THEORY TEST
GET OFF TO A GOOD START
Everything You need to know
Ideally, the Theory Test is the first challenge to be overcome when starting out on your path to becoming a qualified driver. It will also help to maximise your knowledge and understanding of what's going on around you during your driving lessons.
When can I book a test?
G2D recommends you book, or even better, pass your theory test before starting driving lessons. Before booking your theory test, you must have applied for and received a provisional driving licence.
The theory test can be taken from your 17th birthday onwards. The only exception to this is if you get the higher weekly rate of the mobility part of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), when you can then take the test from the age of 16.
You need to pass the car theory test before you can book your practical driving test. The only time this isn't applicable is when you want to upgrade an automatic car licence to a manual one or if you have a category B1 driving licence (3 or 4-wheeled light vehicles) from before 1 February 2001
It's also important to note that a theory pass certificate expires after 2 years. Within these 2 years you must take your practical driving test. If the certificate expires, you will need to retake the theory test before booking your practical test.
What will I be tested on?
There are 2 parts to a theory test that you will need to learn about and revise for.
This is the first part of the test. There are 50 questions, of which you must correctly answer at least 43 in order to pass.
The questions are based on information from 3 books:
- The Highway Code
- Know Your Traffic Signs
- Driving - The Essential Skills
Purchasing these 3 books will not only be essential for your theory test, but they'll come in handy again in the future, particularly when you have queries during your driving lessons or private practice. Although the core information in these books can come in handy for your life time of driving, you should bear in mind that the guidance and rules are sometimes updated. You should regularly check for newer revisions.
This is the second part of the test which involves you watching 14 video clips. Each clip features an everyday road scene which will contain at least one ‘developing hazard’. One of the clips however, features 2 developing hazards. There is a maximum of 75 points to achieve. Scoring 44 or above will result in a pass.
You get points for spotting the developing hazards as soon as they start to happen, by clicking with the mouse. A developing hazard is something that would cause you to take action, such as changing speed or direction. An example could be a car that is parked at the side of the road and is not doing anything. At this moment in time it would not cause you to take action, so it’s not a developing hazard. However, as you get closer, the car’s right-hand indicator starts to flash and it begins to move away. Because of this happening in front of you, there would be a need for you to slow down, meaning the car has now developed into a hazard which you are going to have to react to. You can score up to 5 points for each developing hazard by clicking the mouse as soon as you see the hazard starting to develop. A quicker reaction will gain you more points.
To prepare for this test you can use the official guide to hazard perception. You can buy the guide online for your PC, tablet or mobile phone. Alternatively, you can also buy it as an interactive DVD from most High street and online book shops.
Overall, you can use books and software to revise for all parts of the theory test. There are plenty of very useful apps available too, so when ever you get a spare 5 minutes you can continue with your revision on any electronic device! Once you are confident you have gained the knowledge required, you can take practice tests using these apps too.