The car theory test is the written test you must pass before you can book the driving test. In England it is run by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) at theory test centres. This guide explains how it is marked and how to prepare so you pass the first time.
What is in the theory test
The test has two parts, taken one after the other at the same sitting. You must pass both.
- Multiple-choice questions: 50 questions in 57 minutes. You need 43 correct. Three of the questions are about a short silent video clip, which you can replay. You can flag questions and go back to change answers.
- Hazard perception: after a break of up to 3 minutes, you watch 14 video clips and click when you see a hazard developing. You need 44 out of 75 points. See the hazard perception test guide.
You get your result at the test centre before you leave. A pass gives you a certificate number that lasts 2 years: you must pass your driving test within that time. If you fail either part, you take the whole test again.
A study plan that works
- Read The Highway Code. The questions are based on it, together with Know Your Traffic Signs and Driving: the essential skills. The Highway Code is free on GOV.UK.
- Learn the signs by shape and colour. Circles give orders, triangles warn, and rectangles inform. Blue circles tell you what you must do; red circles tell you what you must not do. Then learn the individual signs on the England road signs tab.
- Take a full mock test early. The free England mock tests on PassDriveTest have 50 questions with the same pass mark of 43, so you see where you stand.
- Study your mistakes. Read the explanation for every wrong answer and look the rule up in The Highway Code.
- Learn the numbers. Stopping distances, speed limits for different vehicles and roads, tyre tread depth, and the 2-second and 4-second gaps come up often.
- Practise hazard perception separately. It is a different skill from answering questions. Use the official DVSA practice clips and the advice in the hazard perception guide.
- Aim above 43. When you score 46 or more on several different mock tests, you are ready.
Topics that catch people out
- Stopping distances at different speeds, and how they double in the wet and increase up to ten times on ice.
- Vulnerable road users: the hierarchy of road users, giving cyclists and horse riders room, and priority for pedestrians at junctions.
- Motorway rules: lane signals, smart motorways, the hard shoulder and what a red X means.
- Signs that look alike, such as the different speed limit and parking signs.
- Documents and the law: insurance, MOT, vehicle tax and what new drivers lose at 6 penalty points.
On test day
- Bring your UK photocard driving licence. If you have an old paper licence, bring a valid passport as well. If you bring the wrong thing, the test is cancelled and you lose the fee.
- Arrive 15 minutes early. If you are late, you cannot take the test.
- Turn off your phone and other devices. Your belongings go in a locker.
- The test is in English or Welsh, with British Sign Language available. You can ask for an English or Welsh voiceover, extra time or other support when you book.
Next: how to book the theory test, or take a free England mock test.
Checked against official sources on 17 October 2026.