As I sat in the couch staring at my laptop screen and listening to the wind howling outside as we were in the middle of experiencing storm Ciara battering the UK, I was quite not sure where to start. Writer’s block? Nah! I think I was just being overly dramatic! (lol)
Anyway!
So I took my theory test last 28th of January for the first time. I was so ready to accept failure then but still my nerves were all over the place giving me heartburn! The only consolation I had then was that I only told a single soul about it – my husband! (lol) That way, at least I could just mutter my frustrations and heartbreak to him! But by the love of all the luck in this universe, I aced it! And as usual, here I am again trying to share my experiences in the hopes that they would be of help to those who are planning or about to take theirs.
I started having driving lessons a couple of months ago and I thought before then that I’d have difficulty learning how to do it because first and foremost, this country drives on the left side of the road, which means the driver’s seat’s at the right. This country is also full of roundabouts and junctions (yes, you read that right – ROUNDABOUTS and JUNCTIONS) not to mention the UK’S highway code is quite ‘daunting’ for a driver/learner like me who came from a country where road rules are not enforced strictly. Well…
I decided to make an appointment for my theory test because I was thinking that if I got it out of the way, then I could focus more on my driving lesson and eventually would take my practical driving test and hope I’d pass it. I took my chance and here I am again trying to write down my thoughts, knowledge and information regarding the matter.
I’d go you through the things I did before my test appointment to give you an idea how I did it.
My driving instructor would always give practice test handouts for me to review. Luckily for me, someone told me there’s a mobile application that I could buy and download and could do my practice anytime anywhere. I paid for it for £4.99. I must remind you that there are many theory test applications available in the market but this was the one I used. I found it very easy to use. I also found out during the test that the application was spot on. Here it is:
I used this application sparingly after I downloaded it because it did my head in the few times I tried it! The highway code was too much for me to take in. A couple of weeks before I took the test, I started to do my mock tests seriously. At first, I failed them as I did not even read the highway code and I was just relying on my own personal judgment really. Later on, I got so obsessed with my mock tests that I was always on it until I was almost always getting perfect scores! (lol) My husband would always say that I’d ace it but I was just being me – thorough!
On the night before my theory test, I checked the government website for sample tests and did them as well. If you’d like to take a look at it, here’s the link: https://www.gov.uk/take-practice-theory-test . I also checked youtube.com for sample videos of the hazard perception mock tests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdQRkmdhwJs .
How to make an appointment for your theory test?
You need your provisional driving license to book for your appointment.
You have to use this link to make an appointment for your theory test. https://www.gov.uk/book-theory-test . Doing it is easy peasy! You will need the following before you can proceed:
- UK driving licence number
- email address – you have to book by phone if you don’t have one
- credit or debit card (it would cost you £23/test)
If in the event you don’t have an email or you just don’t want to use one, you may call this number for assistance: DVSA theory test booking support
customercare@pearson.com
Telephone: 0300 200 1122
Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm
What to bring to your test?
What happens at the test centre during the test appointment?
You need to be at the testing centre at least 15 minutes before your test time so the staff can check you in. Please read the following general rules for your future reference.
What is the composition of the test?
There are two parts of the test: 1) Multiple-Choice Questions – This part of the test is made up of 50 multiple-choice questions and you should get at least 43 correct answers to pass. You will be given roughly an hour to finish this part of the test. The topic areas which this part of the test tackles are alertness, attitude,safety and your vehicle/motorcycle, road and traffic signs and accidents. 2) Hazard-perception Test – This part is composed of 14 (or maybe 13 hhmmm) videos of which you should spot hazards on the road. you need to click either the right or left side of the mouse as soon as you spot road hazards. Every time you press the mouse, a flag appears on the bottom part of the screen. But you have to understand that if you click the mouse just for the fun of it, you will be penalized by a score deduction. You need to spot at least 44 road hazards out of the 75 possible road hazards presented in the videos.
What’s next after the test?
After you’ve finished the test, you will be asked to wait for the result. It won’t take long though. You will be given a letter showing if you passed or if you failed your theory test. 1) PASS – You’ll get a letter with a pass certificate number at the test centre. You need this when you book and take your driving test. Your pass certificate number lasts for 2 years. You must pass your driving test in that time, otherwise you’ll have to pass the theory test again. 2) FAIL – If you fail the test, you’ll be given a letter which shows which test areas you need to improve and practise more. In this case, you need to re-book and retake the test. You have to wait for 3 working days before you can take the test again.
Theory Test Certificate
Now that this is out of the way, at least I can focus on getting my driving skills better. Keeping fingers crossed! xxx
Freddy's Musings 
Leave a Reply