To qualify as a legal driver in the UK, you must pass both the theory test and the practical test. I passed my theory test a month ago and was then scheduled for the practical. My original test date was December 19th, 2025, but that felt far too late since I needed my licence sooner. Getting a date isn’t easy — the waiting list is long, and the national pass rate is below 50%, which means many people rebook after failing, making the queue even longer.
After almost two weeks of checking the DVSA
website regularly, I finally secured a December slot at Kings Heath test
centre. That was still too far away, so I decided to look for an earlier date.
I downloaded a cancellation app (which cost £11.99), but even with that, it was
still difficult to find one earlier because so many people were trying at the
same time. After another two weeks of waiting, I finally managed to grab a
date: September 17th, 2025, at Redditch test centre, about 25 minutes from
where I live.
I was delighted — until I realised the test
was only a week away. Panic set in. I hadn’t taken any driving lessons in the
UK, hadn’t visited Redditch, and hadn’t researched possible test routes. I
tried to book several driving courses, but none were available on such short
notice, or they didn’t cover that test centre. The next day, I searched through
Google Maps for instructors. Finally, someone replied and was available, though
his price was higher than others. I had no choice but to book him.
After an hour of assessment, my instructor told me that I would need four
lessons before the test. I have been driving for more than 10 years, but
driving in the UK is quite different because of the major differences in road
markings, signs, roundabouts, and even driver behaviour. My instructor
explained everything I needed to know for the test and corrected some of my
driving habits. It was tense, as I had only a week to reach the required
standard before the test date.
I took my lessons around Redditch to get used to
the local roads, in case they were part of the test route. We practised on
every type of road with different speed limits — 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70
mph. All the manoeuvres were also covered: pulling up on the left and right
sides, parallel parking, forward and reverse bay parking, and the emergency stop.
On the test day, I was very nervous, which I think is normal for everyone. My test was at 11:11 am, so we left an hour early to make sure we wouldn’t be late. The journey was smooth, and we even had time to practise a little before the actual test. We arrived at the test centre at 11:06 am. I parked the car, and we walked into the building, where two other candidates were also waiting.
When the examiners came out of their office, they called our names, and each of us followed our assigned examiner. The first part of the test was the eyesight check — reading a car’s number plate from about 20 metres away. After that, the examiner and I went to the car. Before I got in, he asked me a “Tell me” question: “How do you know the headlights and taillights are working properly?” Then he let me get seated, while he checked the car’s condition. Once he was satisfied, he explained how the test would be carried out and placed the SatNav he had brought on the dashboard, which would be part of the assessment.
He explained that the first part of the test would be to drive by following
the SatNav’s directions. During the drive, he would also give me instructions
to perform certain manoeuvres. Once I was ready, we began the practical test.
After about five minutes of driving, the
examiner asked me to pull up on the left. He told me not to worry about
driveways or dropped kerbs, but I still made sure to stop in a clear spot. Then
he asked me to move off safely. The second manoeuvre was to pull up on the
right and move away again. The third was to stop on the left behind another car
and parallel park. The fourth was to pull up on a hill and move away safely.
Finally, he asked me to perform an emergency stop while driving at around 20–30
mph. After the last manoeuvre, he told me to continue following the SatNav.
Using a device I had never driven with before was a bit confusing, especially because the voice directions sometimes came too late. As a result, I missed several turns. The SatNav led me through both single and dual carriageways, where I made sure to accelerate up to the correct speed. I also encountered some of Redditch’s many roundabouts — both small and large. At one big roundabout, I accidentally chose the wrong lane and headed for the second exit instead of the third. Fortunately, I stayed in my lane and managed to exit safely, even though it wasn’t the intended direction. That wasn’t a fail, as long as I remained in the correct lane and didn’t straddle across lanes. Since I had gone off the original route, the examiner directed me along a different road, which took us through the countryside and eventually back into the town centre.
Back at the test centre, he asked me to do a
forward bay park. He mentioned it would still be acceptable if I parked across
a line, but I managed to park neatly. I switched off the engine and waited for
the result.
The examiner then asked if my instructor wanted to hear the outcome. When my instructor joined us, the examiner said the words I’d been hoping for: “You PASSED.” I couldn’t believe it, since I hadn’t followed the SatNav perfectly. He explained that it was fine because I drove safely throughout. He also told me I had only made one minor fault — not checking to the left properly at a junction. I was surprised, as I thought I had observed every junction, but perhaps just glancing once wasn’t enough. Still, it wasn’t a problem.
I felt overjoyed. My instructor drove me home,
and I couldn’t stop smiling. It was a great experience!
Thank you for reading my story. I wish you the
best of luck with your own test!
Best,
frochadi