Understanding your driving test result
DVSA updated this page on the 21st April 2021
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
This guide explains:
Car driving test
Understanding your car driving test result, including what was assessed, what sorts of things counted as faults, and how to improve in each area.
How many minors can I get on my driving test and still pass?
On your driving test you can make 15 minors mistakes and still pass, only a major or three of the same minor will result in a fail.
There are several driving test minor faults - however, you should try to avoid them to give yourself the best chance of passing.
Both dangerous and serious faults come under what people would normally refer to as a 'major' and just one of either of these faults will result in an instant fail - although you will be expected to continue the test and will only find out the examiner's decision at the end.
All driving test major faults can cause hazardous situations out on the roads and motorways. Be safe, take your time, and remember what your instructor has taught you.
To pass your driving test, you needed to make:
The email you received after your test will show what driving, serious or dangerous faults you made during your test. The examples of faults listed in this guide are some of the most common faults people make during their test.
Talk to your driving instructor about your result. This will help them focus any more lessons you need or Pass Plus training on the right skills.
If you did not pass
Talk to your driving instructor about when you should rebook your test if you failed. You should only book it when they agree you’re ready.
Check the ‘Ready to Pass?’ website for more information about how to prepare for your next test. https://readytopass.campaign.gov.uk/
Your examiner will have started the test by carrying out an eyesight check. You needed to read out a vehicle registration (number plate) of a parked car. You will have had 3 chances to do this correctly.
If you did not read it correctly, you will have failed and not been allowed to continue with your test.
You have to book another test and pay again if you failed.
If you need glasses or contact lenses, you must bring them to your next test.
If you have dyslexia, you can declare this when you book your test. You can then write down the vehicle registration instead of reading it out.
You were marked on:
You should have parked your car in a designated space, then reversed out. Your car should have been straight and central within the space.
You should have been checking your surroundings throughout, proceeding only when it was safe to do so.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, read pages 249 to 250 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. Make sure you practise in different car parks.
You were marked on:
Your examiner will have asked you to either:
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rule 239, rule 242 and rule 244 of The Highway Code
read pages 246 to 250 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
You will have been asked 2 vehicle safety questions during your test.
The examiner will have asked you one:
‘tell me’ question (where you explain how you’d carry out a safety task) at the start of your test, before you start driving
‘show me’ question (where you show how you’d carry out a safety task) while you’re driving
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
To improve in this area, read:
the guide to the ‘show me, tell me’ vehicle safety questions
the vehicle maintenance, safety and security section of The Highway Code
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. Ask your driving instructor to include any of the vehicle check questions you’re not sure about in your lessons.
You were marked on:
You needed to pull up on the right hand side of the road, and reverse for 2 car lengths. You should have remained reasonably close to the pavement, without touching it.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rules 200 to 203 of The Highway Code
read pages 233 to 235 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
You were marked on how you reacted to the examiner’s signal to stop and your control of the car while stopping.
When the examiner asked you, you needed to safely bring the car to a stop. You should have done this without locking the wheels and losing control of the car.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during a test, or if you believe you need to improve in this area, you should:
check rules 118 to 120 of The Highway Code
read pages 98 to 100 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
keeping control of the car whilst braking
braking in different weather conditions (in a safe environment)
You needed to show you can use all the car’s primary controls smoothly and at the correct time. This includes the:
Your examiner will have monitored this throughout the test.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rules 117 to 126 of The Highway Code
read section 3 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. Use the time to familiarise yourself with the car’s primary controls.
Before you started driving, you should have performed a few safety checks. This includes making sure:
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rule 97 of The Highway Code
read section 3 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. Use the time to familiarise yourself with the car’s controls and features. Make sure you do all your checks before setting off including adjusting your seat and mirrors.
You needed to show you can use the car’s secondary features and controls and know when to use them. This includes things like windscreen wipers, and heating.
You needed to show you can use these while driving, without losing control of the car.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
practise using the controls safely while driving
read pages 61 to 72 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. Use the time to familiarise yourself with the car’s secondary controls and features.
You were marked on:
You needed to show you could move off safely and under control throughout your test. This included:
You should have used your mirrors and checked blind spots to observe your surroundings, and signalled when necessary. Your control of the car should have prevented it from rolling backwards or stalling.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rules 159 to 161 of The Highway Code
read pages 91 to 93 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
You needed to show you can use your rear view mirror and door mirrors (wing mirrors) to see what’s behind or to the side of your car. This should be done in good time, well before appropriate situations.
You needed to show you can use them at the correct time, some situations where you needed to use mirrors include:
Your examiner will monitor this throughout your test.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rule 161 of The Highway Code
read pages 76 to 86 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
You were marked on:
Throughout the test, you should have used appropriate signals to let everyone around know what you were about to do. This should have been done in good time.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rule 103 , rule 110 and rule 112 of The Highway Code and the section on signals to other road users
read pages 113 to 117 and 261 to 264 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
You were marked on:
You needed to show you can drive through junctions safely. You should have observed your surroundings, made your intentions clear, followed road signs and signals, and properly controlled the car.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rules 170 to 190 of The Highway Code
read section 8 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
You were marked on:
You needed to show good judgement when overtaking, meeting and crossing other road users, such as knowing when to proceed, and when to wait for a safer opportunity.
You needed to make your intentions clear, and understand the intentions of the other road users.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rules 162 to 169 and rules 179 to 183 of The Highway Code
read section 7 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver.
When asked to by your examiner, you needed to pull up and stop at a safe place on the side of the road. This needed to be done in the first safe place available.
When parked, your car should not have been a hazard to other road users.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rules 239 to 252 of The Highway Code
read pages 243 to 250 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
You were marked on:
You needed to show you can keep your car correctly positioned on the road, staying within the correct lane, without driving too close to the lines.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rules 135 and 137 of the Highway Code
read pages 158 to 161 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
You needed to show you can:
This includes:
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rules 204 to 225 of The Highway Code
read pages 152 to 157 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
read pages 152 to 157 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. Practise your awareness and planning by:
looking well ahead to anticipate what might happen
checking and rechecking what’s going on around you
looking for other road users, signals given by drivers, and road markings and traffic signs
looking for clues to help you act safely, such as, reflections in shop windows
You needed to keep a safe amount of distance when passing other road users, stationary vehicles or hazards - at least one metre when possible.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rule of The Highway Code 152
read pages 185 to 187 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
You needed to keep a safe distance when driving behind other road users.
Your distance from the vehicle in front should have been appropriate for the conditions of the road.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rule 126 and rule 151 of The Highway Code
read pages 171 to 173 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
the 2-second rule
keeping at least a 2 second gap between you and the vehicle in front on roads with:-
The examiner assessed your ability to drive with economy and the environment in mind throughout the test. However, this assessment did not affect the overall result of the test.
You needed to:
Your examiner will have explained how fuel-efficient your driving was.
How you can improve in this area
To improve in this area you should:
read rule 123 of The Highway Code
read pages 397 to 412 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You can practise:
hazard awareness and planning
You needed to show you can drive at a safe and reasonable speed when appropriate. Your examiner will have assessed this throughout your test.
You should have taken into consideration the conditions of the road, the amount of traffic, road signs and signals, and the speed limit. You should have been driving at a speed where you could stop safely, well within the distance you could see to be clear.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rules 124 to 126 of The Highway Code
read section 10 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
You needed to recognise each type of pedestrian crossing and react correctly to each.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rules 191 to 199 of The Highway Code
read pages 188 to 192 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. Practise in an area that passes different kinds of pedestrian crossings.
You were marked on:
You should have driven at a speed appropriate for the road and traffic conditions, without holding up other road users.
Your examiner will have monitored this throughout the test.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check rule 146 of The Highway Code
read pages 254 to 261 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
You should have recognised and reacted correctly to signs and signals on the road. This included:
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
check The Highway Code’s sections on traffic signs, road markings and signals by authorised persons
read ‘Know Your Traffic Signs’
read section 6 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. Ask them to quiz you on the signs and signals you will come across on the road.
If you passed
You do not need to wait for your full licence to arrive before driving.
Check you have the documents you need for your car before you drive it.
Find out about getting your full driving licence.
If you did not pass
Talk to your driving instructor about your result. This will help them focus your lessons on the right skills.
Practise your skills with your driving instructor to avoid making the most common driving test faults.
You should also keep a record of any private driving practice you do and share it with your driving instructor.
You could ask your driving instructor to carry out a mock test to help make sure you are ready for your next test.
You should only rebook your test when your driving instructor says you’re ready. You have to choose a date at least 10 working days away.
Find out more about your rights if you did not pass.