The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999

[F1 Content of the tests E+W+S

40B.— [F2 (ZA1) The safe road use test shall—

(a) be conducted as an approved form of examination and test a candidate’s knowledge of the matters in Schedule 7 Part 2, other than the excepted matters;

(b) have a duration of 30 minutes or, in the circumstances specified in paragraph (6), 60 minutes.]

(1) The standard test of driving theory shall—

(a) be conducted as an approved form of examination F3 ... testing a [F4 candidate’s knowledge and understanding of] the matters specified in regulation 40C(4) in respect of a vehicle of the relevant class; and

(b) have a duration of 57 minutes or, in the circumstances specified in paragraph (6), 114 minutes.

[F5 (1A) The abridged standard test of driving theory shall—

(a) be conducted as an approved form of examination with the questions testing a candidate’s knowledge and understanding of the matters specified in Part 2 of Schedule 7; and

(b) have a duration of 40 minutes or, in the circumstances specified in paragraph (6), 80 minutes.]

(2) The large vehicle test of driving theory shall—

(a) be conducted as an approved form of examination consisting of 100 questions, the questions being in either multiple choice or multiple response form and testing the candidate on the matters specified in regulation 40C(5) in respect of a vehicle of the relevant class and the CPC subjects applicable to that class; and

(b) have a duration of 115 minutes or, in the circumstances specified in paragraph (6), 230 minutes.

(3) The standard test of hazard perception shall—

(a) be conducted by means of the exhibition of film clips that take the perspective of the driver of a motor vehicle and show, at some point during each film clip, one or more hazards to traffic occurring on or near the road; and

(b) require the candidate (using electronic equipment provided for the purpose and capable of recording the exact moment of each response) to indicate during each film clip the moment he observes a hazard to traffic on the road.

(4) The large vehicle test of hazard perception shall comply with the requirements set out in paragraph (3) for the standard test of hazard perception and shall be in a form considered appropriate by the Secretary of State for testing the candidate’s competence in hazard perception in relation to vehicles in categories C and D.

(5) The practical test and the unitary test shall each be conducted so that—

(a) F6 ... the person taking the test drives, wherever possible, both on roads outside built-up areas and on urban roads,

F7 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) the time during which that person is required to drive on roads is—

(i) in the case of a test taken before 1st September 2008 for a licence authorising the driving of a class of vehicle included in category C, C1, D or D1, not less than 50 minutes;

(ii) in the case of a test taken on or after 1st September 2008 for a licence authorising the driving of a class of vehicle included in category C, C1, D or D1, not less than 60 minutes;

(iii) in the case of a test for a licence authorising the driving of a class of vehicle included in category B+E, C1+E, C+E, D1+E or D+E, not less than 50 minutes; and

(iv) in the case of any other test, not less than 30 minutes.

[F8 (5A) The manoeuvres test may be conducted on a special testing ground or on roads.]

[F9 (5B) The large vehicle off road manoeuvres test may be conducted on a special testing ground or on roads.]

(6) The circumstances referred to in [F10 paragraphs (ZA1), (1), (1A) and (2)] are that the candidate requires the assistance of a suitably qualified person at the test by virtue of having reading difficulties.

(7) For the purposes of this regulation—

• “an approved form of examination” means a form of examination which is conducted in writing or by means of data recorded on equipment operating in response to instructions given by the candidate; and

• “film clip” means a sequence of visual images displayed electronically.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Regs. 40A-40C inserted (7.7.2008) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1435), regs. 1(1), 14 (with reg. 22)

F2 Reg. 40B(ZA1) inserted (1.5.2010) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1203), regs. 1(2), 20(a)

F3 Words in reg. 40B(1)(a) omitted (28.9.2009) by virtue of The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2362), regs. 1, 2

F4 Words in reg. 40B(1)(a) substituted (1.5.2010) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1203), regs. 1(2), 20(b)

F5 Reg. 40B(1A) inserted (1.5.2010) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1203), regs. 1(2), 20(c)

F6 Words in reg. 40B(5)(a) omitted (30.3.2009) by virtue of The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/788), regs. 1(2), 20(a)(i) (with reg. 33)

F7 Reg. 40B(5)(b) omitted (30.3.2009) by virtue of The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/788), regs. 1(2), 20(a)(ii) (with reg. 33)

F8 Reg. 40B(5A) inserted (30.3.2009) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/788), regs. 1(2), 20(b) (with reg. 33)

F9 Reg. 40B(5B) inserted (15.11.2021 at 1.00 a.m.) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1154), regs. 1(2), 18

F10 Words in reg. 40B(6) substituted (1.5.2010) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1203), regs. 1(2), 20(d)