UK Driving School Podcast
50 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 6 years ago -Articles, tips and videos to help you pass the UK Driving test, affordable driving lessons and a driving instructor's blog based in Mill Hill, London.
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10 Easy Steps To Pass Your Car Driving Test
May 14, 2018 02:09As an experienced London driving instructor who has helped many learner drivers pass the driving test over the last 10 years, I would like to give you some free tips to pass your next car test. It is important that you realise that the DSA car test is tough, and it is not easy to pass as evidenced by the low national pass rate of about 40%. It only takes one mistake for a candidate to be failed by the DVSA examiner if that driving error was deemed serious or dangerous, so these videos and th...
The New DVSA Driving Test: How to follow SatNav Independent Section
December 21, 2017 10:27On the 4th of December 2017, the Uk driving test changed with some radical new requirements being asked of the provisional licence holder. The reverse round the corner exercise was removed, you would now be required to drive into a bay and the reverse out, may be asked to stop on the right and then move off, as well as operate car controls like demister while the vehicle is in motion. In this post however, I want to give you my top 8 tips on how to follow a SatNav during the now 20 minutes ...
Driving Test Secrets - The Truth
September 25, 2017 01:21So you are looking for some of those driving test secrets that will help you pass your UK practical car/riding test first time, or guarantee a pass on your next test attempt? Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there are no secrets to passing the driving test, all the information you need to know is on the DVSA website or can be acquired from any fully qualified approved driving instructor in the UK. If anyone tells you that they have some driving test secrets or insider information that ...
Provisional Licence you can't drive a car!
May 31, 2017 10:49If you have a provisional driving licence you can not drive a car in the UK unsupervised under any circumstances, so stop looking for excuses that allow you to do so, if you get caught by the ANPR police, you only have yourself to blame, and will have to deal with the penalties. To legally drive a car with a provisional license, here are the conditions you need to fulfil. 1. You need to be insured to drive the car either by having an insurance policy that covers you specifically for the veh...
Book Driving Test - Instructor ADI Number not required
April 30, 2017 06:43Driving Instructor ADI number Further to my recent illegal driving instructors article, if you are trying to book a practical driving or theory test online via the DSA website or over the phone, you might be asked for your instructors ADI number and might not have it, you can still go ahead and book the test by leaving the field blank. It will not affect your test if you select do not have instructor, even if you are learning to drive with a qualified UK ADI. If you ask your instructor ADI ...
Take Winter Driving Lessons Even If You Passed Test
November 03, 2015 07:50Winter is truly with us now, and those of you that passed your driving tests in summer might be driving in these conditions for the first time, or you might be learning to with a friend so here are some useful tips. Take driving lessons with a professional instructor. You might have passed the practical test, but winter conditions are totally different from summer, and there is nothing like gaining practical experience in a dual controlled car on how to deal with snow, fog, and black ice. Al...
My Learner Driver made Good Progress On Lesson Today
September 29, 2015 08:50My client learner driver that wanted to kill me the other day had another driving lesson yesterday, and as she walked up to the car, was proudly holding her copy of The Official DVSA Driving Manual, which I promptly checked she had read by asking a few questions about junctions and MSPSL. After completing her cockpit drill, she asked me about approaching a T-junction on a hill, to which I gave her some advise and mentioned we would practise that during the driving lesson. Right from the way...
Borehamwood Test Centre New Location
September 23, 2015 08:53Following the recent closure of the old DVLA local office in Borehamwood that doubled as a driving test centre, the DVSA has a new temporary location from which a limited number of practical car assessments can be conducted for provisional licence holders. The address is: 7th Borehamwood Scout Group Denbigh Lodge Berwick Road WD6 4BG Please note the following instructions. 1. The site has no toilets for learners or Instructors 2. There is no waiting room, so when you arrive park in th...
Top 10 Faults That Fail Learners On Driving Test!
September 18, 2015 11:07In this article, I will provide you with a list of the DVSA's top 10 reasons that examiners use for failing provisional licence holders on the UK driving test, so make sure you do yourself a favour and get confident with these car handling skills by practising or knowing the relevant rules. According to released government statistics, the current average national pass rate in the UK on all driving tests (car, motocycle, HGV, PSV) is 43%. So let us look at the ten most common reasons for not...
Last Driving Test at Borehamwood Centre
September 14, 2015 18:24On Friday 11th September 2015 my client was the last learner driver to take a practical car driving test from the former DVLA offices located at Unit 1-3 Elstree Gate Elstree Way Borehamwood Hertfordshire WD6 1JD The DVLA had already vacated the premises about 2 years ago, but driving tests were still being carried out from this location until this date. Unfortunately my pupil was not successful due to 2 serious driver faults 1 of which included breaking the speed limit which I has w...
Tips For Your First Driving Lesson With Instructor
September 09, 2015 12:05Depending on the individual, your first driving lesson could either be something you are looking forward to or something that makes you feel very nervous and apprehensive. Here is some information that would help get you prepared and make the day go much more smoothly and earlier. If you've never driven a car before, and your lesson is with a UK qualified approved driving instructor (ADI), then it will usually be a controls lesson. This is basically an introduction to the Cockpit Drill (D...
Driving Lesson - My pupil wants to kill me!
September 05, 2015 13:47Yesterday I had a driving lesson with one of my least favourite pupils. Least favourite because she really makes me work for my money (which is not bad), but attitude conveys the message that she doesn't seem to be taking things seriously enough for someone who wants to pass the driving test first time. She hadn't had a driving lesson for about 10 days, so my intentions where to do a bit of revision by driving around the roads we used last going over what we had already learnt (she's a relat...
Interesting Sunday Driving Lesson Over 50 year Old
September 02, 2015 12:34I picked up my elderly lady learner driver after her Sunday afternoon church service, and wasn't sure what to expect, as her last driving lesson was about 6 weeks ago. Still I decided not to go easy on her, and had her drive out of the busy church car park which she handled well considering she is a bit nervous and clutch control was not one of her strongest skills at the moment. We then drove through the local side streets and got ready to join the busy Harrow A Road, again she coped well w...
Choosing Driving Instructor To Pass Driving Test.
August 26, 2015 09:26Choosing a driving instructor is a very important step to take when it comes to learning to drive and passing the UK driving test, so you need to make sure that your decision is not just based on price. You have applied for your provisional license, started preparing for the Theory Test, and now want to do some practical driving, but don't know where to get a good driving instructor, I hope the following information will be of help. Your first point of call for choosing an instructor, is to...
How To Deal with Mini Roundabouts successfully
August 26, 2015 08:42Dealing with roundabouts is one of the skills many learner drivers find very daunting, and would rather avoid them if possible, especially on a test, however you can not escape them especially if taking your driving test in London where on one particular driving test route (Borehamwood) I counted about 20 mini-roundabouts! I'm going to give you a few tips that will help you better understand how to deal with them and hopefully boost your confidence, starting with mini roundabouts. First of ...
Learner Drivers Do Not Know More Than Instructors!
August 20, 2015 11:48Why is it that some learner drivers think they know more than their driving instructors who is trying to help them pass the driving test with advice and tips from their many years of experience? Today I gave a driving lesson to a mature student who hadn't seen me for about 2 weeks. At the end of their previous lesson I had asked them to buy a DVSA Official Book to help with some of the things they were struggling on, and prepare for the topics to be covering next (I don't do this for everyon...
Learning To Drive A Car In The UK
August 20, 2015 11:10Okay, so you are thinking of learning to drive a car and pass the UK driving test, and are not sure where to start. Well how about starting at the beginning! If you have not already done so, then your first step is to: Apply for and get a Provisional Licence. The current fee (August 2015) is £50. An international or foreign driving licence can not be used to prepare for the UK driving test, though you can use one to drive unsupervised within the 1st 12 months of you arriving in the country...
I Want To Pass My Driving Test ASAP
August 20, 2015 08:48One of the most common statements I hear from potential new learner clients is I want to pass my driving test as soon as possible and usually they also want the cheapest means of doing this at the same time. As a fully qualified UK approved driving instructor based in Mill Hill who has been helping many provisional licence holders succeed at their 1st attempt since 2003 and I'd like to share some useful tips on things you could do to increase your chance of passing the UK driving test and ge...
How To Contact The Driving Test Tips Instructor
August 19, 2015 09:55My name is Shola, I am a fully qualified driving instructor based in Mill Hill, NW London and have been providing free online tips, video tutorials and advice on this blog since 2005. If you would like to contact me, use the address below, but before you do please use the search facility on the right, as a lot of the questions I get have already been answered and unfortunately due to how busy I am offering lessons to my own learners I can't personally reply to all emails: adi@privatehomesale...
UK Driving Test Resources
August 19, 2015 09:25Here are a list of useful resources for those learning to drive and want to pass the driving test at the 1st attempt, or newly qualified drivers who want to be safe and gain more experience with out having to learn from their own mistakes. If there are other useful websites that should be included, please leave me a comment, letting me know and I will include it as well, please note that driving school websites are excluded, as unfortunately I can't promote the business of my competition (i'...
Passed Driving Test 0 Errors!
March 02, 2015 15:33So for the first time in my 13 years as an London ADI, I recently had a pupil pass their driving test with zero minor faults! For the candidate this was a major achievement and shows that if you put in the correct amount of preparations and have a good instructor then passing the UK driving test should not be an issue. Now while passing with no errors or at your 1st attempt is very good, it is important to note that this in itself is no sign of you being a better or safer driver than someon...
Provisional Licence Learner Drivers Can Carry Passengers
December 08, 2014 18:55Here in the UK, there are no DVSA restrictions that stops a provisional licence learner from carrying passengers while driving in a car including Kids when learning to drive, or practising in preparation for the driving test. Here are the terms and conditions that apply to a provisional licence holder in the UK. 1. You are not allowed to drive a car alone, you must be supervised by a full licence holder in the category of vehicle (automatic can not supervise in a manual) who has held it for...
How Many Minor and Major Errors on The Driving Test.
November 19, 2014 21:46One of the most common questions I get from learner drivers or those about to take the DVSA practical car assessment here in the UK is 'How many minor faults are you allowed on the test before the examiner fails you?' Let me quickly clarify an issue and immediately say that on the DVSA practical car assessment, there are no such things as minor or major errors, there are only driver errors as far as the DSA examiner is concerned, and these will either be classified as just an error (with a m...
Driving Test Routes 2017
November 14, 2014 00:49On the 4th October 2010, the DSA introduced independent driving to the UK practical car test, and on the same day removed all of the old driving test routes from its website which had been previously published because new roads where being used on some routes to cater for the new 10 minute element where the candidate would need to drive without any directions or advice from the DSA examiner. As a result of these changes, one of the most common requests I get from learner drivers preparing fo...
Passed Driving Test Don't Develop Bad Habits
April 30, 2014 10:52While learning to drive, you would have seen many other drivers doing stupid or dangerous things, most of these would have even made your life difficult as a provisional licence holder like people tailgating you! The funny thing is that most of those who drive dangerously nowadays were once a learner, and their instructor never taught them to drive that way, neither would they act in this manner if they were on a driving test! Passing the driving test should be a step towards being a better...
Driving Test What Is Undue Hesitation
April 02, 2014 15:14 VideoUndue Hesitation is one of the most feared driving test faults, but many learner drivers do not fully understand what the DSA examiner actually considers to be undue hesitation, some thinking that it has to do with how long you spend at a junction, and for that very reason go on to commit serious faults. In this video I explain what the examiner is looking for when it comes to junctions, and the difference between 'Making Progess' and 'Undue Hesitation' I would advice anyone taking their dr...
Junctions Always Apply Caution
January 06, 2014 15:12On the driving test, you need to always apply caution when approaching a junction, in particular the examiner will not expect you to enter if you are not able to see if it is safe. Even after you have passed the test and have your full UK licence, you need to remember that junctions are dangerous places because it is where vehicles converge and meet, and even if you have the right of way, there could be a drunken or distracted drive in the other vehicle so be ready to take evasive action! I...
Stalled 5 Times On Test with Success At The End!
December 16, 2013 15:04Under normal circumstances if you commit the same minor driving test fault more than 4 times you can expect the DSA driving examiner to fail you, however I was recently sitting in on one of my client's practical car assessments and the guy was very nervous and this resulted in stalling the vehicle 5 times! I was 100% certain that he was not going to be successful! At the very end the examiner uttered the words: 'That's the end of the test and you have passed!" If you are having similiar iss...
My Learners Know If I am Late For Lessons
September 05, 2013 11:44As a driving instructor it is very important that you offer a professional service to all your learner driver clients, and one way of upsetting them is by being constantly late for your lesson appointments! Technology has changed the way we conduct business, not many of you will remember the old days when there were no mobile phones (I wasn't an instructor, so I can't imagine how difficult it was or how organised you had to be), but we have to constantly evolve in the way we do business, whi...
Driving Test Expect To deal with Anything
September 04, 2013 10:05In order to be able to pass the UK driving test, you need to be able to deal with anything that you encounter on the road while the DSA examiner is assessing you. It is very unfortunate that not a lot of road users are patient with Learners nowadays, so part of your training should be knowing how to deal with the unexpected! You can not hope that others will give way or be understanding that you are in-experienced. The video below shows some of the typical things that a provisional licence ...
UKADI Driving Lessons Live On Internet
September 01, 2013 20:15Track the UKADI driving instructor during on road lessons using this page. I also have a dashcam which is sometimes live depending on my clients wishes: Subscribe to my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email. The service is provided and powered by Google Feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can remove yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click, you can also follo...
How To Supervise a Provisional Licence Learner UK
August 28, 2013 12:56I have made the video below to give advice to parents, family members or friends interested in supervising learner drivers in the UK. It is important to know however, that it is the responsibility of the provisional licence holder to make sure that they abide by the rules and conditions of their licence. Ignorance is no excuse, and if you are old enough to have a licence then you can find out the terms and conditions as well. Especially when it comes to insurance and who can sit next to you ...
Pass The UK Driving Test!
August 26, 2013 08:54 VideoWelcome to UKADI, the only website you need with all the information, advice, tips and videos to help you pass the driving test at your next attempt. As a driving instructor with over 10 years experience helping thousands of learner drivers get the highly coveted DSA pass certificate, I know what it takes to please the DSA examiners, and my goal is through this online instructional blog to give you free the resources needed to reach the standard expected of every test candidate. A word of c...
To Pass Driving Test Highway Code Knowledge Required
August 26, 2013 08:54 VideoYou can dramatically increase your chances of passing the UK practical driving test on a motorcycle or in a car if you are 100% familiar with the Highway Code. It only costs £2.50, is very small so you can carry it anywhere you go, but it contains tons of information on how you are expected to behave while driving in the UK, the meaning of road signs and markings, but most of all it could help you avoid commiting a serious driving test fault and thus pass at your next attempt. Over the years...
Twitter Competition For Learner Drivers May 2014
May 07, 2013 06:51I am running a competition offering the prize below to a lucky twitter follower of mine (to be chosen at random). £30 John Lewis Voucher or 2 free driving lessons in Mill Hill. The competition will run from 08.00 on Tuesday 14th May to 22.00 on Thursday 30th May 2013. To enter you have to complete the following steps 1. Follow @ukadi_ 2. Tweet "I'm following @ukadi_ for free driving test tips & videos #ukadi05" *You must include both @ukadi_ and the #ukadi05 hashtag as all tweets are t...
Driving Test Mistake Misleading Signals
April 26, 2013 07:01 VideoA simple driving test mistake that a lot of learner drivers fail on is misleading signals which usually occurs when a candidate fails to cancel the indicator after use, or indicates in one director and the vehicle does not go that way. This instructional video taken during an actual lesson illustrates the point: Works as much as possible on these small mistakes, as they could let you down when the dsa examiner is in the car. If you require high quality affordable driving lessons from a ver...
Dangerous Driving Will Get You In Accident!
April 22, 2013 14:10 VideoIf you have already passed the driving test, don't think you can throw the highway code rule book out of the car window, because sooner or later you will get caught in an accident if you continue to drive dangerously on the roads. Every single day I listen to the radio traffic updates and there is always delays that are caused either on the motorway or an important A road due to car accidents which could probably have been avoided if the drivers involved had been more safety concious and not...
Give Learners Chance If You Passed Driving Test
April 18, 2013 06:27 VideoIs it too much to ask of you 'Advanced Drivers' to give learners a chance to gain some driving skills by being a little patient? It only takes a few seconds to be courteous, and it can go a long way to make life of other road users much easier. The most worrying thing is that you drivers who have passed the driving test are more of a danger than the learners with thier 'L' plates as shown in these videos! And here are more examples of dangerous driving by people who think they are good dri...
UKADI - Crossing Solid Lines on The Driving Test.
April 17, 2013 13:09 VideoSometimes it is what seems like very simple mistakes that learners fail their driving test on, as is illustrated in this video clip below. The DSA examiner is assessing your knowledge of the highway code as well as your skills of handling a car, so make sure you have enough experience to deal with anything you might encounter during the 40 minutes of the test. Take the time to read the highway code between your lessons to increase your chances of passing first time. If you require high qua...
Driving Test Tips Overtaking Others
April 16, 2013 09:07 VideoIn this short instructional video tip, I offer a simple but very important advice to apply when you are overtaking other vehicles or road users during the driving test. Use it to make sure that you are exposed on the other side of the road for the shortest amount of time. As always make sure it is safe to overtake, and give way to oncoming vehicles. If you require high quality affordable driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send m...
Driving Test Dont Ignore Road Signs
April 15, 2013 07:27 VideoThis video taken from a real driving lesson illustrates why you need to build up a habit of paying attention and obeying road signs if you want to have a good chance of passing the UK driving test. As you will see, it only takes one silly mistake like this for you to get a serious fault and fail thus wasting more time and money obtaining a full pink driving licence. Take the time now to use those driving lessons to practiise everything you need to pass the UK driving test. If you require h...
Passed Driving Test - Dont Cause An Accident
April 12, 2013 07:29 VideoMy people think that because they have passed the tough UK DSA driving test, they no longer need to use the rules of the Highway Code when they are in their cars! This is very evident by the number of dangerous drivers that can be seen around. I listen to the radio everyday and 90% of the traffic alerts are due to accidents on the road network which could probably have been avoided especially if people stop driving like those shown in the video below. The fact that you have a number of year...
Driving Test 3 Point Turn mistakes
April 11, 2013 07:54 VideoIn this short video I want to show you the most common mistakes that learners make while doing the simple turn in the road (3 point) exercise during the UK driving test. Personally I think candidates should not be failing on this manuever, as it is usually the first learnt, the simplest and you should have had a lot of practise by the time you see the DSA examiner. If you require high quality affordable driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why no...
Driving Test Turning Right at Traffic Lights
April 10, 2013 14:38 VideoIn this short video taken from a typical driving lesson, I illustrate one of the common mistakes learners make while turning right at a traffic light. As has been mentioned so many times before on this blog, junctions are the number one reason for candidates getting serious driver faults, and you need to always approach them slowly, look, assess the situation, make a decision and then act (LADA). This procedure takes some time, and you must not rush or copy other cars in front of you. Get ...
Private car on the UK driving test
March 22, 2013 06:22Further to my last blog post about a learner driver who was stopped from taking the driving test due to a defect on their own car being used for the UK practical test, I thought I'd point out what an examiner will check on all cars presented for the UK driving test. The dsa examiner needs to be satisfied that the car presented is roadworthy, so will walk round the vehicle, checking the tyres are legal, lights are not broken and working, external mirrors are present and not broken, and the wi...
DSA Driving Examiner Strikes Wed 20th March 2013
March 17, 2013 11:46If you have a practical car, motorcycle or HGV/LGV driving test booked for Wednesday 20th March 2013, the DSA is advising all candidates to attend as normal, despite the threat of examiners striking due to industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union. If the driving test doesn't go ahead as normal, then I will advice any test candidate to seek compensation from the DSA, even though you will get a free rebooking within 10 days of the last appointment. Because you can't...
The Driving Test 5 facts you might not know.
March 10, 2013 13:43On the UK Driving test, the examiners do want you to pass, and will do everything to help you relax during the DVSA driving test. Here are a few facts about the driving test that you might not know which you should bear in mind on the day. 1. You don't have to talk if you don't want to. If you think that talking to the examiner will not help your concentration during the driving test, politely let the examiner know that you'd prefer if they didn't make conversation with you during the test...
DSA Test Maneuvers - Adjust your Mirrors
March 01, 2013 14:41Before starting any of the 4 driving test maneuvers that you might be asked to do by the dsa test examiner, it is okay to adjust your mirrors to help you see more easily the bay parking lines or the kerb for the reverse round the corner exercise. Just remember to put them back to the position for normal driving immediately you complete the maneuver before moving off again. Now because you are allowed to adjust your mirrors while performing a practical car test maneuver, it is important that ...
5 Driving Test Passes this Week
February 20, 2013 01:00This week I've had 5 out of 6 driving test passes with my learner drivers, 3 of which where first time passes. The complete learners having had an average of 35 hours driving lessons to reach test standard. I'm not saying that they are now very good drivers and will be able to handle everything that they will encounter on the roads, in fact I have advised each and everyone of them to consider taking a pass plus course, but they can now start to gain experience on their own. The key advice I ...
Driving Examiners are out to trick you!
February 19, 2013 23:57As a learner driver preparing for the the UK driving test, you've probably heard somewhere that the DSA driving examiners are not interested in passing you, that instead they would even go as far a tricking you into failing by getting you into various situations that would cause you to make a serious driving error. First of all, let me say that as a driving instructor, most test candidates do not give the practical car assessment the due credit it deserves. The DSA test is a very high qualit...