Practical driving-test day checklist

A concise, printable preparation list for the evening before and the day of your test.

Direct answer: Confirm the booking, prepare your licence, check the car and insurance, plan a calm journey, and arrive at the time requested in your confirmation.

Pre-launch check: Check the DVSA publication each month and record the source date when data is refreshed.

The evening before

  • Read the booking confirmation and centre instructions.
  • Put your driving licence somewhere you will not forget it.
  • Confirm the car, insurance and instructor arrangements.
  • Check tyres, lights, warning lights, fuel or charge and the examiner’s mirror.
  • Look at the forecast and travel conditions.

On the day

  • Eat and drink as you normally would.
  • Wear comfortable footwear suitable for controlling the pedals.
  • Allow a travel buffer without arriving at the centre excessively early.
  • Switch your phone off or silence it before the test.
  • Treat each part as a normal safe drive rather than trying to predict the result.

Official sources

This guide paraphrases the official pages below. Open them to check the current rule or service.