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Free UK theory test practice · Motion

UK theory test practice questions, and why failing one part fails both

The DVSA car theory test has two parts, taken in one sitting. You get 57 minutes for 50 multiple-choice questions and need 43 to pass, then 14 hazard perception clips scored out of 75, where 44 passes. Fail either part and you retake both. Booking costs £23.

Formally the DVSA car theory test, multiple-choice and hazard perception. Awarding body: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. Neuron Trainer is an independent study app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the organization that owns this exam.

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UK theory test at a glance, with the source for every line

Every row below is quoted from a document published by DVSA and carries the date we checked it. Where DVSA publishes nothing, the row says so instead of quoting a number from somewhere else.

Questions
You have 57 minutes to answer 50 multiple-choice questionsSource: DVSA, GOV.UK Theory test: cars, Multiple-choice questions, verified 7 August 2026
Video questions
Three of the questions are about a short video showing a normal driving situationSource: DVSA, GOV.UK Theory test: cars, Multiple-choice questions, verified 7 August 2026
Pass mark, multiple choice
43 out of 50Source: DVSA, GOV.UK Theory test: cars, Pass mark and test result, verified 7 August 2026
Hazard perception format
14 video clips, each containing at least one developing hazard, with one clip featuring 2. You can score up to 5 points for each developing hazard.Source: DVSA, GOV.UK Theory test: cars, Hazard perception test, verified 7 August 2026
Pass mark, hazard perception
44 out of 75Source: DVSA, GOV.UK Theory test: cars, Pass mark and test result, verified 7 August 2026
If you fail
You must book and take the full test again, even if you passed one part this time. You have to wait at least 3 working days before taking your test again.Source: DVSA, GOV.UK Theory test: cars, Pass mark and test result, verified 7 August 2026
How long a pass lasts
Your pass certificate number lasts for 2 years. You must pass your driving test in that time, otherwise you have to pass the theory test again.Source: DVSA, GOV.UK Theory test: cars, Pass mark and test result, verified 7 August 2026
Cost
£23 to book a car theory testSource: DVSA, GOV.UK Theory test: cars, verified 7 August 2026
Before you can book
You must hold a provisional driving license before you can book the theory test, and you must pass the theory test before you can book your driving test.Source: DVSA, GOV.UK Theory test: cars, Booking your test, verified 7 August 2026
Minimum age
You can apply for a provisional driving license when you are 15 years and 9 months old. You can usually start driving a car when you are 17.Source: DVLA, GOV.UK Driving lessons and learning to drive, verified 7 August 2026
How long you get
57 minutes for the 50 multiple-choice questions, followed by the separately timed hazard perception clips.Source: DVSA, GOV.UK Theory test: cars, Multiple-choice questions, verified 7 August 2026

Always verify: format, pass marks and fees come from the DVSA, so confirm current details at gov.uk/theory-test before you book.

What our UK theory test question bank covers

What this app's question bank covers — our own category shares across 649 questions, not DVSA's published blueprint.
CategoryQuestions in our bankShare of our bank
Alertness & Attitude
Observation, anticipation, concentration, courtesy
517.9%
Safety & Safety Margins
Vehicle safety, stopping distances, weather, road conditions
7611.7%
Hazard Awareness & Vulnerable Users
Recognizing hazards, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, hierarchy of road users
21833.6%
Vehicle Handling & Other Vehicles
Lane discipline, weather, large vehicles, buses, trams
517.9%
Motorway & Road Rules
Motorways, dual carriageways, speed limits, right of way, parking
10115.6%
Road & Traffic Signs
UK regulatory, warning, direction, and information signs
7611.7%
Documents, Accidents & Loading
Driving documents, insurance, MOT, accident procedures, vehicle loading
7611.7%

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

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5 questions from our UK theory test bank

Five questions from the shipped bank, most of them citing the Highway Code rule the answer comes from. Multiple choice only, because that is the part this app covers.

UK theory test · Free practice Every answer explained. No signup, no email wall.

  1. Question 1 of 5

    According to the hierarchy of road users introduced in the Highway Code, which group is given the greatest consideration by other road users?
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Pedestrians

    Rule H1 establishes that those who can do the greatest harm in a collision have the greatest responsibility to reduce danger to others, with pedestrians — especially children, older people and those with disabilities — placed at the top and given the most consideration. Cyclists and motorcyclists sit above car drivers in the hierarchy but below pedestrians, as they still have less protection than a car occupant but can cause less harm than a driver. Car and van drivers rank lower still because they have more protection but greater potential to cause injury.

  2. Question 2 of 5

    While driving on a smart motorway, a driver sees a red X displayed above their lane on the overhead gantry. What must the driver do?
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Move out of that lane as soon as it's safe to do so

    A red X means the lane is closed, usually because of a broken-down vehicle, obstruction, or emergency services ahead, so drivers must move out of it as soon as it is safe. Reducing speed but staying in a closed lane still puts the driver in danger from the hazard it is protecting against. Ignoring the signal because the lane looks clear is a common and serious error, since hazards can be just out of sight. Stopping suddenly in the lane creates a rear-end collision risk and is not the correct response.

  3. Question 3 of 5

    A driver is towing a caravan on a motorway where no other speed limit signs are displayed. What is the maximum speed limit that applies?
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: 60 mph

    Cars towing a trailer or caravan are restricted to 60 mph on motorways and dual carriageways, even though the national speed limit for cars alone is 70 mph, because the extra weight and length increase stopping distances and reduce stability. 70 mph is the standard car limit without a trailer, so it does not apply here. 50 mph and 40 mph are not the statutory towing limit and would only apply where specifically signed, such as in roadworks.

  4. Question 4 of 5

    A newly registered car is exactly 2 years and 9 months old. When will it first require an MOT test certificate?
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: At 3 years from the date of first registration

    New cars are exempt from MOT testing for the first three years from their date of first registration, after which an annual test becomes mandatory. Claiming an immediate requirement ignores this built-in exemption period. Four years is incorrect and applies to no standard UK MOT rule for cars. Selling the car to a new owner has no bearing on when the MOT exemption ends; the trigger is purely the vehicle's age from registration, not its ownership history.

  5. Question 5 of 5

    A driver notices rain has started to fall on a route she normally drives at high speed. How should her overall stopping distance on the wet road compare with a dry road?
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: It will be at least double

    Rule 227 of the Highway Code states that in wet weather stopping distances will be at least double those required on dry roads, because reduced tyre grip lowers braking effectiveness. Believing distances stay the same or only rise slightly ignores this reduced friction, and the idea that water improves grip is a dangerous misconception - water actually creates a film between tyre and road, cutting grip significantly. Drivers should slow down and increase following gaps in rain.

What actually trips people up

Failing one part fails the whole test

The DVSA publishes almost everything about this test, so very little of it should come as a surprise. This one still does. You must pass both parts. Score 43 on the multiple choice and 43 on hazard perception and you book and take the full test again, including the part you passed. It is stated plainly on GOV.UK and people still miss it.

Hazard perception is a different skill

Fourteen clips, at least one developing hazard in each, one clip with two, up to 5 points per hazard and 44 of 75 to pass. Clicking constantly scores you zero for a clip. It is timing rather than knowledge, and no amount of Highway Code revision teaches it.

The stopping-distance multipliers

Rule 227: in wet weather stopping distances will be at least double those required on dry roads. These are the numbers the multiple choice reaches for when it wants a question everyone half-knows.

The hierarchy of road users

Rule H1 puts those who can do the most harm under the greatest responsibility, with pedestrians at the top. Several questions test the ordering directly, and it is recent enough that older revision material gets it wrong.

The three questions about a video

Three of the 50 multiple-choice questions relate to a short video showing a normal driving situation. They are not harder, but they are a different reading task, and people who have only ever seen static practice questions lose time on them.

How long should I study for the theory test?

Three weeks, with hazard perception running in parallel from day one rather than bolted on at the end.

Week 1: Highway Code and signs

Read the Highway Code properly once, then drill our road and traffic signs and motorway and road rules sets. Rules 124, 227 and H1 are worth knowing by number, because they generate a disproportionate share of questions.

Week 2: Hazards, safety margins and documents

Hazard awareness and vulnerable road users is the largest category in our bank at 218 questions. Add safety margins, vehicle handling, and the documents and loading material, which is dry and therefore easy to skip until it costs you three marks.

Week 3: Simulate both parts

Full 50-question timed runs until you are clearing 46 or better with room to spare, because 43 with no margin is not a plan. Our simulator threshold sits at 86 percent, which on 50 questions lands on the same 43 the DVSA uses, so treat clearing it as the floor rather than the finish line. Run official DVSA hazard perception practice clips alongside, since our app does not cover that part, and do them on a laptop or a mouse rather than a phone if you can, because the timing of a click is what is being scored.

The week of the test

Stop adding material and start rehearsing the sitting. Both parts are taken together, so run one 50-question set and a block of hazard clips in the same session rather than practicing each half on its own day. Check that your provisional is in hand, since the DVSA requires it before you can book at all, and re-read the retake rule so it is not a surprise: fail either part and you book and sit the whole test again after at least three working days. Then leave the last evening alone. This is a recall test and tired recall is worse.

Is the UK theory test hard?

The multiple choice is a recall test with a published syllabus and a published pass mark, so it rewards preparation almost linearly. 43 of 50 is 86 percent, which is high, but you can see exactly what is coming.

Hazard perception is the part that decides most results, and it is the part you cannot revise by reading. It is scored on how early you spot a developing hazard, and the scoring is designed to punish clicking through a clip rather than watching it.

The DVSA does not publish a per-category breakdown of the multiple-choice section, so the seven percentages on this page describe how our own bank is built and nothing more. A third of it sits in hazard awareness and vulnerable road users. That is an editorial choice we made, not a weighting the agency has stated, and you should not revise to those proportions as though they were the syllabus.

How the UK theory test differs from the exams beside it

This is the only test in this family with two separate parts and an all-or-nothing rule joining them, and the only one where the pass certificate has a clock on it: two years to pass your practical test, or you sit the theory again. It is also the most transparent. The DVSA publishes the question count, the time, both pass marks, the clip count, the scoring and the retake wait, which is the opposite of what Ontario and NSW publish, and it means there is no excuse for guessing on this page.

Questions people actually ask about the UK theory test

How many questions are on the UK theory test?

50 multiple-choice questions, with 57 minutes to answer them. Three of the questions relate to a short video showing a normal driving situation.

What is the theory test pass mark?

43 out of 50 on the multiple-choice section, and 44 out of 75 on hazard perception. You must pass both parts in the same sitting.

How does hazard perception scoring work?

You watch 14 video clips. Each contains at least one developing hazard and one clip has two. You can score up to 5 points for each developing hazard, giving 75 available, and 44 passes.

What happens if I pass one part and fail the other?

You fail the whole test and must book and take the full test again, even if you passed one part. Your letter will tell you which part you did not score enough points on, and you have to wait at least 3 working days before taking your test again.

Are these real questions from the DVSA theory test?

No. The official DVSA question bank is not ours to copy, and reproducing it would be theft rather than revision. Every question here is written from scratch against the Highway Code, matched to the real multiple-choice section on format and difficulty.

How long is a theory test pass valid?

Your pass certificate number lasts for 2 years. You must pass your driving test in that time, otherwise you have to pass the theory test again.

How much does the theory test cost?

£23 to book a car theory test. You need your provisional in hand before you can book one.

When can I take my theory test, and do I need my provisional first?

You need your provisional in hand before you can book the theory test, and you can apply for one from 15 years and 9 months old. You can usually start driving a car at 17. Passing the theory test is also what unlocks booking your practical.

Practice another Motion exam

Driving & aviation. Every one of these pages is built the same way: sourced facts, an honest admission where the sponsor publishes nothing, and free practice questions.

The app

The UK theory test app is still in development

UK Driving Test Prep is built and in review, not yet on the App Store, so there is no download link here. The bank is 649 questions: Hazard Awareness and Vulnerable Users 218 · Motorway and Road Rules 101 · Safety and Safety Margins 76 · Road and Traffic Signs 76 · Documents, Accidents and Loading 76 · Alertness and Attitude 51 · Vehicle Handling and Other Vehicles 51. Most explanations cite the Highway Code rule behind the answer, and the Exam Simulator runs 50 questions in 57 minutes. Its threshold is our own practice bar at 86 percent, which on 50 questions is the same 43 marks the DVSA requires. That match is arithmetic, not a claim to reproduce the official standard. The important limitation, stated up front: this app covers the multiple-choice part only. It has no hazard perception clips, so use the DVSA’s own practice for that half.

  • Smart Quiz — keeps returning to the categories you keep missing
  • Topic Drill — one category at a time, on its own
  • Exam Simulator — a fixed-length timed paper (50 questions in 57 minutes, as this app sets it). It does not get harder as you go; the length and the mix are fixed.
  • AI tutor — re-explains any question in plain English
  • Progress tracking, reported per category
  • Study reminders
  • Light and dark themes

The app calls you ready at 86% on its own simulator. That is an in-app practice target we chose, not DVSA's passing standard.

Not on the App Store yet. This one is still in development, so there is nothing to download today. The practice questions above are the whole of what we can give you right now, and they are free and complete. See where it sits in the queue, or browse the apps that are live.

Fifty-seven minutes. Fifty questions. Forty-three to pass.

649 multiple-choice questions with an explanation on every one, most citing the Highway Code rule behind the answer, and a 50-question timed simulator set at 86 percent, which on 50 questions is the same 43 marks the DVSA asks for.

See the apps that are live

Sources, and when we last checked them

This page was last reviewed on . The 11 facts quoted above were last checked against their sources on . Where DVSA publishes nothing, the table above says so rather than guessing.

The car theory test is set and administered by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. Neuron Trainer is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the DVSA.