The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) Practical Driving Test is more demanding than it used to be and a high standard of driving is required. The best way to learn to drive is to take regular driving lessons tailored to your individual needs and covering the DVSA syllabus with a professional DVSA Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), such as Automatically Shamrock Driving School, together with as much private practice as possible once it's safe for you to do so. Everyone's different, so it 's impossible to say how many driving lessons you will need but it would not be unreasonable to expect to take between 40 and 45 hours of professional driving lessons.

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WHAT HAPPENS ON THE "BIG DAY"?

Shamrock Driving School use Chippenham and Trowbridge DVSA Driving Test Centres. On the "big day" pupils need to take their Plastic Photocard Provisional Driving Licence (if you don't have a photo card licence you need to take your paper licence and a valid passport) and it's advisable to take the DVSA Theory Test Pass Certificate / Letter along with the DVSA Practical Test appointment confirmation e-mail. On arrival at the Driving Test Centre, after reversing the driving school car into a parking bay in the car park, the pupil and their instructor sit in the Driving Test Centre waiting room. 

The DVSA Driving Examiner will introduce themselves and ask the pupil to sign a residency and insurance declaration before asking them to take an eyesight test by reading a car number plate in the car park outside the test centre. The Examiner will then ask the pupil one "Tell Me" question regarding basic car maintenance and the use of controls (e.g. how check the oil, how check the brakes are working, etc). Click on the button below to study the "Show Me / Tell Me" questions and answers tailored to the Automatically Shamrock Driving School car.

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The practical driving part of the test lasts between 37-40 minutes using a variety of roads, including national speed limit roads. The pupil will be required to undertake one reversing manoeuvre chosen from pulling in on the right hand side of the road and reversing back two car lengths before moving off, reverse park behind a parked car, pulling front first into a parking bay and then reversing out and reverse park into a parking bay. The pupil may additionally be asked to undertake an emergency stop (included in one in seven driving tests). The Examiner will ask the pupil one "Show Me" question regarding the use of controls (e.g. operate windscreen washers and wipers, sound the horn, etc). See our "Show Me / Tell Me" video above. The test will include an "independent driving" element where the pupil will be asked to drive for about 20 minutes, 4 out of 5 tests will require following directions from a sat nav and 1 out of 5 tests will require following traffic signs. Other activities, including the reversing manoeuvre and undertaking the "Show Me" question may be undertaken during the independent drive. 

To pass the practical driving test the pupil must make no more than 15 Driving Faults (e.g. less than adequate observation during manoeuvres, briefly exceeding the speed limit, not undertaking a mirror check before reducing speed on approach to a bend, etc.). One or more Serious Fault (e.g. cutting a corner causing a car to slow down, excessive speeding, loss of control during manoeuvres, signalling to move off with a car approaching close behind, etc.) or Dangerous Fault (e.g. pulling out in front of a car at a junction causing them to stop) will result in a fail. 

At the end of the test the DVSA Driving Examiner will give the pupil their result and, in the unfortunate event that they have not been successful, they will give a debrief as to why and the pupil will have to wait 10 working days before they can take another practical driving test. When you pass the DVSA Driving Examiner will normally give you a pass certificate enabling you to drive unaccompanied while they send your licence to DVLA who will send you a full licence within about 3 weeks! BY PASSING YOUR TEST IN AN AUTOMATIC CAR, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO DRIVE A CATEGORY B VEHICLE BUT ONLY AN AUTOMATIC ONE.  

 

For information on how to book or amend your practical driving test go to the DVSA section of our Links page! 

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Watch an official DVSA video about what happens during the practical driving test below. For information on how to book or amend your practical driving test go to the DVSA section of our Links page!

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READY TO GET YOUR DRIVING LICENCE AND GET ON THE ROAD? 

For full details of how we can help you to succeed PHONE 01225 700287 or 07456897087 or E-MAIL by clicking on the button below and get in touch with Automatically Shamrock Driving School!

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