People need to pass this test in the UK before taking a practical driving assessment
People who have been driving for years might have forgotten some of the things every driver needs to know. As time goes on, you develop a general understanding of how the roads work and what keeps everyone around you safe.
But, at some point, most who hold a driving licence will have had to take part in a written test before being allowed to prove their abilities behind the wheel. The first official UK Driving Theory Test was introduced in July 1997 and has been a mandatory first step for obtaining your full license ever since in the UK.
A proper driving theory test has 50 multiple-choice questions, followed by the hazard perception assessment. To pass, candidates must answer at least 43 questions correctly within the 57-minute time limit.
Questions tend to focus on aspects of driving, such as road signs, the Highway Code, certain safety practices, and driving scenarios. Car drivers will also need to know how to interact safely with pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists who share the road with them.
It was recently announced that all drivers will soon have to learn how to use a vital piece of equipment if they want to pass. The Government announced that theory tests will include enhanced first aid questions from autumn 2025 – including CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is the government body responsible for setting and administering the theory test. Around 2.4 million theory tests are taken each year, with a pass rate of 45.7% between July and September 2024, according to GOV.UK.
There is no maximum limit to the number of times you can attempt the UK driving theory test. If the test dates are not available that soon, people must wait at least three working days between retaking the test.
Each attempt will cost £23. You can revise for the theory test using books and online software and take practice runs of the multiple-choice and hazard perception sections.
We’ve put together a short quiz below to see if you’d ace a theory test if taken today. To make ours a little simpler, we’ve more than halved the number of questions and removed the time limit.
Our quiz has only 20 questions, so for a pass mark similar to the real deal, you’ll need to score 17 correct. All of the questions we used came from an official DVSA practice test for car drivers.
Online, it states that the practice questions are “not used in the real test, but they’re based on the same topics as the test”. Good luck!
