The full licence test is about making sure
that you’ve maintained the driving skills
you needed to pass the restricted test,
and that you haven’t picked up any bad habits
in the meantime.
It’s also about checking
that you are considerate of the other people
on the road.
The full licence test
is actually shorter than the restricted test.
30 minutes all-up.
And you’ll be marked on pretty much
the same things.
You’re allowed to make one critical error
during your full licence test.
If you make a second,
you fail the test.
You can find out more
about critical errors and immediate fail errors
in our other videos.
Just like in the restricted test,
the Testing Officer will ask you
to perform certain manoeuvres -
such as turning right at a roundabout
and changing lanes.
And they’ll be looking at how well
you do things like signalling,
selecting safe gaps in the traffic
and looking out for other road users.
The main difference is that,
at various times during the full licence test,
the Testing Officer will also prompt you
to identify out loud
any hazards you see and say
what you’re doing about them.
(At the next street, turn right,
and tell me about the hazards that you see,
and what you’re doing about them from now.)
(Well, there are pedestrians crossing the street,
and I’m just keeping my eye on them...)
In a few simple words
you will need to say what each hazard is...
(I can see a pedestrian up ahead on the left,
and I’m keeping my eye on him as well…)
(Thank you)
...where the hazard is in relation to you,
and what you are doing about it.
You’ll need to comment on any hazards ahead,
to the sides or behind you.
And you’ll need to do this while you’re driving.
(Next street, turn right, tell me about the hazards that you see
and what you're doing about them.)
The official definition of a hazard for the test
is “anything that is moving,
or which might move,
and poses a clear and direct threat to you
in carrying out the driving manoeuvre.”
In other words,
a hazard is something you could
realistically collide with while you’re driving.
Hazards include:
- Pedestrians….
- Other motor vehicles...
- And other road users, such as cyclists.
(At the end of this street turn right,
tell me about the hazards you see,
and what you are doing about them, from now.)
(An on-coming vehicle,
and I’m staying to the left,
pedestrians up ahead,
I’m keeping my eye on them,
there’s a car behind me,
so I’m also keeping my eye on them,
pedestrian ahead who I’m giving way to,
on-coming vehicle, so I’m staying left,
vehicles coming from my left,
and I’m giving way to them…)
The point of all this
is to find out how well you are scanning
the environment around you,
assess whether you are making good decisions
about what you are seeing,
and to check that you can do these things
while maintaining a high standard of driving.
Even experienced drivers
can find it difficult to describe hazards out loud
while driving.
To prepare for the test
it’s a good idea to get one of the people
who has coached you to come out for a drive
so you can practise describing hazards
and what you’re doing about them.
(And there aren't any so I can go...)
(...and did you notice the…)
(...and the pedestrian on my left?)
(Excellent! Also being aware of these cars
that need to give way to you...)
(Okay...)
If you find it hard to do this while driving at first,
get them to do the driving while you practise
describing hazards from the passenger seat.
Driving is a mindful activity –
even though most of your car control skills
should have become automatic,
you need to concentrate on your driving
in order to drive well.
You also need to be understanding
to be a good driver.
Remember that we all make mistakes
at some time or another –
and driving is no different.
Be prepared for other drivers to make mistakes and,
if they do, forgive them and move on.
(Good That’s really good, because you were aware that there was a potential hazard there...)
You can get more detail about the test content
from the Full Licence Test Guide
on the Transport Agency website.
It’s a really good idea
to get a professional driving instructor
to take you for a tidy-up lesson
before you sit the full licence test.
They can help you identify anything
you need to work on before you sit the test.