Driving Lessons Videos Test Tips and Advice

Update Nov 1 2010 New theory test changes 2011 & 2012

The following video is from the DSA youtube channel and is supposed to be explaining the case study questions which was introduced into the UK theory test on Sept 28 2009. It doesn't seem to be very helpful.



Another bright spark from someone at the DSA to make the lives of learner drvers in the UK more difficult and passing the driving test even harder.

These new changes has not affected the current theory test fees.

More Reading
Driving test changes in 2010

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I don't go there often, so yesterday I had to take a pupil to the Barnet driving test centre EN5 1AD and was caught short on the way down, and had forgotten that they don't have any toilet facilites for their customers!

I rushed out of the car, and as I entered the waiting room it clicked no toilets. I had to run down the road to the local pub, order a drink, and then ask to use their facilities.

Luckly it was me that ended up panicking, so if you have a driving test in the barnet centre (especially those using their own private car for the practical), make sure you empty your bladder before setting off.

While on the subject of driving test at Barnet, don't think this is an easy place to pass just because you can get an earlier test date, as the DSA examiners here are very strict, and expect you to adhere to the high standard expected of any test candidate, so make sure you are prepared, as the routes are varied, can include fast country roads, dual carriageways and busy high streets.



Should you require to hire a vehicle for the test at barnet london, or a couple of lessons to familiarise yourself with the examiner routes, then give me a call on 07956233032.

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Jan 2012
The Theory test changed 23rd January 2012 to a new bank of questions and answers that are no longer available to the public. This according to some people makes the theory test harder to pass as you can no longer memorise or learn by rote.

October 2010
The DSA introduced independent driving to the practical test in the UK (car, mototorcycle or HGV).



The DSA made an important radical change to the UK driving test which come into effect on Monday 4th Oct 2010.

1. I have already mentioned the proposed change that was going to require all candidates to have an accompanying driver in the car in addition to the dsa examiner, a move which could see the driving test pass rates drop as many nervous learner drivers now have 2 or even 3 extra passengers watching their every move, not to mention having to deal with the extra weight in the car which could affect approach to junctions.

2. The other change is the new driving test will see the introduction of a 10 minute independent driving element where the test candidate will have to navigate their way to a set direction using only road signs or a series of instructions backed by a diagram, no other directions will be given by the examiner during this 10 minute session (it is ok though to reconfirm an instruction), not only will you have to know how to get there, you will still have to do it safely, signalling at the right time, being in the correct lane for a roundabout, take the right exit, stick to the speed limit, and still not make a serious or dangerous driving errors.

In order to facilitate independent driving on the new practical test, the DSA will cut the number of reversing manoeuvers to one, but since you don't know which one, you still have to learn all four, so preparation time will not be cut, but rather increase as you would need more driving lessons to learn independent driving and have a good chance of passing.

My advice to those of you currently learning to drive is to make haste, put in all the effort into passing, because from october 2010 one of the world's hardest driving tests is about to get even tougher and there is nothing you can do about it if you wait till oct. next year before getting your full british licence. If you need help with passing the test before the october 2010 changes and are in London, then I'd be happy to offer you some affordable driving lessons.

To have an idea of what you might be asked to do, check out my independent driving test video.

Please note that the test fees have not been increased (April 2010):
Practical car test weekdays £62
Evenings and Weekends are £75
Extended driving tests are £124 weekday and £150 weekend a hefty price to discourage those who don't take their responsibilities as drivers serious.

Interested in cheap driving lessons.

More Reading
Learning DSA driving test routes
Red driving school instructor.
Dealing with road signs and markings.


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If you are nervous or need to make sure you get a good grade on your next check test, I recommend to get a copy of the book on the left, which helped me with my latest DSA check test after the incident mentioned below and the good thing is that it is inexpensive, less than a tenner.

I mentioned in my free driving lesson post that I had an ADI check test today, it didn't go well, having taken all the time to prepare and get ready, I will be seeing the SE-ADI again within a couple of weeks or months.

Late last night someone texted me to take up the free tuition offer, so I now had a pupil instead of having to perform the check test with the examiner doing a role play.

After my first driving lesson of the day which was in West Hampstead NW6, I had about 40 minutes to dash across to HA8 pick up the learner driver and then go to the Mill Hill test centre on Bunns Lane, NW7. This unfortunately meant that the learner driver only had about 7 minutes of driving to get used to my car. My candidate told me he had a test booked for next week, had taken about 40 lessons with his current instructor in a diesel toyota yaris, I had a petrol version and wanted to use the free training session for a second opinion and practice for his appoitment with the 'L' dsa examiner.

We drove to the test centre, and along the way he stalled the car because he was not using enough gas (this is probably not a problem in the diesel car he normally drives), so I had to remind him to press the gas pedal when moving off. Just after getting to the waiting room the check test SE-ADI entered the room, I introduced myself and the pupil, and we were off.



The examiner asked my learner driver pupil to get into the car while we had a quick chat, I give him details of the learner as being new to me, but had about 42 lessons with another driving instructor, and had a test booked next week, so I was going to be using the lesson to access him and correcting any faults found in preparation of his practical driving test.

I gave the pupil the lesson objectives, and before moving off asked him what the letters MSM stood for, and how he would use it to approach a junction turning left, to which he answered appropriately. I told him to then proceed when ready as the first 10 minutes or so of the session I would just be giving directions in order to access him fully. A quick check of the right hand side of the car, and we were off (I noted that the observations were not complete as the left handside of the car including blind spots had not be covered).

We drove towards the car park exit, and turned left onto the main road, I noticed the learner driver did not check the left exterior mirror, we then turned left at a roundabout, another 2 junctions and I asked for the driver to stop on the left, again no left mirror check. After the car stopped I asked him to move off when ready, and the same observation faults occured no checks on the left, so I pulled him over again.

I explained that even though I had initially said during the brefieng that I would access him for about 10 minutes before having a chat, I had noticed some basic faults which I needed to address, explained the left mirror checks which he was not doing even though he gave me the right answer during Q&A (he did say he checked them but I was watching him the 4 times and didn't see the head or eyes move in that direction, so I asked him why we needed those checks to which he again answered positively cyclists among other things) and we would practice those a bit, Next I asked him what POM meant to which he said he couldn't remember so I told him asking where he would check when moving off from the left and his answer confirmed what he had been doing (interior mirror right mirror and right blind spot and behind) so I had to educate him on that and we then set off to practice these.

To cut a long story short he probably became a little nervous and upset because of the attention to detail his faults were getting, he didn't use the handbrake, approached junctions too fast to make effective use of LADA, coasted round a junction going wide at the same time and when I pulled him over to ask why he had not slowed down when turning left at a junction major to minor with a car approaching us, he swore at me, open tha car door and walked out on me and the dsa examiner. A few seconds later he opens the door leans in (I honestly taught he was going to hit me) says 'Oh and I forgot my jumper and stormed off!

So that was the end of my ADI check test, about 35 minutes in, and it was all over. The SE-ADI in the back was just as surprised, said he would arrange for another appointment for me, since we hadn't completed the alloted time. I drove him back to Mill Hill test centre, asked him for any feedback from what he had seen, to which he said I had been on the right track, the pupil had been a little quick with instructions acting before getting the full picture and was surprised he had a driving test next week, the only other thing he said was that if I had noted that he was getting upset with repeated remedial action I might have taken him on a longer road to give him a slight break.

I don't know when my next appointment will be, but lesson learnt, either stick to pupils you know, or get the SE-ADI to perform the role play during check test. I honestly did not have anything against the guy's driving, and was only tryng to help, and with the dsa examiner in the car, I couldn't let anything slip.



Additional reading for Instructors
Independent driving on the test.
Marketing your driving school services
Pay as you Go ADI Training.
Booking driving test and ADI number


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I have an ADI check test in Mill Hill on Wednesday 16th September 2009 around 12pm and I'm offering a 2hour free driving lesson to anyone available.
Please note that because this is a DSA quality assurance spot check, I can not use this time to carry out a mock driving test, it has to cover a normal lesson tuition session.

Talking about driving instructor check tests read this story about how an ADI ended up being removed from the DSA register after failing to show up for one, continued to offer cheap driving lessons to students, even taking one for a test, was caught by the DSA and got a criminal record for fraud after being successfully being prosecuted and convicted in a court of law.

If you are interested or know of anyone who could make use of this free driving lesson in this current credit crunch climate, then get in touch.

More Reading
Cheap Instructor Lessons
Driving Lessons Marketing for instructors
Pay as you Go Cheap ADI Training.


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