Mock Driving Test

What is a mock driving test?

Once you’ve made your way through most of your driving course—and  you’re up to test standard—you may decide to run through the driving test. Rather than talking you through it, why not opt for a mock driving test. Set out in a similar way to the actual practical, a mock driving test gives you a chance to see what you should expect on the day of the test.

Typically, you want to have a mock driving test a couple of weeks or so before the test date. Leaving a gap between the mock test and the practical is absolutely vital. It gives you enough time to work on any weak areas highlighted by your performance in the mock test. It also means that if the mock goes badly, you have enough time to get your confidence back up before you have to go in for the actual driving test.

Why should I take one?

Your driving lessons/training are designed to take you from a complete beginner who struggles with clutch control to a confident driver who can complete advanced manoeuvres with their eyes closed (not that we would ever advise such a thing!). Of course, whilst you might have the skills, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re ready for the driving test. Unless you’ve looked into the format of the driving test, you’re probably not that familiar with how it’s structured.

A mock driving test is the perfect way to get a hands-on look at what will happen on the day of your driving test—from the eyesight test to the ‘show me, tell me’ questions to the independent driving element. Knowing the structure of the test isn’t just beneficial for helping you pass the test, it’s also great for easing any of those pre-test butterflies you might have. One of the biggest reasons that many fail the driving test is due to test day nerves. Once you know what to expect, you’ll be able to keep those nerves at bay.

Our trainers are experts and experienced so they’ll be able to make your mock driving test as realistic as possible. By the time you take your actual driving test, it will seem like a walk in the park.

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What will happen during a mock driving test?

It will follow the structure of the driving test – asking you to go through the entire step-by-step process of a driving test. The driving test usually lasts around 40 minutes.  Let’s take a look at what you can expect with a mock driving test…

The structure of the mock driving test:

1. An eyesight test
   At the beginning of the driving test, you’ll be asked to complete a mandatory eyesight test before getting into the car. This will involve you reading a number plate from 20 or 20.5 metres away, or around 4 car lengths. So, make sure you’re wearing your glasses or contact lenses if you need them.
2. ‘Show me, tell me’ questions
   By this point, you should be more than familiar with the ‘show me, tell me’ section of the driving test. These questions will show that you have a basic understanding of your vehicle. The examiner will ask you to answer a ‘tell me’ question before you start driving, e.g., “How would you check that the brakes are working before starting a journey?”. The ‘show me’ question will be asked once you start driving, e.g., “When it’s safe to do so, can you show me how you’d switch on your dipped headlights?”.

Though you’ll get a driving fault for getting the ‘tell me’ question wrong, you don’t want to use up all of your faults just because you couldn’t be bothered revising this section. So, practice them as much as you can and make sure your multitasking skills are on point for the ‘show me’ question!

3. Assessment of your driving ability
   As with your test, the trainer will take you on the roads around the test centre, which you should be  familiar with by this point. They will make sure to incorporate a variety of road features and types, ranging from dual carriageways to multi-lane roundabouts to tricky one-way systems. You’ll likely be taken through busy urban areas and quieter residential estates—ensuring different traffic conditions which will test your skills with hazard perception and speed awareness.

Throughout this 20 minute drive, you will be asked to pull over every so often—testing your ability to park and move off safely—and demonstrate a hill start, angle start, down hill etc. The trainer will be monitoring control of the vehicle,  steering and road positioning. Additionally, they’ll be keeping an eye out to see if you’re completing all around checks and observations throughout.

4. Independent driving
   During this section, you’ll be asked to drive (independently) by following sat nav directions or sign posts to reach a set destination, 80% of candidates on the test will use a sat nav on their test, whilst the remaining 20% will use road signs. Remember—you are allowed to go the wrong way. As long as you’re showing that you can safely follow directions (using a sat nav or signs), you’ll be fine.
5. Assessment of your manoeuvring ability
   During the driving test, you’ll be expected to demonstrate one of four manoeuvres:

• Bay parking car park (reversing into a bay) 
• Forward parking car park (driving forward into a bay) 
• Pulling up on the right (parking on the other side of the road and reversing) 
• Parallel parking (reverse park on road)

Wondering where you’ll be asked to demonstrate these manoeuvres? It depends on the manoeuvre. With pulling up on the right and parallel parking, this isn’t limited to quiet roads only. When it comes to the bay parking manoeuvre, they’ll either use the test centre car park or another cark park.

End of Mock Test Feedback

IThough it might not seem like it, the result of your mock driving test does matter. The point of it is to prepare you for your driving test—helping you familiarise yourself with the structure and ease your test day nerves. If you pass, you shouldn’t rest on your laurels—you need to keep working hard and develop the driving faults recorded. If you fail, don’t let it discourage you too much, but you should practise. 

Pay attention to your feedback. Remember, mock driving tests are ideal for figuring out your strengths and weaknesses. If you were  pulled you up on poor observation, then you know what you need to work on during the build up to your test date.

Still not sure if you’d like to take a mock driving test? Check out the pros and cons below.

Pros:

Settle your nerves: going into your practical blind can turn even a confident driver into a nervous wreck. By taking a mock driving test, however, you no longer have to let your imagination run wild—you’ll know exactly how the day will go.

Get used to the test format: once you’ve gone through the actual process of the driving test, you won’t be surprised by anything the examiner asks you to do, e.g., when they ask you a ‘show me’ question whilst you’re driving on a dual carriageway!

Figure out your strengths and weaknesses: making it easy to see which areas need more work before your actual test.

Cons:

If you’re particularly anxious, a mock test probably won’t stop you from still panicking on the day of your test.

It might make your nerves worse: if you end up “failing” your mock driving test, it might end up making you feel like you’re not actually ready for your driving test. In the worst case scenario, you might end up cancelling your test.

You might get a serious case of over-confidence: if you end up “passing” your mock driving test, you might end up getting a bit too relaxed on the build-up to your test date. Confidence is good, but too much of it can be counter-productive.