United Kingdom · Theory testOfficial and paid study options
| Option | Price | Free to use | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official and free | |||
Safe Driving for Life ADI mock testsOfficial · webFrom Safe Driving for Life, which DVSA runs with its official publisher, TSO. Each mock gives you 57 minutes with 43 to pass, and has a test view like the real screens plus a voiceover. Half the real test’s 100 questions, so treat it as a sample. | Free | 2 mock tests of 50 questions | |
| Official, on GOV.UK | |||
The Highway CodeOfficial · webFirst on GOV.UK’s Part 1 reading list, and the base for the road procedure questions. It opens with the H rules on the hierarchy of road users. | Online on GOV.UK; print copy £4.99 | The whole Code on GOV.UK | |
Know Your Traffic SignsOfficial · web and PDFThe Department for Transport’s full guide to signs and road markings in Great Britain, by sign type. Long, so use it alongside the Highway Code’s sign pages rather than reading it cover to cover. | Online on GOV.UK; print copy £5.99 | Chapters online and a 172-page PDF | |
DVSA national standards and code of practiceOfficial · webThe National standard for driving cars and light vans, the National standard for driver and rider training and the driving instructor code of practice are all on the Part 1 reading list. The trainer standard is also what Part 3 is marked against. | Online on GOV.UK | All three documents | |
| Official and paid | |||
Theory Test and Hazard Perception Kit for Approved Driving InstructorsOfficial · online courseDVSA’s own e-learning kit, sold by Safe Driving for Life, and the one GOV.UK points to for hazard perception. More than 790 revision questions, over 130 interactive hazard videos, timed mocks and a voiceover, on any device. Subscriptions don’t renew on their own. | £15 for 30 days, £20 for 90 days, £30 for 365 days | The 2 mock tests on the same site | |
The Driving Instructor’s HandbookOfficial · bookThe 23rd edition, sold as the 2026 edition and updated with DVSA. Safe Driving for Life says it covers training, exam preparation, driving tests, theory and the ADI register, and that DVSA lists it as essential material for the ADI tests. | £26.99 | Not listed | |
Practical Teaching Skills for Driving InstructorsOfficial · bookThe 13th edition, sold as the 2026 edition. It’s about client-centred teaching: structuring lessons, communication, problem solving and coaching, which feed the instructional techniques questions and Part 3. | £26.99 | Not listed | |
The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the essential skillsOfficial · bookSafe Driving for Life calls it key source material for the car and driving instructor theory tests. It covers driving techniques, bad weather, motorways and driver assistance systems. | £19.99 | Not listed | |
The Official DVSA Guide to Learning to DriveOfficial · bookWritten for learners preparing for the practical car test, with advice for parents and friends who supervise practice. It’s on GOV.UK’s Part 1 reading list. | £14.99 | Not listed | |
| Apps and websites | |||
ADI Theory Test 2026 UK KitApp · iPhone and iPadSays it has all DVSA-licensed revision questions with explanations, mock tests, flagged questions and a voiceover. 4.8 stars from 1.7k ratings on the UK App Store. | Free download, in-app purchases £5.99 to £7.99 | Not listed | |
ADI Theory Test Kit (Deep River)App · iPhone and iPadSays it has 860 DVSA-licensed revision questions across all four categories, and a mock test with the real scoring and time limit. Some purchases are monthly. 4.8 stars from 940 ratings on the UK App Store. | Free download, in-app purchases £1.99 to £9.99 | Not listed | |
ADI Theory Test Study Kit 2026 (RAC)App · iPhone and iPadFrom RAC Motoring Services. Says it has DVSA-licensed questions and hazard perception clips, road signs and a voiceover, and works offline. 4.7 stars from 615 ratings on the UK App Store. | Free download, in-app purchases £1.99 to £8.99 | Not listed | |
| In person | |||
ORDIT driving instructor trainersOfficial finder · in personGOV.UK’s finder lists trainers on DVSA’s official register of driving instructor training (ORDIT), and GOV.UK points to it if you need help preparing. A trainee licence needs at least 40 hours of training from a qualified ADI first. | Set by each training organisation | The postcode search on GOV.UK | |
Prices and ratings checked October 2026.
Is there an official ADI theory test mock?
Yes, two. Each Safe Driving for Life mock has 50 questions, 43 to pass and 57 minutes on the clock. That’s shorter than the real test, which has 100 questions, 85 to pass and 90 minutes. You can switch to a test view that looks like the screens at the test centre and turn on a voiceover.
The paid version is The Official DVSA Theory Test and Hazard Perception Kit for Approved Driving Instructors. Safe Driving for Life says it has more than 790 revision questions, over 130 interactive hazard perception videos and timed mock tests. GOV.UK names this kit for hazard perception practice. You buy 30, 90 or 365 days, and the subscription doesn’t renew on its own.
What the Part 1 questions are based on
GOV.UK’s revision page lists these as the sources of the multiple-choice questions:
- The Highway Code
- Know Your Traffic Signs
- Driving: the essential skills
- The Official DVSA Guide to Learning to Drive
- The Driving Instructor’s Handbook
- Practical Teaching Skills for Driving Instructors
- National standard for driving cars and light vans
- National standard for driver and rider training
- The driving instructor code of practice
- Carrying out driving tests: examiner guidance (DT1), except sections 2, 3, 4, 5 and 15
The Highway Code, Know Your Traffic Signs, both national standards, the code of practice and the examiner guidance can all be read on GOV.UK. Safe Driving for Life and bookshops sell the four books, and their prices are in the study options on this page.
Choosing a driving instructor theory test app
The three ADI apps in the study options on this page are free to download and sell the full question set as in-app purchases. ADI Theory Test 2026 UK Kit, ADI Theory Test Kit by Deep River and the RAC’s ADI Theory Test Study Kit all say their revision questions are licensed by DVSA. Check what the free part of an app covers before you pay, and look for hazard perception clips if you want to practise both parts in one place.
An app drills questions, but GOV.UK’s reading list is what the real questions are based on, so keep the books open alongside it.
A study plan for ADI Part 1
- Read the Highway Code and Know Your Traffic Signs first. They feed the road procedure and signs categories.
- Work through the Driving Instructor’s Handbook and Practical Teaching Skills for the law, test and teaching categories.
- Take both free mock tests and note which category you lose marks in. You need at least 20 out of 25 in every category, not just 85 overall.
- Drill your weakest category with the official kit or an app, then retake a full timed mock.
- Practise hazard perception until you click as a hazard starts to develop, not before and not in a pattern.
Help for Parts 2 and 3
Parts 2 and 3 are practical, so books only go so far. GOV.UK’s postcode finder lists trainers on DVSA’s official register of driving instructor training (ORDIT), and training fees are set by each training organisation. Before Part 3 you can also get a trainee licence and teach real pupils.
Sources: GOV.UK · Safe Driving for Life · Apple App Store and 3 more. Checked October 2026.
- GOV.UK: ADI part 1 test, revision and practice ↗
- Safe Driving for Life (DVSA and TSO): Practice theory test 1 for approved driving instructors ↗
- Safe Driving for Life (DVSA and TSO): Theory Test and Hazard Perception Kit for Approved Driving Instructors ↗
- Safe Driving for Life (DVSA and TSO): Instructors and trainers shop ↗
- GOV.UK: Find driving instructor training courses ↗
- Apple App Store (UK): ADI Theory Test 2026 UK Kit, ADI Theory Test Kit, ADI Theory Test Study Kit 2026 ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.