Learn to drive, step by step
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- Start
Get your provisional licence
You need it before lessons or the theory test.
How: Apply on GOV.UK. You need a passport or other ID, and it arrives in about a week.
All 16 steps in one list
Get started
- Get your provisional licence — You need it before lessons or the theory test. Apply on GOV.UK. You need a passport or other ID, and it arrives in about a week.
- Find an instructor — Lessons with an approved instructor (ADI). Search instructors near your test centre, check they are ADI-approved, and book a first lesson.
- Learn how the test works — Two tests: theory first, then the practical. Read the short guides. Five minutes now saves you surprises later.
Theory test
- Study the 14 theory topics — The multiple-choice part of the theory test. Do one topic a day. A topic counts once you get 86% or more.
- Practise hazard perception — Click when a hazard starts to develop. Watch the clips and click early, not all the time. Too many clicks score zero.
- Pass a mock theory test — 50 questions in 57 minutes, like the real one. Take a full mock. When you pass two in a row, you are ready to book.
- Book and pass your theory test — Your pass certificate lasts two years. Book on GOV.UK at a theory test centre near you. Take your provisional licence on the day.
Driving skills
- Learn show me, tell me — The examiner asks two vehicle safety questions. Flip the flashcards until you know all 21 answers.
- Master the four manoeuvres — Bay parking, parallel parking, pulling up on the right. Practise each one in 3D until it is clean three times in a row, then do it in lessons.
- Handle roundabouts — Lanes, signals and when to go. Drive the eight roundabout types in 3D. Mini roundabouts and spirals catch most people.
- Know the top faults — What examiners mark most. Play the faults quiz until you can name the top ten and how to avoid each.
Test day
- Choose your test centre — Pass rates differ a lot between centres. Compare pass rates and waiting times near you, then pick the one that suits you.
- Book your practical test — Waits can be months, so book early. Book on GOV.UK with your theory pass number. Check for cancellations often.
- Drive your centre's test routes — Know the junctions before test day. Drive your centre's routes in 3D, a few times each, in the weeks before your test.
- Get ready for test day — What to bring and what happens. Read the test day checklist the night before: licence, glasses, a car that is legal.
- Pass your driving test! — Swap the L plates for P plates. Stay calm, check your mirrors, and drive like you did in practice. You've got this.