Examiner's marking sheet - DL25a

How the examiner decides: pass - or fail?

"Have I? Haven't I?" It's a tense moment, waiting to hear those magic words at the end of the driving test: "You've passed!"

"DL25a" is the exciting name for the form which the examiner uses to record your performance on test. (S)he will note down which manoeuvres you were asked to do, and any faults you make.

Faults are divided into three types: Driving faults, serious faults, and dangerous faults.

Driving faults...

...will not usually cause you to fail. A driving fault is a minor error, which, on it's own, is not a serious problem.

However, if the total of your driving faults is sixteen or more, you will fail, even if there are no serious or dangerous faults.

If you keep repeating the same driving fault (for example, stalling) it will be recorded as a serious fault - which will result in a fail.

Serious faults...

...will result in failure. Even if you make only one fault on test, if it is a serious fault - you fail.

A serious fault is something which could cause danger or inconvenience to another road user.

It's difficult to say if a particular error is serious or not, unless you are present when it is made. The examiner has to take into account the effect of your error on other drivers, and other factors. (S)he will assess whether the fault is a one off, or part of a pattern in your driving.

Dangerous faults...

...will definitely result in failure. Even if you make only one fault on test, if it is a dangerous fault - you fail.

A dangerous fault is something which causes real danger to another road user or yourself - something which you will have worked hard to make sure doesn't happen.