How to pass your theory test

The theory test is, in effect, part one of your driving test. You can't take the second part (the practical driving test) without passing your theory test first.

Given the importance of the theory test, it's surprising how many people do very little practice before they take it. And how surprised they are when they find out they've failed!

But the theory test is like any other test. First, you have to understand what's is required of you and then you have to prepare.

But first, let's book your theory test.

Before you book your theory test you need to have a provisional driving licence.

Apply for your provisional licence here. 

To apply you must:

• be at least 15 years and 9 months old
• be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away
• have been given permission to live in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for at least 185 days

It costs £34 when you apply online.

Got all that?

Great! It's time to book your theory test. Do remember though, that your licence has to be valid when you take the test so you'll need to be at least 17 years old.

When you book your theory test you should say if you have a:

• reading difficulty;
• disability;
• health condition.

If you have reading difficulties you can ask to hear the test through headphones when you book your test. You can hear it in English or Welsh.

You'll need an email, letter or report from:

• a teacher or other educational professional
• a doctor or medical professional

You can get:

• extra time to take the test
• someone to read what’s on the screen and record your answers
• someone to reword the questions for you
• You can listen to the questions and possible answers as many times as you need to.

There are two parts to the current theory test:

1. Fifty multiple-choice questions and you need 43 correct answers to pass.

2. 14 x 1-minute CGI generated videos that contain developing hazards. You need to score 44 points out of a possible 75 to pass.

Good question!

There are about 800 questions in the bank of possible questions. You'll only have to answer 50 of them but it's useful to know which publications the theory test questions are taken from.

They come from three books:

Driving, The Essential Skills - a well written and comprehensive guide to driving. It's the examiners' 'bible' 🙂

The Highway Code - £4.99, free delivery

Know Your Traffic Signs - £2.99, free delivery

The questions

The ten most 'difficult' theory test questions

You could spend some time going through the fourteen categories of questions (they range from accidents to vulnerable road users) or do what I did and dive straight in and do sets of fifty random questions.

Tip #2: It's no good just getting a question wrong and skipping straight to the next one. If you don't want to make the same mistake again, WRITE DOWN the question you got wrong and the answer. Do that every time you get a question wrong and it won't be long before you aren't writing down anything. You'll be getting all the questions right!

Tip #3: Ask a friend to test you. Asking a friend or family member to ask you questions is a good way to learn and if they are a qualified driver ask them some questions, too.  It can be a lot of fun!

Hazard Perception

You need to spot hazards or potential hazards quickly in 14 videos.

What's a hazard? A hazard for the purposes of the theory test is something that would cause you to take action, like changing speed or direction. But is has to be 'developing' - in other words, it has to be moving.

For example: A car is parked on your side of the road and isn’t doing anything. It would cause you to change direction in order to around it but it isn't moving so it’s not a developing hazard.

But if you get closer and the driver's door starts to open, that's different. If you were driving you’d need to slow down and change direction. And now we have a moving object so it’s now a developing hazard.

If you click your mouse as soon as the hazard becomes visible you get five points. A millisecond late and you'll only get four points. If you only click when it becomes a real hazard you get one or zero.

To pass you'll need to score an average of four points per clip so you have to be quick!

Consider how often you should click when you see the hazard developing. A single click may not be enough - you might have clicked too soon and score zero. So clicking twice in quick succession might be a safer option. But be careful not to click in a repeated pattern. If you do, you run the risk of being disqualified for that clip and score zero.

Take a practice test and see for yourself.  And remember - one clip has two hazards so concentrate right to the end of each one minute clip.

You must take your UK photocard driving licence to your test. If you only have a paper driving licence you must take a valid passport too. If you don't have a passport you must take a photocard licence.

Warning! Your test will be cancelled and you won’t get your money back if you don’t take the right things with you.

You can’t take personal items into the test room with you. This includes things like:

• bags
• earphones
• mobile phones
• watches

You have to store any personal items in a locker.

The test centre staff will check if you have anything with you that could be used to cheat. Your test won’t go ahead if you don’t let them check.

Don't be tempted to try to cheat. It’s illegal. You can be sent to prison and banned from driving if you do.

You'll sit in a booth with a full size PC monitor in front of you. You'll have the opportunity to practice before you take the test but hopefully you won't need to. If you've taken the advice in this article you'll be fully prepared and pass the theory test easily!

**Read the questions twice....

Carefully read each Theory Test question and answer choices, and then read the question again to ensure you answer correctly!

You get 57 minutes to complete the multiple choice section so you can afford to take your time.

**Flag any difficult theory questions and revisit them at the end.

There is a button that says 'flag'. If you don't know the answer to a question straightaway, don't sit there stressing over it. If you 'flag' it, it will come back at the end after you've answered all the other questions. By then your brain will probably have worked out the answer. If not, you'll have plenty of time to think about it.

How to remember overall stopping distances

Many people are caught out in their test by thinking that braking distance is the same as overall stopping distance. It’s a good idea to have this clear in your mind before taking the theory test.

Theory Test Pro – take a free theory test.

The Highway Code (online version)

Know your traffic signs (online version)

The official DVSA guide to driving: the essential skills (cheapest on Amazon, see link above.)