What is the ADI theory test like?
The theory test is made up of two parts; the multiple choice part and the hazard perception part. The multiple choice part is delivered using a touch screen computer and mouse and the hazard perception part records your responses through the use of a computer mouse button. You need to pass both parts to pass the theory test. If you pass one part and fail the other you will fail the whole test, and you will need to take both parts again.
For the hazard perception test there are no separate versions for different vehicles, each vehicle category takes the same test, however the pass mark is different for different categories of tests.
Multiple choice
Before the test starts you will be given instructions on how the test works.
You can also choose to go through a practice session of the multiple choice questions to get used to the layout of the test. At the end of the practice session the real test will begin.
A question and four answer options will appear onscreen and you have to select the correct answer to the question by touching the screen or using the mouse. Some questions may require more than one answer. You can navigate between questions and ‘flag’ questions that you want to come back to later in the test. You will have 90 minutes to answer 100 questions that will be split into four bands which will be:
The purpose of the banding is to ensure candidates have a comprehensive knowledge across the whole syllabus. The pass mark for the multiple choice part of the theory test is 85% -that is 85 questions answered correctly. However, you must reach a minimum 80% (20 out of 25) in each of the four bands. It is therefore possible for you to get an overall mark of 85% or above but still fail the examination because you have not gained the minimum of 80% in one of the bands.
After the multiple choice part you can choose to have a break of up to three minutes before the hazard perception part starts.
Hazard perception
After the break you will then be shown a short tutorial video clip about how the hazard perception part works.
The hazard perception part is also delivered on a computer but you respond by clicking a button on the mouse. You will be presented with a series of 14 video clips which feature every day road scenes, in each clip there will be at least one developing hazard, but one of the clips will feature two developing hazards. To achieve a high score you will need to respond to the developing hazard during the early part of its development. The maximum you can score on each hazard is five. You will not be able to review your answers to the hazard perception test; as on the road, you will only have one chance to respond to the developing hazard.
The pass mark for the hazard perception part of the theory test is 57 out of 75.
At the end of the test
At the end of the hazard perception part of the theory test you will be invited to answer a number of customer survey questions. You do not have to answer the questions if you do not want to, and any information given is anonymous and confidential. The survey questions do not affect the result of the test.
Special needs
There are facilities available for those candidates who have special needs. These facilities need to be requested at the time of booking.
If you have dyslexia or any other reading difficulties you can ask for a voiceover. You can also request to have up to double time for the multiple choice part of the theory test. If you require more than the standard time for the multiple choice part you will need to send in evidence of your reading difficulty to the theory test booking customer services.
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