Step by step
Every DVSA practical test follows the same structure, wherever you take it, and lasts around 40 minutes:
- Eyesight check - you'll read a number plate from about 20 metres before the drive starts.
- "Show me, tell me" questions - one question asked while driving, one before you set off, both about basic vehicle safety.
- General driving - a mix of road types, following the examiner's directions.
- Independent driving - around 20 minutes following a sat-nav or traffic signs, showing you can make your own decisions.
- One reversing manoeuvre - parallel park, bay park, or pulling up on the right and reversing.
- Possible emergency stop - asked in around one test in three.
Faults and what fails you
The examiner marks faults throughout the test:
- Driving faults ("minors") - not ideal, but not dangerous. You can have up to 15 and still pass.
- Serious fault - a single one means a fail.
- Dangerous fault - a single one means a fail.
You'll get your result and a short debrief straight after the test, with a printed report showing any faults marked.
How MMS gets you ready
We teach automatic and manual lessons with DVSA-approved, DBS-checked instructors, from £37 an hour, no deposit. Your later lessons focus on independent driving, manoeuvres and the situations that come up most on test day, and our 40-hour block includes a free mock test so the real thing feels familiar. See our driving lessons in Coventry page, or try a mock driving test to see exactly where you stand before you book.