Lorry, bus or coach driving test (on-road driving)
Understanding your lorry, bus or coach (including towing a trailer) driving test result, including what was assessed, what sorts of things counted as faults, and how to improve in each area.
To pass your driving test, you needed to make:
- no more than 12 driving faults (sometimes called ‘minors’)
- no serious or dangerous faults (sometimes called ‘majors’)
If the examiner had to tell you to do something or take control of the vehicle to avoid an accident, your result will show the ‘examiner took action (ETA)’.
Talk to your driving instructor about your result. This will help them focus any more lessons you need on the right skills.
You or your driving instructor have to rebook your test and pay again if you failed. You have to choose a date at least 3 working days (Monday to Saturday) from the date of your last test.
You needed to show you can use the vehicle’s secondary features and controls and know when to use them. This includes things like windscreen wipers, heating and indicators.
You needed to show you can use these while driving, without losing control of the vehicle.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- not turning on the windscreen wipers when it starts to rain
- losing control of the vehicle when using one of the controls
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- practise using the controls safely while driving
- read pages 307 to 313 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
- read pages 274 to 276 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor. Use the time to familiarise yourself with the vehicle’s secondary controls and features.
You needed to show you can anticipate other road users’ intentions and potential hazards. You needed to show you can react in good time, not at the last minute.
You should have been extra careful around more vulnerable road users. This includes:
- motorcyclists
- cyclists
- horse riders
- pedestrians
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- not anticipating or showing awareness of a passing cyclist
- not anticipating or showing awareness of a vehicle using hazard lights
- not anticipating that pedestrians are about to cross the road at any time
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 204 to 225 of The Highway Code
- read pages 321 to 324 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
- read pages 287 to 306 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor.
You needed to keep a safe amount of distance when passing other road users or hazards – at least one metre when possible.
You needed to make sure you were well clear of other road users or hazards before moving back in.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- being closer than one metre of a vehicle when passing, even though the road allows for more space
- moving back in too soon after passing the vehicle or hazard
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 162 to 169 of The Highway Code
- read page 335 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
- read pages 274 to 276 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor.
You needed to show you can use all the vehicle’s primary controls smoothly and at the correct time. This includes the:
- accelerator
- clutch
- gears
- brake
- handbrake or parking brake
- steering
Your examiner will have monitored this throughout the test.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- over-steering when making a turn, and mounting the kerb
- pressing the brake too hard, or not hard enough
- selecting the wrong gear causing a sudden reduction in your speed, forcing vehicles behind you to slow down
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 117 to 126 of The Highway Code
- read pages 307 to 313 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor. Use the time to familiarise yourself with the vehicle’s primary controls.
You were marked on control - your ability to control the vehicle when stopping.
When your examiner asked you, you needed to pull up just before you get to a parked vehicle or an object on the kerb, such as a post, street light or tree. You needed to bring the vehicle to a stop safely, smoothly and under full control.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during a test, or if you believe you need to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 118 to 120 of The Highway Code
- read page 306 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
You needed to keep a safe distance when driving behind other road users.
Your distance from the vehicle in front should have been appropriate for the conditions of the road.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- driving too close to the vehicle in front
- not adjusting your distance when there is bad weather, such as rain, ice or fog
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rule 151 and rule 126 of The Highway Code
- read pages 325 to 327 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
- read pages 286 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor.
You were marked on:
- overtaking
- meeting
- crossing
You needed to show good judgement when overtaking, meeting and crossing other road users. Such as knowing when to proceed, and when to wait for a safer opportunity.
You needed to make your intentions clear, and understand the intentions of the other road users.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- not giving way to road users that have priority
- reacting late when meeting an approaching vehicle
- being too close to a cyclist when overtaking
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 162 to 169 of The Highway Code
- read pages 335 to 339 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver.
You were marked on:
- approach speed - your ability to approach junctions at an appropriate speed
- observation - your observation of your surroundings
- turning right - your control when turning right
- turning left - your control when turning left
- cutting corners - your ability to avoid cutting corners when turning
You needed to show you can drive through junctions safely. You should have observed your surroundings, made your intentions clear, followed road signs and signals, and properly controlled the vehicle.
You should not have used the weight and size of the vehicle to take precedence over other road users.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- incorrectly judging the speed of an oncoming vehicle, forcing it to slow down when emerging from a junction
- not checking for other road users when emerging from a slip road, onto a dual carriageway
- steering too early at a roundabout causing you to mount the kerb
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 170 to 190 of The Highway Code’
- read pages 328 to 335 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver.
You were marked on:
- control - your ability to control the vehicle
- safety - your ability to perform this action safely
You needed to show you could move off safely and under control throughout your test. This included:
- from the side of the road
- on a slope or hill (gradient)
- from behind a parked vehicle, so you have to move off at an angle
- at junctions
You should have used all of your mirrors to observe your surroundings (particularly your close proximity mirror (known as a cyclops mirror) to check the front of the vehicle), and signalled when necessary. Your control of the vehicle should have prevented it from rolling backwards or stalling.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- trying to move off without selecting a gear and rolling back
- not properly checking your blind spots
- moving off into the path of an oncoming vehicle
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 159 to 161 of The Highway Code
- read pages 313 to 316 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
- read page 276 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor.
You needed to recognise each type of pedestrian crossing and react correctly to each.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- stopping on a crossing (not before)
- moving off before a pedestrian has completely cleared the crossing
- approaching a crossing too fast
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 191 to 199 of The Highway Code
- read pages 339 to 342 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor.
When asked to by your examiner, you needed to pull up and stop on the side of the road. This needed to be done in the first safe place available.
When parked, your vehicle should not have been a hazard to other road users.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- partially or completely blocking a driveway
- obstructing other road users
- parking with one or more wheels on the kerb
- parking too far from the kerb
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 239 to 252 of The Highway Code
- read page 327 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
- read pages 306 to 308 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:
- spotting safe and legal places to stop on the side of the road
- stopping on a hill or gradient
You were marked on:
- normal driving - your control of the vehicle when driving, such as not driving too close to the kerb or lines
- lane discipline - your ability to maintain your position within the lane
You needed to show you can keep your vehicle correctly positioned on the road, in the correct lane, without driving too close to the lines.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- driving too close to the kerb, putting pedestrians at risk
- driving too close to the centre of the road, putting other road users at risk
- driving for too long in the right hand lane of a dual carriage way, for no reason
- straddling lanes causing issues for other road users
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 127 to 132 of The Highway Code
- read page 327 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor.
Before you started driving, you should have performed a few safety checks. This includes making sure:
- your seat is positioned correctly and you can reach all the controls
- your mirrors are positioned correctly, including close proximity mirror (known as a cyclops mirror) and wide angle mirrors
- all doors are shut
- the handbrake or parking brake is on
- the gear is in neutral
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- adjusting seat or mirrors while driving
- starting the vehicle with the gear not in neutral
- not having the handbrake or parking brake on when starting the vehicle
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor. Use the time to familiarise yourself with the vehicle’s controls and features.
You were marked on:
-
appropriate speed - your ability to drive at an appropriate speed for the road and traffic conditions
-
undue hesitation - your ability to maintain progress, and not hesitate and slow down when you did not need to
You should have driven at a speed appropriate for the road and traffic conditions, without holding up other road users.
Your examiner will have monitored this throughout the test.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
-
not emerging from a junction when it is safe to do so
- driving well below the speed limit on clear roads
- waiting unnecessarily for another road user to pass who has clearly given way to you
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 124 to 126 of The Highway Code
- read page 324 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
- read pages 283 to 297 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor.
You should have recognised and reacted correctly to signs and signals on the road. This included:
- road signs
- road markings
- traffic lights
- traffic controllers
- other road users
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- taking up space meant for cyclists when stopping at a red traffic light
- reacting late or not at all to a speed limit change sign
- not stopping at a compulsory stop sign
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check The Highway Code’s sections on traffic signs, road markings and signals by authorised persons
- read ‘Know Your Traffic Signs’
- read page 320 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
- read page 282 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor.
You were marked on:
-
necessary - your ability to use signals when you needed to
-
correctly - your ability to use the correct signals
-
timed - your ability to use signals that are not too late or too early
Throughout the test , you should have used appropriate signals to let everyone around know what you were about to do. This should have been done in good time.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- signalling left or right, but not turning
- signalling right at a roundabout when you want to go ahead
- signalling too late for the signal to be effective
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 103 to 106 of The Highway Code
- read pages 318 to 320 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor.
You needed to show you can use all your mirrors what’s around your vehicle. This includes your:
- rear view mirror
- wing mirrors (door mirrors)
- close proximity mirror (cyclops mirror)
- wide angle mirror
You needed to show you can use them at the correct time, some situations where you needed to use mirrors include:
- signalling
- changing direction or lanes
- changing speed
Your examiner will monitor this throughout your test.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- checking mirrors after or at the same time as signalling
- changing lanes on a roundabout without checking your mirrors effectively
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rule 161 of The Highway Code
- read pages 316 to 318 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
- read pages 277 to 281 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor.
You needed to show you can drive at an appropriate speed. Your examiner will have assessed this throughout your test.
You should have taken into consideration the conditions of the road, the amount of traffic, road signs and signals, and the speed limit. You should have been driving at a speed where you could stop safely, well within the distance you could see to be clear.
Examples of faults
Some of the most common faults for this area include:
- driving over the speed limit
- not adjusting your speed to road conditions
Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.
How you can improve in this area
If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:
- check rules 124 to 126 of The Highway Code
- read page 324 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles (2020 edition)’
- read pages 284 to 286 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches (2020 edition)’
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor
You will have been asked some vehicle safety questions at the beginning of your test.
The number of questions you get asked will depend on the type of test you took.
The examiner will have asked you:
- ‘tell me’ question (where you explain how you’d carry out a safety task)
- ‘show me’ question (where you show how you’d carry out a safety task)
How you can improve in this area
To improve in this area, read our guide to the ‘show me, tell me’ vehicle safety questions.
If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor.