This page updated April 28, 2012

The new driving test from October 4th

From October 4th 2010 the driving test will change to include driving without directions. At present, the examiner gives the trainee instructions on where to go step by step. This will carry on except that at some point during the test the examiner will explain to the student that they have to follow road direction signs to a given destination. For example, someone taking the test in Telford could be told to follow signs to Newport or Shrewsbury. The routes are not known at this stage.

The thinking behind this is that newly qualified drivers will normally not have had to do this and it could affect their standard of driving whilst they are concentrating on the road signs.

Failure to get the route exactly correct will NOT result in failure but if the driving standard falls as a result of concentrating on directions there would be a failure.

The other change concerns the fixed manoeuvre that has to be conducted. At the moment, trainees have to learn four fixed manoeuvres, (e.g. reversing around a corner), and are asked to perform two of these. On the new test you will only have to learn two and be expected to perform one of these.

You can check out a video of the new test here