
- Multiple Choice Questions
You will be given 50 questions of which you must get 43 right in 57 minutes to pass this section (usually more than enough time).
The questions cover traffic signs, road procedures & regulations, road safety, driver behaviour etc.
On some of the questions you will be asked to mark more than one correct answer, some have only one correct answer but you will be told at the beginning of the questions how many answers to mark.
The questions appear on a computer screen and you touch the screen next to the answer you want to submit. You can change your answers or go back and do a question again. If necessary you can have the questions relayed through headphones as well as seeing them on the screen. This often helps candidates with reading difficulties such as dyslexia. The test is also available in some foreign languages; translators can also be arranged at an additional cost.
Your instructor will help you prepare for this part by giving you free mock tests to study at home and advising on the books you should be studying. As a minimum you should be very familiar with 'The Highway Code' and 'The Official Theory Test for Car Drivers', both available from book shops. There are also many good CD ROMs available and the Driving Standards Agency web site has tests available on-line. - Hazard Perception
This again is a computer based test where you will be shown 14 video clips of real traffic situations and you have to press the mouse button when you consider a hazard is present. The hazards shown could be caused by cars, pedestrians, cyclists etc. You can score up to 5 points per hazard (there are 15 hazards in total) and will score more the earlier you spot the hazard. The current pass mark for learner drivers is 44 out of 75.
Your instructor will help prepare you for this part of the test by teaching you hazard awareness and perception skills during your driving lessons, this is why we recommend that you have some lesson before you attempt the Theory Test.
You must pass both the multiple choice and hazard perception parts of the test in order to pass the Theory Test. You will be given your results straight away in the form of a letter on which is your Theory Pass Number, this is needed to book your driving test.
Your Theory Test pass is valid for 2 years, if you do not pass your Driving Test within 2 years of taking the TheoryTest you will have to resit the Theory Test.
