A DSA Practical Driving Test is a test adminstered by the Driving Standards Agency which UK learner drivers must pass to obtain a driving licence. Different tests are available for users of different vehicles, from car drivers, to motorcyclists and HGV drivers.
It is necessary to have passed a DSA Driving Theory Test and a DSA Hazard Perception Test before sitting this exam. Passing this test then entitles you to hold a driving licence.
Format
The practical test is taken on the road, with the examiner directing the candidate around a pre-determined (but unknown to the candidate) route. The examiner marks the candidate for driving faults (commonly called minor faults or minors), serious faults, and dangerous faults. A candidate will fail the test if he or she accumulates any serious or dangerous faults, or more than fifteen driving faults.
"Show me, tell me"
Before the candidate is taken out onto the road, the examiner asks two basic questions about car maintenance and safety. These are always phrased in the form "Show me..." and "Tell me..."; for example:
- Show me how you would check that the power assisted steering is working before starting a journey.
- Open the bonnet, identify where you would check the engine oil level and tell me how you would check that the engine has sufficient oil.
A failure to answer one or both of these questions correctly would result in a driving fault being marked against the candidate.
Car Manoeuvres
During the car test, a candidate will always have to perform a reverse parking manoeuvre, which can either be a bay park at the test centre, or a parallel park on the road. A candidate will also have to perform either a turn in the road (i.e. three-point-turn) or a left reverse (i.e. reversing round a corner). Also, one candidate in three will have to perform an emergency stop . Which manoeuvres a candidate is asked to perform is down to the examiner.
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