Pass The UK Driving Test!

Welcome to UKADI, the only website you need with all the information, advice, tips and videos to help you pass the driving test at your next attempt.

As a driving instructor with over 10 years experience helping thousands of learner drivers get the highly coveted DSA pass certificate, I know what it takes to please the DSA examiners, and my goal is through this online instructional blog to give you free the resources needed to reach the standard expected of every test candidate.

A word of caution, passing the UK driving test is not easy, and you as a learner driver will increase your chances of passing first time by putting in the hard work and effort (this does not mean just taking driving lessons only), as many very good drivers with competent car handling skills have failed the test due to simple things that can only be blamed on either a lack of knowledge of the UK driving examiner requirements or over-confidence not giving the DSA practical test the due credit it deserves as one of the toughest learner assessments in the world.

The UK Driving Test

To get a full UK driving licence that enables you to drive a car in the UK unsupervised (manual or automatic transmission), you need to pass 2 tests (1 computer based theory and a practical vehicle motorcycle, car, HGV/LGV assessment).

If you have not already done so, you should apply for your provisional driving licence, and while you are waiting for it to arrive, I suggest you get copy of the official DSA learner guide shown below and start preparing for your theory test right away (it is never too early to start preparing). The guide also contains information about the practical driving test as well, and since it is made by the people who actually conduct the assessment, it is all you need!


Most people pass the theory test first time especially if they take the time to go through the official dsa study guides like the one mentioned above, but if you don't just study some more, practise the hazard perception videos and you should be fine. Note that the test is available to take in other languages, see the DSA website for an up to date list.

Once you have taken and passed the theory test, you have 2 years to take and pass the practical assessment or your theory test pass certificate will expire and you will have to go through the process again, including paying another booking fee.

Preparing and taking the Practical Driving Test

I have already mentioned that passing the UK driving test is not easy, to illustrate this, of the 1.7m tests conducted in the 2011/2012 financial year only 47% passed, that means over 900,000 people failed! (source DSA Press Release), so it is important that you are fully prepared (practically and knowledge wise) if you do not want to be one of those failure statistics.

How to Prepare for the UK practical driving test?

• PRIVATE TUITION (Learning with Friends/Family)

• PROFESSIONAL Driving Lessons with DSA approved Instructor

Private Tuition

Currently in the UK there are no requirements that stops people from taking the driving test even if they have not used a DSA qualified instructor to learn, nor do you have to bring a dual controlled instructor's vehicle to the test centre, so this is a common option used by many, but having spoken to a few examiners in my local centres a high percentage of these candidates fail for a few reasons.

1. Lack of knowledge: Friends/family rarely have all the complete knowledge to adequately prepare a provisional licenced learner driver for the dsa driving test. To supervise a learner you need to have at least held a full licence for 3 years. Within that time, changes could have been made which an ordinary driver might not know about. Another th...