Mock driving test: what it covers, what it costs and how to book one
A mock driving test is a full practice run of the car test, with your instructor (or another instructor) playing the examiner and staying silent apart from directions. DVSA says it should last about 40 minutes and cover everything on test day, then end with a result and feedback. It usually costs the same as a lesson.
It is the cheapest way to find out whether you would pass. DVSA's Ready to Pass campaign puts a typical mock test with your instructor at £36 to £40, against a car test fee of £62 on a weekday or £75 on evenings, weekends and bank holidays that you pay again after a fail.
| Mock driving test | Real driving test | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | About 40 minutes (DVSA guidance for instructors) | Around 35 minutes of driving (GOV.UK) |
| Independent driving | 20 minutes | 20 to 35 minutes |
| Emergency stop | Always included | Used in 1 in 3 tests |
| Route | Instructor's own, similar roads | Not published |
| Cost | Usually one lesson, typically £36 to £40 | £62 weekday, £75 evening, weekend or bank holiday |
Figures checked 14 October 2026.
What a mock driving test should include
DVSA's guidance for instructors lists the same parts as the real test:
- Checking your driving licence
- An eyesight check: reading a number plate from 20 metres
- One "tell me" question before you drive, one "show me" question on the move
- General driving on a mix of roads
- One reversing exercise
- 20 minutes of independent driving, following a sat nav or traffic signs
- An emergency stop
- The result and feedback
The emergency stop is always in the mock even though, per DVSA, it comes up in only 1 in 3 real tests. And 1 in 5 real tests uses traffic signs instead of a sat nav, so a good instructor runs some mocks on signs. Brush up on the questions with our show me tell me quiz, and on the reversing exercises with our guide to driving test manoeuvres.
The route
DVSA does not publish test routes, and instructors are told to avoid roads they know are used for real tests. A mock route should take about 30 minutes to drive and include as many of these as possible: rural roads with higher speed limits, urban roads, dual carriageways (including national speed limit ones), multi-lane roundabouts and one-way systems. You can see which roads and pass rates your local centre has in our driving test centre guides.
How a mock test is marked
Your instructor marks it the way an examiner would, using the 3 fault types on the DVSA driving test report:
- Driving fault (minor): not potentially dangerous. You can have up to 15.
- Serious fault: potentially dangerous. One is a fail.
- Dangerous fault: actual danger to you, the examiner, the public or property. One is a fail.
DVSA tells instructors to give no instruction during the mock, use the examiner's wording, and keep feedback until the end. If your driving becomes dangerous, they stop the mock early and explain why. Our guide to driving test faults goes box by box through the marking sheet.
Pass the mock with a few minors and you have evidence you are close. Fail it on a serious fault and you have found it for the price of a lesson rather than a test fee.
When to take a mock driving test
DVSA says to use mock tests when you can consistently drive safely without prompting. Earlier than that and the mock only tells you what your instructor already knows.
Passing a mock is one of DVSA's 5 signs you are ready: no prompts needed, no serious or dangerous mistakes, you can pass mock tests, you have practised managing nerves, and your instructor agrees.
A sensible pattern: one mock 4 to 6 weeks before the test, then another in the last week or two. If the first goes badly, you still have time to work on it, and you can move your test for free with 10 full working days' notice. If you are still working out how far away that is, our how many driving lessons calculator gives a rough estimate.
Booking a mock test with your instructor, or someone else
If you have lessons, ask your instructor. DVSA suggests that if you will be nervous with a stranger, another instructor can run the mock, without being told your strengths and weaknesses first. That is the closest thing to sitting with an examiner you have never met.
No instructor? DVSA research found more than half of instructors will do mock tests for people they do not teach. That suits learners who have mostly practised privately, and drivers with a licence from another country, who often assume their experience is enough. Ask whether they will mark it on a real test sheet and what the feedback will cover.
What learners say about mock tests
DVSA's own learner research: 92% of learners who took a mock test said it helped them prepare, 87% said it made them more confident, and 94% would recommend one. Watching test videos online is no substitute, as DVSA points out, because no one is marking your own driving.
For the rest of your preparation, read how to pass your driving test first time, check what to take on the day and see our tips on managing driving test nerves.
Need an instructor for a mock test? Search for driving instructors near you by postcode and ask before you book.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.