Show me, tell me: the car questions, answered plainly
Every car test opens with one "tell me" question before you drive, and includes one "show me" question on the move. Get one wrong and it is a single driving fault, not a failure, but they are the easiest marks on the test to make safe. Here is everything they can ask about, in plain words.
The exact official wording is published by DVSA and can change. Learn the checks below, then skim the official list on GOV.UK the week before your test so nothing surprises you.
"Tell me": you explain, before you set off
These are asked at the start, usually by the car. You describe the check; for the under-bonnet ones you point at the right thing. You are not marked on mechanical genius, only on knowing how to keep the car safe.
Tyres
Tread and condition: at least 1.6mm of tread across the central three quarters of the tyre, all the way round, with no cuts or bulges in the sidewall. The 20p test finds the border of the coin disappearing into the groove.
Pressures: the right figures are in the manufacturer's handbook (often also inside the fuel flap or driver's door). Check with a reliable gauge when the tyres are cold, spare included, and refit the valve caps.
Brakes and steering
Brakes before a journey: the pedal should not feel spongy or slack, and when you first brake gently as you set off the car should not pull to one side.
Power steering: keep gentle pressure on the wheel while starting the engine; the wheel gives slightly as the assistance comes in. Heavy steering just after moving off means a fault.
Anti-lock brakes: a fault shows as a warning light on the dash. That is the whole answer.
Lights
Headlights and tail lights: switch them on (ignition on if needed) and walk round the car. You explain this; you do not have to do the walk.
Brake lights: press the pedal and use reflections in windows or a garage door, or ask someone to look.
Indicators: put the hazards on and walk round.
Main beam: operate the stalk or switch, and the blue symbol on the dash tells you it is on.
Rear fog light: switch it on (ignition and dipped headlights on first where needed), check its warning light on the dash, and use it only when visibility drops below about 100 metres.
Under the bonnet
You may be asked to open the bonnet and show where you would check engine oil (the dipstick, level between minimum and maximum), engine coolant (the marked reservoir, level between the lines, never opened hot) and brake fluid (its marked reservoir, level between the lines). Find these three in the car you will take to test before test week; every car hides them slightly differently.
Inside the car
Head restraint: the rigid part should sit at least as high as your eyes or the top of your ears, and as close to the back of your head as is comfortable.
"Show me": you do it, while driving
One question, asked on the move at a sensible moment. The danger is not the control, it is losing the road while you find it, which is why the answer to all of these is the same: know the car so well your hand goes there without your eyes following. They can ask you to wash the windscreen, switch on dipped headlights, demist the front or rear screens, sound the horn, or open and close your window.
Practise each one at a red light in the test-week lessons until none of them costs you a glance.
What it costs if you get one wrong
A wrong or fumbled answer is recorded as one driving fault. You can pass with it comfortably: the limit is fifteen. The only way these questions end a test is if operating a control makes you lose control of the car, so if the moment is busy, deal with the road first. Examiners wait.
Waiting for a date you did not choose?
Somebody out there wants yours. List your test free, and we email you the moment a learner who fits appears. DVSA does the actual swap on the phone.