NEWS! Changes to Theory Test question bank from 6th April 2010. See this page.
The current cost of the theory test is £31.00 and can be booked online at this page
The Theory Test is in two parts. Both parts of the test are taken at a special Theory Test Centre.
- The Multiple Choice question test
- The Hazard Perception test
The Multiple Choice test is delivered using a touch-screen computer display (or by clicking with a computer mouse) whilst the Hazard Perception test is conducted by recording your responses using a computer mouse button. If you pass one part and fail the other you'll fail the whole test, and you'll need to take both parts again. Before the test starts, the computer program will give you instructions on how to score and will also give you the chance to take part in a practice session if you wish.
Since September 2009, the multiple choice section of the test has devoted 5 questions to a “case study”, in order to assess candidates' understanding of driving theory, while the remaining 45 multiple choice questions assess their knowledge of the subject. The minimum pass mark for this test is 43 out of 50. You can flag questions you are not sure about and then go back to them at the end of the test to decide which answer you will choose.
The case study takes the form of a scenario, based on an everyday driving situation. Candidates will answer the questions in the same way as they do now, using either the touch screen or mouse. For more information, and to view an example, have a look at the 2pass website
At the end of this first part of the test you will be given the opportunity to take a short break before starting the Hazard Perception test. You will then be shown a short tutorial video clip about how the Hazard Perception test works. The test consists of 14 video clips filmed from a moving car showing a series of everyday road scenes. These video clips contain developing hazards to which you will need to react by clicking your computer mouse. One of the clips will contain two developing hazards whereas the other thirteen will only contain one. The hazards each have a scoring “window” which starts as soon as the particular hazard appears and lasts until the hazard situation has become critical. Your task is to click the mouse as soon as you see a hazard developing as this will record your earliest reaction time and award you a high mark for that hazard. It is worth clicking once or twice more as the hazard develops (in case your first click was made before the official scoring window opened), but beware of clicking too many times or in too regular a pattern because this may upset the infamous “anti-cheating device” - in which case you would be awarded zero for that particular video clip. You are not permitted to review your answers as you were in the Multiple Choice part of the test. The pass mark for the car and motorcycle hazard perception part of the theory test is 44 out of 75. At the end of the test the computer screen will give you instructions to either complete a customer survey questionnaire or, if you choose not to do this, to leave the room and return to the reception desk where you would shortly be given your results.
There is no secret to passing the theory test!
To pass the Multiple Choice test you will need to have a good working knowledge of the highway code and be able to select the correct answers to set questions, or combinations of questions. Sometimes the same questions can be phrased in different ways - you just need to consider each possible answer carefully before making your choice. The answer is to do your homework and practice doing mock tests using one of the many DVD’s on the market - the interactive “Driving Test Complete” DVD on the Study Materials page is one of the best available. If you do this, you should know the answers and have a very good chance of passing. If you know your stuff there is no reason not to aim for a perfect score on test day.
Passing the Hazard Perception test is also a matter of hard work. Providing your reactions are good enough you should be able to spot hazards early on in their development and achieve a good score. As noted above, the “anti-cheat” device (a non-descriminating device that is supposed to catch out candidates who might click at even intervals throughout a whole video clip in order to land clicks within the scoring window) is prone to catching out the more honest amongst us, who are only doing our best to score legitimately. Hence my warning not to click too often for a hazard (two or three times should be enough) and not to click too regularly - i.e. vary the time gaps between your clips. Anyone used to playing video computer games will probably be well prepared for the Hazard Perception test as it is a bit like playing a game - it does have an important purpose, however, in testing your reaction times and your ability to recognize hazards as will they appear in real life situations when you are behind the wheel of a car. Again, the best way to gain a high score is to practice, practice, practice! The interactive “Driving Test Complete” DVD on the Study Materials page should provide you with adequate practice for both the Multiple Choice and Hazard Perception tests.