Where to study

Tests

Driving testsCitizenship testsSchool and university admissionsNursing, medicine and healthEnglish and French testsTeachingMoney, law and insuranceTrades and work certification and licensesPilots, drones, boats and radio

Countries

United StatesCanadaUnited KingdomAustraliaNew Zealand

United Kingdom · Theory test

The driving instructor Part 2 test of driving ability

Part 2 of the approved driving instructor (ADI) tests checks your own driving, and you can book it once you’ve passed the Part 1 theory test. The test takes about an hour with a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) examiner. You pass the driving instructor Part 2 test with no more than 6 driving faults and no serious or dangerous ones. That’s a stricter bar than the learner test’s 15. You get 3 attempts, and the national standard for driving cars sets out everything you need to be able to do.

  • 6Most driving faults you can make and pass
  • 3Attempts before you start again
  • About 1 hourHow long the test lasts
Where to study

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What happens on the driving instructor Part 2 test?

There are 5 parts, in this order:

  • An eyesight check: you read a number plate from 27 metres, or 27.5 metres for an old-style plate
  • 3 ‘tell me’ vehicle safety questions before you drive, and 2 ‘show me’ questions while you drive
  • General driving in varied road and traffic conditions, including motorways or dual carriageways where possible, and maybe an emergency stop
  • 2 reversing exercises from: a parallel park, reversing into a bay, driving into a bay and reversing out, or pulling up on the right and reversing about 2 car lengths
  • About 20 minutes of independent driving, following the examiner’s sat nav or traffic signs

The eyesight distance is longer than the 20 metres every driver has to meet. Fail the eyesight check and you fail the test, and it counts as one of your 3 attempts.

The examiner wants to see expert handling of the controls, correct road procedure, anticipation of other road users, sound judgement of distance, speed and timing, consideration for others, and eco-friendly driving. A wrong turning on the independent drive doesn’t matter unless you make a fault while doing it.

Faults and the pass mark

The examiner marks three kinds of fault. A dangerous fault involves actual danger to you, the examiner, the public or property. A serious fault is something potentially dangerous. A driving fault isn’t potentially dangerous, but repeating the same one can turn it into a serious fault.

You pass with 6 driving faults or fewer and no serious or dangerous faults. Each wrong ‘show me, tell me’ answer is a driving fault. Getting all 5 wrong, or losing control of the car while you answer a ‘show me’ question, is a serious fault and a fail.

The car you take to Part 2

You can use your own car, a taxi or a private hire vehicle. It must be taxed, have an MOT if it’s over 3 years old (or a certificate of compliance for a taxi or private hire vehicle) and be insured for an ADI Part 2 test. Your own car doesn’t need dual controls, but a hire car does. The car must also:

  • Show no warning lights, such as the airbag light
  • Have no tyre damage, the legal tread depth on every tyre and no space-saver spare fitted
  • Have an extra interior rear-view mirror, a passenger seatbelt and a passenger head restraint (not a slip-on type) for the examiner
  • Reach at least 62mph and have an mph speedometer
  • Have 4 wheels and stay within its maximum authorised mass (MAM)
  • Be smoke-free, with any dashcam facing out and not recording sound inside

You can’t use a panel van, a left-hand drive car, a convertible, a 2-door Smart Fortwo or a Toyota iQ, and DVSA asks you to check first if you plan to use a coupe. Some recalled Citroen and DS models need proof that they’re safe. A manual licence lets you test in a manual or automatic car and teach in both; an automatic licence means testing and teaching in automatics only.

If you don’t pass Part 2

The examiner tells you what faults you made. You can take Part 2 again after a first or second fail, paying each time. Fail it a third time and you go back to Part 1, and you can’t retake Part 1 until 2 years after you first passed it.

You can appeal only if you can prove the examiner didn’t follow the law. A successful complaint to DVSA or appeal to a court can bring a refund or a free retest, but the result itself can’t change. Court appeals have to be made within 6 months in England and Wales, or 21 days in Scotland.

Booking Part 2 and the fees →

After you pass Part 2

You get a copy of the test report and can book Part 3 straight away. You can also apply for a trainee licence, which lets you give paid lessons while you prepare for Part 3.

Part 3 and the trainee licence →Training and study options →
Sources: GOV.UK · DVSA on GOV.UK and 4 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

Explore

Everything else, in one place

OverviewWhere to learnPart 3Booking