Practical Test Basics

The practical test is the on-road examination that follows the theory pass — a single in-car assessment of whether the candidate can drive a Category B vehicle safely in real traffic. The examiner sits in the front passenger seat (with dual controls in countries that require them — Spain, Germany, France) and directs you on a route covering several road types. You are marked on observation, control, signalling, anticipation, lane discipline, speed management, and the specific manoeuvres prescribed by the national syllabus. A pass leads directly to the full Category B licence under Annex II of Directive 2006/126/EC.

UK (DVSA): about 40 minutes of driving plus 15 minutes for documents, show-me/tell-me vehicle safety questions, and result. Spain (DGT): roughly 25 minutes of driving plus the maniobras and paperwork — total appointment around 45 minutes. Germany: 45 minutes for Category B per Anlage 7 of the FeV, plus pre-test vehicle checks. France: 32 minutes minimum on the road for the épreuve pratique B since the 2018 reform (Code de la route, arrêté du 20 avril 2012). Italy: 25 minutes minimum. Netherlands (CBR): 55 minutes including the eye test, briefing, and route. Add 15 minutes for documents and the result discussion in all countries.

Brief eye test or sight check (DVSA "read a number plate at 20 metres", CBR oogtest, DGT prueba de visión). Vehicle safety questions — UK "show me, tell me", Germany Fahrzeugkontrolle for items like Reifendruck and Beleuchtung. About 20 minutes of normal driving following the examiner's directions, then the selected manoeuvres. A section of independent driving — UK uses sat-nav for 20 minutes since December 2017 (DVSA reform), Spain follows roadside signs only ("conducción autónoma"). The examiner marks the sheet silently and reads the result at the end with a fault-by-fault explanation. Plan for an hour from arrival to exit.

The set is broadly common across Europe but the test picks a subset on the day. UK (DVSA): one of parallel parking on the road, forward bay parking, reverse bay parking, or pulling up on the right and reversing two car lengths. Plus an emergency stop in about one in three tests. Spain (DGT): reverse in a straight line, parking parallel or in battery (perpendicular), and the maniobra de cambio de sentido. Germany: Einparken längs and Einparken quer, plus emergency braking and reversing — listed in Anlage 7 of the Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung. France: créneau, épi, bataille, plus rangement en marche arrière (Code de la route, arrêté du 19 février 2010).

Marking schemes use three or four tiers. DVSA in the UK records driving faults (minors), serious faults, and dangerous faults — you fail with one serious or dangerous, or with sixteen driving faults. Spain's DGT marks faltas leves, deficientes, and eliminatorias; one eliminatoria, two deficientes on the same item, or accumulation of leves ends the test (Manual del Examinador DGT 2024). Germany's Anlage 7 to the FeV distinguishes leichte and schwere Fehler — one schwerer Fehler is an immediate fail. France's épreuve pratique scores out of 31 with eliminating faults ("erreur éliminatoire"). The pattern is consistent: one major or several repeated minors in the same competency ends the test.

Every test centre uses a bank of approved routes designed to cover the range of road types required by the syllabus — urban, faster A-roads or routes nationales, and where geography allows, motorway or dual carriageway sections. The UK ended publication of routes in 2010 to discourage rote learning, although some still circulate informally on YouTube. Spain's DGT examiners pick from internal routes that include zona urbana, vía interurbana and a manoeuvre area. The examiner decides on the day. Pre-test lessons in the area familiarise you with the road network and typical junctions, which is more useful than memorising any one route.

The examiner is a state-trained assessor — a DVSA-employed Driving Examiner in the UK, a DGT funcionario examinador in Spain, a TÜV or DEKRA Prüfer in Germany — applying a standardised marking sheet. Their job is to score what you do against the criteria, not to manipulate the route or trick you. They give clear navigational instructions, hold dual controls on the instructor's car (in countries that use them), and intervene only for safety. They cannot coach you mid-test. At the end they read the result, walk through serious faults, and sign the paperwork; failed candidates receive a written list of faults to discuss with the instructor.

Most European systems require the test car to meet specific standards. UK (DVSA): your own car or instructor's, with seat belts, dual mirrors for the examiner, L-plates, valid MOT, tax and insurance covering use for a driving test. Spain: the vast majority of candidates use the autoescuela vehicle because the dual-control requirement is mandatory under the Reglamento General de Conductores Article 51; private cars are only allowed in very limited cases with prior DGT approval. Germany: the Fahrschulwagen is used by default; FeV §17 sets the technical requirements (Doppelpedalerie, two mirrors for the Prüfer). France: the boîte automatique restriction follows the test vehicle.