Car theory test format and pass marks

The car theory test in Great Britain has two parts taken in one appointment: multiple-choice questions and hazard perception. You must pass both parts. A pass in only one part does not carry over to a later attempt.

Official test format

Three multiple-choice questions are based on a short, silent video of an ordinary driving situation. You can replay that video during the multiple-choice part. This is separate from hazard perception, where each clip can be watched only once and your score depends on how early you identify a developing hazard.

What a developing hazard means

A potential hazard is something that might eventually require action. It becomes a developing hazard when it starts to make you change speed or direction. A parked car is only a potential hazard; when its indicator flashes and it begins to move, it is developing.

You can score up to five points for each developing hazard. Clicking continuously or in a pattern can produce no score for a clip. The aim is not to click at everything, but to respond when there is visible evidence that the situation is changing. For the scoring window, the numbers and practice methods, see how the hazard perception test is scored.

Prepare for the two parts differently

Use full practice tests to build accurate rule recall and time management. For each error, record the relevant Highway Code rule and why the other options were unsafe or unlawful.

For hazard perception, practise explaining the moment a clue turns into a need for action. Look well ahead, scan side roads and parked vehicles, and watch vulnerable road users. Do not try to memorise clips.

GOV.UK publishes the current details for the 50 multiple-choice questions, the 14 hazard-perception clips and the official pass marks. These pages apply to Great Britain; Northern Ireland uses the DVA system.

You get the result before you leave the test centre. If you fail either part, you retake the whole test after a wait of at least three working days. A pass lasts two years; how long a theory test pass lasts explains what you must do in that time.

Read what the theory test costs, how to book and which ID to bring before choosing an appointment.

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