About the Theory & Hazard Perception Test...

The theory comprises of a computerised touch-screen theory test of 50 multiple choice questions 5 of which are based on a case study. You need to answer 43 out of the 50 correctly to pass. The HPT comprises of 14 interactive video clips - as the video plays you will have to click when you spot a potential hazard. The pass mark is 44 points out of 75. You must pass both these tests before you can even apply for your practical test. The theory & HPT test is taken at a different centre to the practical test, your nearest theory test centres are Watford and Luton.

The theory test questions cover a wide range of subjects, which include:

Alertness Safety Margins
Attitude Hazard Awareness
Safety and Your Vehicle Vulnerable Road Users
Other Types of Vehicle Vehicle Handling
Motorway Rules Rules of the Road
Road & Traffic Signs Documents
Accidents Vehicle Loading

About the Practical test...

Once you have passed the theory & HPT test you can apply for the practical driving test. However, you must be able to drive with minimal assistance from your driving instructor before you take the test. If you can drive and control your car safely and smoothly, with full awareness of other road users and consideration for the road, weather and traffic conditions, and can competently perform all the slow manoeuvres, you are ready to pass your driving test! You should therefore be able to drive with minimal assistance from your driving instructor, apart from his or her directions on where to go. Take your instructor's advice on whether you are ready, otherwise you waste your time and money taking a test, as well as annoying the examiner and needlessly taking a test booking, which someone who WAS ready for the test could have had.

Normally you will have the use of your instructor's car for the test. However if you should insist on taking a test against their advice, you can expect this service to be withdrawn!

All you have to do on the driving test is what you should know already - there are no secrets. You should have declared any physical or mental health problems when you applied for your provisional licence. If your condition has changed, you must inform DVLA without delay. If you have any new condition or disability that is relevant to your driving, you will have to declare it when you apply for a driving test.

Show & Tell Questions...



This will take place at the start of your practical test after your eyesight check. There are 19 questions in total of which 2 will be asked. We will go through these questions with you and provide you with a copy.

 

Q: I get nervous when I'm under pressure - will you shout at me?
A: No. We have years of experience with nervous pupils, and we have learnt that shouting at you will only make you more nervous, and we like to avoid that happening.

Q: How long will it take me to be ready for my practical driving test?
A: General rule of thumb is 2 hours for every year of your life; i.e. 17 years = 34 hours (DSA recommend minimum 48 hours).

Q: Where will I learn to drive?
A: Initially on quiet residential streets, moving on to higher traffic roads including dual carriageways.

Q: My dad only had 10 hours of lessons, and passed his test first time. Why might I need more?
A: Firstly, make sure your dad is not fibbing. Secondly, traffic since then has increased considerably, the roads have become more congested with traffic and with traffic calming measures etc.

Q: I have passed my test but I'm still nervous of going it alone - can you help?
A: Yes, if you have taken your test within the last 2 years you can have extra tuition on the things that make you the most anxious, and you can do Pass Plus which includes motorway driving.

Q: I passed my test years ago, but haven't driven since - can you help?
A: Yes, we offer refresher lessons.

Q: Do you do intensive courses, and if so, how long do they take?
A: Yes, we recommend you do an intensive over a 2-week period of, for example, 4 hours a day Monday-Friday.

Q: Can I do more hours per day?
A: Yes you can but anything over 4 hours per day is the equivalent of driving to Wales, so bear that in mind.

Q: I've read all the above - when can I start?
A: Usually within 10 days if not sooner depending on Instructor availability. Ring or text us

Q: I see a lot of driving school cars covered in stickers advertising 10 lessons for £90 or even less. Why therefore would I learn with you when you are dearer?
A:Well you don't have to learn with us but bear in mind the following:
Is he fully qualified - can you see the green badge below affixed to his front windscreen? Trainee Instructors carry a pink badge. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bogus driving instructors who are not qualified at all, and hence do not have insurance cover. Because they don't have to pay this cover, they can afford to charge you less; but beware - you will not receive any compensation in case of an accident.
There are also a lot of new driving schools starting up with little or no customer base and therefore are desperate for work. Remember this though that in order to make a living they might keep you parked up for way longer than necessary and stretch out the whole learning process so in effect end up paying more!

Q:I read somewhere that i can gain a qualification whilst learning to drive, surely that's not true?
A: Believe it or not you can now gain a BTEC level 2 national qualification which you can add to your cv which can boost your prospects in the job market.

Q: Can I learn in my own car?
A: Yes, please contact us for more information.

 
 

Useful Links

 
Show Me Tell Me Q+A and Pictures Institute of Advanced Motorists Learning to drive info and Free mock driving theory tests from Learnerstuff.co.uk Drivingtips.co.uk
Driving Standards Agency i Hertfordshire Search Engine   UK Motoring Directory - The British home of motoring
driving-schools-directory.co.uk Pass Plus web site Top Gear magazine Deeplinkdirectory.co.uk - UK Deeplink Directory
Test Backlog   Autoexpress magazine What Car? magazine
Online Theory Tests Gridserve.com Gridserve.com    

How to pass your test 1st time and most importantly enjoy it

If you're considering driving lessons there are a number of things to take into account long before the day comes when you sit down with an examiner for your first driving test. However, by making the right decisions at this early stage, you can give yourself a much better chance of passing your test first time while ensuring that you enjoy the experience as well.

The first things to take care of are the lessons themselves and it's vitally important to acquire the services of a fully qualified driving instructor. The qualification is your guarantee of years of experience that you can call upon in these first stages of driving. Not only do they teach you the lessons needed to pass your test, they give you all the skills that you require for the rest of your driving years.

While it may be tempting to accept the offer of lessons from a member of the family, unless they have the recognised driving instructor qualification they won't be able to advise you on all the technical skills you need to pass the test first time. Good driving habits are formed in the early years and are intended to stay with you for life, so don't compromise when it comes to taking your driving lessons.

Another important reason for using a qualified driving instructor is that it gives you access to a dual controlled vehicle. This is something you won't get from a willing member of the family. Primarily, the dual controls are there for safety, allowing the instructor to step in should an emergency arise. Simply knowing they are there will give you vital confidence in the early stages of the learning process.

When starting out, one of the most difficult things for a novice driver to deal with is the co-ordination required when it comes to changing gear. With many drivers, this improves quickly until it becomes a matter of habit but for others, it continues to be a struggle.

If you're not confident with gears or if you've tried a manual vehicle to the point where this aspect of your lessons is holding you back, you may want to consider trying an automatic car such as a used Vauxhall Corsa. Some driving schools will have an automatic vehicle on hand. This will take care of the gear changing for you, leaving you free to concentrate on all the other skills you need to pass your driving test first time.

Above all, it's important to remember that driving should be an enjoyable experience overall and that this enjoyment should begin with your lessons. With the right driving instructor, the procedure shouldn't feel like an endurance test and you should acquire the skills needed to pass first time.

It's natural that some pupils will be ready for their test in a shorter space of time than others but with the correct input from a qualified instructor, you will be brought to the point where you are fully prepared for a test in the shortest period possible.

When the time comes for the test itself, the skills and good habits that you've learnt will not only give you the ability to pass first time buy they should lead to many years of safe and enjoyable driving.