Sevenoaks Driving Test WikiThe free local encyclopedia

Using your own car for the test

From Sevenoaks Driving Test Wiki, the free local encyclopedia

Candidates must bring a suitable car to the practical test; DVSA does not supply one. Geoff Newman recalls hearing of people arriving at a test centre by taxi expecting a car to be provided.[1] Most learners use their instructor's dual-controlled car, for which instructors normally charge.

Why dual controls help

Newman has seen capable learners momentarily forget something simple through nerves, such as braking properly at the end of an A21 slip road, and credits the examiner's use of the dual controls with preventing a crash. Dual controls also let an examiner allow a situation to develop to see whether the candidate corrects it; without them, the examiner may have to step in sooner, which can end the test.[1]

Official requirements

GOV.UK lists the following:[2]

  • L plates front and rear.
  • An extra interior rear-view mirror for the examiner.
  • A passenger seatbelt and a proper passenger head restraint; slip-on restraints are not allowed.
  • A factory-fitted mph speedometer; an extra display or phone app does not count.
  • No warning lights showing, such as the airbag light.
  • Legal tread and no tyre damage, and no space-saver spare fitted.
  • Able to reach at least 62 mph.
  • Smoke-free, before and during the test.
  • Taxed, with an MOT if over three years old, and insured for a driving test.

Parking sensors and cameras are allowed. Self-parking features and the candidate's own sat nav are not. A dashcam is fine if it faces outwards and does not record inside the car. Some convertibles and models are banned, and certain recalled Citroën and DS models need proof of repair.[2] Newman notes that the suction-cup examiner mirrors are notoriously hard to stick on, and that he regularly sees examiners inspecting tyres.[1]

Preparing the car

  • Remove loose items from the back seats and boot, so nothing flies forward in an emergency stop.
  • Take out any rear-facing child seat behind the passenger seat so the examiner can sit back.
  • Top up screenwash and fuel.
  • Get the car cleaned. It earns no marks, but shows the test is being taken seriously; one examiner joked that she felt like wiping her feet after a particularly dirty car.[1]

References

  1. Newman, Geoff (2026). Sevenoaks Driving Test Secrets, chapter 10 and Appendix C.
  2. "Using your own car for your driving test". GOV.UK.
Categories: Driving tests in the United Kingdom