The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) Practical Driving Test is more demanding than it used to be and a high standard of driving is required. The best way to learn to drive is to take regular lessons tailored to your individual needs and covering the DSA syllabus with a professional DSA Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), such as Shamrock Driving School, together with as much private practice as possible once it's safe for you to do so. Everyone's different, so it 's impossible to say how many lessons you will need but it would not be unreasonable to expect to take between 40 and 45 hours of professional driving lessons.

WHAT HAPPENS ON THE "BIG DAY"?

Shamrock Driving School use Chippenham and Siston (Bristol Muti Purpose Driving Test Centre) DSA Driving Test Centres (the Driving Standards Agency closed Trowbridge Driving Test Centre on 29 August 2008 and Chippenham is the nearest Driving Test Centre to Trowbridge). On the "big day" pupils need to take both their plastic card and counterpart paper Provisional Driving Licence, DSA Theory Test Pass Certificate and DSA Practical Test appointment letter with them. On arrival at the test centre, after reversing the driving school car into a parking bay in the car park, the pupil and their instructor sit in the test centre waiting room.

The DSA Examiner will introduce themself and ask the pupil to sign a residency and insurance declaration before asking them to take an eyesight test by reading a car numberplate in the car park outside the test centre. The Examiner will then ask the pupil two "show / tell" questions regarding basic car maintenance and the use of controls (e.g. light switches, etc).

The practical driving part of the test lasts between 35-40 minutes using a variety of roads, including national speed limit roads. The pupil will be required to undertake two manoeuvres chosen from turn in the road, reverse round a corner, reverse park behind a parked car and reverse park into a parking bay at the test centre. The pupil may additionally be asked to undertake an emergency stop (included in a third of driving tests).

To pass the test the pupil must make no more than 15 Driving Faults (e.g. less than adequate observation during manoeuvres, briefly exceeding the speed limit, not undertaking a mirror check before reducing speed on approach to a bend, etc.). One or more Serious Fault (e.g. cutting a corner causing a car to slow down, excessive speeding, loss of control during manoeuvres, signalling to move off with a car approaching close behind, etc.) or Dangerous Fault (e.g. pulling out in front of a car at a junction causing them to stop) will result in a fail.

At the end of the test the Examiner will give the pupil their result and, in the unfortunate event that they have not been successful, the Examiner will give a debrief as to why and the pupil will have to wait 10 working days before they can take another test. When you pass the Examiner will normally give you a pass certificate enabling you to drive unaccompanied while they send your licence to DVLA who will send you a full licence within about 3 weeks!