A driving test (also known as a driving exam) is a procedure designed to test a person's ability to drive a motor vehicle.
It exists in various forms worldwide, and is often a requirement for obtaining a driver's license.
A driving test generally consists of one or two parts; the practical test, called a road test, used to assess a person's driving ability under normal operating conditions, and/or a written or oral test (theory test) to confirm a person's knowledge of driving and relevant rules and laws.
In some countries, a maneuverability test is included with the practical test, which may include driving forward and backward through a set of traffic cones in a controlled environment or driving on the open, public road.
Practical Driving Test
It is necessary to have passed both components of the theory test before sitting this exam.
Passing this test then entitles one to hold a full UK driving licence.
DSA Form DL25C: Driving Test Report issued to candidates by examiners
DSA Form DL25CRev: Rear of Driving Test Report
The practical test is taken on the road, with a professionally trained DSA examiner directing the candidate around a pre-determined route.
The examiner marks the candidate for driving faults, serious faults, and dangerous faults.
A candidate will fail the test if he or she accumulates any serious or dangerous faults, or more than fifteen driving faults.
If a candidate accumulates several driving faults in the same category, the examiner may consider the fault habitual and mark a serious fault in that category.
The test usually lasts 38 to 40 minutes in a standard test, or approximately 70 minutes when the candidate is taking an extended test after having had their license revoked.
Vehicle safety questions
Before the candidate is taken out onto the road, the examiner asks two questions about car maintenance and safety. This component of the test is often known as "Show me, tell me".
For example:
* Show me how you would check that the power assisted steering is working before starting a journey.
* Open the bonnet, identify where you would check the engine oil level and tell me how you would check that the engine has sufficient oil.
A failure to answer one or both of these questions correctly would result in a driving fault being marked against the candidate. The questions that may be asked are changed from time to time.
From July 2008, there are 19 different questions which can be asked in 13 different combinations.
Manoeuvres: During the test, the examiner will ask the candidate to carry out one manoeuvre from the following list:
* Turn in the road (3 point turn)
* Reverse around a corner
* Reverse park into a space either parallel (on road), oblique or right-angle (in a marked bay in an off-road car park) This change from two manoeuvres to one was introduced to allow time for the independent driving section of the test that was introduced on 4 October 2010.
Manoeuvres are selected at random by the examiner depending on the route chosen and conditions on route.
If, at any point during the test, the examiner has to intervene with any controls, this will usually result in failure and would be marked on the test report as a dangerous fault.
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