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The Theory Test
I provide free theory test help and advice to any of my pupils who are taking driving lessons in the area I cover which is bordered by Larne, Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey, Ballyclare and Glenarm. If you live in this area you have 2 choices of where you take your theory test, Ballymena or Belfast.
About the Theory Test
The theory test for car and motorcycle drivers is made up of two parts which are taken at the same time; the multiple choice part and the hazard perception part. You must pass both parts at the same time, if you fail one part you will have to do the whole test again.
Part one - multiple choice
You will be asked 50 questions and the pass mark is 43 out of 50. You will have just
under an hour to answer the questions. Some of the multiple choice questions will
be presented to you in the form of a case study. A case study shows a scenario on
which five questions will be based. The subject of the scenario will focus on real
life examples and experiences that you might encounter when driving. From 23 January
2012 the theory test will be made up of multiple-choice questions which are no longer
published in learning materials. The reason behind the move is to stop candidates
from simply memorising theory test questions and answers. New theory test books published
from September contain: full references throughout to help candidates learn and revise
questions and answers. These including practice for case studies and the official
DSA explanations for every revision question, helping candidates fully understand
the answer. So make sure you use a theory book published on or after this date.
Part two - hazard perception
Please note; I have met some people who have been sold hazard perception practice disks and been told the disks contain all the clips used in the test. This can not be true as the DSA have only released 10 practice clips, none of the clips used in the actual test have been released to the public.
How the test works
In the hazard perception part of the test you will be presented with a series of 14 video clips which feature every day road scenes. In each clip there will be at least one developing hazard, but one of the clips will feature two developing hazards. The key is to identify the developing hazard, as an example of how to identify and respond to a developing hazard, consider a parked vehicle on the side of the road. When you first see the car it is not doing anything, it is just a parked vehicle. If you were to respond to the vehicle at this point, you would not score any marks, but you would not lose any marks. However, when you get closer to the vehicle, you notice that the car’s right hand indicator starts to flash. The indicator would lead you to believe that the driver of the vehicle has an intention of moving away, therefore the hazard is now developing and a response at this point would score marks.
To achieve a high score you will need to respond to the developing hazard during the early part of its development. The maximum you can score on each hazard is five. The pass mark for the hazard perception part of the theory test is 44 out of 75.
To book your theory test
Use the following link for information on How to book, change or cancel your theory test appointment