What the practical test involves
The DVSA car driving test lasts around 40 minutes. It starts with an eyesight check, where you read a number plate from 20 metres away, and includes:
- About 20 minutes of independent driving, following a sat nav or road signs
- One reversing manoeuvre, such as parallel parking or parking in a bay
- Possibly an emergency stop
- Two vehicle safety questions: one “tell me” question before you drive and one “show me” question while you drive
To pass, you can make no more than 15 minor driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults.
How we prepare you
Test preparation lessons focus on the areas that trip learners up on the day: manoeuvres, independent driving, busy junctions and roundabouts, and staying calm under pressure. We practise on the kind of roads used around Nottingham’s test centres at Colwick, Chilwell and Watnall, so the routes feel familiar.
