PureCar
Practical test guide

What happens in a Northern Ireland practical driving test?

The current NI car test includes an eyesight check, two vehicle safety questions and about 40 minutes of driving, including independent driving and a reversing exercise.

Key information

Current Northern Ireland guidance, summarised clearly.

About 40 minutes of driving.
One show-me and one tell-me vehicle safety question.
Up to 15 driving faults can still result in a pass; one serious or dangerous fault results in failure.

The eyesight check

At the start you must read a registration plate from the required distance. If you fail the eyesight check, the test will not continue.

Vehicle safety questions

The examiner asks one show-me and one tell-me question. One driving fault is recorded if one or both are answered incorrectly.

Driving and manoeuvres

You are assessed on safe general driving and one reversing exercise. The current NI exercises include reversing around a corner, turning in the road, or reverse parking on-road or into a bay. An emergency stop exercise is also included.

Independent driving

You may be asked to follow traffic signs, a series of directions, or a combination. Going the wrong way is not itself a fault unless the driving used to do it is faulty.

Related Northern Ireland driving-test guides

Continue with the next part of the learner-driver journey.

Independent NI resource: PureCar is not the Driver & Vehicle Agency and does not take payment for official tests. Official bookings and rule checks should be completed through nidirect/DVA.
Official source: nidirect / Department for Infrastructure · Information checked 21 September 2026.