What is the Theory Test About?
The theory test is an important part of the process of learning to drive. As the name suggests, it is about the theory of
driving. It is intended to prove that you know and understand the rules of driving, as many will not come up in your practical test. It will test your knowledge of the Highway Code and the rules of the road during the multiple choice test, and will also assess your observational skills in the Hazard Perception part of the test.
When you arrive at the test centre, you will be greeted by an invigilator, who will wish to see your booking confirmation and your driving licence (both the photocard and the counterpart paper licence). Most centres have a bank of computers, and if there is a computer free, you will be shown to it. The computers will be in a separate room, with a window to allow invigilators to check there is no cheating occurring. When you take your seat, the computer will display your name, and the category of test you are taking. The screen will be a touch-screen, and you will confirm that your details are correct by touching the confirmation button on the screen. Before each test starts, you will be shown a video, detailing what you need to do. At no point while you are in the test room may you talk to another candidate.
If at any time you need assistance, raise your hand so that an invigilator can see you. The invigilators will not be able to help answer questions, nor help you in any way.
Multiple Choice Test
The multiple choice test is a series of 35 questions, which can cover almost any aspect of driving – from the rules of the road to car safety; from motorway driving to driving on country lanes. The test covers the whole of the Highway Code, and your 35 questions will be randomly selected from a database of over 1000. Many of the questions are similar to one another, so don’t panic about having to learn 1000 individual answers!
After being shown a video detailing what you need to do, the test will commence. You have 40 minutes to answer 35 questions. The questions take the form of a multiple-choice exam, and you will use the touch-screen to input your answer. Most questions take a form similar to this:
Motorcyclists will often look round over their right shoulder just before turning right. This is because:
A: They need to listen for following traffic
B: Motorcycles do not have mirrors
C: Looking around helps them balance as they turn
D: They need to check for traffic in their blind area
In this case, you would mark just one answer, which for this question is D.
Some questions require more than one answer, for example:
You are travelling on a motorway. You decide you need a rest. You should:
A: Stop on the hard shoulder
B: Go to a service area
C: Park on the slip road
D: Park on the central reservation
E: Leave at the next exit
In this case, you should select two answers, which for this question would be B and E.
Every question will state how many answers are required, and will flag up a warning if you select an incorrect number of answers.
When you have answered the question, you may either move to the next question, or flag it for later review if you cannot answer it, or if you are unsure. You can come back to this question at any time during the test.
When you have made it to the end of the test, a summary screen will appear. This will tell you how many questions you have answered, and how many you have flagged for review. You have three options:
- Return to the beginning and review all 35 questions.
- Review flagged questions only.
- Finish the test
Obviously, reviewing the questions is subject to how much time you have remaining. Selecting ‘Finish’ will require you to confirm, and after confirming, you cannot go back to any of the questions. You will then be allowed a break of up to 3 minutes, though you cannot leave your exam station. When you are ready to proceed, press the ‘continue’ button, and the Hazard Perception test will commence.
Hazard Perception Test
Before this test commences, you will be required to watch a video explaining how the test works, and what to do. You should put on the headphones provided, as oral instructions will be provided. After the video, the test will commence. You will be shown 14 video clips, which will contain a total of 15 hazards. Each clip will contain at least one hazard, with one of the clips containing two. The videos are filmed from a camera on top of a car, and are filmed on real roads in real conditions.
Upon being shown a film, you will have to look out for any potential hazards. These could include turning lorries, pedestrians looking to cross a road, or a car approaching a junction – there are a number of different hazards to be aware of. When you see a potential hazard, you should click the mouse provided. When you click, a small icon will appear at the bottom of the screen. You can click more than once, however, if you click too many times, the computer will think you are cheating, and give you zero for the clip. Do not be afraid of clicking if you think you’ve seen more than one hazard, or if you have already clicked a few times – simply act logically, and do not click for the sake of it!
Your score will be based on how early you see the developing hazard. If you see it within one second, you will be awarded the full 5 points. Within 2, and you will be awarded 4 points, and so on. Any more than 5 seconds, and you will score zero on a particular clip. Over the course of 14 clips, you can score up to a maximum of 75 (15 hazards, each worth 5 points). The pass mark for the test is 44. Unlike the multiple choice section of the test, you will not have an opportunity to go over your answers because, like in the real world, you will have only one chance to respond.
Having completed the hazard perception test, you will be asked to fill in a customer survey. This is done on the computer, and is totally optional. It will not have any bearing on your final mark, and the answers you give are confidential and anonymous.
Once you have finished the test (and the optional survey), you may leave the exam room quietly, so as not to distract any other candidates. You will not be allowed to re-enter the exam room once you have left. Your results will be printed for you. You will get a cover letter, giving you your result and explaining where you went wrong.
Your multiple choice mark will show as a total out of 35. The letter will tell you which areas of the Highway Code you may need to brush up on. Your hazard perception will be given as a mark out of 75, and will tell you how many hazards you saw. The letter will also tell you how many you saw within each time frame. If you have failed, this information should be used to work out what you did wrong, and how to improve upon it for next time. Even if you only fail on one section of the test, you will need to retake the entire test again.
If you have passed, you will be given a pass certificate. The certificate will have a number on it, which you will need in order to book a practical test (as it allows you to upgrade your licence immediately upon passing the practical test).