ASHLEYS
DRIVER TRAINING
07810 164400
DRIVER TRAINING
07810 164400
The Theory Test is in two parts. The first part being the Multiple Choice Test and the second part the Hazard Perception Test.
The multiple choice test for car drivers consists of 50 questions. Associated with each question is a list of potential answers. You need to select the correct answer, or indeed answers, by either touching the appropriate area of the computer screen or using the mouse pointer and button. You will be given 57 minutes to complete the first part of the theory test. To pass you need to correctly answer 43 out of the 50 questions (i.e. 86%).
Before you start the actual theory test a short video tutorial will explain how the test should be undertaken. You will also be given the opportunity to complete some practice questions to make sure you are familiar with the computer screens. As you can see from the layout of the theory test computer screens below, you move from one question to the next by touching or clicking on the arrowed buttons at the bottom.
At any point in the test you can touch or click the review button to call up the review screen shown below. The review screen enables you to check all the questions and your answers from the start. Alternatively you can just review those questions flagged or not fully answered.
Once you have completed the quiz part of the test you would go onto the hazard perception part on the test
The following DVSA introduction video would be played at the start of the Hazard Perception Test. If you wish to watch this video please roll the mouse pointer over the image below and click the play button.
The above video explains how the hazard perception test works and what you are required to do. You would then be shown 14 hazard perception video clips of approximately one minute each. There will be 15 developing hazards to find - at least one on each clip. However, one clip will have 2 developing hazards. The clips will not contain any sound - just like the old silent movies.
Each clip will start with a freeze frame of the start of the video and a count down from 10 will commence. At the end of the count down the clip will start to play and you will be required to click the mouse each time you see a potential hazard start to develop and each time any additional evidence appears to support that development. To let you know that the program has registered your click a red flag will appear on a grey band across the bottom of the screen - one flag for each click you make in any particular clip. At the end of the clip all the flags will be removed before you start the next clip. Although each clip contains several potential hazards only the one that materialises into a real hazard and involves another road user is marked (i.e. that required the driver to take some form of action to avoid the hazard).
The score you obtain will be dependant upon how quickly you spot the potential hazard as it materialises and therefore develops. The time from when the potential hazard starts to develop to when the vehicle arrives at the hazard is the time frame or window used to determine your score. This window of time is divided into 5 equal segments. If you click the mouse while in the first segment (i.e. just has the potential hazard starts to materialise) you will obtain the maximum score of 5 points. If you click in the second segment of this window of time you will score 4 points, then 3, then 2 and then in the last segment just 1. This is accurate to one twenty fifth of a second. If you don't click the mouse in this window of time you will score nothing in respect to that hazard. Within the scoring window if you click several times only the first click will be used to determine your score (i.e. the highest scoring click).
If you try to cheat the system by clicking the button repeatedly the program will pick this up by looking at the number of clicks over the clip as a whole and the pattern of clicks. There is a certain maximum number of clicks permitted per clip but this is believed to be over 20 clicks. The computer program also looks for any pattern of repeated clicking or a short burst of rapid clicks. If this is detected a message window will appear at the end of the clip letting you know that an irregular clicking activity was detected and that as a result the score for that clip will be zero.
The official hazard perception test introduction video clip recommends that you click the mouse button each time you detect a change as the hazard materialises, not just once when you think you have seen it start to develop. This will ensure you score the maximum for each clip even if you click too early as you anticipate a hazard rather than responding to its development. Hence, it would be normal to click 2, 3 or possibly 4 times as the hazard evolves. However, make sure you only click in response to changes you see.
When the clip ends the screen will turn black for a few seconds before the freeze frame for the next video clip appears and the count down commences again warning you to get ready. This pattern is repeated until all 14 video clips have been shown.
At the end of the hazard perception test you will be given the option to complete a customer care survey if you so wish. You will then be directed to leave the room and collect your score for the 2 parts of the exam. The maximum score that can be obtained for the hazard perception part of the theory test is 75 (i.e. 15x5). To pass the hazard perception part of the Car theory test you must obtain a score of 44. To pass the theory test you must pass both parts. If you fail either part you are required to take both parts of the test again.
Important information about the Theory Test
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) stopped publishing the actual multiple choice questions and answers used in the real Theory Test for car drivers on 23rd January 2012. A completely new set of theory test questions was introduced at this point. The real questions are now not available to the public in any product or in any other form. However, the DVSA do publish very similar questions to the real ones for people to practice on called the DVSA practice/revision questions, answers and hazard perception video clips. These can be found in most theory/HP test products.
The move was introduced by the Road Safety Minister to ensure new drivers learn the principles behind driving theory instead of just memorising the answers to pre-set questions. Also as part of these improvements newer more difficult case studies questions were introduced at the same time - again emphasising the need to properly learn and understand the theory aspect of driving and riding. In October 2020 video case study questions were added to the test to replace the descriptive case study questions. Consequently, when looking for a product make sure it has a good learning section as well a realistic test practice section.
Important information about the DVSA Hazard Perception Test
Many Theory Test products and kits only contain a handful of hazard perception test clips to practice on which may help to explain why most people who fail the Official DVSA Theory Test do so on the Hazard Perception section. The DVSA only provide 34 official practice clips which for the vast majority of people is insufficient to practice on. The free advice on this website should go some way to help ensure you are not one of the many thousands of people who fail the Theory Test each year due to the Hazard Perception part of the test.