Big changes for 2017 test

Big Changes to the Driving Test in 2017

The practical driving test is set to change this year with a raft of revisions that’ll have a big impact on your test.

According to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, the changes will include:

• increasing the test’s ‘independent driving’ section from 10 to 20 minutes so examiners can judge your driving ability more accurately in real world driving conditions.

• asking you to follow a sat nav’s directions during the ‘independent driving’ section to make the test more ‘modern’

• replacing the ‘reverse around a corner’ and ‘turn in the road’ with manoeuvres such as driving into and reversing out of a parking bay to create more ‘real-life scenarios’ for examiners to assess your ability

• asking one of the two vehicle safety questions while you are driving such as asking you to use the rear-heated window so your multi-tasking skills can be judged.

Finally, there are also plans to allow learners on to motorways.

When? 2017 – date to be confirmed.