The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is the governing body for vehicle safety in the United Kingdom. Established in 1983, it’s one of the oldest and most respected driving organizations. While it’s no stranger to controversy—and a recent audit found it to be in desperate need of improvement—the DVSA has done more than its share to improve driver safety over the past few decades. The agency has become renowned for its challenging driving tests, which are administered by licensed private driving school instructors just like a classroom lesson. The best way to prepare for your theory test is with strategies from experience. Here are four must-know facts about the test you may not know:
The DVSA is working on a new driving test.
Even though the theory test has remained relatively unchanged since it first debuted in the 1960s, the DVSA is in the process of modernizing the test. This will make the process more consistent and easier to understand. Modernized theory tests will include questions related to recent road traffic laws, such as SORN (smartphone-based location awareness), LIDAR (laser-based technology), and other IoT-based solutions. The new test will also include new graphics, and more detailed instructions, and be administered on a computer. While the changes will make theory tests more user-friendly, it’s too early to tell if the changes will result in an improved driving test. The DVSA’s goal is to have the new test ready for 2020.
The theory test has 6 parts: hypothesis testing, road signs and markings, speed limits, distance markers, hazards, and roadworks.
Before you take the test, the DVSA will give you 6 parts to test your knowledge of. The first 3 parts test your speed awareness and road signs and markings knowledge. The final 3 parts test your knowledge of traffic law, including its nuances and how it applies to road traffic.
The DVSA will ask you 25 multiple choice questions about the 6 topics. There are no trick questions, so if you don’t know the answer, don’t guess. If you get the question wrong, the DVSA will immediately tell you which part of the question you got wrong and what part of the test is relevant to that part of the question. You’ll then be given a new set of questions for that topic. The test is pass-or-fail; if you fail an individual section, there’s no way to move on to another section.
The full theory test takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes.
The full theory test, which is broken down into 6 parts, could take 1 to 1.5 hours to complete depending on your skill level. At the end of the test, you’ll receive a score between 0 and 96, and if you get a score higher than 80%, it will be marked as “Advanced.” The advanced theory test is exactly what it sounds like – advanced. The advanced test is meant for the truly skilled driver who has already passed the easy and hard theory tests. If you’re in this category, you’re already ahead of the game as the advanced test only consists of 10 questions. If you’re in the “hard” category and plan on taking the test again, you’ll want to aim for a score of at least 80%.
The UK Driving Theory Test is computer-based. The type of questions that you will encounter on the UK theory test is similar to those on the real driving test. This means that the UK theory test is a great way to prepare for your real driving test. If you are confident in your ability to pass the UK theory test, then you should have no problems passing the real driving test.
The DVSA does not provide any sample questions for its theory tests, but there are many websites out there that offer practice tests, including:
You can take as many mock tests as you want to get an idea of how well you will do on your actual exam day. It is recommended that you take more than one mock practice exam so that you can become familiar with what types of questions the DVSA asks and how they are formatted (i.e., multiple-choice or true/false).
You need to know the answers to these four questions to pass your theory test:
What is a violation of road traffic law? Why is it wrong to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) above 0%? What are the different types of road traffic laws? How do you establish a speed limit?
To pass the UK theory test, you need to know the answers to at least 41 out of 50 multiple-choice questions.
What are the road signs that indicate a hazard ahead? What is an advisory speed limit? What do you have to do at a level crossing when the alarm sounds or the red lights flash? What does this sign mean?
What does this sign mean?
You need to know the answers to these three questions to pass your theory test:
What are the main reasons for driving too close behind another vehicle? When must you give way when two vehicles approach a junction from different directions at approximately the same time? How do you check that your vehicle is safe before starting a journey?
What does this sign mean? When may you drive on or over pavement or footpath? What should you do before moving away from your parked car on a public road or street? Why should you not overtake just before turning right at traffic lights if there is another vehicle in front waiting to turn right also? What does this sign mean and when must it be obeyed by all drivers, including those driving vehicles drawing trailers, except cyclists and motorcyclists (if no other route is available)? You need to know the answers to these four questions to pass your theory test: How long after stopping should you wait behind a bus that has stopped on double yellow lines (or has stopped for passengers) before driving past it on either side of it
There are 5 different theory test questions you need to know to pass your theory test:
What is a violation of road traffic law? Why is it wrong to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) above 0%? What are the different types of road traffic laws? How do you establish a speed limit?
How long must you wait behind a bus that has stopped on double yellow lines (or has stopped for passengers) before driving past it on either side of it?
How do you establish a speed limit?
What is a violation of road traffic law?
When may you drive on or over pavement or footpath?
What does this sign mean and when must it be obeyed by all drivers, including those driving vehicles drawing trailers, except cyclists and motorcyclists
Conclusion
The final thing you need to know about the theory test is how to answer the questions. There are a few different ways to go about this, and the most effective way is to use a strategy from experience. Before you take the test, look through these tips for answering the questions and see what works best for you. Remember: the more you know about the theory test, the easier it will be to pass.
How to answer the multiple-choice questions
To pass the theory test, you need to know how to answer the multiple-choice questions. These usually consist of a photograph or a drawing and four possible answers. One of these answers is correct, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to choose the most obvious one. Sometimes it’s worth considering all four options because something that initially seems unlikely could be correct. Here are some helpful tips for answering those tricky questions:
Don’t read the question too quickly. Instead, try and make a mental picture of what it is about. This way you will be able to see all four options more clearly.
When you have worked out which option is correct, don’t just go ahead and mark it straight away – try and work out why it’s right as well! If you can understand why an answer is correct, then you will be able to apply this knowledge when answering other questions in the future.
Try not to get too frustrated when you’re taking your theory test. It’s easy to get stressed if things aren’t going according to plan, but keep your cool! You’ve come this far – don’t let yourself get thrown off course by one or two tricky questions at the end!
How should I approach the hazard perception part?
The hazard perception part of your theory test consists of 14 short film clips that show everyday situations on our roads: one clip shows a car driving along a road while three other cars go. Another shows a cyclist riding his bike on the pavement. And so on.
When you start the hazard perception part of your theory test, you have to complete a short multiple-choice quiz first. This will help prepare you for the clips that make up the hazard perception part of your test.
Once you’ve finished the multiple choice quiz, you’ll be shown 14 film clips in random order. You must watch each clip and decide which is the most dangerous situation – this could be because there’s an obstacle on the road, or because another road user is doing something risky (e.g. driving too close to another car). You then click ‘yes’ to show that this clip is the most dangerous one, or ‘no’ if it isn’t.
After each clip, there’s a short break before it’s time to move on to the next one. If you’re struggling to find any hazards in any of them, don’t worry! You can always guess by clicking ‘no’ instead – this way your score won’t get affected if there happen to be no hazards in that particular clip!
The best tip we can give you when it comes to passing your theory test is: practice makes perfect! The more clips of real-life situations you watch and answer correctly during mock tests/practice exams before sitting for your real theory test, the more confident and familiar you will feel when it comes time for your actual driving theory test with us at The Driving Test Centre.
