STEPS TO GETTING YOUR DRIVING LICENCE

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Applying For Your Provisional Licence

The Theory Test

Booking Your Practical Test

Applying For Your Provisional Licence

In order to book your first practical driving lesson you must have applied for and obtained your Provisional Driving Licence. A Provisional Licence can be applied for up to three months before someone turns seventeen, but is only valid once the licence holder is seventeen years of age. Therefore it is not legal to take lessons on a public road or take a theory test until the Provisional Driving Licence is valid.

To apply for a provisional driving licence, you must complete and send to the DVLA a Form D1 which can be obtained from your local Post Office, or you can now apply online at www.gov.uk/apply-first-provisional-driving-licence

To apply online requires that:

• You are a resident of the United Kingdom
• You meet the minimum age requirement
• Your eyesight is of the required standard
• You are not currently prevented from driving for any reason
• You can pay by Credit/Debit card
• You have a valid UK Passport or another form of ID
• You can provide address details of where you have lived over the past three years

A photo is required for your provisional licence. However, the DVLA can utilise your passport photo. If you don't have a passport, or you wish to use a new photo, this will need to be sent to the DVLA separately.

Please click here to find our the costs of all licence types.

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In order to book and take your practical driving test you must have passed the Theory Test.

The theory test is comprised of two parts; a multiple choice section and a hazard perception video test. In order to attain the certificate you need to pass both sections of the test.

The theory test can be booked and taken at your local test centre. Once you have passed the theory test you can then apply to take your practical test, if ready.

Multiple Choice Section

The theory test questions are no longer published, therefore any revision questions found, usually from third party publications, will give you an idea of the style of questions and answers to expect, but will not be the exact questions that you will have to answer in the test itself. The exact questions are no longer available to avoid students simply memorising the questions. It was introduced to ensure drivers gain a better understanding of driving theory.

Hazard Perception

A short video clip will be shown at the beginning of the hazard perception section of the test, this clip illustrates how this section of the test is to be followed. The subsequent clips feature everyday road scenarios which will contain at least one developing hazard, one of the clips will feature two developing hazards.

A developing hazard is a road scenario that may result in you having to take a course of action, such as changing speed or direction. During the test you need to successfully identify the hazard as soon as possible to achieve the highest score possible.

There is more information available about the Theory Test here.

Book your Theory Test

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Once you have passed your theory test and once your practical driving skills have reached a suitable level, you may be put in for your practical driving test. This can be booked via the government website online but you must liaise with your instructor before doing so.

An 'independent driving' section is now incorporated into the practical test. This requires you to follow signs to a particular location in order to allow the examiner to assess how well you manage without direct instruction.

For more information about the practical driving test and many other aspects involved in learning to drive please click here.

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