Guidance reviewed: 13 November 2026
DVSA publishes the most common reasons people fail the car driving test in Great Britain. The latest published set at the time of review covers tests taken from April 2024 to March 2025. These are areas to practise, not a prediction of what will happen on your test.
Ten areas that appeared most often
- Making effective observations at junctions
- Using mirrors correctly when changing direction
- Moving off safely
- Positioning correctly when turning right at junctions
- Responding appropriately to traffic lights
- Having proper control of the steering
- Responding correctly to road markings
- Responding correctly to traffic signs
- Positioning well during normal driving
- Driving at a safe and reasonable speed
They cover everyday decisions as well as manoeuvres. For example, a safe approach means checking what is happening before emerging, choosing a suitable gap, keeping the right lane position and adjusting speed to visibility, traffic and road conditions.
Turn feedback into practice
Ask your instructor which situations you should work on and what a safe, consistent response looks like. Practise the underlying skill on different roads and in varied conditions, with supervision where needed. If the same mistake keeps happening, spend more time on it before taking the test.
This list is not the complete test syllabus. A candidate can make faults in any area assessed on the test. Read the examiner’s result and discuss it with your instructor rather than trying to memorise a ranking.
Understand driving-test faults and your result · Check your readiness