Knowing what will happen on your practical driving test can make the day feel more manageable. You cannot control the traffic, weather or exact roads used, but you can prepare for the test procedure and arrive knowing what the examiner will ask you to do.
This guide explains what happens before, during and after a car driving test at Nottingham’s two DVSA test centres, Colwick and Chilwell. The official test format is the same at both centres, although the roads and traffic conditions will differ.
Quick Answer: What Happens on a UK Driving Test?
The practical car test has four parts:
- an eyesight check
- two vehicle-safety questions, commonly called the Show Me, Tell Me questions
- general driving ability, including 20 to 35 minutes of independent driving
- one reversing exercise
You will normally drive for around 35 minutes. The examiner may also ask you to pull over and move away several times, and you might be asked to complete an emergency stop. The current procedure is explained in the official GOV.UK guide to what happens during the driving test.
The Night Before: What to Prepare
Check your appointment details, test-centre location and arrangements with your instructor. GOV.UK says you must take:
- your UK driving licence
- your theory-test pass certificate, if you have it
- a suitable car for the test
Your test can be cancelled without a refund if you do not bring the required items. Use the official driving-test checklist before leaving home.
If you need glasses or contact lenses to meet the driving eyesight standard, have them ready and wear them throughout the test. Choose clothing and footwear that allow you to operate the controls comfortably.
Avoid trying to change your driving at the last minute. A calm review of the arrangements, a normal evening and sufficient rest will usually be more useful than filling the night with extra pressure.
The Pre-Test Lesson
A pre-test session can help you settle into the car, check the controls and adjust to the traffic and weather conditions. Its purpose is to prepare you to drive normally and independently, not to learn several new techniques immediately before the test.
At NGPass Driving Academy, the session is planned around the individual learner and the time needed to reach the test centre. You may drive on roads near Colwick Driving Test Centre or Chilwell Driving Test Centre, but official test routes are not published and the examiner can use different roads. Good preparation develops skills that transfer to unfamiliar situations rather than relying on a memorised route.
Before leaving for the centre, confirm that the car is ready and that you have your driving licence. If you are using your own or a family member’s car, it must satisfy all DVSA vehicle and insurance requirements.
Arriving at Colwick or Chilwell Test Centre
Follow the instructions in your booking confirmation and your instructor’s agreed plan. Allow enough time to arrive safely without creating a long, anxious wait. Local access, parking arrangements and waiting procedures can change, so use the signs and instructions provided at the centre on the day.
Both Nottingham test centres can lead into varied driving conditions. Preparation for Colwick may include experience of busy urban roads, roundabouts, changing speed limits and residential junctions. Preparation for Chilwell may include urban roads, dual carriageways, roundabouts and quieter residential areas. These are training environments, not guaranteed test routes.
Meeting the Examiner
The examiner will introduce themselves, confirm your identity and explain the next steps. You will be asked whether you want your instructor or another eligible person to sit in the back during the test and whether you want them present for the result and feedback. An observer cannot take part in the test.
Listen carefully, but do not worry about remembering a long set of instructions. The examiner will explain each task when it is needed. If you do not understand a direction, ask them to repeat it.
The Eyesight Check
The examiner will ask you to read a number plate from:
- 20 metres for a vehicle with a new-style number plate
- 20.5 metres for a vehicle with an old-style number plate
New-style number plates begin with two letters followed by two numbers, such as AB51 ABC. You may wear glasses or contact lenses, but if you use them for the eyesight check, you must wear them whenever you drive.
If you cannot read the number plate correctly, the driving test will end. Check the current legal eyesight rules for driving if you have any concerns before test day.
The Show Me, Tell Me Questions
You will be asked two vehicle-safety questions:
- one Tell Me question before you start driving
- one Show Me question while you are driving
The Tell Me question asks you to explain how you would carry out a safety check. The Show Me question asks you to operate a control safely while driving, such as washing the windscreen.
Answer calmly and carry out the Show Me task only when it is safe. An incorrect answer to one or both questions normally results in one driving fault. If your driving becomes dangerous while completing the Show Me task, the outcome can be more serious. Review the Show Me, Tell Me vehicle-safety questions before your test.
The Driving Part of the Test
You will drive for around 35 minutes in various road and traffic conditions, but not on motorways. The examiner will assess whether you can control the car safely, use effective observation, respond to hazards, choose appropriate speeds and make sound decisions without instruction.
When you are not completing the independent-driving section, the examiner will give directions in good time. Taking a wrong turning is not automatically a driving fault. Continue safely and follow the examiner’s next direction rather than reacting suddenly.
You will also be asked to pull over and move away during the test. This can include a normal stop at the side of the road, moving out from behind a parked vehicle and a hill start. You might also be asked to perform an emergency stop.
Independent Driving
You will drive independently for 20 to 35 minutes by following:
- directions from a sat-nav supplied and set up by the examiner
- traffic signs
- or a combination of both
Independent driving does not mean you are left without help if a sign is obscured or the route becomes unclear. The examiner can provide directions until you can continue following the route. You will not receive a fault simply for going the wrong way, provided you respond safely.
Focus on the road rather than trying to anticipate the route. Safe observation, planning and decision-making matter more than reaching a particular destination without a missed turning.
The Reversing Exercise
The examiner will ask you to complete one of these exercises:
- parallel parking at the side of the road
- driving forward into a parking bay and reversing out
- reversing into a parking bay and driving out
- pulling up on the right, reversing for approximately two car lengths and rejoining traffic
Take the time needed to maintain effective observations and control. If you need to correct the position of the car, do so safely. A correction is not automatically a fault, although the examiner will assess the complete exercise, including control, accuracy and observation.
What Happens if You Make a Mistake?
Do not assume that one mistake means you have failed. Continue driving unless the examiner tells you to stop. A driving fault may not affect the final result if it is not serious, but repeated faults of the same type can become serious.
The examiner will normally stop the test early only if they consider your driving a danger to other road users. Concentrate on the situation ahead rather than repeatedly thinking about something that has already happened.
Returning to the Test Centre and Getting Your Result
At the end of the drive, the examiner will direct you back to the test centre and ask you to park. They will tell you whether you have passed and explain the faults recorded.
You can pass with no more than 15 driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults. If you pass, the examiner will give you a pass certificate and discuss what happens to your licence. You can drive immediately after passing, provided you are properly insured to drive without supervision.
If you do not pass, the examiner will explain the faults. Treat the result as information for your next training plan. A calm discussion with your instructor can identify the earliest cause of the problem and the most useful next step. GOV.UK explains driving-test faults and results in full.
Learners who pass with NGPass Driving Academy can choose whether they would like their achievement included in the Nottingham driving-test pass gallery.
Managing Driving-Test Nerves
Some nervousness before a driving test is common, but people experience it differently. The aim is not to force yourself to feel completely relaxed. It is to use familiar routines and well-practised driving skills so that nerves do not control your decisions.
Useful steps include:
- preparing your documents the night before
- avoiding last-minute changes to your driving
- listening to each instruction rather than thinking several tasks ahead
- taking a normal breath before moving off
- returning your attention to the road after a mistake
If anxiety regularly affects your lessons or decision-making, nervous driver lessons in Nottingham can provide structured support before test day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the practical driving test last?
You will normally drive for around 35 minutes. An extended test for someone previously disqualified lasts longer.
How long is independent driving?
Independent driving currently lasts between 20 and 35 minutes. You will follow a sat-nav, traffic signs or a combination of both.
Will I fail for taking a wrong turn?
No. Taking a wrong turn is not automatically a fault. The examiner assesses how safely you respond.
Can my instructor sit in the back?
Yes. The examiner will ask whether you want someone to accompany you. That person must follow the observation rules and cannot participate in the test.
Can I use my instructor’s car?
Yes, if the instructor is available and agrees that you are ready to use it. Booking a test does not automatically guarantee use of an instructor’s vehicle. Read the guide to using a driving instructor’s car for a test in Nottingham.
Prepare for Your Driving Test in Nottingham
NGPass Driving Academy provides structured automatic driving lessons in Nottingham and practical-test preparation for Colwick and Chilwell. With more than 16 years of experience, Abdul helps learners develop safe, independent driving rather than memorise supposed test routes.
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