Theory Test
Prepared for your Theory Test?
Before going for your Car or Motorcycle practical test(s), you will need to have passed a theory test.
There are two parts to the theory test:
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50 multiple-choice questions
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Hazard perception - a series of video clips where you have to spot hazards in an on-road setting.
You book and take them as a single test. You have to pass both parts to pass.
Take our Car and Motorcycle Theory Quizzes to see what you may need to revise.
Multiple-Choice Questions
You have 57 minutes to answer 50 multiple-choice questions on the Highway Code.
A question and several possible answers will appear on the screen.
Some questions are given as a case study. This will show a short story that five questions will be based on.
In order to pass this part of the test, you will need to correctly answer at least 43 out of 50 questions (86%).
Multiple-Choice Questions
You have 57 minutes to answer 50 multiple-choice questions on the Highway Code.
A question and several possible answers will appear on the screen.
Some questions are given as a case study. This will show a short story that five questions will be based on.
In order to pass this part of the test, you will need to correctly answer at least 43 out of 50 questions (86%).
Hazard Perception Test
You can have a break of up to 3 minutes before the Hazard Perception test starts.
You'll then watch 14 video clips.
The clips will:
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feature everyday road scenes
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contain at least one 'developing hazard' - with one of the clips featuring two developing hazards.
You can score up to 5 points for each developing hazard. To get a high score, click the mouse as soon as you see the hazard starting to develop.
You do not lose points if you click and get it wrong. However, you will not score anything if you click continuously or in a pattern.
In order to pass this part of the test, you will need to score 44 out of 75 over the 14 clips.
Stopping Distances
When revising for the Car or Motorcycle Theory Test, it is easy to get caught out with the stopping distance questions. We hope our tips and the governments official stopping distance estimations in the PDF above helps you to ace your Theory Test first time!
Know the difference between Thinking, Braking and Stopping distance.
Thinking distance is the distance travelled between the driver noticing a hazard and the driver applying the brakes.
Thinking distance is estimated to be 1 foot for every mph you are travelling at.
For example - At 20mph, thinking distance will be approximately 20 feet.
Always remember, there are factors that will affect your thinking distance, such as:
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Ability as a driver or rider;
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On medication or tired;
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Being distracted.
Braking distance is the distance travelled between the driver applying the brakes until the vehicle comes to a stop.
Braking distance will increase when momentum increases. Meaning the faster the vehicle is travelling or heavier the vehicle is, the more braking distance you will have to allow for.
The braking distances shown in the Highway Code are only a general guide. Actual braking distances will depend on:
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The road surface;
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The weather conditions;
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Condition of the vehicle at the time. For example, tyre tread and pressures.
Stopping distance is the total distance travelled between the driver noticing the hazard until the vehicle comes to a stop.
Stopping Distance = Thinking Distance + Braking Distance
There is a general rule to remember stopping distances.
Starting from 20mph, you simply multiply the speed in mph by 2. From there, for every 10mph increase, the multiplication factor increases by 0.5.