Driving instructor in Tilehurst, Reading, Berks

School Of Motoring

A skill for life not just your driving test

Your Driving Test

How to be prepared for your driving test. Please visit our shop for all your practical test books and software

GO uses the Reading Test Centre. Click here for the address and current waiting time information

The practical driving test lasts between 35 and 45 minutes and is a test of your driving ability. You will be asked to perform 2 out of 3 of the reversing manouevres (reverse into a side-road, turn in the road, and parallel park) and possibly an emergency stop, as well as a general drive following one of the several test routes used by the examiner.

Before the test starts your name will be called and you will be asked to produce your driving license, photocard, and theory test certificate. Then you will sign a form declaring that your vehicle is properly insured, and you are not medically exempt from wearing seatbelts. You will be lead outside and asked to read a number plate from 20.5m (20m for the newer style number plates) followed by 2 of the show me/tell me questions. You will not be asked to touch hot or mucky parts of the car. Then you will drive out of the test centre with the examiner for the rest of the test. If you get the show me/tell me questions wrong then you will simply get 1 minor driving fault. Your examiner may from time to time ask you again to "follow the road ahead".

You may make up to a maximum of 15 minor driving faults but no serious or dangerous faults. A serious or dangerous fault will be causing another driver to swerve or slow down as a result of your driving, whereas a minor fault could be forgetting a mirror check or being in the wrong gear for a short period of time - depending of course on the circumstances. Try not to repeat minor faults more than twice as they can turn into a serious fault if the examiner thinks it is a driving habit.

After the test has finished you will be back at the test centre and will be offered a debrief - at this point you should invite your instructor over to listen in to this, as this will be useful in understanding what the examiner says about your test, regardless of the outcome.

Good luck, and drive well!